He Knows, He’s There, He Loves [Psalm 139]

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This is the first post of a devotional series on a few of the Psalms. Psalm literally mean Praise. So let’s take some time to reflect on how we can learn about God and praise Him through the Psalms.

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar” (1-2).

Think of your closest friend. Think of how much they know about you. They may know how you are feeling by your facial expressions. They may know what you are doing. But do they know every one of your thoughts? I really hope my friend does not know every single thought of mine, that’s kind of creepy.

But our Lord does know. He knows every thought, every move, and every word before we even think, make or say them.

Nothing can be hidden from our Lord. David, the psalmist, realizes this and asks where he can hide from God.  Many times we can simply run from God and run to the desires of our flesh. They seem easier, more fun, and fulfilling. Yet when we run away and try to hide, we are left empty.  

Create in me a clean heart for I have turned away from You. 
Save us from our ways, oh God, for we have turned our face from You.

Gungor in their song We Will Run says it oh too well. When we run away from God, we are following our selfish ways of sin. Yet, we know our sin will never fully satisfy us.

Isaiah touches on this as well. “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (59:2).

Our sin separates us from the Love of Christ. We are ashamed when we sin and turn our face even more from God to try and hide even more. Nonetheless, when we follow Jesus with our whole being, we are forgiven of our ways, we are made clean.

The chorus in We Will Run goes on to say:

We will run to you, we will run to you. Turning from our sin, we return to You.
Father heal your world, make all things new. Oh bring us back to You.

After we realize our sin is never fulfilling and we turn back to God. He welcomes us back Home, like the Prodigal son. With open arms He holds us in comfort and love. He is always with us.

Like David I cry in amazement “how precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” (17). He does know every thought, and that is wonderful! It should not be scary, but amazing. I stand in awe before our God.

David ends up his psalm in saying, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (24).

He knows our thoughts, He is everywhere always, He loves and welcomes us everytime we run to him.