A couple weekends ago at bible study we went thru Psalm 139 and I'm sure you've done it once in your life, too. It's a very much quoted Psalm such as; You've searched me and know me...You've created my inmost being...Search my heart. It's a beautiful Psalm, simply beautiful!
As we read thru it I was literally holding back my tears, swallowing down the knot in my throat, hoping no one would notice. Line after line gripped my heart. Convicted me and yet made me feel so secure. If you haven't read it or even if you have, I want you to read it again...
1 You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
Isn't His Word so good?!?! The words were jumping right off the page to me! Yes, I knew already that God knows me, of course He does, He should, He's God!! But, no this was different...He knows ALL my ways! Even before I speak a single word He knows what it will be!! He's familiar with all my ways...my habits...my weaknesses, things that I am strong in...He knows! As I'm already becoming overwhelmed with this, verse 6 says such knowledge as this is too much for me to even contain in my simplemind - He already knew. He's always with me...even when I fail Him and slip back into my fleshly desires, He's with me. How comforting is that? I don't serve a God that folds His arms and lets me go do my thing...no, no, He's there with me when I make my bed in the depths - in the deep. He has created me - all of me - and I know that I know, I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Praise God! The confidence in His Word :). The psalmist finishes up by telling God, search me, know my heart, test me, know the anxious thoughts I have...oh how that would be our constant prayer. Could we with no hesitation ask our holy God to search our heart? Just as Paul said, what a wretched man I am! I say the same. When I search my own heart or thoughts, I'm shameful to ask God to search my heart - but, God knows me already - there's the removal of condemnation. Even though there are things that I say or do that wouldn't bring honor to God, He knows my heart, He knows that I try and continue to press on. And too, that is why we have His promised Holy Spirit, to help us. The psalm ends with...lead me in the way of everlasting...yes, Father lead us on a path that leads to everlasting life! Glory!
Our bible study note to remember: Know that God knows.
Yes, that can be hard to swallow, but allow it to be correction and a sense of security in a God that knows all. I want to leave you with a link to a song by Hillsong United called, Search My Heart. I know you'll love it!
And a quick prayer for us...
Lord, we are thankful for Your Word. We rejoice in knowing that You know us, in and out and You still love us. May the Holy Spirit continue to teach us and perfect our ways and words to honor You in our daily lives. Our desire is to live for You...for You to be able to work thru us...so refine us Lord. Refine Your church, test us and lead us in all Your ways.
Amen.
Hillsong United - Search My Heart
Hi Jess,
ReplyDeleteYour post really resonated with me. Last year we read Psalm 139 in church, and then our pastor asked us to go home and walk through that psalm line by line and take some notes on how each line spoke to us. It was such a powerful experience -- I'm so glad I did the "assignment" -- I'll never look at that psalm in the same way again.
So glad you linked up over at Graceful -- and it's lovely to meet you here!