O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I rise up;You understand my thought from afar.
3 You [c]scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 [e]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
5 You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it
Psalm 139:1-6, NASV
When someone refers to God as the "big man in the sky" or something like that I think about how different the God of the Bible is to the way that we sometimes think of Him. Psalm 139 gives us a crystal clear view of the majesty of God and the fact that he is ever present and all powerful. You notice in several places the psalmist early in this chapter uses words like "know", "scrutinize" and "intimately acquainted". The word scrutinize in the Hebrew is zarah which means to scatter, winnow, sift. God literally and figurately sifts through our thoughts and heart and examines it. The psalmist actually says that the knowledge of God is beyond our human comprehension. To me, this has several implications.
Anthony George, who is now at First Baptist Atlanta use to say that God is not sitting on his throne popping antacids wondering what he is going to do about your problems. While life can sometimes blindside us with things unexpected, God is not one who is surprised or caught off guard. When you don't know what to do or don't understand or feel you are beyond your knowledge or understanding then we should take comfort in the fact that God understands the situation perfectly.
Not only that, but the God of the universe knows and understands us each intimately. He knows every thought, motive, word, need, circumstance and intent perfectly. God knows us better than we know ourselves and yet still loves us with a love that is beyond our comprehension. I find it amazing that God knows me that well and yet still loves me. In verse 18 of this same chapter it says that God thoughts about me are as numerous as the sand on the shore.
In these uncertain times, we need to be reminded that God is in control. He sees where you are and what you need. He sees what is coming in the future. He sees your future as clearly as he sees your past. He knows what to do when you don't know what to do. Since he knows everything, he knows what the best way is to solve your problem. Hebrews 4:13 says that "all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in [a]Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will [b]overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the darkness is not dark [c]to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in [a]Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will [b]overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the darkness is not dark [c]to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
Psalm 139:7-12
In these verses, the psalmist goes on to speak more about the omnipresence of God. That God is every present. This literally means that there is nowhere we can go in the universe where God is not. The psalmist speaks of the extremes of the universe, the highest heaven, the deepest ocean and then declares that there is nothing, no darkness, that keeps things hidden from God. Not even when he was being formed in the womb of his mother did God not know what was going on.
This raises certain questions such as "Do I live my life as if I am always in the presence of God?" or do I treat God as if he is on a vacation or lives in the church building and doesn't see me when I lose my temper in traffic or feel frustrated at work due to some problem. Do I compartmentalize God as if he is only interested in part of my life, when he is interested in all of it?
I take some comfort from these verses because there are times when I don't feel like explaining everything to God or even feel like I have the words to express how I feel. But, I don't have to explain everything to God because prayer is not about informing as though he were absent. Rather, I can hand over a situation or person or job or problem or area where I need growth and give it to God knowing that He knows about it much better than I do and how to provide for that need.
The year 2020 has been the year of the unexpected. I don't feel like it is over yet and we may see other things happen that we don't anticipate. But, God is not surprised by it nor is he feeling overwhelmed or confused or doesn't know what to do. God sees it all. He knows what you need before you ask him and is able to provide what you need.
Related passages: Psalm 94:11, Isaiah 66:18; Matthew 9:4, Romans 11:33, Psalm 40:5, Psalm 92:5
