“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 far away. You search out my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue. O LORD, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, And lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is so high that I cannot attain it.” Psalms 139
Reading the above passage causes me to feel valuable enough to be thought of by God, every moment of my life. I don’t know people in my life who have ever told me that they think of me this much. I’m pretty sure human beings are not able to think about someone as much as the LORD is able to ponder our every thought.
If clients came to me and told me they were spending a lot of time thinking about another person, I would begin by treating them for a dependent disorder. Human beings are not capable of remembering all of their own thoughts let alone everyone who ever was created on this earth.
God is all knowing, He has the capacity to know and think about all of us, He knows our thoughts before we think them, and He knows the words we are going to utter.
This passage claims that God knows where we are going and what path our life is taking before we start walking. So how is this possible? Like the writer of this passage, I’m “blown away” by how well God knows me. We could talk all day about the sum of His thoughts and still not come to a complete knowledge. It is even more overwhelming to come to the realization that God has these thoughts about everyone.
The Layman’s Bible Commentary on Psalms by Arnold B. Rhodes writes this about the Omniscience of God, (Ps. 139: 1-6) “ The psalmist recognizes himself as one whom God has examined and knows thoroughly. God knows him when he is at rest and when he is at work. He even knows what he is going to say before he says it. His presence surrounds the psalmist at all times. Such infinite knowledge is beyond human comprehension.”
I take great comfort in these words by the Psalmist. I’m glad God has a plan for me. Someone needs to be in charge of my life. I’ve tried to plan my life and some plans have really gone in the wrong direction. I’ve started off in what I thought was the right direction only to discover I was lost. I’d start calling out to God to come and get me back on the right path. “ Come clean up my mess, God.” The more trouble I got into-the longer and louder I’d carry on and the more people I would get involved.
I see this happen with my clients. I’ve made it my life’s work to help them unravel the mess they get their lives into. We all do the same throughout our lives and we keep expecting God to get us straightened out again. If we would only learn to come to God first, and listen to his advice- before stepping out in our lives. How long do you think our friends and family members would put up with our endless mistakes and wrong turns? What about our patience with others affecting our peace and tranquility?
We would not stand for a fraction of what we put God through. Yet He remains by our side, time after time, year after year, mishap after mishap, always loving us and hoping that someday we will follow His plan.
One of the most comforting parts of this passage is vs. 5, ” and lay your hand upon me”. To make this even more visual, God reaches down and lays His hand upon us for what reason? To guide us, comfort us, soothe us, give us affection, validate us, and let us know that He is just within reach.
When your God is as personal as mine, the above description is exactly how I experience God. I let God into my heart and my life. I listen for Him. I actually “shut-up” and listen to His voice, words, and comfort. For years, I was the one always talking. I realized that the only way I was going to know what God was thinking was to read His word and listen to Him. After all, how can you have a relationship with anyone if you do all the talking?”
Escape from the Pit of Despair by Kim M. Yeager