Our Inescapable God
May 5, 2013
Psalm 139:1-12; 23-24
O LORD, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me. You know
when I sit down or stand up. You know my
thoughts even when I’m far away. You see
me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I
say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing
on my head. Such knowledge is too
wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your
Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are
there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the
morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me. I
could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but
even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as
day. Darkness and light are the same to
you.
Search me, O God, and know my
heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that
offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Human beings are incredibly complex. No one is capable of understanding how our
bodies work, let alone our thoughts and emotions. Yet God digs down deep into us. He
sees the depth in our hearts, knows our most intimate thoughts and ideas, and
is aware of all we do. He knows us more
fully than we can even know ourselves and this is a great thing. Blindly loving someone or something can often
be tragic. Loving someone when you know
as much as possible about them is powerful and beautiful. God extends his love to us knowing everything
thing there is to know about us. No one
can accept us for who we are more fully than God.
Yet how many of us try to escape? The Psalmist speaks from experience. No matter where he (and the people of God) goes,
God is present. There is no hiding from
God. Even while far away, God still
guides. He still gives support and
strength. The goodness of God is never
far away from us, despite our efforts to reject, ignore, or escape it.
So the reality of God’s presence becomes a request. “Search me” says the writer. He embraces God’s presence in his life. He accepts the inescapable reality of God and
his love. He desires change. He wants more. He wants to be led by God. May this request be our request today.
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