Known By God.

KNOWN BY GOD.

Psalm 139:1-6, Psalm 139:13-18.

What convinced me of the reality of the God of the Bible - 'the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Ephesians 1:3) - was not intellectual argument, but personal encounter.

This occurred in two phases: first in a sense of guilt and dread at the presence of God on account of my very real sinfulness (Isaiah 6:5); then (secondly) in an enormous sigh of relief when I finally yielded to Jesus, recognising all He had done for me. I found that the perceived darkness which had been pursuing me was nothing other than the shadow of the Almighty covering me (Psalm 91:1).

Psalm 139:1-6.

When we read Psalm 139, sometimes it is hard to tell whether we should read it with a sense of dread. The LORD knows me (Psalm 139:1). He knows everything I am doing (Psalm 139:2). He knows where I am going (Psalm 139:3). He knows my every word even before it is spoken (Psalm 139:4).

Or whether our sense of the LORD hemming us in (Psalm 139:5) has more to do with gratitude at His protection than with any sense of foreboding.

This might depend upon whether we are looking at the LORD from outside a personal relationship, or from within. Either way, the concept of an all-knowing God is quite incomprehensible to the finite mind (Psalm 139:6).

Psalm 139:13-18.

God’s knowledge of us far exceeds our knowledge of Him. It was not a bad thing that He hemmed us in when we were in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). This should inform our ethics: it is the LORD who creates the embryo, each one individually (Psalm 139:14).

He was there for us before our beginning (Psalm 139:15). It is the LORD who numbers our days (Psalm 139:16).

The LORD has us in mind, for good (Psalm 139:17). Every morning we experience new mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23) - even in the midst of tribulations (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Each day when we awake - and ultimately on the day of resurrection - we are still with the LORD (Psalm 139:18).