Do you have a family member or a best friend who has walked with you through nearly every season of your life—your joys and disappointments, your successes and failures? Someone that knows you deeply, accepts you, and remains honest and trustworthy to you can bring a lot of comfort and strength to our lives. Even so, human relationships, no matter how close, take a lifetime to build, and we still find ourselves surprised by what we learn about others and even about ourselves. There are parts of us—both beautiful and broken—that we sometimes try to hide, cover, or run from because we fear being truly seen. We cling to our safe places.
Maybe you’ve never had someone like this in your life or else you had a friend or family member like this but lost them or at least lost contact with them. Today we are going to look at a Psalm in the Bible where the writer reflects on a relationship even more intimate and unwavering than the closest earthly bond. Here, he realizes that the One who created him, also searches him, surrounds him, and sees every part of his life. There is nothing hidden, nothing unknown—and yet this Friend will always remain faithfully present. Let’s turn to Psalm 139.
Psalm 139:1-18
1 LORD, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I get up; You understand my thoughts from far away. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, LORD, You know it all.5 You have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot comprehend it. 7 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 Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take up 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 take hold of me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” 12 Even darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. 13 For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You When I was made in secret, And skillfully formed in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my formless substance; And in Your book were written
All the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.
When we read this passage we discover:
1.God’s knowledge of us is intimate
2.God’s presence is inescapable
3.God’s presence is powerful
God’s knowledge of us is intimate
The psalmist said, “God you have searched and known me” which speaks about a painful searching. The Hebrew word means digging deep into a mine, exploring a land, or investigating a legal case. People around us see our outside actions, they hear our words, watch our actions but God sees our hearts, and we cannot fool Him.
In verse 2 it says that God knows when we sleep and when we are awake, when we are home or at work (or sleeping at work). He perfectly discerns and understands my thoughts and behaviors.
He knows what we will face tomorrow—even when we do not. Nothing in your life, your story, or your pain is hidden from Him.
But God knows every possible decision I can make and will eventually make in my lifetime. He knows my every thought. He knows in advance every word that will come out of my mouth – He is intimately aware of all my ways.
My wife and I, after only 34 years of marriage, can almost finish each other’s sentences. We often know what each other is thinking but we don’t always get it right. We are still discovering new things about each other all the time but God knows everything about everything at once - past, present, and future. He knows everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. Only He truly knows who we are, more than we even know about ourselves.
There is nothing that we can hide from God, not a thought, not a fear, not a hurt, not a sorrow or joy or desire. We are an open book to Him - He knows our motivations, when we are telling the truth and when we are trying to deceive others or even ourselves. There is a comfort in knowing that God knows everything about us because despite our sins and our failures He loves us and invites us to be real with Him.
God sees everything from beginning to end and that’s why I believe we often question God’s plans and character because we only see a tiny part of what is going on. We can’t see the big picture and the part we have in it. We don’t know or understand all the “whys” of life. His knowledge of us and every living creature is intimate. God knows us completely, inside and out so there is no need to pretend with God. You do not need to hide your questions or your tears. “The psalmist reflects on the reality that God knows everything about him and that….”
God’s presence is inescapable
The God who created the universe, holds everything in the universe together, and is everywhere present at the same time. The writer, whom they believe was David, realized in vv. 5-6 and that God’s reassuring presence was with Him. If he looked behind him, God was there protecting him, if he looked ahead of him, God was there too - guiding and supporting him. This knowledge was too wonderful for him!
God knows everything that is going on in the universe which is 14 billion light years away because He is there and at the same time He knows how many hairs I have on my head, He knows when a sparrow dies, He was there when we came into the world and will be there when we leave because there is no place where God is not fully present.
David was overwhelmed and humbled by the totality of God’s perfect knowledge and presence. He was awed by God’s power and presence yet he embraced it.
Paul was also expressing his awe in God because no one can explain God and the depth of the riches of His wisdom and knowledge (Romans 11:33). He said there’s no way to fully understand who God is.
At times David felt that God’s presence was too overwhelming and for some reason he was trying to get away from the presence of God. Presence speaks of God’s face. Can you imagine being face to face with God? We are not sure why he wanted to run from God, maybe he was embarrassed or ashamed of what was in his heart or what he had done, like Adam and Eve who sinned against God and hid in the garden, maybe he thought – I don’t want to hear what you have to say about this, I don’t want to face this issue in my life with you. Maybe he was angry at God…
But for some reason there was a time in his life when he ran from God but realized he could never hide from God. He could go to up to the heavens or to the grave and God would be there, He could to the bottom of the ocean or even try to hide in the darkness but God would find him. Darkness and light are the same to God. God is fully present everywhere, even those places that we think are unreachable, off limits to everyone.
We might run from people, our hurts, bad situations, relationships, or even run from the call of God on our lives, but, like Jonah, no matter where I run God is there, patiently waiting.
David realized that even in the darkest seasons, “Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will take hold of me.” The idea of “taking hold” here speaks of holding onto something valuable. Even in times of emotional, moral, or spiritual darkness, God is present and He is pursuing you because you are valuable to Him. We know from the Scriptures that David tried to run from God but found himself running right into God. God’s presence is not only inescapable…
God’s presence is powerful
God’s presence is also personal - everything God does and says to me has a purpose. Verses 13-14 say:
For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
The way God made you and me physically, emotionally, and intellectually was His intentional design - I am not an accident or a mistake. I was created on purpose and for a purpose. Obviously, David had no idea how biologically complex he is, yet he recognized that God is like a skilled craftsman that can sculpt a masterpiece out of nothing. God made us with such focused care.
David wanted each one of us to know that God cared about our inception, has prepared each stage of our lives, and that He will be with us at each stage until the end. Every life is sacred from the moment of conception to our final breath. In God’s eyes our value doesn’t come from our skills or talents or how long we can positively contribute to society. Our value is based on the fact that we have been made in the image of God. Embrace your God given worth.
David meditated on God’s thoughts toward him and said in v. 17: How precious are your thoughts. Precious and rare - like diamonds and gold. If you want to encourage your own hearts, take time to read or listen to what God thinks about you - store them in your heart.
Verse 18 Your thoughts towards me are more … than the sand” - David recognizes that there is not enough time to even count all God’s thoughts toward him. As he is getting more and more excited by the presence of God, he says: Even when I awake I am still with you - this is the climax to the chapter - David had already spoken about God’s presence in his sleep and when he awakes. What He is saying is “I have a God who is so present with me, who always thinks about me, he is holding my hand so firmly - that when I die He is with me on this side and on the other side. When I close my eyes on this side and open them in the next I will see your face - there is eternal life with God.
What are some takeaways from Psalm 139?
1. God knows all about you and He wants you to come to Him just as you are
2. You do not have to hide your fear or pain from God.
The darkness you may be experiencing is not dark to God. He can see clearly through the chaos. He can guide even when you cannot see one step in front of the other.
3. The life and time that God has given you matters - use them wisely.
4. You are of great value to God - so valuable that He sent his son to die for you on the cross.
5. If you place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, accepting His payment for your sin - you will have His assurance of salvation and a home in heaven. You will have the assurance of His personal presence in your heart - He will guide you, be with you, keep you at each step of your life and bring you home.
