What comes to mind when you think about God is of the utmost importance. Like David, you want to be able to exclaim, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!” (Psalm 139:17) as you consider His protection, presence, purpose, penalty, and purity.
When you think about God, what comes to mind? The answer is very important. Hopefully, you can say with David, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!” (Psalm 139:17) as you think about His protection, presence, purpose, penalty, and purity.
God’s Protection
Psalm 139, composed by David for the choirmaster, emphatically declares that the Lord will both fulfill His purpose for His people and protect His people. Filled with personal pronouns, the psalm invites the individual to sing, but also the covenant community, especially those in exile who need to be reminded of God’s person and works.
The first stanza of Psalm 139 emphasizes God’s protection (vv. 1-6). It begins, “O LORD, you have searched me and known me” (v. 1). To be known is one of the greatest longings of the human heart and the Lord knows us better than anyone else. He knows His people extensively and intimately, laying His hand upon them like a tender shepherd, guiding them in all their ways. “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me” (v. 5).
Jesus came as “the good shepherd” who “lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). God the Father could have laid His hand of protection upon Him, but instead Jesus accomplished our redemption by offering Himself as the final and perfect sacrifice to atone for our sins, so that we might have eternal life. Today we can rejoice in God’s protection of His people, recognizing that it’s not physical protection He promises but spiritual. No one can take our salvation away.
God’s Presence
The second stanza of Psalm 139 emphasizes God’s presence (vv. 7-12). It is of great comfort that nothing can separate us from the presence of God. We can go to heaven or hell, travel to the east or west, experience the darkest night or the brightest day, and still be in God’s presence. Everywhere we are “even there [the Lord’s] hand shall lead [us], and [His] right hand shall hold [us]” (v. 10).
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