Psalm 91:1-2
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
What assurances do you find in these verses? How are these verses comforting to one who trusts in Christ?
Reflect
In Psalm 139, David uses poetic language to speak directly to God. He uses God’s personal name, Yahweh, (translated here as Lord) to describe how he lives constantly under God’s watchful gaze. He recognizes that God knows him better than he knows himself and that there is no place where he could go where God wouldn’t be. We have no privacy from God.
Right now there are all kinds of debates raging about digital privacy. In some places, cameras with facial recognition software can identify you when you’re simply walking down the street. No one likes the idea of strangers invading our privacy, especially when we don’t know or trust their motives. Yet, many people find great comfort in knowing that we cannot hide or escape from God. Why? Because we know the Lord. We know that Yahweh loves, cares for, and protects us. We can trust God’s motives.
Still, even if we believe that God loves us, we may squirm under his watchful eye and in his powerful presence, particularly if we feel guilty or are trying to escape his will. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3 tells us that they hid from God. When God asked Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and call the people to repentance, the prophet got on a ship going in the opposite direction to avoid the call.
It’s silly, isn’t it? Thinking you can run and hide from the Creator of the universe? Yet we do it all the time. We let the lies of the Enemy tempt us into going our own way. We doubt God’s love and goodness. We disobey his clear commands, and then hide in shame because we doubt his grace and forgiveness.
Let’s not believe the Enemy’s lies. Our God only wants the best for us. When his hand is on us, guiding us, let’s not resist. Let’s rejoice that nothing can separate us from his presence. There is no darkness that can hide us from his loving care. When we mess up, let’s turn quickly to God and ask his forgiveness. He is eager to grant it and lead us in the right direction.
How can you rejoice more in God’s presence in your daily life? How can you remember to turn to him and enjoy his presence throughout the day?
Respond
As David says, the knowledge of God’s watchful and loving presence is too wonderful for us, and too lofty for us to attain. We cannot fully grasp the mind of God, but we can worship him. Worship him now. Along with David, marvel at who he is and how he watches over you.