PSALM 139

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This is one of the most complete psalms ever written. In fact, I see this as a psalm of surrender. The only way to give things over to our Creator-God is to give up--TO SURRENDER.

I want to simply read through the 8 movements of this psalm. Let's look at it and let these words penetrate your own heart.

1-Searched and known by God. 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.

2-Hemmed in by God from all sides. 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?

3-Can't hide from God. He is everywhere! 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,

4-Strong, yet tender hand of God. 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.

5-God is the Creator of my inner person. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

6-God's thoughts are most valuable to me. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand- when I awake, I am still with you.

7-Hating God's enemies. 19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

8-God, search me, know me and test me out. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Now, after 22 verses of pondering, being hemmed in by, and being awed by God's personal focus on his life, David seems to drop to his knees in surrender and pray from the bottom of his heart. I invite you to do the same thing.

Search me, God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

NOTE that the psalm opens with God searching and knowing you and now ends with the same searching and knowing. Only when you surrender your will can the God of gods do His refining and purifying work of searching you out and knowing your innermost self. Then and only then can God hold you in His hands in such a way that you might know you are in the safest place you can be.