David begins this psalm by turning his gaze toward the LORD, the Creator of all things. He is not trying to capture God’s attention, rather, he acknowledges that God’s attention has always been upon Him.
Psalm 139:1-12 “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot * attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night, “Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”
The word “O LORD” symbolizes God’s personal name, YAHWEH, the Eternal God. He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. He embodies both Omnipresence and Omniscience. Omnipresence means God is everywhere while Omniscience means that God is all-knowing and His knowledge is not limited.
God knows each individual personally and He is intimately involved in every detail of our lives. He knows all of our pains, disappointment and despair, knowing what we need even before we realize it. He understands our feelings and the way we process them. Even before a word is on our tongue, He knows it altogether. We are deeply known by God, both outwardly and inwardly. No matter our circumstances, there is no place beyond God’s reach. Even when we think we are in a place where it might feel as though God has forsaken us, we can take comfort in the fact that He is there, God is present and actively working in our lives. God sees us fully and loves us wholly.
Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Psalm 139:13-18 “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.”
Before our mothers knew us, God formed every detail of us. God has designed each of us uniquely and perfectly with the utmost intention and care. Everything the Lord created is good, and that includes us! We are part of His marvellous works. We are His treasured creation, made in His likeness.
At the end of this chapter, David acknowledges his vulnerability to sin and asks God to search his heart and mind, leading him in the right way (V.23-24). This process can be hard to go through, as having someone point out our weaknesses and wrongdoing is often uncomfortable; pride and ego are involved. Yet, David was willing to go through this process to make right of his relationship with the Lord. He wants to be all that God wants him to be. David’s willingness to be searched and tested by God reflects his desire for purity and alignment with God’s will. He seeks not only to be known by God but also to be led by Him on the path of righteousness and eternal life.
This psalm has always been an encouragement to me during hard times. It beautifully describes the heart of God toward His people. We can find comfort in knowing that God knows every detail of our lives, and there is nowhere we can go that is outside of His care. Just like David, we need God’s help to recognize which perspectives are true and we need to be obedient in following His ways.
By: Rachel Permana
