Resource
mmer Reading Challenge - Psalm 139 reflection
Bec Hill, St Mellitus ordinand based at St Bartholomew’s Roby, responds to Psalm 139 and the five things she thinks this says about God.
There are 5 things I think this Psalm says about God.
He knows us; He is with us; He sees us; He’s for us and He leads us. That is the journey we will take today through this Psalm as we remind ourselves of the hope we have in him.
God Knows Us
The Psalmist reminds us that God knows us - everything we do and everything we say. All of the spectacular and mudane things that make up your life, he’s familiar with them!
We all long to be accepted and loved, and yet we all have things in us which are a bit un- loveable. Things were sure if everybody knew them – they wouldn’t like us. But here we see that God does know them and he still loves us. You hem me in … and put your hand on me, is an expression of Gods protection and blessing. – are you aware today of God’s presence and blessing with you and for you? Its pretty wonderful!
He is with us
Have you ever tried to hide from God? Thought if you stayed out of his way he’d forget about you? Or that you could make it on your own? In this psalm we’re reminded that God is everywhere, all of creation is his and he is in it. It is his love that created and sustains the world, and there’s nowhere we can place ourselves that’s outside of that love.
In Romans 8 Paul says it like this.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? … No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He is with you! He’s in your corner whatever comes your way so you can live boldly knowing that truth.
He sees us.
I love the expression “I see you”. You hear it a lot these days - It acknowledges things that have seemingly gone unnoticed. Sometimes we can feel invisible, left out and left behind when we don’t feel seen, acknowledged and valued. But our value really doesn’t come from the things we do – seen or unseen. Here we see that there is an inherent worth that comes from being a part of God’s good creation. I love the poetic nature of this statement- the big picture of night and day to the tiny detail of being knit together in the womb- it’s beautiful when we come mindful of God’s love and presence- but I also love this statement at the end- “and when I awake I’m still with you.” It makes me think- and when the day starts, and I have to do other normal things- You’re in those too God.
He is for us.
If we are in Christ, if we belong to him, then we are on God’s side and he is on our side. We stand with God and against anything that opposes his purpose for the world. We become prayerful people- praying and working for good in the world.
He Leads us
All of this is drawn up together in this prayerful request, that God would test our hearts – and continue to lead us, grow us and form us into the people he calls us to be as we follow him.
Ephesians 1:18 says this:
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people…
This is my prayer for you today- that you may know more deeply the God who:
Knows us; is with us; sees us; is for us and leads us.
So that you will also know the Hope which he has called you to. Amen.