My Magnificent Psalm - 139

I have walked with Jesus since I was a very small child. I cannot remember a time when I didn’t love Jesus and want to have Him live in my heart and to walk and talk with Him as a friend. As I remember, I began trusting in Jesus about the same time my earthly father left the family, first emotionally then physically. (That is a story in itself I may someday put in writing). Until now I had not really associated the two happening as being in the same time-frame, but through that experience of losing my father (that of his choice) I believe my feelings of being securely loved was the grace that my heavenly Father gave me when He came into my life when I accepted Him as my Savior. This love filled up the void left by my earthly father. I loved Jesus and knew that He loved me. As I grew into my teen age years I had a special place where I went to pray and meditate by myself on the things of God. I had to walk about 6 blocks to school, and the route I took was across a college campus where the College Church was located. I went to the church by myself and became acquainted with a little prayer room in the basement of the church which had a door opening to the outside, so it was very accessible for me to go into on my way home from school. The prayer room had an altar, a Bible, a lighted cross and a few chairs. I spent many after school hours in that small room, but it was big enough for me and the Lord and His Word, which became the love of my life. In that little room the Father opened His Word to me, showing me Truths that brought such comfort, peace, joy and hope in what could have been a very lonely, hopeless life. I had many friends, but there was not one who could take the place of my Friend Jesus. It was in this small room that I discovered the 139th Psalm and all its beauty. It has been my favorite Psalm since that time, and I want to share some of its meanings that I received in that little prayer room. Please read the scriptures along with me. Psalm 139 Verse 1. In His unfathomable omniscience God chooses to search the deepest crevices of my mind, my will and my emotions for my motives and desires in every decision I make, whether they are Godward or of the flesh. He “knows” me completely, and wants to guide me in the way I should go. for He knows the “way” that I should go – the way that is straight and narrow – the way that is less travelled. Verse 2. God sees and knows if I am “not walking in the counsel of the ungodly, nor choosing sinners to be my companions with whom I hang out; nor go with them in their ways; nor feeling comfortable taking part with those who scorn God and His righteous children” (Ps.1:1). He sees and knows my thoughts, even before I think them. I pray I will always desire to have His thoughts and walk in His ways – may I always seek them (v 3). God constantly and carefully searches every step that I take for snares, traps, pitfalls and anything that would make me fall. He even searches and plans for the right time, place and circumstances for me to rest. He knows all the choices I will make and all the paths I will take. (I pray that I will always choose His will and His paths.) Verse 4. God even knows the words I will speak, even before I speak them – all the good and the bad. I am altogether open and exposed to God . “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart always be acceptable to Him Who is my Strength and my Redeemer” (Ps.19:14 and Heb.4:13)! Verse 3 & 5 - God has me completely covered me with His protection - if I choose to walk in that protection. He is the “Rock” on which I stand (Ps.19:14); He goes before me and comes behind me and searches out all my paths; He is my “Rearguard” (Ps.139:5). He lays His hand upon me (Ps.91:1-2) - He is my “Fortress” (II Sam.22:33). Verse 6 – God’s knowledge, and all His attributes, are incomprehensible to me. If I was able to attain all the knowledge in the world I could never reach the fathoms of His knowledge. It is too high for me, too deep – it is unfathomable. Verses 7-12 – God’s presence is always with me. If I wanted to, I could not hide from His presence anywhere, but His presence would always be there before me. What a wonderful thought that His presence is with me in the highest heavens (even if I went to Mars His presence would be there, after-all He created Mars), or in the uttermost part of the sea; or even in the grave, even there His hand would still be leading me and His right hand holding me. Even in the darkness nothing nor anyone can hide from God, but the night shines as bright as the day. The darkness and the light are alike to Him, after-all He created both (Genesis 1:3-5) Darkness is simply the absence of light and He is light (Jn.1:4-9). So where He is there is Light, and without Him there is darkness. In the Light there is Truth and there is Life, for that is where Jesus is. In darkness is where Satan dwells. There he deceives and blinds, steals, kills and destroys (Jn.10:10). So I choose Light so I might live (Jn.14:6.). God sees all that is in the darkness, as well as all that is in the light. When I trusted in Jesus He delivered me out of Satan’s kingdom of darkness into His Kingdom of Light (Truth) (Col.1:13-14). I can know the Truth and it will set me free from the blindness and bondage of Satan’s darkness (Jn.8:32). Verses 13-16 - God created us in our mother’s womb; each with our own abilities, and what we think of as disabilities. But God created us all with a purpose and a plan; a plan for welfare and peace and not for evil, and to give us hope in our final outcome (Jer.29:11 Amp.). As I think about my creation from conception through birth, I have to agree with God and praise Him, for He is awesome and wonderful; and for the awesome wonder of my birth. He saw me when I was being formed in secret and curiously worked as if embroidered with various colors. What an awesome mystery! Even then He gave me gifts and abilities all my own so I could be what He wanted me to be. There in my mother’s womb He saw me and in His book of my life all my days were written before even one day took place. (I pray I will follow His plan every day of my life (Jer.29:11). Verses 17-18 - When you love someone they are continually in your thoughts. You want to know what and how they are doing. If your children are the object of your loving thoughts, you wonder, and pray for them to be well and happy and seeking after God with all their hearts (for you know this is the only way they will ever be truly happy and at peace). We are concerned for the choices they are making: in their work, friendships, family and relationships; and the things for which they are concerned. Everything that fills their lives we think about and pray for them to have God’s wisdom in all their decisions. Our thoughts of those we love go on and on. In like manner, God our Father thinks about me, his child, but His thoughts toward me are much more numerous, and with more love. The Holy Spirit prays the perfect prayers for me when I don’t know how to pray for myself. (Rom.8:26) To me, they are precious and weighty. If I were able to count His thoughts toward me, they would be more in number that the grains of sand of all the sea shores in all the world. If I started now to count them, even after death and I would wake up with Jesus, I could count them throughout eternity; I still could not count all His thoughts toward me. Why? All because of His love for me. He knows everything about me yet He loves me. How incomprehensible!! “How can it be? Amazing love!! How can it be that, You, my God, should die for me? Amazing love!!” When He Was On The Cross, I Was On His Mind Gee of the Florida Boys I’m not on an ego trip, I’m nothing on my own, I made mistakes, I often slip, Just common flesh and bones, But I’ll prove some day just why I say I’m of a special kind, For when He was on the cross I was on His mind. The look of love was on his face, thorns were on His head, The blood was on his scarlet robe, stained a crimson red, Though His eyes were on the crowd that day, He looked ahead in time, For when He was on the cross I was on His mind. Chorus: He knew me, yet He loved me. He Whose glory makes the heavens shine, so unworthy of such mercy. Yet when He was on the cross I was on His mind. __________ Verses 23-24 – I am so blind to many of my own “sins,” so I must pray every day, “Search me thoroughly, O God, and know my heart! Try and test me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” ___________ Is it any wonder that this has been my favorite Psalm since I was a very young teenager who discovered the Truth of God’s love toward me through Psalm 139? I was young then, but now I am old and God’s love grows sweeter every day!!