“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.” (Ps 139:1-3 AV)
We often use Psalm 139 as a foundation of God’s omniscience regarding our accountability to Him. We correctly point out there is no place we can hide where God cannot find us. He knows everywhere we go and everything we do. We also make note of the fact God knows every thought and feeling we have. He knows every desire. He knows every intention. He knows what we think even if we do not verbalize it or act upon it. We mention these things to motivate people to live right before an omniscient and all-powerful God. However, David means this psalm to be a psalm of comfort. Later in the psalm, he raises his concerns over his enemies. Knowing that we have a God that knows all things about us can be disconcerting. But it should be more of a comfort than anything else. To know that God knows how I feel, my limitations, my fears, anxieties, etc. is of great relief to me. Knowing there is nothing hidden from Him may be a motive to live right; it should be; but it is more of a comfort to know there is nothing that He does not know.
Everyone goes through a time when we wonder if anyone ‘gets us’. We feel isolated because we think that no one understands. This is not the case. We are all basically the same. The difference is we may not have exactly the same circumstances in life at exactly the same time or manner. This doesn’t help, however, when we are going through a difficult time or we are struggling with issues of the heart. We still sit in isolation thinking no one could possibly know what we are going through. It reminds me of a pitch-black room in which we believe we are sitting in the middle. Over time, we are left alone with our thoughts. We wonder where we are and how we got there. There is absolutely no light. We don’t know if we are in a vast warehouse that would offer no obvious way out, or if we are sitting in a closet. We listen intently for any clue as to our situation. There is no sound. Not one. We sit and contemplate our outcome. Will we be found? Will anyone miss us? We wonder if we are abandoned because we don’t know how long we have been there. Hours go by. The longer we sit there, the more depressed and distraught we become. Then we start weeping. Left all alone, we think this is how our life will come to an end. Then, all of a sudden, the light comes on and we find out we are in a room filled with people who had been there all along. Like you, they were strapped to a chair with earplugs inserted. They, too, thought they were all alone and no one would come and rescue them. This is how we live our lives. Privately. Enduring pain and trouble thinking our situation is unique and no one would ever comprehend what it is like to be us.
This is not true. Although others may have their fair share of problems that causes them to be blind to yours, there is One who knows everything. He knows exactly what you face and as David expresses several times, He compasses you before and behind. Whether we can sense Him or not, the all-knowing, ever-present, almighty God is there. He is in that dark room with You. You are not alone. He is in that dark room with everyone. God needs no light. He is spirit and transcends all time and space. He knows it all and loves you with an everlasting love. Knowing we love a God that ‘gets us’ is all we need to traverse this pilgrimage with joy, faith, and contentment. Praise the LORD for His ever-present and all-knowing hand.
No comments:
Post a Comment