February 8
“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You,” Psalm 139:1-12.
May I suggest that you read the text carefully again? Please note the question that the psalmist answers: “Where can you go to get away from God?” The answer is, “Nowhere! God is always present, everywhere!”
There is both a terrifying and a comforting side to this thought. The terrifying side is for those who think that they can continue sinning, day after day, and get away with it. God knows your thoughts. He knows when you lie down and when you arise. He surrounds you and is acquainted with everything that you think, say, or do. He is behind you and in front of you. His hand is above you. These thoughts are terrifying for people who think that they are going to get away with what they are plotting and planning. Generally, people who want to get away with doing evil think that the night is the best time. They think that no one will see them. But God sees! The psalmist writes, “The darkness shall not hide from You; but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You!” Where can you go to get away from God? You can flee to the uttermost parts of the earth; however, remember that God was there before you got there and He will be there after you are gone!
Now we turn to the comforting side of the same words. God knows everything about you. He knows that you are a sinner. He knows how often you sin in thought, word, and deed. He knows how terrible your sins are. He knows your need for help to fight against your sinful self and to conquer the devil’s temptations. He knows how you struggle to resist the voice of other sinners with whom you come into contact. If you are a Christian, He knows that you repent of your many sins.
Here is the comfort! God knows that you believe and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of all of your sins. God called you by His Holy Spirit through the Good News of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit led you to the foot of the cross at Calvary to behold the price that Jesus paid to take your sins away. The Holy Spirit led you to the open, empty grave to see and believe in your risen Redeemer, who conquered death and the devil for you and for all others. At the cross and at the empty grave, God assures you that you are forgiven!
Now, your loving God assures you that He is always with you to guard and protect you as you journey along the road of life, and He promises to keep you in the saving faith in Jesus, His Son and the only Savior. Thank Him for knowing everything about you and for being everywhere to take care of you!
We pray: O ever-present, all-knowing God, we thank You for Your promise to be with us everywhere and in every situation in life. Increase our faith and hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus, and increase our trust in Your promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5. Amen.