Psalm 139
Today as we read Psalm 139, I want to concentrate on verses 7-12. I think we all are very familiar with verses 13-15 as they are quoted and bannered often in our lives, so I want to look more closely at maybe a less familiar part of the chapter but to me an equally beautiful section.
Vs 7-12 “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night-but even in the darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”
As I read this I am overwhelmed by God’s beauty, comfort, safety, protection, might, omnipotence, omnipresence, power and if I am honest, maybe a little bit uncomfortable. When I am seeking God and listening for His voice in my life, these verses are so reassuring and comforting, I can’t think of many options that are more comforting. But when I get distracted, busy or on a mission to complete my to-do list, I find my mind less focused on Him and more focused on the task at hand. Let me give an example. As I write this post, my mind is consumed with God, His promises and what He might be trying to say to us, so this passage feels comforting. I can never get away from His presence, His hand will guide me, and His strength will support me, very beautiful and reassuring that He is always there with me.
But what about when I am being less mindful of Him or worse, choosing to do something disobedient? Then I am very uncomfortable being honest about the fact that I can never get away from His presence or escape His Spirit. I think I like telling myself that God isn’t around when I mess up. I know that my sin grieves His spirit and damages our relationship until I get honest and ask for forgiveness from Him, but I don’t like the mental picture of Him being there watching as I sin. It seems so much more ugly when I picture Perfection, the one who suffered and gave His life so I could be washed clean, standing or sitting right there with me as I choose unkind words, an ungrateful heart, selfishness, anger with others, or so many more awful things I do that I’m too embarrassed to write down. The truth is, He is there. No matter what I am thinking or feeling, He is with me and seeing everything I choose, every thought I have, and every motivation for the choices I make. My sin is not hidden. I’ve known this truth since I was a child, but looking at these verses today makes me realize how easily I lie to myself about this truth.
God’s presence is constant. The way I perceive His presence is based on my choices.