IF YOU KNOW, HE KNOWS
Psalms 139:1-6 NKJV
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.
This is a wonderful psalm that uncovers the depth of God’s knowledge of mankind. Too often, we sell God short as if His knowledge is similar to ours. We are made in His image and have the capacity to think on a higher level, but His knowledge eclipses all we can think.
David is expressing his insight into God’s extensive knowledge of Him. And this knowledge should breed confidence in us. Confidence that our Heavenly Father knows what is going on in our lives. And His knowledge is not limited. His knowledge is the very details of our lives before they happen.
God knows when we sit and when we rise. He is aware of all our activities. And He even understands all our thoughts even though it may seem that we are far away from Him. The New Living Translation says, “You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.”
And how about this for foreknowledge? God knows every word we are going to speak before we speak it. I am not sure this is a comforting thought, especially if you lean toward being talkative. But on the other hand, it gives us a reason to pause and ask the Lord before we speak, especially regarding sensitive situations.
Again, I like the New Living Translation for verse five: “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” This describes our all-knowing, all-present God. And knowing we are never far from Him is another confidence booster. It was the apostle Paul who would declare to the Greeks on Mars Hill that “in Him we live and move and have our being…”. And the idea of His hand of blessing being on us is another strengthening belief. Wherever we see the hand of the Lord, we see great things taking place. This is a good verse to praise God with. Lord, you are going before me, and You have my back. Your hand of blessing is on me!
Finally, David declares that this amazing, all-knowing God is wonderful and way out of my league. David served a big God and had divinely inspired insight as to God’s character and nature. This psalm serves as a reminder that God and His thoughts and ways are way higher than our ways. That our God deserves to be praised and exalted in our lives. And that we are not an afterthought to Him. He knows us intimately. And knowing that He knows is a source of strength and confidence in our lives.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, You are exalted far above heaven and earth. You are the Creator of all things, including me. You know me as no one else does or can. And yet you love me and help me. Thank You, I praise Your name!