Monday
Psalm 139: 1-6
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
What a comfort it is to rest in the truth that the God of all creation knows us intimately and has his hand upon us. As we think about how we have responded to the world around us over the last few days, it may give us pause to realize that God knew it all before we did. When we spend time with Him, we are invited to lean into his deep knowledge of us and hear from him how to live into each day.
- As you sit in this passage this morning, what might God be saying about you and the day before you?
- Is there something you want to say to God this morning, understanding that he knows already?
- What emotions are stirred in you as you acknowledge that God is acquainted with all your ways?
Gracious God, you know us better than we know ourselves. Free us from our attempts to hide anything from you. Thank you that you know us and that your love does not falter. Help us to listen to you and for you today and feel your loving hand of grace and mercy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Tuesday
Psalm 139:7-12
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
David recognized that God was close to him, no matter where he found himself. Near or far, God was present. Light or dark, God’s presence was sure and unwavering. We may have experiences and emotions that cause us to feel distant or near, in the light or groping in the dark, but wherever we are, we are assured that God is with us, present and non-anxious.
- What 3 words describe your thoughts and feelings today? How are these different since the same time last week?
- Where do you see God in your present state? What is He bestowing on you right now?
- How can you be present with someone in your life who is experiencing distance or darkness?
Gracious God – thank you for your nearness in all circumstances. Even as we each respond differently to our surroundings and circumstances, you are present with us with your comfort and guidance. Help us to look to you and lean into your presence, that we might serve others with our presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Wednesday
Psalm 139:13-18
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
David honors his body as a reflection of God’s intimate knowledge and formation of him. He sees the connection between what we do, what we think, and how our bodies operate – all ordained and watched over by God with equal care and attention. Our minds, hearts, souls, and bodies are rooted in God’s story which he is playing out in, through, and around us.
- What emotions are stirred in you as you ponder that God formed you and ordained your days?
- What makes this passage life-giving for you? What makes it difficult?
- How does your body act as a partner in living into God’s will for you?
Gracious God, we can often give little attention to our bodies as we’ve been taught to focus on the spirit. Thank you for engaging with our bodies as they were formed in secret. Thank you that your love for us extends to our bodies. In this wonder-filled moment, help us to honor our bodies as your loving handiwork and a partner in our work for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thursday
Psalm 139:17-22
How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously,
and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
Like so many of David’s psalms, his words of love and worship to God and about God are accompanied by a disdain for wickedness and its perpetrators. While he declares his hatred with those who are against God, he leaves it up to God to deal with them. His words reflect the desire that comes with love to protect the one he loves.
- When you wake up, how long does it take for you to remember that God is present with you?
- What grieves you about the wickedness around you?
- What is your request to God regarding the wickedness?
Gracious God, we carry your presence with us, which is such an awesome privilege. As a result we feel it when others renounce or work against your purposes in the world. We ask that you would deal justly with the wicked, and that we would be agents of your peace-making presence as we carry you with us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Friday
Psalm 139:23-24
“23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”
These verses are at the end of the psalm. David already acknowledges that God knows everything about him, but still he invites God to examine his life. God knows all about each of us, but in surrendering ourselves to him, we are inviting him to show us the ways in our lives that need God’s loving transformation.
- As you echo these words of the psalmist, what area of your life comes to mind?
- Is there an attitude, recurring thought, or behavior that needs God’s transformation?
- What might happen this week if you make the prayer in these verses your prayer this week?
Gracious God, we are aware of and grateful for your grace and mercy, and we open ourselves up to you, that you point out in us those areas of our lives that we need to surrender to you. We invite you to show us the things that you already know about us, but that we may be blind to. May we see and confess and follow you more fully this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.