Psalms 139:1-16: a reflection

1LORD, you have searched me, and you know me. 2You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar. 3You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, LORD, you know it altogether. 5You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me. 6This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it. 7Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence? 8If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there! 9If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me. 11If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me. The light around me will be night,” 12even the darkness doesn’t hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you. 13For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. 15My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth. 16Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.

This psalm marvels at how completely and intimately God knows us, and finds in that knowledge not a threat but a comfort. LORD, you have searched me, and you know me, it begins. You know my sitting down and my rising up; you perceive my thoughts from afar. There is not a word on my tongue, but you know it altogether. God knows us completely, our every action, our thoughts before we speak them, our whole way; there is nowhere we can go from his presence, no darkness that hides us from him. And this complete knowledge is not oppressive but comforting, for the God who knows us so fully also holds us: even there your hand will lead me, your right hand will hold me. To be fully known by God is to be fully held by him; his complete knowledge of us is joined to his loving care. God knows us more completely than we know ourselves, and this knowing is the knowing of one who made us and holds us.

Notice how the psalm holds together God's complete knowledge of us and his loving care. God knows everything about us, our actions, our thoughts, our words before we speak them, the whole of our way; we cannot flee his presence, cannot hide even in darkness. Such complete knowledge could feel oppressive, a relentless surveillance; but the psalm finds it a comfort, for the God who knows us so fully is the God who leads us and holds us with his right hand, who formed us and knit us together. To be fully known by God is not to be exposed to a cold scrutiny but to be held by one who made us and loves us. His knowledge of us is the intimate knowledge of a maker for what he has made, joined to his care. There is deep comfort in being fully known by the God who fully holds us; nothing about us is hidden from him, and nothing about us is beyond his care. To be known by God is to be held by him.

That is worth resting in, for God knows us completely and intimately, and this knowledge is joined to his loving care. We can find the thought of being fully known unsettling, fearing exposure; but the psalm shows that God's complete knowledge of us is the knowledge of one who made us, leads us, and holds us with his right hand. To be fully known by God is to be fully held by him; his knowing is joined to his care. Nothing about us is hidden from him, and nothing is beyond his love. When you feel exposed or unknown, rest in the God who knows you completely and holds you in that knowing. Rest in the God who knows you completely and intimately, whose complete knowledge of you is joined to his loving care, as the psalm marvels that God has searched us and known us, perceives our thoughts, and yet leads us and holds us with his right hand; for to be fully known by God is not to be exposed to a cold scrutiny but to be held by the one who made us and loves us, so that nothing about us is hidden from him and nothing about us is beyond his care.

Lord, this psalm marvels at how completely and intimately you know us, and finds in that knowledge not a threat but a comfort. LORD, you have searched me, and you know me, it begins. You know my sitting down and my rising up; you perceive my thoughts from afar. There is not a word on my tongue, but you know it altogether. You know us completely, our every action, our thoughts before we speak them, our whole way; there is nowhere we can go from your presence, no darkness that hides us from you. And this complete knowledge is not oppressive but comforting, for you who know us so fully also hold us: even there your hand will lead me, your right hand will hold me. To be fully known by you is to be fully held by you. Show me how the psalm holds together your complete knowledge of me and your loving care. You know everything about me, my actions, my thoughts, my words before I speak them; I cannot flee your presence, cannot hide even in darkness. Such complete knowledge could feel oppressive; but the psalm finds it a comfort, for you who know me so fully are the God who leads me and holds me with your right hand, who formed me and knit me together. To be fully known by you is not to be exposed to a cold scrutiny but to be held by one who made me and loves me. Let me rest in that, for you know me completely and intimately, and this knowledge is joined to your loving care. I can find the thought of being fully known unsettling, fearing exposure; but the psalm shows that your complete knowledge of me is the knowledge of one who made me, leads me, and holds me. Nothing about me is hidden from you, and nothing is beyond your love. When I feel exposed or unknown, help me rest in you, Lord, who know me completely and hold me in that knowing.