Tell me what you think... I thought it may be a good practice to share what the lectionary psalm is each Monday. We can live with the psalm for the week: read it daily or at least a few times during the week; share any insights, revelations, words of challenge or comfort you receive; share your thoughts with others - either here or Sunday morning during our time of sharing praises and concerns during worship.
And lo and behold - this week is one of my all-time favorites! Read on...
Psalm 139
O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. 1f I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 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. How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.
O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil! Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
9 comments:
During a prayer with my colleagues this afternoon - with whom I had asked for prayer support in getting more sleep - while praying, the line from the psalm came to me that says, "You know when I sit down and when I rise up..." (v2). Ah, God knows how much or how little sleep I get... Ah, God is with me... God is counting God's sheep... me! Comforting thought!
I love this Psalm too. In addition to being so beautiful, I also find it very descriptive and visual. There's something about the line, "...You knit me together in my mother's womb...". I picture "Grandmother God" sitting in a rocking chair, wireframe glasses, slowing and lovingly working on her latest "wonder".
It is mind-boggling to think that not only does God know all up one side and down the other, inside and out, and is everywhere all the time, but actually has time left over to know me as an individual and care for me as an individual. His time-management skills are awesome!
Brenda and Lynne- thanks for your posts! Brenda - Wonderful image of "Grandmother God"... and Lynne you made me laugh out loud thinking about God's time-management skills.
Beth, what a great idea to create this blog. My lst blogging! This Psalm reminded me even as a child I knew that God was everywhere, always with me, but did not truly-totally know that I was a special creation in his eyes, (as each of us are) until my new beginning at age 30. I always had trouble with verses 19-22, but God being pure and judgst in His Love I can see how David in his psalm could refer to those that choose to be pure in their wickedness as those to be hated.. It's just after such soft and beautiful yearings (sp?)the hate words are so harsh ... I do see tho in God's pure Goodness evil cannot stand and David wanted to rid the wicked and bloodguilty from him. What are your thoughts.
Yea Lu! Congratulations on your first blog post!
I have many of the same "rubs" about those harsh verses near the end. More recently I have come to appreciate where the psalmist seems to "come around" even after those raging words... and he says, "search me, O God... See if there is any wicked way in me..."
The idiom, "There but for the grace of God go I" comes to mind... it is almost as if the writer catches himself in his rage, and says, "Wait a minute... I could be just as wicked... Test me, God..."
It is like he turns and sees himself in a mirror - and is stopped up short.
Rev. Beth, Yes I do see that -- it seems as David as many of us when opening our pathWAYS to God have to purge and this does seem that David could be doing this./lu
The verse "Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast." was conforting to me. It shows that no matter what is going on in life, no matter where we are God is their and is guiding us. Just the verse that said God is always with you is a comfort in itself.
Thanks for posting Law&... Yes, those are amazing and comforting words! "Even there..." wherever "there" is, God is there! How cool is that!!
There can be a place or it can be a set of circumstances... God is!
Yea God!
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