Psalm 139:4,5,6

My meditation on Psalm 139:4, 5, 6
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in – behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

To think that God knows my words before they are on my tongue…and grasp that He knows them COMPLETELY. Perhaps this is why we are to watch our words, and not speak them idly. Our words have power…they hold life – and they hold death. They hold blessings…and they hold curses. And God knows them all, before they are formed on our tongues. This is comforting, and convicting at the same time.

You hem me in…behind and before. The verb ‘to hem’ means, “to surround or enclose somebody or something.” When God says that He has hemmed you in, it means that He has totally surrounded you. You are entirely engulfed into His loving arms. My friends, if we are ever going to rest in Him during difficult times, we must get a grasp on this concept. It brings to mind a fence…put up to keep animals safe and within easy sight. That way the shepherd can keep track of his flock, yes, but also keep a watchful eye out for an enemy waiting to attack.

You have laid your hand upon me…this phrase reminds me of when a child is laying on your chest, and you lay your comforting hand on their back. They rest in the security of your touch…this is what God is doing with us. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the middle of God’s great big arms! Can you feel their warmth? Can you feel their strength? God is not only hemming you in, but He is holding you close to His heart. With every heartbeat of His, more grace is being pumped directly into you!
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me…too lofty for me to attain.
Definitions:
Lofty
elevated in character and spirit : noble
Noble
possessing, characterized by, or arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals

To think, the Creator of the Universe…the One that spoke a word, and called everything that has been created into being…lays His hand upon me, upon you. He holds us close to His breast…close enough that our hearts can beat with His. This is how much He cares. This reminds me of one of the things that bring me great joy…that is when my children and then grandchildren were infants, and when I would hold them close enough for their breath to be on my neck. This is how God feels about us…this is the relationship He desires to have with us. But its even more, because the Word says that this knowledge is too lofty for me to attain. So, as overwhelming as the understanding is that I CAN attain, it is even more. The thought brings me to tears, as I realize the lies I have told myself over the years.

And perhaps this is why He wants us to be in His Word…for His Word is Truth…HE is Truth…and no lie comes from the Truth. Pilate asked “what is truth?”… that’s a good question. The TRUTH is…I belong to the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ. Because of that, He has me hemmed in and has laid His hand upon me. He is patient with me, and He is watching over me. He will not take His eyes off of me…even when I go in a direction that is not pleasing to Him. His love has only one condition…believe in Jesus as the Son of God.
John 14:20-22
20 When I [Jesus] am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Thank you Father, for guiding me today as I study Your Word. Thank you for revealing Your truths to me, and for keeping Your hand upon me. I love You LORD, and pray that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart would be pleasing to You Oh God.
Amen…

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit…
Deb

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Psalm 139:4-6

Good morning Truth Seekers…
Today let’s continue on in Psalm 139, and meditate on verses 4, 5, 6

Psalm 139:4-6 New International Version (NIV)
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

If you are new to meditating on the Word and letting it speak to you personally, here’s what I do:
First, I read the scripture…several times. In fact, I read this portion before I went to bed last night to let it be the last thing in my mind before going to sleep.
Next…I write it down. I have a notebook that I keep for this purpose. I write down the portion of scripture I’m meditating on, and then let it sink in. I can’t do this when the TV or even music with words is on. I can’t have people in the room…this explains why the LORD instructs us to to to our closet to pray – so there are no distractions that will keep us from hearing His voice.
In the case of this scripture, I’ll do what I did yesterday…line by line. Alot of times a word will stick out to me that I know needs to be investigated deeply. Today I can already see the phrase “hem me in” as something that needs to be looked at.
So, that’s a pretty easy way that I do my study…and hopefully it’ll help you. I think we all develop our own ways, but sometimes we just need a push to get started. That’s the main thing. Just get started and allow the LORD to speak to you. He will, in a very personal and individual way.
Let me pray for you as we set out on today’s journey…

Father…I lift those that have come to this place into Your presence and ask that You meet each and every one in a very personal way. Yesterday’s study showed me the word “distinct”, and in my heart that said that You see each of us distinctly. Just like snowflakes…we are each distinct and beautifully created. I pray today that we will grasp just how deeply You know and understand us, down to the thoughts we have and the very fact that you know the words we speak even before they come out of our mouths (and still, You don’t turn away from us). Thank You LORD…now, today, speak to us through Your Word. Give us ears to hear Your still, small voice wooing us into Your presence. Your Word says that You stand at the door and knock…and if we will open it up and let you in through the door of our lives, You will come in and take a meal with us. I like that thought…me and Jesus sharing a meal, having a conversation. So LORD, I pray for that vision to take shape in the minds of those reading this prayer this morning. Prepare us, LORD to go deeper with You, into an intimacy that we never knew existed…
Amen

Let’s meet back here later today to share what we have learned…
Deb

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Psalm 139:1-3…my meditation

Here’s my meditation on today’s portion of scripture…please share yours in the comments as you feel led.
Psalm 139
1 You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

Down to the depths of my soul…You know me. You know my hopes, You know my dreams…You know my hurts, You know my fears. YOU KNOW ME!!!
And You’re paying attention to me…if that were not true, HOW would you know when I do the simplest things in life like sitting and standing? And not only are You paying attention to what I’m doing…You are paying attention to my thoughts.
And what does “perceive”mean? The dictionary defines it this way: per•ceive
1. become aware or conscious of (something); come to realize or understand.
And not only are You paying attention to my thoughts – YOU UNDERSTAND THEM!!! You discern my going out and my lying down…what is that? Again…my dictionary…my go-to resource.
discern
1. to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend:
2. to distinguish mentally; recognize as distinct or different; discriminate:

You, oh God, are watching me with Your eyes and Your thoughts. You are paying such close attention to me that You are familiar with ALL my ways.

WOW!!! All, not some…and not only those that are pleasing to you. You are familiar with ALL OF MY WAYS. And still…Your eyes are upon me.

This morning I had a vision of sorts…and now I know it goes along with this study….
I saw a child…toddler age, but still in diapers. I also sensed the child’s parent, however I couldn’t see the parent nor did I comprehend whether it was the child’s mother or father – I just knew that there was a parent there watching.

The child was busy doing toddler things…thinking that it was doing everything without help or guidance. But, the parent was watching closely – ready to step in when the child called.

I came away from this vision knowing that this is how we are with God…we think we are doing everything without our Heavenly Father’s watchful eye. But this scripture says that even in the menial tasks of life, He is watching. And when I put it in the perspective of a parent keeping an eye on a child, I understand this to mean that He is watching over us in that same way. So He can know us, and is familiar with us. He is not distant…He is there and available. Just like a parent is with their child….

Deb

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Psalm 139…a study

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹ You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Over the next several days I will be studying this portion of scripture and asking God to speak to me.  If you are reading this message, I ask that you do the same. We’ll take 2 or 3 verses at a time, write them down and simply meditate on them. Then, journal what they are saying to you.

I can tell you one thing…if you are reading this, it is not by accident. God is calling to you. This meeting has been designed by the Creator of the Universe…GOD!!!

I am excited to share this journey with you and look forward to the things God will reveal to each one of us.

For now though, it’s time to go sit in God’s presence and listen to His voice…please join me.

Deb

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