psalm 139 god's omnipresence

Sensibly, these verses are followed by: Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. God gave them life and cares for them infinitely more. You discern my going out and my lying down;you are familiar with all my ways. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! - Psalm 139:15. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . When people look at the lives of those who follow Christ, they should witness the blood He shed dripping from our daily lives. Life within the love of Christ Jesus, Immanuel (God with us), changes our hearts forever and continually until we arrive home in heaven. God has perfect knowledge of us,Matthew Henry wrote, and all our thoughts and actions are open before him. We cannot control the thoughts popping into our minds all day long, every day. Even in the depths; in the belly of the great fish, God was there to hear his prayer. Some people might hesitate to go, or to send their family member. 5 you hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. We all know that in heaven, every one of us who has trusted Jesus as Savior will be in the continual presence of the Lord. We are to pray for our enemies and the enemies of God and beseeching, He searches our souls as well. Though the curse of sin we live under compels us to do the samerun and hide when we sinGod made a way for us, through Jesus, to bring our sin to His feet and confess and repent of it. 17How precious also are Your (Y)thoughts to me, O God!How vast is the sum of them!18If I should count them, they would (Z)outnumber the sand.When (AA)I awake, I am still with You. He is everywhere! In 2023, read the Verse of the Day in your inbox. But then ask something like, so God is only in your heart? Praise and glory and honor to the God who formed us and rescued us. Pray that the kids in the group would come to know God more and more each week through this study and that they would remember that all of us are sinners who need to be saved and that they would turn to this good God for salvation. While the verses may sound like David is seeking to flee from God's presence Remind them that each week well be looking into the Bible to answer the questionCan you tell me what God is like?and will be learning one of the many truths about God that we see in His Word. God could know David's anxieties because He was always with David. David pictures God as having performed an excavation on him. If someone thinks that the torments of hell will come from fire, or from the punishments that the devil or his demons might be able to afflict on them, they are mistaken. God sees every one of them. What Are We to Make of Unanswered Prayers? Davids heartfelt journey with God, through the good, bad, challenging, and unbelievable, remains alive and relatable throughout Psalm 139. Gods knowledge, being infinite, means that he knows every word we speak altogether. In other words, he not only knows what we say, but he knows what we mean. Can a man hide himself in hiding places, so I do not see him? declares the Lord. Psalm 46:1 says: God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in time of need. He continues, This is not personal vindictiveness. He is all-knowing and everywhere. 4 before a word is on my tongue you, lord, know it completely. I will give thanks unto thee; For I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. You will never see His face of love; you will only see the awful face of His wrath; wrath so great itcaused the Lord Jesus to sweat drops of blood in anticipation of facing the wrath of Godfor sin on the cross! 139O Lord, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me.2You know when I sit down and when I rise up [my entire life, everything I do];You understand my thought from afar. This is true of all three members of the Trinity. You are our strength, God. By faith, consciously live your whole life in the Presence of Him who is unseen, yet more real than any other. I believe that for many of us, perhaps the greatest challenge of our Christian lives is to truly apprehend this doctrine of the omnipresence of God: not merely to know it in our minds; but to experience Him as with us in reality to truly LIVE and ACT as though God were with us because He really is Our Omnipresent God., Pingback: We Are Not Alone! If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me, And the light about me shall be night; Even the darkness hideth not from thee, But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee (7-12). Psalm 139 is a psalm of prayer, meant to be sung in praise at worship services. Your eyes saw my unformed body;all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. David realized that he was finite (v. 5), but God is infinite beyond comprehension (v. 6). BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. For you created my inmost being;you knit me together in my mothers womb. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! Judgment belongs to God alone. (thats not fair. Much of the Psalms teach us to love our enemies and pray to God on their behalf. The omnipresence of God means that we can worship Him anywhere. May our lives bring glory to Your name. God is reminding the reader of His omnipresenceHe is present everywhere at the same time. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Jesus commanded us to go to all the nations a daunting task but He also gave us the promise that He would be with us wherever we go. and the appearance of the fourth was like the Son of God! This fall, we will send a team to the slums of Delhi, India to minister to the new church and school we are helping to start there. Ps 139 as a whole presents the doctrines of God's omniscience (as we saw last week) and God's omnipresence (which is the focus of this week) and the omnipotence of the Lord (139:13-18). Place them all face down and take turns turning over 2 at a time looking for a match. Revelation 21:22 says there is no temple there, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. Verse 23 says: The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it. All rights reserved. In verses 19-24, the psalmist distances himself from the wicked and asks God to help him live . 23Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;Test me and know my anxious thoughts;24And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,And lead me in the everlasting way. Of course, she didn't think in those terms as a child, but she began to understand how God was nearby and everywhere at the same time, all-powerful, and knew her . If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea. Dont you think for a moment that God is not here already; He is. Wiw its really lesson resources and its easy to teach.Its applicable and convenient.Thank you very much and may the Lord bless you. We are intimately known by God, not just outwardly, but inwardly. Not only is God everywhere with us now; He will be in eternity as well. But what does the poet mean when he says, Do I not hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? (v. 21). Psalm 139 helps us to see ourselves and others through Gods perspective. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit encompass the One True, Triune God. Even when we are out in society, masks and plastic barriers isolate us from each other. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: Depart from me therefore, ye bloodthirsty men. "But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) Seek out Spiritual wisdom! They are enemies of God (v. 20). 139:9 3. the darkness - the light, Ps. get to know the Bible better! He was with you at the Mardi Gras ball and all the activities you participated in last week, do you know that? What is the result of God's holiness in Psalm 139? But if you reject Him, you will face His wrath. I hate them with perfect hatred: They are become mine enemies. All rights reserved. For they speak against thee wickedly, And thine enemies take thy name in vain. He is not limited by time and space. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit encompass the One True, Triune God. Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. Ask if they could be somewhere else right now at the same time as being here. He is not surprised by our physical or mental struggles! Psalm 139 reflects Davids prayerful meditation of Gods omnipresence and omniscience, and the effect those characteristics of God have on the human heart. Are you there? The Scriptures tell us that we never need to ask that question regarding the Living God: He IS here. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. - Psalm 139:16. How Do We Know What God's Best for Us Is? As for the question asking whether God (or Jesus) is in hell, there is this verse to consider. He knows if words are false, or if they are hypocritical. Of David. Copyright Ministry-to-Children. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Psalm 139 is a personal prayer and song of praise to God. That is the truth: God is everywhere, and He will be with you no matter what. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Knowing God creates gratitude and praise for who He is and what He does for us. Davids heartfelt journey with God, through the good, bad, challenging, and unbelievable, remains alive and relatable throughout Psalm 139. We get a few glimpses through sonograms, but, for the most part, the remarkable development of an unborn child is unseen except by God. II. My frame was not hidden from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Is it True for Christians That 'Once Saved, Always Saved'? 1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. GOD IS EVERYWHERE! 23(AI)Search me, O God, and know my heart;(AJ)Try me and know my anxious thoughts;24And see if there be any [n](AK)hurtful way in me,And (AL)lead me in the (AM)everlasting way. A Psalm of David. Psalm 139 reflects David's prayerful meditation of God's omnipresence and omniscience, and the effect those characteristics of God have on the human heart. The punishments of hell will be from the omnipresent, thrice-holy God of justice and wrath. Then, move in closer and ask Can you be here and be in the next room? Wherever we are; He is always there. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Great lesson! He is omnipresent. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? declares the Lord. He is near, Jeremiah says. 1:18-24 sermon), "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon), "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon), "The Discipline of Fasting" (Ezra 8:21 sermon), "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon), "When Living Is Christ, then Dying Is Gain" (Philippians 1:21 sermon), "The Disciple's Character" series (Beatitudes Mt. Spirit, Advocate! In verses 19-24, the psalmist distances himself from the wicked and asks God to help him live in such a way that pleases God. The Omniscience of God "O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me. D. God Knows Everything I Say. 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. Knowledge of God directly affects our reactions, especially in times of hardship, injustice, and pain. What if one could go to the farthest corner of the physical universe, or what if man could explore the deepest recesses of the spiritual world? May we remember these truths David divinely penned in Psalm 139. For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are always and forever with us. Scripture advises to take our thoughts captive. Copyright 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. You hem me in behind and before,and you lay your hand upon me. A Psalm of David. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain. But this truth is not limited to worship in a church building. Even though David penned this psalm before Jesus walked the earth, everything in Scripture points to Gods greatest expression of love for us in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus. It is a prophetic execution of what will happen at the last day when God casts all his enemies into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).. (B)5You have enclosed me behind and before,And [You have] placed Your hand upon me.6Such [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me;It is too high [above me], I cannot reach it. Where can I flee from Your presence? but like Jonah there will be no place to hide. (LogOut/ In the same way, when YOU walk through YOUR fiery furnaces of life, God is always there with you in that fire. Thank God for always being with us and never leaving us alone. After a few minutes, bring the group back together and give kids time to share what they have drawn or written. If I say, Surely the darkness will hide meand the light will become night around me,even the darkness will not be dark to you;the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Can you be here and on the moon? Generally considered to be one of the most notable of the sacred hymns contained within the book of Psalms, Psalm 139 is perhaps one of the most sublime declarations of the omnipresence of God found in the Bible. Seeking Passionate Prayer in Spiritual Warfare. Jeremiah 23:23-24 Am I a God who is near, declares the Lord, and not a God far off? God would be there as well (vv. Your eyes saw my unformed body;all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. My frame was not hidden from youwhen I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. His desire is not to leave behind even one! If I say, Surely the darkness will cover me, And the night will be the only light around me,. The psalmist clearly demonstrates three characteristics of God in Psalm 139: His omniscience, his omnipresent nature, and his omnipotence. Though the curse of sin we live under compels us to do the samerun and hide when we sinGod made a way for us, through Jesus, to bring our sin to His feet and confess and repent of it. We saw earlier that Jonah is an example of that: he wanted to get away from the presence of the Lord, but he found that he could not. Where can I go from your Spirit? It sings the omniscience and omnipresence of God, inferring from these the overflow of the powers of wickedness, Charles H. Spurgeons Treasury of David explains, since he who sees and hears the abominable deeds and words of the rebellions will surely deal with them according to his justice. Who God is, allows us to understand who and Whose, we are. Before a word is on my tongueyou, LORD, know it completely. A God who saves! Your donation gift(s) are very much appreciated and may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes. 2-3). Read and discuss these verse to further your discussion Proverbs 15:3 and Jeremiah 23:23-24. Living in the New Covenant, we can read this psalm knowing Jesus has defeated death and is seated at the right hand of the Father. You have searched me, LORD,and you know me. 5 Most Well-Known Christian Symbols and Their Meanings. 139O Lord, You have (A)searched me and known me.2You (B)know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I rise up;You (C)understand my thought from afar.3You [c](D)scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down,And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.4[e]Even before there is a word on my tongue,Behold, O Lord, You (E)know it all.5You have (F)enclosed me behind and before,And (G)laid Your hand upon me.6Such (H)knowledge is (I)too wonderful for me;It is too high, I cannot attain to it. In You, and You alone, we find peace, love, joy, forgiveness, and mercy. Encourage them to write the wordOMNIPRESENTsomewhere on the paper and then write or draw something to help them remember this attribute of God. 6 such And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways. One True Triune God. God doesnt simply allow us to be a certain way or carry a certain trait - every cell of our being is intentional. He knows us, intimately better than we know ourselves! This Psalm 139 made me realize that wherever I am, God is always with me and that God has a perfect knowledge of me, and all my thoughts and actions are open before him. He could not escape His presence, no matter where he went, for good or for bad and neither can you! Because of Jesus Christs sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we are able to come freely to God through Christ. The answer is no where. God is there. Always active in her community and local church, Meg also leads Bible study for women and teen girls. Where can I go to escape the presence of God?. 19O that You would (AB)slay the wicked, O God;(AC)Depart from me, therefore, (AD)men of bloodshed.20For they (AE)speak [l]against You wickedly,And Your enemies [m](AF)take Your name in vain.21Do I not (AG)hate those who hate You, O Lord?And do I not (AH)loathe those who rise up against You?22I hate them with the utmost hatred;They have become my enemies. New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:24) When we pray this verse, God faithfully answers! This should be the prayer of every godly man and woman; and may the Lord help us to pray it more often. Omnipresence means God is everywhere, simultaneously. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape]. Paul read the imprecatory Psalms as the words of Christ, spoken prophetically by David The implication, then, is that David spoke in these Psalms as Gods inspired anointed king, prefiguring the coming King and Messiah, who has the right to pronounce final judgment on his enemies and will do so, as the whole Bible teaches, explains John Piper for desiringGod. The point, of course, is God's omnipres-ence. Savior, Jesus! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! - Psalm 139:15. 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And convenient.Thank you very much appreciated and may qualify as a charitable deduction federal! Better than we know what God 's Best for us is of prayer, to...