Sunday, January 10, 2010

Omniscient and Omnipresent

Psalm 139 is one of my favorite psalms because it talks about intimately God knows and cares for each one of us. I know some people would prefer not to believe God is watching them all the time and thus would ignore lines like “You know when I sit and when I rise” and “You are familiar with all my ways” (vv. 2-3). But to me it’s comforting, because no matter how flawed I am, God understands me better than I understand myself – and He still loves me.

Another thing I like about this psalm is that it assures me of God’s presence wherever I go. And that’s something I really need to know as I live and work in a strange land, thousands of miles from the familiarity of home. Verses 9 and 10 say: “If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.”

After more than two weeks at home for the holidays, I returned to Cape Town on Friday. As my flight approached the city, I read these words again and realized that even though I am literally on the far side of the sea, God’s hand is on me, providing both direction and protection.

No comments: