Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Search and Seizure
(Psalm 139)
The 139th Psalm is David’s great treatise on God’s omnipresence—the Biblical teaching that God is present everywhere at all times. Exalting in the never-failing closeness of God, David asks, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” He answers by declaring that there is truly no hiding from God.
God’s people find His nearness a source of comfort and blessing. Like a watchful father, God studiously superintends His children—protecting, providing, preserving, and guiding. Nothing—no matter how minute—escapes His notice. Jesus said we can’t even shed a single hair without God accounting for its loss (Mt. 10:30). God sees, and God cares!
God’s nearness, however, can be a source of discomfort for those engaged in wrong doing. Proverbs 15:13 says that the “eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” God not only sees our actions; He sees our hearts. God examines motives, desires, fantasies, and impulses—no matter how briefly entertained. He sees it all! He knows us better than we know ourselves.
Perhaps that’s why the Psalmist prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.” David desired a deep and abiding relationship with God, and he understood it was only possible as he allowed God to search the very depths of his being—exposing and eradicating every wayward element. Genuine revival opens the heart to God’s searching and allows Him to seize the sinful contraband.
