Showing posts with label psalm 139. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psalm 139. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Psalm Meditation 1262
¶Proper 16
¶August 25, 2024
¶Psalm 139
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+139&version=NRSVUE
(NRSVUE)
¶When we agree to have someone watch over us, it is a source of comfort, knowing that we are being watched for our protection. When anyone decides to watch us secretly and without our knowledge, that is spying or stalking and is a very uncomfortable thing to discover. Being watched over puts a damper on our freedom, however, in some cases that loss is worth it to us. When given this responsibility of watching, it is tempting to overstep the bounds of the mandate and move into manipulation rather than protection of those being watched.
¶If we choose, we can see this psalm as a reminder that God is kinda creepy, watching our every move and listening to our every thought, judging us and finding us wanting. That is not how the psalmist and other people of faith see the activity of God. We take comfort in knowing that we are not alone, and that God watches out of love and concern rather than a desire to judge us for all of our sins of commission and omission. God wants for us the best we can possibly achieve.
¶Sadly, the psalmist goes on to ask God to destroy all the folks who aren’t like us. It is a human reaction, however it is not the kind of thing that God is known for, even though there are instances is Scripture of God destroying our common enemies. God is more likely to be the one that leads us to a way of life that allows us to love, care for, and about those around us whether we agree on everything, anything, or nothing.
¶August 20, 2024
¶LCM
Monday, November 2, 2020
Psalm Meditation 1064
Proper 27
November 8, 2020
Psalm 139
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 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.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(NRSV)
Even in times we wish we could disappear, one of our great fears is that we are invisible, that we don’t matter to anyone. The psalmist goes through a list of the ways that God not only sees us, but seeks us out. Especially when we are feeling sad and sorry for ourselves it is a source of great comfort to discover that someone is thinking about us enough to seek us out, to go out of their way to look for us until we are found. The psalmist goes through a list of possible hiding places, and notices that God can find us there. Whether we go to the highest height, the lowest depth, or the darkest darkness God will find us to be with us.
Once we have been sought and found we develop a fierce loyalty toward that person. The psalmist goes through the list of actions that contribute to that sense of loyalty. God knows us well enough to know where to look for us. God gathers us into a comforting embrace we need that. God makes words unnecessary and lets us decide if and when to speak. God helps us pull ourselves back together so we can face anything arm in arm. God helps us discover the difference between our revenge fantasies and what course of action will actually be helpful. God lets us know that the loyalty we feel toward God is felt by God toward us.
God willingly seeks us out when we wander off. Sometimes God strides in to scoop us up, to let us know we are not alone as we face whatever we are facing. Sometimes God stands back watching and waiting for us to recognize our need and ask for help. Either way, God is present in the way that works in our lives. God is not there to fix things or change things, God is there to be with us, to demonstrate the love and loyalty God directs our way.
November 2, 2020
LCM
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Psalm Meditation 863
Second Sunday of Christmas
January 1, 2016
Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 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.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(NRSV)
Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone in the world was like you, me, and Mary Poppins, “practically perfect in every way.” Life would be so much easier if it weren’t for all those pesky ‘others’ who do terrible things like disagree with us and cause us all manner of discomfort as we attempt to reconcile their humanity and condition as a child of God with the fact that they are wrong. It is as if there might be alternative routes to God and the fulfilling of God’s will in our lives. And it is likely true that you and I disagree on something that is important to at least one of us, ruining the vision of perfection with which we started.
I like the idea of our religious journey being like a bicycle wheel. The spokes come in from points all over the outer rim to the center hub. While we appear to be heading in different directions our goal is the same. Imagine a bicycle wheel with only one spoke to see what a problem it is for us all to be on the same path. As annoying as they can be, we need those who are traveling other routes to support us in our journey to the center point of God’s abiding presence.
We may not be at war with all those whose camps face ours. And our fight may not be with those against whom we are now fighting. It may be that our battle imagery is completely off course. What if our task is to learn from those with whom we disagree rather than to annihilate them with our weapons and tactics, our words and actions.
December 27, 2016
LCM
Second Sunday of Christmas
January 1, 2016
Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 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.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(NRSV)
Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone in the world was like you, me, and Mary Poppins, “practically perfect in every way.” Life would be so much easier if it weren’t for all those pesky ‘others’ who do terrible things like disagree with us and cause us all manner of discomfort as we attempt to reconcile their humanity and condition as a child of God with the fact that they are wrong. It is as if there might be alternative routes to God and the fulfilling of God’s will in our lives. And it is likely true that you and I disagree on something that is important to at least one of us, ruining the vision of perfection with which we started.
I like the idea of our religious journey being like a bicycle wheel. The spokes come in from points all over the outer rim to the center hub. While we appear to be heading in different directions our goal is the same. Imagine a bicycle wheel with only one spoke to see what a problem it is for us all to be on the same path. As annoying as they can be, we need those who are traveling other routes to support us in our journey to the center point of God’s abiding presence.
We may not be at war with all those whose camps face ours. And our fight may not be with those against whom we are now fighting. It may be that our battle imagery is completely off course. What if our task is to learn from those with whom we disagree rather than to annihilate them with our weapons and tactics, our words and actions.
December 27, 2016
LCM
Monday, November 17, 2014
Psalm Meditation 753
Reign of Christ Sunday
November 23, 2014
Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 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.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(NRSV)
As a child I could not imagine how my parents knew what I was doing when I was supposed to be sleeping. How did they know I was up when I was supposed to be down, that my eyes were open when they were supposed to be closed, that I was whispering when I was supposed to be quiet? As I became a parent I realized that what felt like sneaking to me as a child was not nearly as sneaky as I thought. With upstairs bedrooms, even a child’s tip toe makes the downstairs ceiling creak and pop. If an adult can perceive the child’s attempt at stealth, how much more aware is God of my activities in any part of my life.
While it can be unnerving to know we are being watched when we would rather we were not, it is deeply comforting to know when we are insecure or otherwise afraid. To know that someone who loves us has eyes and ears open to our situation can give us the courage to move ahead, to take the next step, as our fears work to bring us to a halt. The knowledge that those eyes can see deeper than the surface and the ears hears more than our minds can imagine adds to the sense of comfort in the presence of God.
The psalmist asks that God search for all the wicked parts and pieces of heart and mind so that there is a clear path ahead. It is tempting to believe that we are able to find our way to God on our own strength and power, that we can muscle our way forward through all the trial and temptations and finally win our way to God. The psalmist reminds us that it is God who leads us best, who points out the spots to avoid, who makes it possible for us to find the way into the presence of God.
November 17, 2014
LCM
Reign of Christ Sunday
November 23, 2014
Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 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.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(NRSV)
As a child I could not imagine how my parents knew what I was doing when I was supposed to be sleeping. How did they know I was up when I was supposed to be down, that my eyes were open when they were supposed to be closed, that I was whispering when I was supposed to be quiet? As I became a parent I realized that what felt like sneaking to me as a child was not nearly as sneaky as I thought. With upstairs bedrooms, even a child’s tip toe makes the downstairs ceiling creak and pop. If an adult can perceive the child’s attempt at stealth, how much more aware is God of my activities in any part of my life.
While it can be unnerving to know we are being watched when we would rather we were not, it is deeply comforting to know when we are insecure or otherwise afraid. To know that someone who loves us has eyes and ears open to our situation can give us the courage to move ahead, to take the next step, as our fears work to bring us to a halt. The knowledge that those eyes can see deeper than the surface and the ears hears more than our minds can imagine adds to the sense of comfort in the presence of God.
The psalmist asks that God search for all the wicked parts and pieces of heart and mind so that there is a clear path ahead. It is tempting to believe that we are able to find our way to God on our own strength and power, that we can muscle our way forward through all the trial and temptations and finally win our way to God. The psalmist reminds us that it is God who leads us best, who points out the spots to avoid, who makes it possible for us to find the way into the presence of God.
November 17, 2014
LCM
Monday, June 11, 2012
Psalm Meditation 626
Third Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 17, 2012
Psalm 139
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,"
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 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.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end —I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(NRSV)
When I was in high school my mother asked me about my friends; who they were and in what kinds of activities were they involved. Specifically, she asked if any of my friends did drugs of any kind. It felt as if she were prying into every detail of my life. At some point in my life it dawned on me that she was asking all these questions out of her love for me rather than because she was out to get my friends. The change in my attitude brought about a change in my perception of her questions. God wants to know us for the same reasons, out of love for us.
At some points in our lives, it may seem that the constant presence of God is a scary and intrusive thing. We begin to wish that God would leave us alone so that we could have some privacy in our lives. We want to be able to go to God when we want or need something rather than having to deal with the constant presence of God in our lives. When we are out in the world trying new and different ways of being and behaving, it is so intrusive of God to come with us on these experiences. How can we possibly try this new thing when God is standing right there next to us?
At other times, the presence of God is a great source of comfort. As we come to recognize how much God loves us we find great comfort in the knowledge that the presence of God gives us the strength to withstand the countless temptations with which we are surrounded on a daily basis. It is certainly not the case that God does not want us to have fun and try new things in our lives. It is true that the presence of God helps us redefine what is fun and what new things are worth trying and which ones are obviously dangerous to us and the folks around us.
God continually searches us and knows us. The issue for us is to figure out or decide whether God is searching and knowing in order to judge us and find the parts which need to be judged and punished, or whether God is searching and knowing out of love for us. The answer doesn’t really make God’s presence any more or less real in our lives, it does make a difference in our perception of that presence. It helps us determine whether we allow God to lead our lives or we fight tooth and toenail with God in every time and place.
© June 11, 2012
Third Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 17, 2012
Psalm 139
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,"
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 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.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end —I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(NRSV)
When I was in high school my mother asked me about my friends; who they were and in what kinds of activities were they involved. Specifically, she asked if any of my friends did drugs of any kind. It felt as if she were prying into every detail of my life. At some point in my life it dawned on me that she was asking all these questions out of her love for me rather than because she was out to get my friends. The change in my attitude brought about a change in my perception of her questions. God wants to know us for the same reasons, out of love for us.
At some points in our lives, it may seem that the constant presence of God is a scary and intrusive thing. We begin to wish that God would leave us alone so that we could have some privacy in our lives. We want to be able to go to God when we want or need something rather than having to deal with the constant presence of God in our lives. When we are out in the world trying new and different ways of being and behaving, it is so intrusive of God to come with us on these experiences. How can we possibly try this new thing when God is standing right there next to us?
At other times, the presence of God is a great source of comfort. As we come to recognize how much God loves us we find great comfort in the knowledge that the presence of God gives us the strength to withstand the countless temptations with which we are surrounded on a daily basis. It is certainly not the case that God does not want us to have fun and try new things in our lives. It is true that the presence of God helps us redefine what is fun and what new things are worth trying and which ones are obviously dangerous to us and the folks around us.
God continually searches us and knows us. The issue for us is to figure out or decide whether God is searching and knowing in order to judge us and find the parts which need to be judged and punished, or whether God is searching and knowing out of love for us. The answer doesn’t really make God’s presence any more or less real in our lives, it does make a difference in our perception of that presence. It helps us determine whether we allow God to lead our lives or we fight tooth and toenail with God in every time and place.
© June 11, 2012
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