Learning for Lifetime

And the blessing of Psalm 139 continues.... One sermon I found online said this about this Psalm: "It’s the ultimate feel-good Psalm, the equivalent of five self-help books, or a long, hot bubble bath with candles and chocolate. It has the power to soothe, comfort, ground you and inspire you, if allowed." I agree....let's lean further into the words:

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.

Up to this point (in verses 1-6 below), it feels to me like the author has been talking in terms of God taking the actions. He knows our thoughts. He searches us. He hears our words before we speak them. He goes before us and he follows us.



Suddenly, in these verses, it's the author who is taking the action and asking the questions. He asks, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?" I saw one commentary that said, "Why would someone want to flee God?" I think we flee those situations that make us a bit squirmy, uncomfortable, and vulnerable.

When I reflected deeply on these verses, and searched some of the commentaries, this is what came to my mind:


If I head to the most spiritual of places, God is there. If I choose to go to a dark place filled with the most negative of influences, God is there. If I am in Heaven or Hell, he is there.

In vs. 9, the writer notes "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea." I wondered about this. What does it really mean? Again, turning to the commentaries, one thought was "the sun rises in the east (dawn) and settles in the west". In the area where the Psalmist was writing, "the far side of the sea" was the west. The commentator suggested that this is almost like the thought, "as far as the east is from the west"...forever...everywhere. It covers every inch of every place on earth. Even there...every place I could possibly go....up, down and side-to-side, God's hand will guide me.

And I love the last words here..."your right hand will hold me fast." He's not letting go! God's hand holds each of us whether we want it or not. And he will NEVER. LET. GO. He's holding fast...tight...with a firm grip.

Can you picture it? It's like the child who finally decides he doesn't need to hold the parent's hand in the parking lot full of cars. Yet, the parent holds on. The parent KNOWS that the child needs the guidance of that hand. And no matter how squirmy or fussy the child becomes, the grip remains.

Can you think of a better place to be? Even when I'm squirmy and fussy, I can't.

May we all find ourselves firmly and securely in God's grip today!