Psalm 139 Devotional

Known All the Way Through

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.”Psalm 139:23 (BSB)

David begins by stating what God knows about him, which is everything. God knows when he sits and when he rises, understands his thoughts from afar, and knows his words before he speaks them (139:1-4). David cannot escape God's presence, whether he goes up to the heavens, makes his bed in the grave, or settles beyond the farthest sea (139:7-10). Darkness hides nothing from God (139:12).

What could feel like surveillance becomes comfort, because the one who knows him also made him. God knit him together in his mother's womb and saw all his days before any of them came to be (139:13-16). Near the end David turns fiercely against God's enemies (139:19-22). Then he turns the search on himself, asking God to examine his heart, see whether any offensive way is in him, and lead him in the everlasting way (139:23-24). Being fully known by God is safe, because the one who sees everything is the one who formed you. You can invite his search instead of hiding from it.

To think about: What part of your heart would you rather keep hidden, and what would it look like to invite God to search it today?