Psalm 139

A Bible Devotion from Psalm 139

Search Me O God, and Know My Heart

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 afar.
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,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall 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 dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,"
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it 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 saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain!
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 complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

Psalm 139, NKJV

As I look out my window this morning, dark clouds are hovering low in the eastern sky as a cold wind rustles in the leafless trees. It's a perfect day for a warm crackling fire, a fresh cup of coffee and Psalm 139!

The Psalmist, David, beautifully describes my heart! Why do I have such a deep and passionate love for God above all other loves in my life? God knows me; He knows my thoughts from afar. Even before a word is on my tongue, the Lord knows it.

Where can I go from the Spirit of God? He is everywhere; even the darkness is not dark to the Lord. As a matter of fact, it is as bright as the day. God formed my inward parts (I did not evolve from a monkey!). I am fearfully and wonderfully made; my soul knows God very well. In fact, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. God saw my unformed substance. Before I was even alive, He wrote all the days of my life that He planned for me in His book.

God's very thoughts, more than the sand in number, are very precious to me. I hate those who hate the Lord and count them as my enemies. (I pray for their salvation daily; I would really like for them to understand the complete joy I have in Christ.)

I'm not afraid to say, Search me, O God, and know my heart! . . . Lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139 is bold and honest; something not found too often in our world culture. Ponder the words of this Psalm; they will truly bring joy to your heart. This is the God we love!

Pray that God will give you a heart to understand and claim Psalm 139, and that it will bring complete joy to your life.

Next: Psalm 140 - Christ Will Cover Your Head

More Devotions on the 139th Psalm from my blog, Daily Bible Devotions.

Known Me, verses 1-6

Where? verses 7-12

Pro Life, verses 13-16

Thoughts of God, verses 17-18

Death to the Wicked? verses 19-22

Search Me, O God, verses 23-24