Known

by Rebekah Johnson

"O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me." Psalm 139:1-5

What a comfort is found in this Psalm! He knows us like no one else will ever know us - better than we will ever know ourselves. Before we think, He already knows what we will think. Before we speak, He already knows what we will say. He surrounds us, protects us, and guides us through the life He has created for us. We aren't living this life alone, in a vacuum. Our Lord has His hand on us, and He will never take it away:

vs. 7-10 "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me."

While it is a sobering reality that God is with us everywhere at all times, let us not miss the comfort and security in that reality! Nothing we could ever do, no decision we could ever make, no where we could ever hide will separate us from our Father. We are His children, accepted in His family, and - while we may not always obey and trust Him - we always will be.