Psalm 139:2-12 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 139:2-12 on biblegateway.com
Verse 2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
Verse 3You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
Verse 4Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.
Verse 5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
Verse 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
Verse 7Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
Verse 8If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
Verse 9If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Verse 10even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
Verse 11If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,"
Verse 12even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
Devotion
This text leaves me with mixed emotions. On one hand I experience deep comfort knowing that God understands me more deeply than any other. On the other hand I experience some anxiety realizing that God does indeed know every part of my being. I know that God meets me, knows me and loves me— every part of me. As we find ourselves half way through the week, which we call Holy, we are reminded that we cannot escape the presence and abounding love of God. Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Eternal God, there is nowhere we can go to escape from your presence and your love. We can journey down no road without you by our side. May we be comforted by this awareness. Amen.