Sunday: My Frame Was Not Hidden From You
Daily Lesson for Sunday 21st of January 2024
Read Psalms 139:1-18. How does this text poetically depict God’s power (Psalms 139:1-6), presence (Psalms 139:7-12), and goodness (Psalms 139:13-18)? What does God’s greatness say about God’s promises?
Image © Jeff Preston at Goodsalt.com
Did you ever want to help someone but had no means? Likewise, some people tried to help you but did not understand your needs. Unlike even the most loving and best-intentioned people, God has both the perfect knowledge of us and of our circumstances, and also the means to help us. Therefore, His promises of help and deliverance are not shallow platitudes but firm assurances.
God’s knowledge of the psalmist is so great and unique that even his mother’s womb could not hide him from God (Psalms 139:13, 15). Divine knowledge pertains to time (Psalms 139:2), inner being (Psalms 139:2, 4), and space (Psalms 139:3)—the psalmist’s entire existence. God’s wonderful knowledge is the result of His creatorship and close acquaintance with people and is manifest in His care for them.
This wonderful truth about God knowing us intimately should not scare us but instead drive us into the arms of Jesus and what He has accomplished for us at the Cross. For by faith in Jesus, we have been given His righteousness, “the righteousness of God” Himself (Romans 3:5,21).
God’s presence is highlighted by depicting God as reaching as far as “hell” (sheol, “grave”) and “darkness” (Psalms 139:8,11-12), places not typically depicted as where God dwells (Psalms 56:13). His presence also is depicted as taking “the wings of the morning” (east) to reach “the uttermost parts of the sea” (west) (Psalms 139:9). What these images convey is the truth that there is no place in the universe where we can be out of God’s reach. Though God is not part of the universe, as some believe, He is close to it all, having not only created it but sustaining it, as well (see Hebrews 1:3).
As the One who knows all about us, God can help and restore us. The fresh realization of His greatness prompts an outburst of praise and renewed trust in the psalmist. He welcomes divine scrutiny as the means that can remove from his life anything that troubles his relationship with God.
Some might find the fact that God knows so much about them, even their darkest secrets, a rather frightening thought. Why is the gospel, then, our only hope?
(33)
There are two kinds of bird photographers. The first kind goes out with their camera, sees a bird, points their camera at it, and clicks the shutter. The other kind of bird photographer knows what the birds eat, where they live, what time of day they are active, how sensitive they are to sound. They also have the patience to wait and the persistence to keep going back again and again until they capture the photograph they want. It's not difficult to tell which photographer gets the best bird photographs.
God would make a good bird photographer!
I cannot hide anything for God,am therefore careful not to do something shameful before Him.Good night every one
David's awareness of the presence of God all around him should be our guiding principle and calls for carefulness in the affairs of life. God knows all about us and there is no hiding place. We cannot live different lives in Church and another kind of life in the community. It is also comforting that God knows what we are going through in times of Joy and pain. All we need to do is to put our trust in Him and believe that He will never disappoint us as long as we remain faithful.
God, my Father and Creator knows all there is to know about me. How awesome is that?!He knows thoughts even before I start to think 🤔, He knows my words even before I start to speak, and He know what I'm going to do next💫. That's why I so need the Holy Spirit to inform my thought processes, to set a watch before my mouth, and to guide and direct my actions.
Thank You, Lord! Hallelujah 🙌🏾🙌🏾
I at times marvel at how a tailor makes a beautiful suit out of cut pieces, or how a carpenter builds a nice sofa from a skeleton wood. The knowledge of how the joints are fixed is amazing. That's the knowledge of God over us. God Himself formed/framed us and so He understands every bit of us. Like a potter, whenever He identifies a defect in us, He destroys and moulds us afresh to suit what He wants out of us. The knowledge of His power over us, His omnipresence and goodness should ever bring any erring soul to reason and purpose to make a way back home.
Even if I could unconsciously hide something from myself, I can hide nothing from God. This thought may either bring me closer to the Creator or push me away from Him in an attempt to discredit this.
God knows our name,
He knows every strand on our mane,
When we are in doubt,
If we but turn to Him He will work it out,
How refreshing to know that He knows us intimately
And He invites us to know Him personally,
May we take hold of His hand,
As we press forward to the promised land.
somebody said that "Since God's know my all needs, why should I necessary pray to God and asking the things that I need, and never pray at all. How should we guide such person in order he needs prayer.
Good Question, We all know that Jesus is God in human form, but we are also told that He (Jesus Christ) prayed to God the Father, setting a very good example of how we must live Our lives fully depending on God. Prayer is the only way we can communicate with God despite the fact that He knows us fully than we know Ourselves.
The writer’s statement: “The fresh realization of His greatness prompts an outburst of praise and renewed trust ‘in the psalmist’, raises a question. Does not our fresh realization of God’s greatness described by the psalmist lead us to praise God, not the psalmist? Do we praise the tool of His hands, or do we worship the One who created the tool?
I greatly appreciate the calmness and 'awe' coming into my heart when reading psalm 139. Purportedly it was written by David, the lad called by Israel’s God to lead the defense of His nation against its enemies with weapons of war. Though He did not only provide skill and bravery to the devoted soldier, He also gave him the words to praise Him in who’s service he willingly engaged.
We can now recognize the wonderful craftsmanship God employed to make man. Now we can accept the purpose for our life and take our place in the greater plan of God’s salvation. Our new life’s aim is to help those who do not know God to discover their as yet unknown God in us, and encourage others to stay faithful!
Each saved person is different, endowed with talents and a disposition uniquely tailored to express God’s Glory to reach those yet to find His Way. Having accepting God as our Creator gives Him access to form in us our new nature - there is no safer place then being made new by the hands of our heavenly Father. Faith, trusting in His Justice and Mercy and His Son’s righteousness will lead us home – Eph.2:10.
The believer's spirit is now nurtured by the same spirit which nurtured our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - having now their new existence in Him who imparted His righteousness to those who accept Him by faith and having given up seeking justification by their own works – 1Cor. 1:30.
Yes, my frame was not hidden from you – you brought me into existence and formed my inner being according to your purpose! I can now thank you and praise your Holy Name!
I think the author meant an outburst of joy and renewed trust was prompted in the psalmist's heart.
Gospel is our only hope since gospel preaches the good news about Jesus whereas, Jesus can only give us the peace and comfort that we are seeking. Jesus knows everything about us and He is the only one who can give us the assurance in this unassured world.
So very true. We need to remember and reflect on this daily.
Thankyou Jesus. Amen.
Some of the posts appear to be saying because of God's intimate knowledge of what we have done, are doing and will do as a warning that we can't get away with anything, therefore we'd better be careful about what we do. (My apologies if this is not your intent.) I rather see God's "micro-knowledge" of us as an indication of His love for us and His understanding of us. This serves to draw me to Him rather than being afraid of sinning.
Did you ever want to help someone but had no means? Likewise, some people tried to help you but did not understand your needs. Unlike even the most loving and best-intentioned people, God has both the perfect knowledge of us and of our circumstances, and also the means to help us. Therefore, His promises of help and deliverance are not shallow platitudes but firm assurances.
God’s knowledge of the psalmist is so great and unique that even his mother’s womb could not hide him from God (Psalms 139:13, 15). Divine knowledge pertains to time (Psalms 139:2), inner being (Psalms 139:2, 4), and space (Psalms 139:3)—the psalmist’s entire existence. God’s wonderful knowledge is the result of His creatorship and close acquaintance with people and is manifest in His care for them.
This wonderful truth about God knowing us intimately should not scare us but instead drive us into the arms of Jesus and what He has accomplished for us at the Cross. For by faith in Jesus, we have been given His righteousness, “the righteousness of God” Himself (Romans 3:5,21).
God’s presence is highlighted by depicting God as reaching as far as “hell” (sheol, “grave”) and “darkness” (Psalms 139:8,11-12), places not typically depicted as where God dwells (Psalms 56:13). His presence also is depicted as taking “the wings of the morning” (east) to reach “the uttermost parts of the sea” (west) (Psalms 139:9). What these images convey is the truth that there is no place in the universe where we can be out of God’s reach. Though God is not part of the universe, as some believe, He is close to it all, having not only created it but sustaining it, as well (see Hebrews 1:3).
As the One who knows all about us, God can help and restore us. The fresh realization of His greatness prompts an outburst of praise and renewed trust in the psalmist. He welcomes divine scrutiny as the means that can remove from his life anything that troubles his relationship with God.
Some might find the fact that God knows so much about them, even their darkest secrets, a rather frightening thought. Why is the gospel, then, our only hope?
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God is like Indiana Jones. No one feared Indiana Jones. 🙂 We are his civilian sidekick. He has already been in life's treacherous dangers before and he knows all the secrets and tricks to survive and reach the treasure of eternal life and triumph over our sins. We get to enjoy the wild trip as if we're in an amusement park. Sure it's scary, but it's thrilling too and fun to spend time with Jesus. There's bad men after us trying to steal our treasure and take us hostage. There are snakes, but it's ok, Jesus will keep us safe and we will find the treasure at the end.