May 15
Ps 131, 133, 138-141, 143
God is omniscient, which means that He knows everything about every thing and everyone. We sometimes mistakenly believe there are those times during our day that involve God and those times that do not. But that is only because we tend to elevate ourselves. God is aware of our every thought, what we do in the light and in the dark, our public and our private conversations, and He even knows our thoughts and our motives. It is this realization which should make us realize just how bare we are before our perfect and holy, God. David wrote in Psalm 139:1-6, "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!" The writer of Hebrews acknowledged this in Hebrews 4:13, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." Jesus said in Luke 8:17, "For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all."
Not seeing this we live out so much of our lives in fear. When pregnant, women are so afraid that they are eating properly, gaining enough or not gaining too much weight, doing everything necessary thinking that they are the one's in charge of their babies. Though women should be responsible and not go out of their way to purposely harm their unborn children, it is God who defends the defenseless, and how much more defenseless can you be than in the womb. In 1944, the Nazis starved the people in the Netherlands, which they occupied. The pregnant women received 450 calories daily for six months, lost on average 26 pounds in the pregnancy, and were nutritionally in bad shape. Yet, when the records of these newborns were reviewed, they weighed only one-half pound less than average compared to other years, and when evaluated at the age of eighteen, were cognitively comparable to other years. When it comes to the creation of the unborn He is the Creator, we are simply the supporting cast. Many fear death and focus continually on their longevity, yet God knows exactly when and how we are going to die, and He knew this from the moment we were born. We read in Psalm 139:13-16, "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."
Knowing all of this, how is it that we should live our lives? We should realize that we are always in His presence. So, we should be continually aware that He is walking with us during the seemingly good times and the bad times. No matter what our life circumstances, we are never alone. Life makes sense as we are increasingly aware of this. Those who have made that commitment to Him, know that we are holy, or set apart unto Him. Those who have not made that decision, are still in His presence, but live as though they are not which makes their lives much more out of control. We read in Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." Life without God leads to fear of longevity, fear of being noticed, fear of not achieving, fear of everything. Life with God leads to a desire for purpose, to be empty vessels to be used according to His will and as He desires. May we meditate on this beautiful Psalm 139, and allow the peace of knowing who He is and who we are wash over us.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: