Seeing the power of God’s love spelled out and demonstrated in Psalms 139 makes it one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible. It paints a beautiful picture of God’s unfailing love for me and for you. It is a tender, intimate love that brings with it a treasure trove of benefits for those on whom it falls. (That’s us!) When we stop to consider who God is; how very great He is, it’s so humbling to then realize He takes the time to know each of us so well.
So we’re going to dig into this beautiful passage of Scripture to discover the benefits of intimacy with God. Through the power of God’s love we have been invited into deep relationship. We’ve been offered the opportunity to be wholly known, and fiercely cherished.
May it inspire each of us to look up at the Lord God Almighty and wonder, “Who am I that He would consider me? Who am I that He would care about me? My life is but a breath and yet He counts me worthy of His great love!” May we be forever humbled and thankful!
The Benefits of Intimacy with God
I am sure there are countless benefits of intimacy with God, but as we break down Psalm 139, we’re going to look at these four:
- The wonder in being known by God
- The peace in His inescapable presence
- The confidence and security in being knit together and wonderfully made.
- The value of His interest
Let’s get to it!
The Power of God’s Love: 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 Wonder in Being Known by God
We all long to be fully known, and yet simultaneously fear it. Intimacy is scary! We know what lies in the dark corners of our hearts, and the fear in being known is that when all the ugliness is revealed, we’ll be condemned and rejected.
But Psalm 139 tells us God has examined our hearts and knows EVERYTHING about us! He knows us even better than we know ourselves because He knows us from beginning to end. Past, present, and future!
Even when we think we’re far away from Him, God knows us completely! And yet, we’re told His response is not rejection, as we fear.
Instead, He goes before us and behind, placing His hand of blessing upon us. I love the way the NIV says that – “You hem me in behind and before…” It paints a word picture of such security coupled with tender-hearted care.
In light of that wonderful knowledge, why are we ever anything less than authentic with Him? Is it because it’s too unfathomably magnificent for us to understand? Oh the wonder in being known by God!
May we always come to Him just as we are and pour our hearts out to Him in prayer, knowing there isn’t anything we can say He doesn’t already know. There isn’t any ugly emotion that will catch Him off guard or cause Him to look away. He already knows, and He has hemmed us in by the power of His love.
The Power of God’s Love: Psalm 139:7-12
I can never escape from Your Spirit!
I can never get away from Your presence!
If I go up to heaven, You are there.
If I go down to the grave, You are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night –
but even in darkness I cannot hide from You.
To You the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to You.
The Peace in His Presence
The idea of wanting to escape the presence of God will likely only make sense to those who have either experienced the blackness of despair, or the misery of rebellion.
When my heart was shattered into thousands of pieces, and my mind was veiled in the darkness of depression, I wanted nothing more than to be alone. Completely alone. I felt totally numb from the inside out. I wanted to find the darkest corner of the world, curl up into a tiny little ball, and just hide from everyone and everything. Including God.
But, like the Psalmist, I found no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get away from the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within me. He was right there every second; supporting me and guiding me.
In time I came to find such comfort and peace in that reality. The presence of God is never, ever going to leave us. No matter what. we belong to Him, and so the power of God’s love will carry us through every trial, every stubborn rebellion, and every dark storm.
The Power of God’s Love: 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.
The Confidence and Security in Being Knit Together and Wonderfully Made
Have you ever considered how intentionally you were created? Our God spoke the world into existence, and He did it with purpose and plan. There was no less design put into you!
When I look at the world around me, or gaze up into the night sky and consider the beauty and magnitude of His creation I am stunned with wonder! But to think that He put that same care, the same attention to detail, that same mysterious complexity into every fiber of my being… Well, it just blows my mind.
To know He laid out every moment of every day from our first breath to our last and worked each one into His intricate and righteous plan means we can never really question our worth with any legitimacy.
If ever we start to feel insecure, may we remember the intimacy of those months in the seclusion of the womb, being delicately woven together into the marvelous and complex masterpiece that the High King of Heaven intended for us from the beginning! And may we find confidence in the power of God’s love.
The Power of God’s Love: Psalm 139:17-18
How precious are Your thoughts about me, Oh God. They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, You are still with me!
The Value of His Interest
I am brought to tears when I consider this. The eternal, all powerful, all knowing, mighty God of the universe thinks about ME! Little, insignificant, foolish, weak, broken, and sinful ME!
Friends, His thoughts about us are many and they are precious, and He never ever leaves our side! May this knowledge humble us as we realize that we are not worthy, and yet we are completely covered by the power of His love.
May it cause our eyes to remain ever focused on Him and our thoughts to dwell on His Word.
*Want a little more study on the Power of God’s Love? Here are a few options from other bloggers and from me!
- God’s Unfailing Love at Busy Blessed Women
- God’s Love and Authority 30-Day Scripture Writing Challenge at Coffee with Starla
- When You Abide in the Love of God it Spills Over at Hope & Joy in Christ
- What will God to to Be My First Love (From me)
- Does God Love Me No Matter What? (From me)
Our Response to God’s Unfailing Love: Psalm 139:19-22
O God, if only You would destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!
They blaspheme You; Your enemies misuse Your name.
Oh Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate You?
Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose You?
Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for Your enemies are my enemies.
Sorting Out Our Response to God’s Unfailing Love
It really is confusing that such a mighty yet personal God would allow sin and death to corrupt His perfect creation. He is so near to His people and so caring, so why do we still suffer? Why does He allow us to be harmed by wickedness instead of destroying it with His mighty power?
Our first reaction is to question this. We despise the evil that causes us pain, and therefore think God should step in and act on our behalf.
Despite my life-long study of the Word, I don’t have a solid explanation of God’s ways. I don’t see that Scripture clearly defines His motives. All I know is that sin is not His doing, and He is patient, wanting everyone to come to repentance.
I may not understand His plan yet, but I do know this: He can be trusted. He is far above me and I won’t have all the answers this side of eternity. I have all the information I need though, to believe that what He does is right. Always.
Our role is simply to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. I pray we will allow the benefits of our intimacy with God – the wonder, the peace, the confident security, and the sense of worth, to overshadow any confusion.
May the power of God’s love for us instead lead us to surrender to His sovereignty and from a place of total humility, return His overwhelming love. These last verses of Psalm 139 make up a beautiful prayer. May it be the life-long cry of our hearts as we respond to God’s love!
My Response to God’s Love for Me: Psalm 139:17-18
Search me, Oh 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.
24 thoughts on “Psalms 139: The Power of God’s Love for Me”
Thank you so much for this post – every word was so beautiful and meaningful to me. Traveling this road with you together…
Thank-you! I’m so glad it was a blessing to you! God is so faithful!
Love this passage of scripture. It’s so meaningful. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Very poignantly written. Your earnest heart shines through.
I love this Psalm too! God freed me from fear of the dark simply from reading His word when I was 19. It’s a freedom that I still walk in. Praise His Name!
God’s great love for us shines through when reading this Psalm.
That’s awesome Cindy!
“May I be ever confident in Him, no matter the emotion of the moment, for I am always safe in His care!” This is my prayer, that no matter what I’m feeling, I bring my mind back to the truth of who God is. Thank you for sharing this!
So glad God used it to encourage you Hannah!
This is beautiful! God is so connected and so personal with His people, and that is so touching to my heart!
I am so thankful for His steady faithfulness! I don’t think I would be alive today without Him!
Sweet Cherith, I LOVE this post my friend! I love how intimate Psalm 139 is. And pondering how almighty God could be interested in broken little me brings me to tears also. I had a powerful experience once when I was meditating on how we are fearfully and wonderfully made. You know how God knows everything about us, right down to the last breath we will take? I hope this is ok to share but He showed me how even we He knows a baby is about to be aborted, He will continue to lovingly pour EVERYTHING He has into creating that baby right up to the last minute. He doesn’t stop short with pouring Himself into us right up to the very last ‘moment’ of our lives. I was weeping. He loves us SO much, doesn’t He? What an amazing God we serve! ❤
That is an amazing thought Donna! Even when the people who should love us most forsake us, and throw us away, God continues to pour into us His everything until the moment we’re ushered into eternity. I cannot imagine a reality absent of His love, it would be unbearable! It would be hopeless. I am so thankful I don’t have to!
Cherith, you are such an AMAZING Writer. When I think about God’s Unfailing Love for Me and feel so unworthy his love at times. You say it BEST with this sentence. I am brought to tears when I consider this. The eternal, all powerful, all knowing, mighty God of the universe thinks about ME! Little, insignificant, foolish, weak, broken, and sinful ME!
Thank-you Angie! It is overwhelming to think about isn’t it? In the words of King David, “Who am I that He should choose me?”
Yes! I do wonder “Who am I that He would consider me?” It leaves me in amazement and bowing down before Him. I love the concept that He fully knows me. Have you ever heard the song “Fully Known” by Tauren Wells? It brings tears to my eyes- not only does He fully know me, He loves me unconditionally. I pray Psalm 139:17-18 each morning- yes, please search me O God!
Yes AnnMarie, love that song and love Tauren! We got to see him in concert once and it was a real treat!
But anyhow, to be fully known by God really is a concept we have to spend a little time processing, I think, in order for the full force of that truth to sink into our hearts and prove to us how deeply loved we must be for it to be true! And YES, verses 17-18 make a wonderful daily prayer! We need Him to search us, reveal to us what must change, and lead us along the right path! I am so thankful for His deep, intimate, unchanging love!
“The wonder in being known by God”. Such beautiful phrasing and an all-around delightful read. Good work and thank you for this!
Oh man, doesn’t it give you chills? To think about God even caring to know us so completely? I am in awe of Him! Thanks for stopping by LeeAnn, and thanks for the encouragement!
So did he create like a baby book of me?With every detail about when he created me and my purpose for being created
Hi Katelyn! The Bible does not define this book. It doesn’t say what it’s purpose is, simply that God has recorded the details of our days in “His book.” What a beautiful picture you’ve painted, though, of a possibility.
I don’t think the focus of the passage, though, is the book, but rather the sovereignty of God. These verses help us understand the all-knowing nature of our Lord and how it is such an intimate aspect of His character as it applies to our lives.
There has always been great powers in God’s love. His love is unending.
Thank you for this great write-up.
Pingback: Finding My Identity Through the Fog - Broken Vows Restored Hearts
nice okay thanks
“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.”
Thank you for mentioning this verse. It always touches me. AMEN!