Psalm 139 is one of my favorite psalms of all time. King David’s reflections here are filled with vivid imagery poetically expressing God’s power, knowledge, presence, creativity, and intimacy with his people—which includes you and me. Check out these first 6 verses of the Psalm:
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Notice how almost every verse refers to God knowing us in some way. He knows when we sit down, and when we rise up. He knows our thoughts, and when we go out. He knows the words we’ll say, and all the activities we’ll do. To top it all off, this “knowledge” God has of us is “too wonderful” and “too lofty” for us to comprehend.
This means that God knows what you have done, what you will do, who you are, and who you will become. He knows your hobbies, your habits, and all the funny quirky things you do. He knows all of you at a depth that exceeds the vastness of the universe. But he doesn’t know everything about you… he knows you. Personally. This reveals an incredible characteristic about God:
God is infinitely intimate. And this is an amazing part of God’s divine nature.
In theology, there are what is known as the “three omni’s” that describe God’s nature:
- God is omnipotent (He is “all powerful”)
- God is omniscient (He is “all knowing”)
- God is omnipresent (He is “present everywhere, all the time”)
These three omni’s help us understand the infinity, sovereignty, and power of God’s nature, and we see all three omni’s present in Psalm 139. He is all powerful in creating the entire universe—including ourselves. He is all knowing in knowing everything about the universe—including ourselves. And he is all present at all places and at all times—including wherever we are.
However, on the surface, all this seems kind of… intimidating. An all powerful, all knowing God follows you wherever you go. That’d be the equivalent of the most powerful person in the world following you on your heals everyday. That’s a lot to think about, and certainly a lot of pressure as you go about your life!
However, there’s one other “omni” we can learn from this psalm: God is omni-intimate.
God isn’t just powerful, knows everything, and present everywhere we go. God is “all loving and intimate.” Not only does he know everything about our life, but he is deeply involved with our life. He cares about us intimately. He loves us passionately. He guides us every step of the way, and helps us get to where we need to be. Check out the next 6 verses of Psalm 139:
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
God is omnipotent – he has everything under control. God is omniscient – he knows everything about us and knows everything that’s going to happen. God is omnipresent – he is with us in the highest of places and the lowest of places. And God is omni-intimate, graciously caring for us, loving us, and guiding us every step of the way in this life.
God knows you better than anybody, and he cares for you better than anybody. If you ever find yourself in a time of lowliness, darkness, or confusion, know that God is right there with you, and will give you exactly what you need when you need it.
