He knows our enemies, and ourselves, better than we do. 9 If I take t God was there before we were born and was making us inside our moms. You are our strength, God. The NIV Study Bible shares, Nowhere (outside of Job) does one find expressed such profound awareness of how awesome it is to ask God to examine not only ones life but also ones soul. Life within the love of Christ further amplifies what the psalmist poured from his heart. For the choir director; a psalm by David. God could know David's anxieties because He was always with David. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! Holy Spirit, You are our Advocate and Comforter. Life within the love of Christ Jesus, Immanuel (God with us), changes our hearts forever and continually until we arrive home in heaven. Knowing God creates gratitude and praise for who He is and what He does for us. If I rise on the wings of the dawn,if I settle on the far side of the sea,even there your hand will guide me,your right hand will hold me fast. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. - Psalm 139:16. Because of who He is, we are always loved and never alone. God doesnt simply allow us to be a certain way or carry a certain trait - every cell of our being is intentional. A psalm. In verses 19-24, the psalmist distances himself from the wicked and asks God to help him live in such a way that pleases God. We are intimately known by God, not just outwardly, but inwardly. He was with you at the Mardi Gras ball and all the activities you participated in last week, do you know that? He could not escape His presence, no matter where he went, for good or for bad and neither can you! If I say, Surely the darkness will hide meand the light will become night around me,even the darkness will not be dark to you;the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. This church is one of His lampstands. Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; In the first eighteen verses of this psalm, the psalmist acknowledges that God knows everything that the psalmist ever does, no matter when or where he does it. The sacrifice Jesus made on the cross negated the shame which compelled Adam and Eve to hide from God in the garden. You can only be good. GOD IS EVERYWHERE! David contemplates his own creation and development as a pre-born child. The picture here is all-encompassing: from east to west; from high to low; soar as high as heaven; burrow as low as hell; travel at light speed from the rising of the sun to its setting you cannot go anywhere where God is not! What must His wrath be, who rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry, who removeth the mountains out of their places, and overturneth them in His anger? Theologian Thomas Oden writes: No atomic particle is so small that God is not fully present to it, and no galaxy is so vast that God does not circumscribe it. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. A Psalm of David. Jonah learned a great lesson on our behalf: Yahweh, the God of the Bible, is everywhere. English Standard Version God's Omnipresence and Omniscience. Jonathan Edwards said, The saints are in His glorious presence, and the wicked in hell are in His dreadful presence. (Works, Vol. The psalmist clearly demonstrates three characteristics of God in Psalm 139: His omniscience, his omnipresent nature, and his omnipotence. You have searched me, LORD,and you know me. In the hold of the ship, God was with him. He knows our thoughts because He is with us. As Samuel Rutherford wrote, (Our souls) shall feast and banquet day and night upon a glorious sight of the incomprehensible Trinity. His constant presence will be the glory of heaven. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! The sacrifice Jesus made on the cross negated the shame which compelled Adam and Eve to hide from God in the garden. For less than $5/mo. The punishments of hell will be from the omnipresent, thrice-holy God of justice and wrath. After a few minutes, bring the group back together and give kids time to share what they have drawn or written. He knows that God will judge evil men and punish them. And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? Psalm 139:8 says, If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. We sometimes talk about being separated from God in hell, but that is not quite true. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue [still unspoken], (LogOut/ Every week, thousands of churches use our Bible lessons, craft ideas, printable resources, and coloring pages to teach kids the Christian faith. He is mighty to save and always good. No one knows you better than God, because he created you! Thank God for always being with us and never leaving us alone. 11-12). O Lord, you have searched me through and through and you know me completely.. (Now, too many have used this as a cheap excuse to do what Hebrews 10 says that we should NOT do: forsake the assembling of yourselves, as if the habit of some, but encouraging one another . Wherever we are; He is always there. Gods sovereign control is complete, not partial, John Piper explains on desiringGod, Whether its more or less direct or more or less indirect, more or less by active intrusion or more or less by tactical permission- however it is, God controls it, and the control is complete and pervasive. Seeking Passionate Prayer in Spiritual Warfare. To show the amazing nature of Gods omnipresence, the psalmist introduces a series of hypothetical propositions. Especially in todays society, as the world endures a global pandemic, isolation has become a reality we experience for long periods of time. No, because we are not there with her. But the reason we need that commitment is so that we can encourage and BE encouragers to others NOT because God is here and He is not somewhere else. God sees every one of them. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.. . When we seek to learn, when we look for help or healing, when we express gratitude or anxiety, and when we celebrate blessings we pray. Even devout Christ-followers gaze up to wonder where God is during tumultuous seasons. Through His sacrifice on the cross, the Holy Spirit dwells in every Christ-follower. . Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? Those are some pretty challenging places: Hinduism and Buddhism are entrenched in India and Nepal, and our folks will have physical challenges of climbing to some of the highest places in the world. He soon found that there was no such place! Scripture advises to take our thoughts captive. Jonathan Edwards, writing of those words, said: What must be the uttermost of His wrath, who made heaven and earth by the word of His power what must His wrath be, who commanded the sun, and it rises not what must His wrath be, who shaketh the earth out of its place, and causes the pillars of heaven to tremble! Quarantine puts us in our rooms alone for half a months time! David knew these qualities of God well, as he was chased down by a crazed King Saul and exiled to hide in a cave! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. How amazing the all-powerful God is! And He is mighty to save. II. How great is the sum of them! NIV, KJV, NASB, Amplified Parallel Bible--hardcover. 23-24). You understand my thought from afar. And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 3 you discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Ask if they could be somewhere else right now at the same time as being here. Our website has teaching material for children of all aged starting with the church nursery (age 0-1 years old), toddlers (age 2-3 years old), preschool (age 4-5 years old), young elementary (age 6-8 years old), older elementary (age 9-10 years old), and preteen youth ministry groups (age 11-12 years old). Much of the Psalms teach us to love our enemies and pray to God on their behalf. God knows our thoughts and our words before we speak. Go on to explain that even though God is everywhere all the time that sometimes in the Bible we read about Him entering time and space: God was in the burning bush, God was in the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire, God was in the cloud that settled on the temple. 139 1 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? Ask if any of them know exactly what their grandmother is doing right now? Cant wait to continue our series of truths about God! "Presence," and the theme verses for the musical are this week's reading from the Psalms. Living in the New Covenant, we can read this psalm knowing Jesus has defeated death and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. EXPLAIN:The Bible tells us that God is OMNIPRESENT, He is everywhere all the time. They were not alone even in the fiery furnace. (F)20For they speak against You wickedly,Your enemies take Your name in vain. Its who You are, and we are Yours. Notice how in the next few verses "contrasts" are used to show the full extent of truths about God's omniscience and omnipresence. That same Psalm goes on to say: In Your presence is fullness of joy. If we would only realize that God is with us every moment of our lives, what a difference it would make; what a comfort we would find in that constant presence! Psalm 139:5 But he asks God to dig deeper to see if he could discover any wicked way. What wonderful imagery! We view Yosemite Valley, the Grand Canyon, the Pacific Ocean, and the Giant Sequoia Redwoods with wonder. In the midst of daily life, Christians do well to remind themselves of the Good Shepherds knowledge and provision, wrote Jason Helopoulos for Ligonier, most of the doubts, anxieties, and fears that occupy the Christian soul can be attributed to a lack of trust in Christ as the Good Shepherd.. ANSWERS His omniscience (verses 1-6) . The only way we can remove the veil, or get rid of the sin that separates us from God is to understand that we are sinners and that we need to be forgiven of our sin and believe that Jesus died to pay the price for our sin. Remind the group of the week when we talked about Gods holiness and how because God is holy He is completely separated from sin. Much of the Psalms teach us to love our enemies and pray to God on their behalf. A person may be tempted to look for some escape from such an overpowering presence, but no . Some of the truths to discuss are: God knows His people- He has to be present where we are to know us. Some might say that God is in their heart, to which you should acknowledge that if they have repented of their sin and turned to Jesus for forgiveness that in a sense God is living in and through you. It is FAITH that pleases God, not sight; not experience as such! Though the world is hard and dark at times, You can only be light. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it (1-6). Lets turn to Psalm 139:7-10 and see what it teaches us about this doctrine, and what it means for us that we have an Omnipresent God. From it, we learn many things about our Awesome Creator.things that every believer can take to heart and gain comfort from. But He is here! They are enemies of God (v. 20). He mentions that there are wicked men. How vast is the sum of them! Though the curse of sin we live under compels us to do the samerun and hide when we sinGod made a way for us, through Jesus, to bring our sin to His feet and confess and repent of it. The omnipresence of God means that we can worship Him anywhere. Start with obvious ones. Life within the love of Christ Jesus, Immanuel (God with us), changes our hearts forever and continually until we arrive home in heaven. If only you, God, would slay the wicked! He tried to hide, but he could not hide from God. But what does the poet mean when he says, Do I not hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? (v. 21). David knew these qualities of God well, as he was chased down by a crazed King Saul and exiled to hide in a cave! Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ as a freelance writer, blogger atSunny&80, and author of Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,andGlory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise,andHome, Finding Our Identity in Christ.She earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University, but stepped out of the business world to stay at home and raise her two daughters which led her to pursue her passion to write. This is not a reflection of personal hatred; it is a matter of principled conviction. He was right there when you told that lie. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. We love to go places and see things. A psalm. Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways. David, in the verses of Psalm 139:7-12, reminds me of a child hiding from place to place asking the Father, " Can You still see me?" "Can You find me, now?" David runs in his mind to what seems to be the most unlikely places for the LORD to be; only to realize God is still, in fact, there. Psalm 139 reflects David's prayerful meditation of God's omnipresence and omniscience, and the effect those characteristics of God have on the human heart. God gave them life and cares for them infinitely more. But it is also a source of conviction: you cannot get away from God! Your care and love for us is like nothing else. Start for FREE. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off. Where can I go from your Spirit? Because of who He is, we are always loved and never alone. This is the theme of Psalm 139. He still sees David. The psalmist David wrote extensively about God's omnipresence in Psalm 139:1-18. Encourage them to write the wordOMNIPRESENTsomewhere on the paper and then write or draw something to help them remember this attribute of God. But then ask something like, so God is only in your heart? 5:3-12), Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Discovering FBCA Membership class lessons, This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog). 2 You know [ a]when I sit down and [ b]when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. Of course, she didn't think in those terms as a child, but she began to understand how God was nearby and everywhere at the same time, all-powerful, and knew her . God's omnipresence is a comfort to David (verses 11-12), he felt secure because of this truth. All rights reserved. Why Christians Should Understand the Daughter of Zion, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. How Do We Know What God's Best for Us Is? Jesus calls us friends. Are you there? The Scriptures tell us that we never need to ask that question regarding the Living God: He IS here. Being intimately known by our sovereign God means we are not hidden, nor should we feel compelled or convinced by guilt or shame to hide from Him in any way. 7 Ways to Study the Bible Like Billy Graham, What We Can Do Today to Reach People in Need, Carrie Underwood Sings 'Go Rest High On That Mountain' to Honor Vince Gill, 30 Morning Prayers to Start Each Day with God, Comforting Prayers and Verses When Life-Threatening Injuries Occur, Bills QB Josh Allen Describes 'Spiritual Awakening' after Hamlin Collapse: 'I Couldn't Deny' It, The Truth about Why Men Hate Going to Church. Copyright Ministry-to-Children. Though Author and Creator of the entire universe, and each of us, God is personally in touch with every single one of our lives! Justas we saw earlier in Psalm 139, where it says darkness and light are alike to Thee, the fact of Gods omnipresencecan beboth a source of comfort and conviction. Omnipresence means God is everywhere, simultaneously. 139:1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You may get out of the range of your cell phones and Facebook in the jungles of Suriname, but you are never out of the range of the Presence of God! Kyle ever saying this and I am grateful for that, because it is not accurate. He never leaves you that should comfort you sometimes; it should also convict you. Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ as a freelance writer, blogger atSunny&80, and author of Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,andGlory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise,andHome, Finding Our Identity in Christ.She earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University, but stepped out of the business world to stay at home and raise her two daughters which led her to pursue her passion to write. Verse seven begins with a question, and David knows the answer. A Psalm of David. 7th Commandment Coloring Page: You Shall Not Commit Adultery, Sunday School Curriculum and Bible Lessons for Kids. Omniscience means that God has complete knowledge of everything. He knows what we will do. How to Get More Out of Your Bible Reading. 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