A Personal God

A Personal God

O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night," Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. O that You would slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.  (Psalms 139)

The God of David is an intensely personal God. David’s faith was not centered in an impersonal force. He believed in a God who was interested in David. He beheld the attributes of God in relation to him. David took the truths of God and made them his. David’s God was not only all knowing, He knew David; not only everywhere present, He was always present with David; but only the all powerful creator; He had made David.

In the one hundred thirty ninth psalms we find David feeling so close to God, so possessed by the thought of his personal relation to God the he spontaneously addresses God concerning His power, might and everywhere presents. Here is no theological dissertation concerning the attributes of God, but here is one’s testimony concerning God. He does not argue concerning God’s being all knowing, everywhere present and creator of man, he merely states these truths as incontrovertible facts, facts which come out of his experience with God.

The first overwhelming thought of God’s relation to the human soul is that He completely knows the whole man: “O Lord, thou has searched me and know me, thou knowest mine down sitting and mine uprising … thou art acquainted with all my ways for there is not a word in my tongue but lo, O Lord thou knowest it altogether … Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is high, I cannot attain to it.” Everything connected to his whole being and his whole life is an open book to his God.

We might well sing, “He knows me, He knows me, Oh! The wonder of such a thought that He knows me!” When this truth laid upon the psalmist, it floored him. He could hardly comprehend it, it was so wonderful. He was well aware of the many people who lived in the kingdom of Israel, yet in the midst of all those people he was not lost sight of. God not only knows the affairs of the nation, but he also knows the individuals who compose the nations. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, I cannot attain to it.”

God knows our abilities. David appeared to be the least likely of the sons of Jesse to become King over Israel. (1 Samuel 16:11) But known unto God were all the ways of David. He knew him in repose, He knew him in activity, He knew his abilities and capabilities and He chose David to be King and history proves that God made a right choice. We can go gladly to the task assigned to us, knowing that because He knows us that He has not made a wrong choice and has not assigned us to the wrong task.

God knows our thoughts. On several occasions Jesus told those around Him what they were thinking. “But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?" Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?” (Mark 2:6-8) This is a comforting thought. He knows our thoughts and thus knows our motives.

God knows our actions. He knows when we get into trouble, when the path lies in the valley. Also, He knows when it lies on the mountain top. He knows when we disobey. This though should help us to correct our ways.

Is it not amazing to you that God knows us? This thought that God knows us blends in with the next thought concerning a personal God, namely, that God surrounds him and is with him. (Psalm 139:7-12)

            Adam because of his sin sought to hide from God. (verse 11)

            Jonah because of unwillingness to obey sought to escape from God (verse 9)

            Jacob because he did not truly know God was not aware of His presence (verse 7)

The psalmist affirms that which the whole of scripture teaches that God is ever with us.

This God who knows us and is with us is the former of our bodies. Man did not happen by chance. (verse 13-16)

            God made man. God wondrously made man. (Bishop Taylor Smith)

As he brings these thoughts concerning God to a conclusion the psalmist makes known that God has great thoughts (purposes) for man. Compare Psalm 8 and also Hebrews 2. We shall reign with Him.

The Psalmist recognizes that not all men have such high and holy thoughts concerning God. Such men are despised by the psalmist, they grieve Him.

The Psalmist closes with a plea for God to search him and to cast out any wickedness that may be found in him. The Psalm began with a statement that God does search and ends with a plea for such searching. Evil will be cast out only as we truly desire it.

Dr. Robert W Kirkpatrick

First Presbyterian Church Saint Albans, W Va. July 23, 1950