No Escape
We cannot get away from God. Jonah learned this the hard way. He tried to run away from God. He got on a boat to the other side of the world, but he could not escape God's knowledge or presence. King David also realized this truth, and he wrote down his meditations of it in Psalm 139. He even acknowledged that our thoughts and heart motives are known to God. God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.
On Sunday, I heard Dan Dumas, executive pastor at my church, spoke on this Psalm for the college group. He talked about how he constantly refers to this Psalm and how its truths are the biggest help to his sanctification. If we realize that God sees everything we do, we will act differently.
This Psalm certainly encourages personal holiness. We must always remember that we cannot get away from God. But as I read through this Psalm, I noticed another reaction from David. He calls this knowledge of God's presence "too wonderful" and God's thougts "precious." He echoes the sentiments of another Psalmist who called the nearness of God his good. (Psalm 73)
Apparently, the truth that we cannot escape God's presence or knowledge should not only produce sanctifying fear but also affection and wonder. God knows us, and there is nowhere we can go that he will not be! This should be news of the deepest comfort for us. God has hedged us in before and behind.
The more I think about this Psalm, the more I think that the reactions of sanctifying fear and of wonder and comfort are linked. If we let the knowledge of the presence of God sanctify us, this knowledge will become increasingly sweet to us. And when we know that the nearness of God is our good, we will not want to forsake him for the lesser pleasures of sin. So we must all, like David, ponder on the presence of God and let it become both sweet and sanctifying to us.
P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!
On Sunday, I heard Dan Dumas, executive pastor at my church, spoke on this Psalm for the college group. He talked about how he constantly refers to this Psalm and how its truths are the biggest help to his sanctification. If we realize that God sees everything we do, we will act differently.
This Psalm certainly encourages personal holiness. We must always remember that we cannot get away from God. But as I read through this Psalm, I noticed another reaction from David. He calls this knowledge of God's presence "too wonderful" and God's thougts "precious." He echoes the sentiments of another Psalmist who called the nearness of God his good. (Psalm 73)
Apparently, the truth that we cannot escape God's presence or knowledge should not only produce sanctifying fear but also affection and wonder. God knows us, and there is nowhere we can go that he will not be! This should be news of the deepest comfort for us. God has hedged us in before and behind.
The more I think about this Psalm, the more I think that the reactions of sanctifying fear and of wonder and comfort are linked. If we let the knowledge of the presence of God sanctify us, this knowledge will become increasingly sweet to us. And when we know that the nearness of God is our good, we will not want to forsake him for the lesser pleasures of sin. So we must all, like David, ponder on the presence of God and let it become both sweet and sanctifying to us.
P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!
posted by Ben Blakey at 7:30 AM
3 Comments:
Bro,
Thanks for the thoughts on the presence of God! I agree that is should bring about both sanctifying fear and wonderful comfort. This has encouraged me to freshly consider God's presence in my life today. Thanks!
Ben, what an encouraging entry this is! Thanks so much for your thoughts on the sanctifying and comforting truth of God's presence. I thought a lot about how you said that if we remembered that God was always present that we would act differently. Thank you for that reminder. I am confident this will further my sanctification as I consider that reality today.
I was reading that psalm lately and what struck me was how personal God is. He creates us, knows us before we are born, and is so intimately acquainted with all we think or do. It is a wonderful thought to think that He knows my baby and has plans for its life, even though it is only 2cm long!
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