My favourite Psalm! Psalm 139 contains the most intimate language for relating to God that we have in the Old Testament, it is an exploration of the Psalmists relationship with God, personally and currently. The first part of the Psalm talks about being known, accompanied, created and sustained by God and it is into this section that our verses fall. I'm sure we will return to this Psalm at a later day again to look at some of these other beautiful verses!
Some commentators look at this section of the Psalm, verses 7-10, and label it 'The Omnipresence of God' which while true, loses an aspect of the personal quality of these lines.
Where can I – I Jackie Barker – Where can I go from your Spirit Lord? Where could I, as I am today, ever be out of your presence?
The juxtaposition of the words 'heavens', and 'depths' literally mean as high as I can go, and as low as I can go, the two vertical extremes – God is there with us. In the same way the wings of the dawn denotes the east and the far side of the sea (which is the Mediterranean) in the west… so horizontally as well, there is no place outside of God's presence.
But beyond the literal understanding of this – there is also the understanding that no state of being separates us from God's presence. From heights of joy and celebration – to depths of grief and depression, from far swings to the left and right of our beliefs, emotions, doubts and fears – there is nowhere that God cannot reach in and touch, that God cannot hear and see, that God cannot intervene and that God cannot love.
It is a poetic and beautiful reminder of the verse in Romans 8,
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
How would your life look different if you lived in the constant knowledge of the Spirit's presence? Would it lead you to a holier, less sin-invaded life? Would it lend you the courage needed to do what was right? Would it remove your fear of rejection knowing that you are constantly and eternally loved?
May you grow in the knowledge this weekend that there is nowhere that God is not with you, guiding you and loving you.
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