Commentaries - Psalm 139:1-5

“O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all. Thou has t enclosed me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me."

“’Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.’” (Matthew 10:30)

[Today you will find the start of an new section of the book that will cover the learnings from many commentaries.]

God knows everything about you from the moment of your conception to this moment you are reading this now. No one can ever know you as well as He does. Sometimes you may choose to hide parts of who you are from your family or your closest friends because you fear they may not like that part of us, but God knows every details – and still He loves us always.

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Please pray for Carla’s brother, Joe, who has been rushed to the hospital with a possible brain injury and for her mom who is distraught because of this. Pray also for the continually improving health of David and Adrian.

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:24 (Part 3)

“And see if there be any hurtful way (way of pain) in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”

“Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.’” Jeremiah 36:3

“O Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness because of my foes; make Thy way straight before me.” Psalm 5:8

“Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God; let Thy good Spirit lead me on level ground” Psalm 143:10

“Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11

“’—and [if] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways , then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.’” I Chronicles 7:14

I remember a dear friend, Audley McLean, at my home one evening as we discussed ways to explain and dramatise ways to explain salvation to a pre-believer. At one point he got up from his chair and marched purposefully from my living/lounge room into my dining room speaking about repentance. Repentance, he said, was not just saying we repented but that we must turn completely away from the sin that so successfully drew us away from the Father; to consciously choose to walk back to Him.

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:24 (Part 2)

“And see if there be any hurtful way (way of pain) in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”

“ – saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the Lord has given to you and your forefathers forever and ever; and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.’” Jeremiah 25:5-6

“Then God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath of in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, “ Exodus 20:1-5a

The word IDOL simply means an image or symbol, especially one that represents a god and is an object of worship; OR an object of excessive love, honour or devotion. We are surrounded by people and things to idolise; from those we watch on TV or read about in book to our family to the special ones we love. We can idolise a substance, a pastime, a place, a pet, etc. The problem with idols is not that we have them, but that we put them ahead of our loving Father.

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:24 (Part 1)

“And see if there be any hurtful way (way of pain) in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”

“The Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless; and the widow; but He thwarts the way of the wicked.” Psalm 146:9

“The way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.” Proverbs 15:9

“He who leads the upright astray in an evil way will himself fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit good.” Proverbs 28:10

"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:21-23

It would seem that one of the biggest lies that Satan has convinced the world about is that God works on, what the business world calls KPI (key performance indicators) or school grades. That all you have to do is study more, try harder, give more, serve more, be with His people more, etc. – that somehow there is a line in the sand of “behaviour or performance” that once you cross it (and stay on the right side of it), you’re home to Heaven free. No lie is more dangerous or more incorrect in our Father’s eyes.

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:23

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;”

“The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts.” Proverbs 17:3

“But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously, who tries the feelings and the heart, let me see Thy vengeance on them, for to Thee have I committed my cause.” Jeremiah 11:20

“Examine me, O Lord, and try me; test my mind and my heart.” Psalm 26:2

“Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, and let God know my integrity.” Job 31:6

“O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; for the righteous God rites the hearts and minds.” Psalm 7:9

“ – but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God amid much opposition.” I Thessalonians 2:4

And that is how intimate it is to be His child. He is always with us, always listening to our words, our thoughts and intentions; not to catch us doing things wrong but rather to be there for us to lean on when things are difficult. When He promises that nothing that comes into our lives will trip us up, He means just that, no matter how difficult the temptation is.

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:22

“I hate them with the utmost hatred; they have become my enemies.”

“’Blessed are the gentle for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’” Matthew 5:5-10

“’If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave you offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your bother, and then come and present your offering.’” Matthew 5:23-24

“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay’, says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head,’” Romans 12:19-20

There is a book called: “Defending the Gospel”; it talks about a good way to present the Truth of God’s Word. One of the things it reminded me is that God does NOT need defending. He is big enough to take care of Himself and He has a plan for this world. We, who rely upon Him, can depend on this. When we look for enemies to hate, it is far easier to see evil in others, but the most dangerous evil is that which we hide within our own hearts.

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:21

“Do I not hate those who hate Thee, O Lord! And do I not loathe those who rise up against Thee?”

“I behold the treacherous and loathe them, because they do not keep Thy Word.” Psalm 119:158

“And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, ‘Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord?’” II Chronicles 19:2

“I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.” Psalm 26:5

“I hate those who regard vain idols; but I trust in the Lord.” Psalm 31:6

Hate is a big word and most of us learned we are not to hate anyone; for we are not to judge another person. No one sees another’s heart except the Father. Yet, we can see and hate the deeds of those who DO evil -- for evil comes from the heart. And if we choose to judge an action we must start by looking at our own.

“’And why do you look at the speck that is in your bother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?’” Matthew 7:3

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:20

“For they speak against Thee wickedly, and Thine enemies take Thy name in vain. “

“’You shall not take the name of the lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.’” Exodus 20:7

“ – to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’” Jude 15

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” Deuteronomy 5:11

Relying on any other thing or person or “god” is taking God’s name in vain. It is futile and there is no possibility of success. Yet pride compels us to think there is a better way. From Adam and Eve in the Garden or the Israelites in the desert as Moses was on the mountain receiving the Commandments from God, man dilutes God’s majesty with his imagination of what should/could be, when it is the Lord who rules over all and in all.

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:19

“O that Thou wouldst slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore men of bloodshed.”

“Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.” Psalm 6:8

“Depart from me, evildoers, that I may observe the commandments of my God.” Psalm 119:115

“Thou dost destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.” Psalm 5:6

“Do not take my soul away along with sinners, no my life with men of bloodshed.” Psalm 26:9

“But with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide the fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.” Isaiah 11:4

When you read through Psalm 139, this verse seems to interrupt the flow of the thought. Yet, if you consider how constant wickedness is around us, how subtle it is, how attractive, perhaps this verse is also encouraging us to “slay” the wicked within ourselves rather than focusing on what is around us. It is our hearts that so deceive. It is what comes out of someone that betrays that heart.

“’For out of the heart com evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man;’” Matthew 15:19-20a

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:18

“If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with Thee.“

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with Thee; if I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count.” Psalm 40:5

“I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.” Psalm 3:5

“—‘ indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.’" Genesis 22:17-18

Every morning and evening I feed my gold fish and every evening and every morning I have to count out just the exact amount of food (in that with fish if they eat too much they will just die right away), but the food “pellets” are as small as the point of a pencil lead, so I struggle to count them and could never imagine how many are in the container itself. It always reminds me of the passage in Genesis where God talks about how His people would be multiplied like the grains of sand or number of stars in heaven.

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:17

“How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!”

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with Thee; if I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count.” Psalm 40:5

“How great are Thy works, O Lord! Thy thoughts are very deep.” Psalm 92:5

Do you ever imagine God thinking about you? He thinks about everything and you He especially loves. Sometimes that is what we need to remember.

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your Servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:16 (Part 2)

“Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called, and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30

In my early life as a Christian the Lord gave me my first sister. Her name was Betty O. I stayed with her for some months and she was fond of saying “God don’t make no junk!” And we would both laugh at this. She even found a wonderful poster to put on her bedroom door that said this. And I have never forgotten this simple but critical truth. Think about it and have a wonderful weekend!

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:16 (Part 1)

“Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”

“Thy hands fashioned and made me altogether, and wouldst Thou destroy me? Remember now, that Thou hast made me as clay; and wouldst Thou turn me into dust again? Didst Thou not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese; clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews?” Job 10:8-10

“Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with Thee, and his limits Thou hast set so that he cannot pass.” Job 14:5

“Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5

“Thou hast taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Thy bottle; are they not in Thy book?” Psalm 56:8

The 16th verse of this most powerful Psalm is the hub on which my life turns. It is profoundly personal for me to know that my Heavenly Father did not make one mistake with how my life has been, is now and that He has a plan for EVERY moment from this moment forward. And that NO detail is too small to be overlooked by my Father; my Father who cares so much for me He offered me His beloved Son as a payment for all my sin so He can have me with Him forever!

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:15

“My frame was not hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret. And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth”.

“Thy hands fashioned and made me altogether, and wouldst Thou destroy me? Remember now, that Thou hast made me as clay; and wouldst Thou turn me into dust again? Didst Thou not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese;” Job 10:8-10

“Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5

“’The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’” John 3:8

Birth and life is such an amazing mystery to admire and wonder about – but it is not enough. God sent His Son to us so we could have a new life of internal abundance through Jesus’ perfect and complete payment for our sins. That is the secret of our lives as His children -- a hope to share and save those who are lost.

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:14

“I will give thanks to Thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well.”

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts toward us; there is non to compare with Thee; if I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count.” Psalm 40:5

“And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.” Luke 2:15-18

Can you imagine being one of those simple shepherds? Seeing and hearing the words of angels announcing the arrival of their Saviour. They took the time and made the effort to travel and search for Him. How amazing it was for them to see the little baby Jesus.

Every day around the world 353,015 babies are born and as many as half die….some are never seen or appreciated. The link embedded in this email puts this in perspective for us. We have the opportunity to share the wonder of eternal life with so many.

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:13 (Part 3)

“For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb.”

“Didst Thou not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese; clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews?” Job 10:11

“—knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;” I Thessalonians 1:4

“And we know that God uses all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

“for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” I Peter 5:10

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

For some it is difficult to understand how God could have a detailed plan for every part of their physical, emotional and spiritual life, but He does and His Word is FILLED with many references to just how detailed His caring and careful design is. A good way to start the week might be to thank Him for this.

PS: David continues to strengthen – please pray for his caregivers continued wisdom and alertness. Pray for Carla’s mom who is in growing pain and those who care for her. Pray for Adrian and his strengthening health and finally pray for Bill and JS that they will find work.

Cross Reference - Psalm 139:13 (Part 2)

“For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb.”

“thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the One who formed you from the womb, ‘I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself, and spreading out the earth all alone, causing the omens of boasters to fail, making fools out of diviners, causing wise men to draw back, and turning their knowledge into foolishness, confirming the word of His servant, and performing the propose of His messengers.’” Isaiah 44:24

Several years ago I did an entire series on God’s sovereignty in our lives. Sometimes it is good to remember He is Lord over ALL and He still has a plan.

“What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed through the whole earth.’ -- On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay,” Romans 9:14-21

Stay near God's Word. Take care. Your servant & friend in Christ, Darlene

PS: Praise point with David’s amazing strengthening and healing of late. Also, Carla’s mom is in and out of the hospital now, so don’t forget them. Pray for Adrian to be encouraged in his health battles and finally pray for Bill and JS that they will find work.