Delighting in God’s All - Encompassing Perfection

Introduction

Imagine a young boy, lost in a vast, dark forest. Night has fallen, and the shadows seem to come alive with unseen dangers. The boy's heart races as he stumbles through the undergrowth, calling out for help, his voice growing hoarse. He's cold, hungry, and terrified. Just as despair begins to overwhelm him, he sees a pinprick of light in the distance. Hope surges within him as he moves towards its glow, and suddenly, he hears a familiar voice calling his name.

It's his father, who has been searching tirelessly for hours. As the boy runs into his father's arms, he's enveloped in a warm embrace of love, relief, and safety.

In that moment, the boy realizes that no matter how lost he was, no matter how dark the world around him seemed , his father's love never wavered, and his determination to find him never faltered.

This story reflects our relationship with God.

Like that lost boy, we often find ourselves in the dark forests of life, feeling alone, scared, and like nobody truly understands how difficult our circumstances really are for us to bear. We at times may feel that we've wandered too far, that we're beyond reach or even beyond love.

But Psalm 139 reminds us of a profound truth: no matter where we are or what we've done, we are never beyond God's reach, we are never outside of His knowledge, and we are never separated from His love.

Today, we are going to jump into the depths of Psalm 139, which paints a vivid picture of

`a God who knows us completely,

A God who is present with us constantly,

a God who created and sustains us powerfully, and

a God who loves us unconditionally.

My desire for us today is that as we see God in his all encompassing perfection it will lead us to delight in Him eve3n when we feel like we are in the darkness of the forest!

Look with me at veres 1- 6 in our text

Psalm 139:1–6 (ESV)

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

Point #1

I. God is Omniscience: He knows me completely

David opens with a powerful declaration: "O Lord, you have searched me and known me!"

Friends, The word :SEARCH used here in this verse: means to examine thoroughly, like a miner exploring a cave for precious stones, He leaves nothing un checked. He searches with great detail looking for even just the smallest hint of a precious stone.

David is proclaiming “God you know me completely, you have scrutinized every detail of my life with meticulous care, leaving nothing hidden.

Church, This isn't a surface-level knowledge, but an intimate understanding that reaches into the depths of our being.

In Verses 2-4 David elaborates on this depth of Gods knowledge,.

Listen to what he says in verse

Psalm 139:4 (ESV)

4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

How amazing is that! God Knows you so well, that he knows your thoughts even before that thought enters your mind!!!

Friends, this is what it means for God to be Omniscient!!!! He knows all things. there is nothing about you that he does not already know.

Consider for a moment the person closest to you - maybe your spouse, your best friend, your parent.

As well as they know you, there are still thoughts you keep hidden, there are still motivations they don't fully grasp.

But with God, there are no secrets. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Speaking to the Prophet Jeremiah God said

Jeremiah 17:10 (ESV)

10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

God's knowledge penetrates to our core, meaning He understands not just what we do, but why we do it.

At first, this might seem intimidating. God knows every thing about us- he knows our sin, and he knows our weaknesses.

But brothers and sisters there's immense comfort in being fully known By God.

This means that even when no one else seems to understand your hurts and pains God Knows them fully, and he understands How deep that Pain and hurt goes into your life!

Brethren, We are very good at deceiving one another into thinking that our lives are good when in realty we are carrying a burden that seems almost too great to bear!!!.

But understand this morning that God in all of His Omniscient perfection omniscient knows are pain, He knows how hard this life can be.

As I have counselled many people. One phrase comes out so often,

“Pastor, You dont understand what I have gone through. You dont understand how hard it is to live my life after what has happened to me.”

(sympathetic voice)

Friends you are right, I may never know the depth of pain that you have had to go through in your life, But you have a God Who understands your pain even more than you understand it your self.

I love how David wraps up this first section on God’s Omniscience in verses 5- 6

Psalm 139:5–6 (ESV)

5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

In a world where we often feel misunderstood or judged based on partial information, there's profound relief in being fully known and still fully loved by the God of the Universe.

David in these two verses is delighting in Gods comprehensive knowledge of His life including his hurts and pains,

and He simple says “God, You wrap your arms around me and you lay your hand upon me, And it’s this truth that you know me better than I know myself and that you truly understand my pain is so wonderful that I cannot even comprehend how deep your love for me is!!

Church You are loved by a God who knows you better than you know your self and in this we can delight in Him.

TRANS; Our text goes on in veres 7-12 and David speaks of God’s Omnipresence

The Omni presence of God means that he is everywhere. He is ALL Present

There is no place in all of existence that God is not there.

This means that We cannot escape Gods Presence in our lives.

II. God is Omnipresent: He stays with me constantly

look at our text again in Psalm 1394:

Psalm 139:7–12 (ESV)

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

What a beautiful picture of God’s ever present existence in our lives!

In verse 7  David Speaking To God says “There is no possible way for me to ever get away from your presence in my life

and then in veres 8-10 He elaborates how extreme God’s presence is in our lives

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn and settle down on the other side of the ocean even there in the unknown parts of the World you will not stop being right there with me and you will not stop leading me in my life!

and then in then verse 11 He says “I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night  but even in darkest of darkness I cannot hide from you because you turn all darkness into light and its as bright as day!

Church, Do you understand what this means? there is no where we could ever Go that God is not present.

In Jeremiah 23:24 God Speaking of is omnipresence declares

Jeremiah 23:24 (ESV)

24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.

There is no where in all of creation -in all of existence - where God is not ever present.

Friends this means that In our joy and in our sorrow, in our triumphs and our failures, in our rejoicign and in our pain, God is there.

For those of you who are feeling lost or alone, the Omnipresence of God is a powerful comfort.

In Hebrews 13:5 God declares

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

“…I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Friends No matter where life takes us, no matter how far we may feel we've strayed, no matter how alone we may become- we can never outrun the presence of God in our lives.

The Omniscient God, who knows you better than you know yourself, is always right there by your side. and in this truth we can Delight.

TRANS: In the next 6 veres The psalmist shifts focus to God's creative power, describing how God "knits each of us together in our mother's womb.s”

This isn't just poetic language; it's a profound statement about God's omnipotence - His all-powerful nature.

III. God is Omnipotent: He created and sustains me powerfully

I love how THE NLT translates this beautiful passage of scripture Listen to what it says

(read calmly and slow) (Psalm 139:13-18

Psalm 139:13–18 (NLT)

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

friends your life began that very moment when the Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent God began to miraculously create you in your mothers womb.

And this means that your worth and your value, and your dignity as an image bearer of Christ was given to you at that very moment of conception.

The Omnipotent God has the power over all Creation

He is the giver of all life, He is the sustainer of all life, and He is the taker of all life.

Friends the omnipotence of God is so great and so vast that without Him there can be no life!!!!

In Verse 16 the David emphasizes this point:

Psalm 139:16 (NLT)

16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Because God is omnipotent, He sees us and knows us and plans our life out before we're even fully formed, before we take our first breath.

In Jeremiah 1:5 God speaking to the prophet Jeremiah says : "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart for a purpose."

In a world where the value of unborn life is often debated, this passage stands as a powerful affirmation of the sanctity of human life from its very beginning.

As God’s chosen redeemed church, we need to see every human life, from conception onward, as a masterpiece of God's creative work, imbued with dignity, purpose, and infinite worth.

We need to see others as they truly have been created to be - as Image bearers of Christ!

This omnipotent God, who forms each of us with such care and intention, is the same God who continues to work powerfully in our lives each day .

God doesn’t just create us and leave us alone He leads us all the way through until our final breath,

As Paul reminds us in Philippians 1:6

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

From conception to our final breath and beyond, we are in the hands of an all-powerful, All knowing ever present Creator God . And He has a plan for your lives, a plan that is for our Good and for His glory -and in this we can delight

Trans: Finally, David Speaks about his hatred for Those who oppose His God.

Listen to what He says in veres 19-22

Psalm 139:19–22 (ESV)

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! 20 They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.

Point Number for in your notes is this

IV. God is Omnibenevolent: He loves me unconditionally

Omni Benevolence means ALL LOVING. This means that God is perfectly Righteous and Perfectly Just in How he deals with us and the sin in our lives.

Friends Because God is ALL loving we can never exhaust his love for us

In these verses, David expresses strong feelings against those who oppose God. At first glance, this might seem at odds with the idea of God's goodness and love. But in fact, i believe it underscores it.

God's love is not a weak, sentimental feeling, It's a powerful force that stands firmly for what is right and what is good.

His love for His creation means He opposes anything that brings harm or destruction. It means that he values human life. it means that he stand up for what is right and punishes those who chose to sin,

As Psalm 11:5 states

Psalm 11:5 (NIV)

5 The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.

David in this text is acknowledging that God in his perfect love will punish all sin.

Friends, we need to understand that God's love encompasses both mercy and justice, which are essential aspects of His perfect character.

I remember a time when I was sharing the gospel with a man and he said”How can I beleive in a God that is not a loving God!!!

Friends, understand that God Sending unrepentant sinners to hell is not just an act of Justice towards the sinner it is an act of love towards those who have chosen to embrace and accept His Son Jesus as their Savior.

When God removes sin and all of its affects and condemns them to an eternity in the lake of fire, it protects The redeemed from the ongoing presence and effects of evil in their lives.

Yet, even in judgment, even in Gods’ Perfect Justice, His love shines through.

Ezekiel 33:11 (ESV)

11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

Friends, God in his perfect Righteousness and perfect Justice and in his perfect hatred of sin, still loves sinners and He still desires a relationship with them forever.

Do you understand How Far God’s Love will go for your ultimate Good?

God’s love for mankind is inexhaustible. No matter how far you stray, how often you fail, you can never exhaust God's love for you.

This omnibenevolence of God is ultimately displayed in the cross.

Listen to

John 3:16 (ESV)

16 “For God so loved the world, ( the sinners, the rebellious haters of him so much) that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Church family THATS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!

Gods love is so great, so perfect, so complete, that He chose to come to this earth in the form of Jesus to die in your place to pay your debt of sin in full, all so that he could do what is best for your life. and that is offer you grace!!!!

Friends God through Jesus, died for you so that you can live forever!!!

Friends God’s desire is not to send sinners to Hell but to redeem them Back to himself!

How do we experience this all encompassing love in our lives

BELIEVE IN JESUS!

When You confess your sinfulness to God and Believe that Jesus came and died in your place You will come under the all encompassing love oF God in your life!!!

and in Romans 8:38-39 we see that When we have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus than there is nothing "that is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Not life or death, not angels or demons, not our fears for today or our worries about tomorrow.

Friends if you dont know Jesus as your savior- God wants to pour out His Omnibenevolence upon your life! He wants to pay your debt of sin and rescue you from the Pit of Hell!!!

Christian when you are in Christ -The Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent God Pours out His Omnibenevolonce continually into your life! This means that He always does what is best for you!

And in this truth We can delight!

Trans: As we reach the culmination of this Psalm, we find a remarkable invitation that echos the Omnisciency of God in verse One

Look with me at veres 23-24

Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV)

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Our Responses to God’s All - encompassing Perfection

After exploring God's omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and omnibenevolencs, we might expect the psalmist to feel overwhelmed or afraid. Instead, he invites God's scrutiny into his life.

Why? Because understanding God's all-encompassing perfection changes how we view His examination of our lives.

Think about it for a minute..

We can invite God's scrutiny because He is omniscient.

His complete knowledge of our hearts means He understands our struggles, our weaknesses, our deepest needs and our hidden sins.

When we open ourselves to His examination, we're not revealing anything He doesn't already know. Instead, we're acknowledging our need for His wisdom and guidance in our lives.

We asking Him to reveal those parts of our heart that we dont even know exist,

We can invite God's scrutiny because He is omnipresent.

No matter where this examination leads us, God will be there.

In our moments of conviction, He's present to comfort and forgive

In our journey of spiritual growth, He's there to guide and transform us more into the image of His.

In our moments of dark valleys he is right there helping us learn to lean on him even more!

We can invite God's scrutiny because He is omnipotent.

Whatever flaws or sins He uncovers, He has the power to help us overcome their hold on our lives.

No habit is too ingrained, no weakness too strong for His transformative power to destroy.

As Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

meaning Because Gods Omnipotent Power is at work in my life I can over come any sin that may entangle my heart!

Most importantly,

we can invite God's scrutiny because He is omnibenevolent.

His examination of our hearts isn't to condemn us, but to perfect us.

His love for us is unchanging and unconditional. Even when He uncovers the darkest parts of our hearts, His goal is always our redemption and growth.

Friends When God Looks at your heart his Desire is for your greatest Good.

This invitation to divine scrutiny is not just a passive acceptance of God's examination.

It's an action birthed from our heart and proclaimed from our lips. It's saying, "God, I want to see myself as you see me. I want to understand my heart as you understand it. And I want you to lead me toward becoming the person you created me to be."

This is the ultimate act of trust and surrender.

It's acknowledging that God's way is better than our own, that His understanding surpasses ours, and that His love for us is greater than our love for ourselves.

Friends When is the last time you cried out….

Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Lets Bring it Home this morning

Bring it Home

As we close, I challenge each of you to make this prayer your own.

Invite God to search your heart, to know your thoughts, to uncover any hidden sin that you may be holding on to.

And trust in His perfect knowledge, His constant presence, His unlimited power, and His unfailing love to guide you in the way everlasting.

To delight in God's all-encompassing perfection

is to find joy in being fully known and fully loved by your creator God.

It's to feel secure in His constant presence and unlimited power.

It's to be overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of His love that he continually pours out upon your life.

Friends there is joy, freedom, and transformation in being fully known and fully loved by our perfect God who never leaves and who always leads us

And in this we can delight!