Psalm 139-An Intimate Relationship With An Infinite God

Key Elements

In Psalm 139, the Psalmist David expressed, beautifully, the intimate relationship he had with His infinite God.

Main idea of the message: Because God knows us completely, is always with us, and lovingly formed us, we are invited into a personal, intimate relationship with the One who is infinite in power and unmatched in presence.

I want my audience to see the greatness of God (infinite) and desire and intimate relationship with Him. For those who have a relationship with Him, I want them to embrace it with confidence because of Who He is.

Intro

We all have those friends that just get us. They’re the people that notice something is off before you said a word — they pick up on our tone, our silence, our smile that wasn’t really an indication we were happy. That kind of understanding in life is rare. We might have hundreds of contacts, followers, and people who call themselves our friends… but being fully known by someone? That’s deep, vulnerable, and honestly, and a little scary. And the reason that is is because most of us are afraid that if someone knew everything about us — the things we’ve done, the thoughts we think, the parts of ourselves we hide — they’d pull away. In fact, they might run away.

But Psalm 139 tells a different story. It tells us there is a God who knows everything about us — not just what we’ve done, but why we did it. He knows what we’re thinking before we speak. He knows where we’ve been, and where we’re going. And rather than pulling away, what does He do? He comes closer. He draws near to us. He desires an intimate relationship with us, one that is closer than any earthly relationship and one that is secure in the love and grace of our infinite God.

And that kind of relationship is rare in this life. That kind of relationship is something that is few and far between. To know someone that knows us in this way and doesn’t run the other way. To know someone who has knowledge of everything we’ve ever done, are doing, and will do and still wants to be connected to us is not normal. Which is the reason the truths we find in Psalm 139 are so unique. For it is here that David reveals to us just how personal his relationship with God is. In this Psalm, David expresses so beautifully the intimate relationship he has with the infinite God. And that even though God knows everything about him and sees all there is to see, in that intimacy there’s no fear. In that vulnerability, there’s no withdrawal or hesitancy. For it’s in that transparency in David’s relationship with God that he finds comfort and peace and a life that has been truly changed. And this is what God wants with you and me. You see, the truths we see in Psalm 139 about God are true whether we acknowledge them or not. The intimacy that God has designed us for and desires to have in relationship with us is available whether we step into it or not. That is a choice we all make. What this Psalm shows us is that if we will embrace the intimacy that God is seeking with us and we will lean into the truths about who God is, it will transform the way we live our lives.

So, here’s the main idea for today from Psalm 139: Because God knows us completely, is always with us, and lovingly formed us, we are invited into a personal, intimate relationship with the One who is infinite in power and unmatched in presence.

Message

Psalm 139 shows us that if we believe these truths about God and embrace them with our whole lives, then it should transform how we relate to Him and how we live our lives. In our text today, the Psalmist gives us three truths about God and three ways it changes how we live.

1. God Knows Us Completely. (Omniscient) (vs. 1-6)

In our modern times, we are a culture that is consumed with social media. There are a rare few that aren’t on social media, but the majority of us are. Just being transparent, if I didn’t have Facebook, I wouldn’t know it was your birthday because that’s a positive advantage of it. But, if we’re honest, social media is very deceptive. And here’s why. Very few people on Facebook are being totally honest about their lives. The images people post and the stories people tell only reveal part of what’s going on or who people are. On my Facebook profile it says that I have 1,764 friends. (that’s probably not a lot, I don’t really know) but to say I know 1,764 people, like truly know them, would be a stretch. Because I don’t truly know that many people. There are only a handful of people that I truly know and that truly know me. I can probably count on two hands the people in my life that I can’t fake it in front of, that can look at me or hear the tone in my voice and know what kind of mood I’m in. That I truly have a close friendship with.

And as Psalm 139 opens up, intimacy is the theme we see here, that’s the tone and truth that David is setting from the beginning of this Psalm. David is not talking about a God that he has heard of or read about, no, David is talking about a God that he knows personally and intimately. But that’s not really the most amazing part of this Psalm. What’s amazing is that this infinite God knows David. And not just a few things about his life, not just whatever David wants Him to know. God knows David completely. And the greater truth for all of us today is that God knows us completely as well. And for that to really be mind blowing for us and to have it’s fullest affect on our lives, we first have to try and wrap our minds around who this God is that knows us. And we are not going to fully be able to do that but we can try.

So, think about it, the greatness of God is infinitely vast. Meaning that who He is far exceeds our ability to comprehend Him. So, just trying to put it in perspective for us: the size of the universe God has created is staggering, so much so, that it would take 500 billion years to navigate around the perimeter of it while traveling the speed of light-186,000 miles per second. The Sun is so big that it can hold over 1 million planets the size of the earth. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains hundreds of billions of stars. And astronomers estimate that there are even billions of galaxies, possibly, that number the grains of sand on all the beaches of the world. And our great God is so infinitely vast that He holds all of that in the palm of His hand. And at the same time, He is intimately aware of every individual on the planet. In the midst of over six billion plus people on the planet, God knows each and every one of them completely. Think about it this way, the God who knows everything and everyone, the God who is watching over the entire universe is paying attention to little ole me.

Look at vs. 1, He says…

The word “search” here is the Hebrew word the Jewish people used to describe “digging deep into a mine shaft or spies exploring the depths of a land or a lawyers’ deep investigation into a legal case.” It’s going to the depths or the core of the human heart. It’s God’s x-ray vision going to the deepest part of who David is and who we are. And the result of this searching by God, David says, is that He knows him. God knows David in a way that no one else does. He knows the good, He knows the bad, and He knows the ugly. And the same is true for all of us. God knows us completely. Because God knows us completely,...

This means God knows:

a. Our actions.

Look at vs. 2a, He says...

God knows our character and our conduct and our actions. Everything we do every moment of the day, God knows and, here’s something that will blow your mind even more, He knows what you’re going to do before you do it. “When I sit down” when I rest; “When I stand up” when I take action. Every activity we do, God knows what we are doing and He knows the motivation behind why we did it. You see, we may have everyone else in our lives fooled but God sees it all. God knows our actions and He knows...

b. Our thoughts.

Look at the second part of vs. 2...

The words “far away” are a time reference here. What David is saying is that before we think the thoughts that we have, before we make the plans that we make, and before we scheme and formulate , God already knows what we’re up to. You see, we may think that just because we only thought something that we are safe. We may think that because a thought never produced an action in our lives that no one knows, but God sees it all. God is not deceived or fooled by us at all. He sees into our minds, He knows our thoughts. And He knows...

c. Our words.

David continues and says in vs. 4...

Even before a word comes out of our mouths, God knows what we are going to say, even before we say it. He sees all of our conversations that we have with others and even those we might have with ourselves. Every time we say something and we think “Where did that come from? or Why did I say that?” God isn’t surprised or caught off guard at all. He knows how we are going to respond before we respond, He knows how we are going to react before we react. He knows the things we want to say but didn’t say and even the things we did. When we stopped ourselves from saying something, God knows what it was we wanted to say. He saw it coming before we uttered a word. God knows our words.

Now, if you aren’t a Christ follower, then this isn’t good news to you. In fact, it might be a little terrifying. It might be a little terrifying if you are a Christ follower. But that is not the intention here, that is not the reaction that God desires for us to have when we come to the realization of the intimacy He desires with us. God is not calling us to live in fear and anxiety because of the knowledge that He knows us completely. Our reaction should be what David proclaims in vs. 5-6.… David says, “God, because you know me completely, I am protected and secure in Your care for me.” That word “encircled” means “to be surrounded on all sides,” it’s military language used to describe an army protecting and defending a city or a valuable object being secured. David says that God’s very hand is on him, that God is present in his life and will never leave or forsake him. And he’s so overwhelmed by all of this that he says “I cannot comprehend it all, I am unable to grasp the possibility of all of this.”

And when we realize that this infinite God, who is so powerful and so mighty, knows us completely, here’s how it changes the way we live, it causes us to have confidence in His care for us because He understands us better than anyone. We don’t have to hide or pretend but we can be honest and transparent with our Heavenly Father who knows us best. And we can trust in Him completely when we understand what He’s doing in our lives and even when we don’t. Because we realize that His complete knowledge of our lives means that He knows what’s best for us every moment of our lives.

God knows us completely. The second truth is...

2. God Is Always With Us. (Omni present) (vs. 7-12)

Think about that. There is nowhere you or I can go that God is not there with us. David proclaims this powerful truth in vs. 7, he says...

It’s a question that needs no answer. But, if we were going to give an answer, the answer is “nowhere.” God is everywhere.

And the natural reaction for us when we realize that God knows us completely is to run and hide from God, but David proclaims that that is impossible because God is everywhere. David says that there’s no place that God’s presence cannot be experienced. There is no place that is off limits to God. We cannot run to a place where God is not. God is omnipresent. He is everywhere all the time. Again, that’s not something we can comprehend, that’s not something we can wrap our minds around, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t true. David reminds us that God is always with us. And because God is always with us...

This means God is present:

a. In the highs and the lows.

Look at vs. 8....

God is present and with us in every direction that life will go. Heaven is the highest high and Sheol or hell is the lowest low. David is saying that in life and death, God is there. He’s proclaiming that no matter where life takes us, not even death is an escape route from the presence of God. God is the ruler of life and death and eternity. And that’s good news for us. What that means is that no matter what we go through in life, God is always with us. He is there in moments of celebration, He cares about the good things that happen to us because He is the giver of those good things. And at the lowest points of our lives, He is there as well. And because He is omnipresent, that means He has seen and been present in those moments before we enter into them ourselves. So, in those moments of celebration, God was there to welcome us into those moments; and in to moments of tragedy and hardship, God was there to wrap His loving arms around us. God is present in the highs and the lows. And He is present...

b. In morning and the evening.

He continues in vs. 9-10...

God is with us all day long. Again, there is not a moment in the day or night that He is not there. God doesn’t ever need a break or a time out. He doesn’t have to pause and rest. He is constantly present in our lives through every moment. Again, this is such good news for us. Because we need His presence to guide us every moment of the day, we need His perfect direction in our lives every moment of the day. There’s not a time that we shouldn’t want to be out of the presence of God because we need His wisdom and guidance. And we need His protection. We need His hand to hold us and never let us go. In the moments of life when we fall, we need His hand to catch and in the moments when we are afraid, we need His hand to hold us.

God is present in the morning and the evening. And He is present...

c. In the light and the darkness.

Vs. 11-12...

David says that when things get dark in life, God is there. Because dark is not dark to Him.

Have you ever been in a place where it was so dark that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face? I’ve had a few times in my life when I found myself in that situation. And it brings on a little bit of fear. Back in 2020, when God called me to be the pastor here at Stone Ridge, I moved back a couple of months before my family did. We were still trying to sell our house in Georgia and the boys had to finish school and so I lived in the basement of a house here in town. And in April of 2020, we had those terrible storms come through that destroyed everything and we were without power for a week. And at one point, I found myself in the basement of the house where I was staying and I was all alone. At night, all I had was a flashlight. No fan to drown out the noise. And I would lay down at night and cut off the flashlight and it was pitch black. And I could hear every noise in the house above me. Nobody was upstairs but I promise I could hear someone walking around. And I was so glad when morning would come because the light would break through the darkness.

In the darkest moments of our lives, God is there. In the midst of the darkness, God breaks through. I love what Pastor HB Charles Jr. says about this, he says, “When things get dark in your life and people you thought were friends, when you look around, you can’t seem to find them; but God will never lose you in the dark.” That’s what David is proclaiming about God. That He is present in the light and He is present in the darkness. In Psalm 23, another Psalm of David, he says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me.” You see, in our darkest moments, for those of us who are followers of Jesus, it’s good to have the Light of the World living inside of us. If you have surrendered your heart and life to Jesus as Savior and Lord, He has brought you out of the darkness of your sin and into the light of a relationship with God. So, no matter how dark things get in life, when we can’t see a way out, Jesus is our light in the darkness.

And when we realize that this infinite God, who is so powerful and so mighty, is always with us, here’s how it changes the way we live, it causes us to have conviction in our choices because He leads us and guides us. And we realize that in every temptation we face, in every decision we make, and in every trial that comes our way, we are not alone. God is with us, He is present, and whatever situation life brings our way, as we face that situation and and we enter into it, we find that He is already there.

God is always with us. The third truth is...

3. God Personally Formed Us. (Omnipotent) (vs. 13-18)

What is this speaking to? It is speaking to God’s omnipotence. He is all powerful. David takes the most mind blowing example of God’s creative ability and he uses it to speak to how powerful God is. Think about all the things God created. When we go back to Genesis and we read the creation account, it’s pretty amazing. Creation is God’s omnipotence on full display. But David says, the thing that speaks the most to how powerful God is is the fact that God personally formed you and me and every human being. Look at vs. 13… He proclaims that conception and development in our mother’s womb and birth is enough to prove that we serve a mighty God. The truth that God personally formed us means that He has a purpose and a plan for all of our lives. And because God personally formed us...

This means God:

a. Created us intentionally.

Look at vs. 14-16...

God “knit us together in our mother’s womb” as a craftsman would create a work of art. He was and is involved in the most intricate details of our development. We are made in the image of God Himself and He has a special purpose for all of our lives. David says in vs. 14 that we are “remarkably and wondrously made” meaning “something that is so miraculous that it inspires awe and cannot be explained.” David is caught up in the wonder and the amazement of the work of God, so much so, that he is at a loss for words. He says “my bones were not hidden from you...” emphasizing that God has a plan from the very beginning of life in the womb at conception for every person. It doesn’t matter what limitations we may think we have or what other people say about us, God has created us intentionally with a purpose and a plan for our lives. And this purpose and plan was known by God from the very beginning. He says, “Your eyes saw me when I was formless and all my days were written in Your book and planned...” Before you were born, God had a plan and a purpose for your life. He desires to use all of us for His glory. I love how The Message Bible expresses these verses, it says, “You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.” Listen to me today, you are no accident. God doesn’t make mistakes. He is personally involved in the forming and shaping of our lives from the very beginning. God created us intentionally. And God...

b. Values us deeply.

If you hear nothing else today, hear this, you are loved by the God of the universe and there is nothing He values more on this planet than you.

Look at vs. 17-18...

What is David trying to tell his readers and us here? That God values us so deeply that we are always on His mind. He never stops thinking about you and me. God personally formed us, He created us intentionally for a purpose and a plan, and He values us deeply. And just like the Psalmist, who is blown away that God would think about Him at all; but is even more in awe that God is constantly thinking about Him, we too should have our minds blown as well that the infinite God of creation is always thinking of you and me. That shouldn’t cause arrogance to rise up in us but it should produce gratitude and humility, that God thinks of us.

And when we realize that this infinite God, who is so powerful and so mighty, personally formed us, here’s how it changes the way we live, it causes us to have comfort in all circumstances because He is the source of our identity. And that is a major issue in this day and time. People are so focused on identity. Let me say this today, if Psalm 139 speaks to anything it’s that our identity is not found in our performance or our status or even other people’s opinions of us. None of those things determine who we are. Our identity is found in God and who He says we are. That we are made in His image, that we are created for a purpose, that we are called to live for the glory of God, and the God of the universe created us intentionally and values us deeply and He loves us so much and desires to use us for His glory so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us so that would be possible. If you want to know how much your are loved and how valuable you are, look no further than the cross of Jesus Christ because it was there that the ultimate price was paid for your life and mine.

Closing

So, what do we do with all of this today? How do we respond to an infinite God who wants an intimate relationship with us? Well, like we said before, all of this information hits us in one of two ways: it either brings us fear or it brings us comfort. If you find yourself in the position of fear after hearing all of this today, God wants to change that. If the thought that God knows you completely and is always with you strikes fear in your life, then God’s desire is for that fear to transform to confidence in Him. And that happens through surrender of your heart and life to Him as Savior and Lord. That happens through entering into that intimate relationship with Him that He has created you for. And doing that begins by Realizing that sin separates from Him and there is nothing we can do on our own to remove our sin. And God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross, paying the price for our sin. He was buried and on the 3rd day He rose from the grave. And today if you will repent of the way you’re living your life, admit that you cannot make it without Him and trust Him as your Lord and Savior, He will save you. You’ll have eternal life in heaven when you leave this earth but the greatest part of all of it is that you will have a relationship with God who by His Holy Spirit comes to live in your heart to forgive you of your sin and to walk with you for the rest of your days.

So, this morning, I would ask everyone with heads bowed and eyes closed if you’ve never surrendered your heart to Jesus, we want to give you that opportunity. Right now, where you are sitting, just tell Jesus that you know you need Him. That you repent of the way you’re living your life. Tell Him you surrender your heart and life to Him as Savior and Lord. That you want Him to save you and forgive you and you want to live for Him the rest of your days. Then tell Jesus “thank you for saving me.

With heads still bowed and eyes still closed, if you just prayed that prayer and became a Christ follower. In just a moment we are going to conclude our time together with a time of worship and commitment and if you made a decision to follow Jesus today, I want to invite you to come this morning and let us pray with you. The altars will be open for whatever step God is leading you to take. Please be obedient to Him today.

Maybe you’ve already taken that step but as a follower of Jesus today you’ve been reminded of how much God loves you and the He has a purpose and a plan for your life. And today, you want to respond to the truth of God’s Word by trusting Him more and finding your identity in Him. Maybe today, you’ve been finding your identity in others and what they think of you and today you realize that your Identity is found in God alone.