God Cares for You
Notes
Transcript
Announcements:
Announcements:
Summer Schedule
Camp July 16-19th
Introduction:
Introduction:
Through the Psalms
Last week we started our intro into the Book of Psalms
We talked about the purpose of the Psalms
1 — Teach us how to pray
2 — Ground us in a praying community
And we looked at Psalm 1
But today we are looking at one particular Psalm—one of my favorites—Psalm 139
Like I said last week, my aim isn’t that we just learn more about the Psalms but that we actually become people who pray
So I’ll share about this Psalm then we’ll have time to read/reflect/and pray these Psalms for ourselves
Scripture Reading:
Scripture Reading:
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
you understand my thoughts from far away.
3 You observe my travels and my rest;
you are aware of all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue,
you know all about it, Lord.
5 You have encircled me;
you have placed your hand on me.
6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I live at the eastern horizon
or settle at the western limits,
10 even there your hand will lead me;
your right hand will hold on to me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light around me will be night”—
12 even the darkness is not dark to you.
The night shines like the day;
darkness and light are alike to you.
13 For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began.
17 God, how precious your thoughts are to me;
how vast their sum is!
18 If I counted them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand;
when I wake up, I am still with you.
19 God, if only you would kill the wicked—
you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me—
20 who invoke you deceitfully.
Your enemies swear by you falsely.
21 Lord, don’t I hate those who hate you,
and detest those who rebel against you?
22 I hate them with extreme hatred;
I consider them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way.
This is one of my go-to Psalms
Honesty: One of my greatest struggles is believing God cares about me
I know he loves me
But I think he’s too big to notice or care
He has more important things going on
And this Psalm grounds me in the love of God and his deep care for me
And this Psalm isn’t a simple Psalm:
Exalting Jesus in Psalms 101–150 You Are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made (Psalm 139)
Psalm 139
Outline:
God Knows You (v1-6)
God is With You (v7-12)
God Loves You (v13-18)
God’s Love Leads to Righteous Living (v19-24)
Outline:
God Knows You (v1-6)
He knows your heart (v1)
1 Lord, you have searched me and known me.
He knows your actions (v2-3)
2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
you understand my thoughts from far away.
3 You observe my travels and my rest;
you are aware of all my ways.
He knows your words (v4)
4 Before a word is on my tongue,
you know all about it, Lord.
He knows your life (v5-6)
5 You have encircled me;
you have placed your hand on me.
6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.
God is with You (v7-12)
Above or Below (v7-8)
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
East or West (v9-10)
9 If I live at the eastern horizon
or settle at the western limits,
10 even there your hand will lead me;
your right hand will hold on to me.
Dark or Light (v11-12)
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light around me will be night”—
12 even the darkness is not dark to you.
The night shines like the day;
darkness and light are alike to you.
God Loves You (v13-18)
God intentionally created you (v13-15)
13 For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
God has plans for your life (v16)
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began.
God thinks of you (v17-18)
17 God, how precious your thoughts are to me;
how vast their sum is!
18 If I counted them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand;
when I wake up, I am still with you.
God’s Love Leads to Righteous Living (v19-24)
God has Enemies (v19-22)
19 God, if only you would kill the wicked—
you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me—
20 who invoke you deceitfully.
Your enemies swear by you falsely.
21 Lord, don’t I hate those who hate you,
and detest those who rebel against you?
22 I hate them with extreme hatred;
I consider them my enemies.
A Prayer to Keep Us Humble (v23-24)
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way.
The rejection of evil arises from the psalmist’s spirit of commitment to the Lord and not from pride. This is clear from his prayer, asking for God to discern his motives and actions
Small Groups:
Small Groups:
Read it — Pray it — Talk about it
