What if We Belong to God?

Psalm 139 ESV

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

What if We Belong to God?

My sister and I used to love to play hide and seek! I bet many of you like to play hide and seek as well. We would play it outside when the weather was nice and we would play it inside when the weather was not so nice. But there was a problem. My dog, Cinderella. We called her Cindy for short. Cindy was not a very smart dog, but she was very loyal and she loved me so much that there was nowhere I could go that she didn’t follow me. Even when we were trying to play hide and seek. No matter where I tried to hide, that goofy dog would follow me. And she wasn’t so smart, so she would try to hide with me, but most of her was usually hanging out of the hiding place and her little stub of a tail was trying to wag. So, you can probably guess, I was not too hard to find. My sister just had to look for silly old Cindy and she found me. It didn’t matter how hard I tried to get that nutty dog to stop following me, she was always there.

I think that’s sort of like what our Psalm is saying tonight about God’s love for us. God loves us SO MUCH that wherever we go, there is God. . . right with us. God has known us since before we were ever born because God created us! Our creator, the one who made each and every one of us to be the wacky, unique, wonderful people we are, loves us so very very much that there is nowhere we can go that is outside of God’s love. There’s not even anything we can do that would ever make God stop loving us.

When I look around a room full of people like I’m doing tonight as I talk to you all, I can’t help but think about how creative God is. You guys are all different sizes, you all look different from one another, you all talk differently. Some of you are musical, some of you are athletic, some of you are artistic, it just goes on and on. You all have different styles and ways of being in the world around you and that is just about the coolest thing I can imagine. Just look around you and see what awesome people are sitting around you!

And no matter where we go, God is right there for us. God knows when we’re scared, God knows when we’re hopeful. God knows when we’re shy and when we’re excited.

I’ve been excited getting ready for this week because I always meet such wonderful campers and counselors every year. But I’m also always a little nervous because it’s been a whole year since I’ve been here and what if I forget how things work around here?

I’m sure many of you are feeling a little scared or shy tonight. And I’m sure many of you are feeling hopeful or excited.

When I look around a room full of people like I’m doing tonight as I talk to you all, I can’t help but think about how creative God is. You guys are all different sizes, you all look different from one another, you all talk differently. Some of you are musical, some of you are athletic, some of you are artistic, it just goes on and on. You all have different styles and ways of being in the world around you and that is just about the coolest thing I can imagine. Just look around you and see what awesome people are sitting around you!

I know that some of you have been here before and some of you haven’t. For those of you who haven’t, let me reassure you - you will go home with new friends you never expected to meet.

For those of you who have been here before, don’t forget to reach out and make friends with the kids who haven’t been here before.

This is a great place to really be yourself - be who God made you to be. Sometimes we try to hide parts of ourselves from others or make others think we’re someone we’re not. This week, try to be genuine you and thank the campers around you when they are being genuinely them.

We get to know each other here by worshiping together like we’re doing tonight, sharing meals together, playing games together, learning together, and sometimes doing new things we never thought in a million years we might ever try. We won’t get to know each other as well as God knows us, but we’ll get to know each other pretty well in this week together.

Crestfield is awesome, friends! Like. . . sooooooo awesome! And if you need anything, the awesome staff here is going to take great care of you!

God is definitely here. God is everywhere, but we know especially that God is here because we are here!