Psalm 139 Reflections

I encourage you to read Psalm 139 before reading this post.

I have always wanted to memorize an entire chapter of Scripture, but I have struggled to complete whatever I’m memorizing. When I was contacted by a friend through my church about a group of women who were gathering to memorize Psalm 139 together, I signed up because I knew I needed accountability in this area. I knew parts of this Psalm… even memorized a few verses in the past, so I admittedly wasn’t expecting to be so impacted by words I was already relatively familiar with. But, God’s Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12) and He worked in incredible ways over the several weeks of memorizing, studying, and meditating. Today, I wanted to share just three takeaways.

1. God is omniscient – He knows everything about us. 

God knows us intimately. He knows our every thought, every word before we speak them, and every action before we do them. Nothing is hidden from Him. My group wrestled with these truths, because while they gave us a lot of comfort, we also cringed at the reminder that God knows every sinful thought and action.

Reflecting on this reality made us even more grateful for the Gospel. Despite our ugly sin, God still loves us! By His grace, the Father sent His Son to die the death we deserved for our sins so that all who repent and believe in Him will be forgiven and have eternal life. Born again believers can rest in knowing that though God is well aware of our sin, Christ’s righteousness has been credited to us (Romans 4:5). 

I especially found peace in reflecting on how our Father in Heaven understands us completely. One of the things I struggle with most is wanting to be understood by others. Since I was a little girl, I have had a deep longing to be known and understood by others. If I had to choose a quote representative of my childhood and adolescence, “Nobody understands me!” would be in the running.

My husband knows me better than anyone and I have friends and family who love and affirm me as well. But, this insecurity still runs deep within me and Psalm 139 caused me to confront it head-on. By the Holy Spirit’s prompting, I was forced to ask myself, “Do you really believe that God fully understands and loves you?” and, “Is that enough for you?” The answer was yes, so I’m asking the Spirit to help me live in light of this truth.

2. God is omnipresent – He is always present with us.

Before we were even created, wherever we go, whether we acknowledge Him or not, He is with us. We cannot escape the presence of God and when we are in right relationship with Him, we don’t want to. He leads us, holds us, and hems us in – His presence surrounds us and protects us. This is true in every sense. He is present with us physically, mentally, and spiritually. Verse 12 says, “even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”

This truth brings comfort and gives me new strength, especially on the days my heart is heavy about personal struggles and evil in the world. Whether I am in a physical or mental place of darkness, He is there. He is my sure hope – my confident assurance that in His presence all evil is exposed, sin is conquered, and I am not alone.

3. God is omnipotent – His power is limitless.

God is the Creator of all things, seen and unseen by the human eye. By His infinite power, we were created in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). He carefully knitted each one of us together in our mother’s womb, but even before that, He saw us. Verse 16 says, “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.”

I was profoundly impacted by the truth that even before I was conceived, God had the number of my days written down. My life was carefully planned, no mistakes were made. In fact, He delighted in making me. Verse 18 says His thoughts about me are more than the sand. He thinks about every human being – born and unborn – in this deep, personal way. All are equally valuable in His eyes. Only the all-powerful God of the universe has the capacity to create unique individuals and think of each one of us in such an intimate way.

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I could go on and on about the many ways memorizing Psalm 139 has impacted me. I am continually amazed by how God speaks to us through His Word as we memorize it and how He uses it for our benefit and to bless others. There have already been specific moments where He has brought the words of this Psalm to my mind to speak truth into my circumstances and cause me to think and act differently. He has also brought these words to mind to encourage friends in their struggles and it was a privilege to be used by God in that way. This is why we memorize Scripture!

Scripture memory glorifies God – He speaks to us personally as we write His Word on our hearts, causes us to live in light of what’s true, and uses it to bless others in profound ways.

I invite you to text a friend, or get a group of friends together, to memorize a passage in the Bible. Plan out how much time you will spend memorizing and hold each other accountable. Study and journal about the passage you choose and watch how God will use His Word and fellowship to bless you in profound ways!

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