Psalm 139 describes how God is everywhere and has an intimate knowledge of everyone. Is this comforting or terrifying?

 'Oh Lord you have searched me and known me.' 1 Psalm 139:1 Comforting or Terrifying?

For Adam and Eve Gods presence became a thing of terror after the fall. Our attitude to his presence is determined by where we stand with him.

Comfort For the Believer

For the believer this is a great comfort. We have confidence he understands us. His knowledge of us is complete. We may wonder if other people know the real person - the inner 'me' but God knows us from the inside out.

The Overwhelming Nature of God 'You hem me in behind and before.' 2 Psalm 139:5

It is tempting to think of sin and evil as being overwhelming. We may even struggle with this in our prayers but this is really a false view of the world around us.

In truth God is completely overwhelming, there is no possibility of God 'losing' or of evil somehow getting one over on him.

Evil Falls Short

A Babylonian King once discovered (too late) that his actions rather than being too much for God, were in fact too little.

Belshazzar had used the gold and silver goblets taken from the Jewish temple to liven up his party.

To his dismay a disembodied hand appeared and wrote on the wall.

The interpretation of the writing given by the prophet Daniel informed Belshazzar that he had been 'weighed on the scales and found wanting'. 3 Daniel 5:27

Evil men may believe that they count for something but in reality they will be forgotten.

No Escape! 'Where shall I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?' 4 Psalm 139:7

David muses about escaping God but it is of course impossible.

We sometimes pray as if God is far away and it needs a lot of prayer to get him to take an interest in us.

In reality he is already here!

We may also pray as if there is an almost equal struggle between God and man or God and evil.

There is no such struggle, God is overwhelming, evil is a tiny spec in comparison.

Our Remarkable Bodies 'You knitted me together in my mothers womb' 5 Psalm 139:13

The belief that the human body is designed is perpetually mocked by Evolutionists yet in reality the body is a staggeringly complex and wonderful machine.

It underlines his amazing power and also his tender care in making us.

The Thoughts Of God 'How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!' 6 Psalm 139:24

Johannes Kepler a famous astronomer once said he was 'thinking Gods thoughts after him'.

Perhaps in prayer our true purpose is to align ourselves with Gods thoughts. After all, who really desires to save the lost? Is it not God?

Who really wants to step into peoples lives and change them for the better, is it not God?

Search Me Oh God 'Search me oh God and know my heart!' 7 Psalm 139:23

David asks God to root out any offensive way in him.

This is the ultimate prayer of faith, cooperating with the Holy Spirit in making us more like Jesus.

This intimate knowledge of us holds no terror.

If he knows our sins he has forgiven them.

If he knows our weaknesses the Holy Spirit is always on hand to strengthen and comfort us.

An Everlasting Ministry 'And lead me in the way everlasting!' 8 Psalm 139:24

The Holy Spirit abides with us forever.

He will never give up on us, never fail us.

'And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever' 9 John 14:16

An everlasting ministry promised to every believer.