DO YOU TRUST GOD?
Psalm 139:1 "O Lord, You have searched me and known me."
Psalm 139:23-24 "O Lord, You have searched me and known me."
The above opening verses for today's post serve to frame the contents of Psalm 139. David is indicating that in His relationship with God, God has thoroughly searched and known him (139:1) and that he is willing to surrender himself to further scrutiny by God (139:23-24). These verses together communicate the necessity to trust God.
Point of Application:
The theme of "Trusting God" is huge throughout the scripture. Moses, the great statesman and prophet of the Old Testament, wrote in Psalm 90:1 of how God has been a refuge and help from ages past. The great king David, Israel's greatest king, says in Psalm 13:5 "But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation." The wisest man who ever lived and David's son, King Solomon, commands us to trust in the Lord and lean not unto our own understanding in Proverbs 3:5-6. Jesus, the Greatest of all, God in human flesh, is recorded saying in Hebrews 2:13a - And again, "I will put my trust in Him". Then one more, the mighty Apostle Paul, states in Philippians 3:10-11 "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." In thinking on verses like these, as well as what we will be seeing in Psalm 139, the main point of application today is this: How much you trust God depends upon how well you know God and surrender to Him.
With that main anchoring point in place, let us walk through Psalm 139 and see how much we can trust God.
Knowing God as the first foundation for trusting God
In Psalm 139 we see just how much there is to know about God, and more so how well He knows His children. David says that God had searched and known Him in Psalm 139:1. As you go down through the Psalm, you see evidence of a close relationship between God and David. What is there to know about God, and how is knowing God the first foundation for trusting Him? In short order we see the following outline of Psalm 139:
1. God is all-knowing 139:1-6
2. God is everywhere present 139:7-12
3. God is all-powerful 139:13-16
4. God is all-good 139:17-22
This is essentially the kind of God that had been "searching and knowing David" in Psalm 139:1. Its as if David had been placed into a spiritual MRI machine with God as the the One doing the scanning. To know God is the most important thing in life, and to know that God knows me is the most amazing insight in life. However in the course of trusting God, we sometimes find ourselves questioning God. It is quite interesting how often our questioning of God is connected to His attributes as outlined here in Psalm 139. Notice the following questions, and how Psalm 139 answers them, providing a foundation for trusting God.
1. Does God know what I am going through?
We can say with utmost certainty - yes He does! Psalm 139:1-3 reveals He knows our thoughts and Psalm 139:4-6 unveils His perfect knowledge of our future actions. Psalm 147:5 reminds us that the knowledge of God is without end and Hebrews 4:13 affirms that all things are open before His eyes. So yes, God knows! He is all knowing. You can trust God!
Knowing God as the first foundation for trusting God
In Psalm 139 we see just how much there is to know about God, and more so how well He knows His children. David says that God had searched and known Him in Psalm 139:1. As you go down through the Psalm, you see evidence of a close relationship between God and David. What is there to know about God, and how is knowing God the first foundation for trusting Him? In short order we see the following outline of Psalm 139:
1. God is all-knowing 139:1-6
2. God is everywhere present 139:7-12
3. God is all-powerful 139:13-16
4. God is all-good 139:17-22
This is essentially the kind of God that had been "searching and knowing David" in Psalm 139:1. Its as if David had been placed into a spiritual MRI machine with God as the the One doing the scanning. To know God is the most important thing in life, and to know that God knows me is the most amazing insight in life. However in the course of trusting God, we sometimes find ourselves questioning God. It is quite interesting how often our questioning of God is connected to His attributes as outlined here in Psalm 139. Notice the following questions, and how Psalm 139 answers them, providing a foundation for trusting God.
1. Does God know what I am going through?
We can say with utmost certainty - yes He does! Psalm 139:1-3 reveals He knows our thoughts and Psalm 139:4-6 unveils His perfect knowledge of our future actions. Psalm 147:5 reminds us that the knowledge of God is without end and Hebrews 4:13 affirms that all things are open before His eyes. So yes, God knows! He is all knowing. You can trust God!
2. Is God really there? Am I all alone?
The Psalmist in 139:7 refers to the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. Every Christian is given the Holy Spirit of God in regeneration as a Permanent Resident. (Romans 8:14-16; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; 3:16) You as a Christian are never alone. God by the Person of the Spirit not only is in every Christian but pervades every square inch of creation. (Acts 17:27-28) The Person of the Son as God in human flesh holds all things together by the Word of His power. (Colossians 1:16-18) Indeed God is there for you! He is everywhere present! You can Trust God! How much you know God and surrender to Him determines you level of trust!
3. Is God strong enough to take care of my situation?
Psalm 139:13-16 answers this question. God is powerful enough to form you, give you life and write out the book of your life. As the Psalmists states: "How wonderful are your works (139:14)". Think about the works of God: creation, salvation, time, space and you. Whenever you and I find our trust for God being low, it is because we don't think He knows, is there and strong enough! When I was a small child, if I was playing outside and my dad happened to be working in the yard, I had no fears. Where I grew up was heavily wooded and sometimes I would hear the howl of a wild dog or hear a twig snap. Knowing that my dad was there with me - I had know fear. I trust my dad due to what I know about Him. Is it not much more with the Christian's Heavenly Father?
4. Is God really Good?
I think out of all of God's characteristics (or attributes), God's goodness is perhaps the most doubted today. Do we truly believe God has the best of intentions for us? David writes in Psalm 139:17-18 that he cannot count all of the precious thoughts God has towards Him. Whenever he hears people speak ill of God or to question God's character, it causes indignation in the Psalmist. We may at first be offended at the language used by the Psalmist of "hatred" and "utmost hatred" for his enemies. However, why does it bother us? Perhaps because we do not think God is as Good as we claim.
To illustrate, what happens when we find out that a child has been hurt by an adult? Or what response do we give to injustice done by selfish men against their wives or issues such as racism? Injustice is despicable. Hateful. Culture cries for justice, because true injustice is inexcusable. Now take each of those examples and multiply them an infinite amount and you begin to see why the Psalmist says what he says. God is Peerless in character and All-Good. I'm afraid sometimes the greatest accusers of God's character are we ourselves. Trusting God entails knowing that He is always Good - no matter what nor however little we may understand.
Indeed God is Good! He is All-powerful, All-present and all-knowing! You can Trust God! How much you know God and surrender to Him determines you level of trust! Today we saw how knowing God is necessary for trusting Him. Tomorrow we will look at the second foundation for trusting God.
The Psalmist in 139:7 refers to the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. Every Christian is given the Holy Spirit of God in regeneration as a Permanent Resident. (Romans 8:14-16; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; 3:16) You as a Christian are never alone. God by the Person of the Spirit not only is in every Christian but pervades every square inch of creation. (Acts 17:27-28) The Person of the Son as God in human flesh holds all things together by the Word of His power. (Colossians 1:16-18) Indeed God is there for you! He is everywhere present! You can Trust God! How much you know God and surrender to Him determines you level of trust!
3. Is God strong enough to take care of my situation?
Psalm 139:13-16 answers this question. God is powerful enough to form you, give you life and write out the book of your life. As the Psalmists states: "How wonderful are your works (139:14)". Think about the works of God: creation, salvation, time, space and you. Whenever you and I find our trust for God being low, it is because we don't think He knows, is there and strong enough! When I was a small child, if I was playing outside and my dad happened to be working in the yard, I had no fears. Where I grew up was heavily wooded and sometimes I would hear the howl of a wild dog or hear a twig snap. Knowing that my dad was there with me - I had know fear. I trust my dad due to what I know about Him. Is it not much more with the Christian's Heavenly Father?
4. Is God really Good?
I think out of all of God's characteristics (or attributes), God's goodness is perhaps the most doubted today. Do we truly believe God has the best of intentions for us? David writes in Psalm 139:17-18 that he cannot count all of the precious thoughts God has towards Him. Whenever he hears people speak ill of God or to question God's character, it causes indignation in the Psalmist. We may at first be offended at the language used by the Psalmist of "hatred" and "utmost hatred" for his enemies. However, why does it bother us? Perhaps because we do not think God is as Good as we claim.
To illustrate, what happens when we find out that a child has been hurt by an adult? Or what response do we give to injustice done by selfish men against their wives or issues such as racism? Injustice is despicable. Hateful. Culture cries for justice, because true injustice is inexcusable. Now take each of those examples and multiply them an infinite amount and you begin to see why the Psalmist says what he says. God is Peerless in character and All-Good. I'm afraid sometimes the greatest accusers of God's character are we ourselves. Trusting God entails knowing that He is always Good - no matter what nor however little we may understand.
Indeed God is Good! He is All-powerful, All-present and all-knowing! You can Trust God! How much you know God and surrender to Him determines you level of trust! Today we saw how knowing God is necessary for trusting Him. Tomorrow we will look at the second foundation for trusting God.
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