by Bethany Stanley
When I read Psalm 139, I am struck by the depth of God. David makes clear the omnipresence of God. What is significant about this is that he uses our position to help paint this picture for us. David writes in verses 7-10:
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me” (Psalms 139:7-10).
God is omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere, all at once. But the takeaway here is that He is not just everywhere, He is specifically with us where we are. And if we know this, we can take in the mystery, the complexity, and the sheer magnitude of God. He is immensely more complex than we can imagine, yet He still desires to commune with us. He is at once grand, and also somehow, He’s close to us. We, the wee little sheep in the field, in need of a shepherd to guide us, can call on a God who is present wherever we are. While He is higher than us, He is still willing to come to us and be our guide.
It’s about location. David points out in verse 10: “If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me.”
“Even there…” Think about the depth of the sea, and what that means. We may often feel like we are drifting in the remotest part of the sea with no reprieve in sight. But God is there.
Stop and take that in: “Even there Your hand will lead me.”
When we feel furthest from God, when we feel He isn’t answering us, He is still there. When we walk with God, even during the rocking, bleak, and desolate times, His hand is still leading us.
As you are reading this, I’d like to pray with you today.
Heavenly Father, I thank You that You lead us, even when we are in the depths. Give us Your grace and peace today because You are with us, and you are leading us. “Even there,” in the remotest part of the sea, Lord, it’s Your hand that guides us. I pray that over each of us today, that we would let You lead, as you are meant to. We thank You for your sweet presence that is our guide.
Amen.
