Psalm 139:1-6; 13-18

Psalm 139 is one of the wisdom psalms. It reflects on God’s intimate knowledge and abiding presence in the lives of God’s people. Within its verses profound theological truths that offer deep assurance for God’s people – God knows us, God cares for us, God created us purposefully. For the preacher, this psalm provides fertile ground to preach about identify, prevenient grace, the dignity of human life, and the call to holiness.

In verses 1-6 we see that God knows us deeply. The psalmist begins with this declaration: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me” (Psalm 139:1, NRSV). This is the language of intimacy, this is not casual knowledge. The Hebrew word for “searched” means to examine and explore thoroughly and the word for “known” means to know by experience. This is the language we would use for someone close to us – someone we have personal experience with – like a spouse or a child or a close friend. This is how deeply God know us! God’s knowledge of us is personal and complete; it is not distant or abstract but intimate and relational.

The psalmist then goes on to describe just how deeply we are known by God in greater detail in verses 2-6. God knows our every word, every thought, and every action. For some, this can stir up feelings of shame – especially in light of our sin. And yet, the psalmist responds with praise (vs. 6). Why? Because God’s intimate knowledge is coupled with steadfast love and mercy. God’s knowledge of us shows the depths of God’s love for us. God knows us fully and completely – all the good and all the bad – this should not lead us to fear or shame, but to worship! God’s love and grace are poured out upon us and there is no where we can go where God’s love cannot reach us – as we see in verses 7-12. Throughout our entire lives God’s prevenient grace has been at work – even before we were born. God’s presence and grace has been searching for us – not to condemn, but to redeem and draw us closer to Godself.

The psalmist continues to expand on God’s deep connection with God’s people in verses 13-18 as the psalmist describes God’s creative action. In verses 13-14 we hear: “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well” (Psalm 139:13-14, NRSV). The language of knitting suggests intentional and purposeful design. We are not accidents. We were not created by happenstance – we were created purposefully by God. Or as Paul states in Ephesians 2:10: “We are God’s workmanship.” If this wasn’t enough to show God’s purposeful design of each human being, the psalms uses the words “fearfully and wonderfully made” which conveys the intentionality, uniqueness, and sacred value that God has given to God’s creation. Even before we were born, God knew us and purposefully created us as we are – with all of our unique features and traits. This once again leads the psalmist to praise. It causes a sense of awe and wonder as the psalmist thinks about the intention and purpose God used to create each and every one of us.

There are a number of ways to apply this text to what our congregations might need to hear today:

1. It could be a message on identity: There are many in our congregations who wrestle with questions of worth, especially in a culture that so often measures our worth by our performance or appearance. Psalm 139 reaffirms that our value is not rooted in success, appearance, or the opinions of others. No, our true identity and worth is rooted in God’s design, care, and love for us – in being fearfully and wonderfully made.

2. It could be a great message to speak about Prevenient Grace: This passage strongly affirms our belief in the prevenient grace of God – the grace that goes before us. Even before we are aware of God, God is at work shaping, sustaining, and calling us.

3. It could be a great passage to preach about a Theology of Life: This passage underscores the dignity of every human being as image-bearers of God – and the each of us is deserving of care, justice, and love. Every life is intentional and sacred, designed by God before birth. This deeply applies to some of the current issues facing the United States today – specifically when it comes to issues of justice: care for the vulnerable, the marginalized, the overlooked. We are called to be a people who cares for the widow, the orphan, the foreigner. This passage could be used to call the Church back to its mission and serve as a reminder that the Church – the people of God called the Church, must be a people that declares to the world that every life is honored and valued because every life is created in the image of God! This truth should lead congregation to embrace both assurance and responsibility: to see others with the same dignity God has given them!

4. This text could also be used to call people to live in God’s presence in a deeper life of holiness: God knows us deeply and intimately, but are we seeking to know God in the same way? Are we spending time in God’s presence through prayer, Scripture reading, and other spiritual practices? The prevenient grace of God was at work in us before we even knew God. And holiness calls us to live into that divine purpose, to become who God created us to be. It could be the beginning of a series that leads people into different spiritual practices or a series on holy living.

Psalm 139 leads us into awe and praise: the God who knows us completely also loves us unconditionally and creates us purposefully. It reminds us that our worth is rooted in God’s design, our lives are sustained by prevenient grace, and our calling is to live as God’s holy people in the world.