The Mystery of His Communion

Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

A basic Bible study of this passage from Psalm 139 might yield the following implications…

Nothing and no one is hidden from the knowledge and presence of God.  This is a statement about reality.  There is nothing beyond God’s knowledge.  No thing is higher or lower, too deep or too intimate for God.  Furthermore, God’s presence is pervasive, one cannot escape from God.  It is futile to lie to God.  It is senseless to live a double life.  It is foolish to have the form of Godliness but lack the substance of Godliness.  God knows all things.  

God’s knowledge is an expression of His deep providential care.  The Psalmist notes that God’s  knowledge and presence are the effects of his providential care and plan.  God has formed a person’s days and those days have a particular purpose.  God is the one who created the psalmist and desires to be near to him.  In other words, God’s knowledge and presence are not a bad and oppressive things, but are expressions of God’s love and purpose for his creation.  

Rejecting the reality of God’s providence is foolish.  The truth of verse 1-18 is a fact, however, some chose to foolishly reject it.  There are those who would seek to stand against God.  But this response is foolish.  Moreover, this is the response of evil and is to be hated with a perfect hate.  Furthermore, the enemy of God is the one who does not desire to yield or submit to God.  

An unwillingness to be searched and tried by God is the mark of a foolish man.  God knows and is present in all things; thus an unwillingness to be known is the epitome of foolishness.  On the other hand…

To be known by God is the most complete expression of personhood.  God is the definer of my days (v.13-18), he has ordered the right and the wrong way to express these days.  A willingness to be searched and known by God indicates ones desire to allow God to determine reality, to determine what is right and what is wrong.  

We must passionately reject any way which is contrary to the ways of God.  The expression of hate toward evil clearly marks out the passion with which one should distinguish himself from evil.        

I wonder if the psalmist was feeling pursued by God when he penned these words.  The points above seem to indicate a very powerful reality, God means to be dealt with.  We cannot ignore Him, permanently delay Him, or patronize Him.  At some point every Christian must embrace or reject the mystery of his communion.  Our modern/rational context celebrates human ability and rational solutions.  Even in theology we have found ways to define and explain particulars concerning every conceivable topic about God.  While logic and reason are important, God cannot, indeed will not be captured within our rational capacities.  As Mr. Tumnus instructed young Lucy regarding Aslan in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia “He’s not a tame Lion”.  Yes, at some point we all have to embrace the reality that my life does not belong to me, and God cannot be ignored.  God will eventually call each of us to task.  He will back us into a corner.  He will “call for the question”.  Inevitably, we will either place the entirety of our future, hope, security, safety, dreams, goals, and success in his hands by faith, or we will embrace the false reality that “I can work this out, with a little more time, knowledge, and luck.”  But if we should choose the former option, young Lucy offers us a rejoinder to Mr. Tumnus’ witness of Aslan in noting…”But he is good”.  He is good, He knows my name and he means to pour His blessing over me, in His perfect way and in His perfect time.  Thus, we can genuinely respond in chorus with the Psalmist…

Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!