David's Psalms of Solitude: Psalm 138-145

The words David speaks in these eight Psalms have lifted me up so many times and helped me draw closer to God. These are probably the last Psalms recorded by David and in some ways serve as a commentary to the great Messianic promise in 2 Samuel 7:1-29.

In my first series of Blog posts for Life 100.3 I will contextualize and share what each of these Psalms means to me, with the hope that God might encourage you and direct you to the wonderful truths He reveals in these scriptures.

Psalm 139:

After reading these first 6 verses, no matter where you're at spiritually, its hard to go any further without pausing in awe.

The Lord your God, doesn't just recognize you, he has searched you and knows you well. David ponders in verse 6 that the knowledge God has of him is too vast for David to attain. We lack the capacity to comprehend and the perspective to see the details of our own lives that God can see. If you've ever flown in an airplane you know what it's like to swoop down into landing, you can see the entire city and surrounding area clearer than you probably ever have before. God is above us in heaven and can see what's going on in your life with immeasurable vision. An example of God's omnipresent character is well reflected in Walter Smith's old hymn Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.

In verses 7-10 David breaks down how it impossible to escape God: "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the seas, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

He is not just any Lord, he is your Lord. Have you traveled to another country before and in that place been amazed how evident God is to you there too. Jonah learned this by experience.

In verses 11 and 12, David demonstrates how his perspective is inferior to God's and also he continues to build on how he cannot escape from God: If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the night will become light around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you (Psalm 139:11-12).

David spoke of night as bruising; it's often during this time when harm occurs because things are covered up. But, since God created light, darkness does not hide things from his sight. David always felt secure because of this and so should you.

Verse 13-17 get more personal. David remarks on how God knows his longings and desires. God knows you intimately.

Can you join with David in saying "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made?" (Psalm 119:140)

I think part of the reason why David so boldly sought after God is because he understood God as Lord of his life. Sometimes its easy to get stuck on how God is your Father, and like your earthly father, you talk to Him every now and then, seek his advice, but you don't involve him in all of your daily decisions.

If you have God in your life, you've yielded control to him. He is Lord, he sits on your throne.

Back in verse 1 David says "you have searched me Lord." There is a sense of reverence and submission. The Lord has searched David, and so David wants to follow the Lord .

Verse 17 is a special one. I like the King James translation: "How precious also are thy thoughts onto me"

Charles Spurgeon describes it like this.

"He [David] is not alarmed at the fact that God knows all about him; on the contrary he is comforted, and even feels himself to be enriched, as with a casket of precious jewels. That God should think upon him is the believer's treasure and pleasure" (Spurgeon).

We can see David trying to live his life worthy of God through this Psalm.

"Do I hate those who hate you Lord and abhor those who are in rebellion to you?" (Psalm 139:21)

David is so adamant that he pleas God to test and know his anxious thoughts. David's determined to get to the crux of the problem. He identifies completely with the Lord.

The Psalm finally concludes with a prayer of change.

"See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:24).

These are the desires that we ought to have. We need to stay on the straight and narrow. We need to let God into our hearts. One of the biggest differences between David and Saul is that the David is willing to expose his faults and realign himself with God. Are you?

* George Rogers considers this Psalm one of the most sublime compositions in the world.