Sunday, July 12, 2020

Psalm 139: You are valuable! (Summer Playlist Series)

Today, we are reading Psalm 139 as my pastor leads us through our summer in the Psalms.  

It is part of our human nature to want others to notice us.  We want others to know us and love us.  We want them to be interested in us and to care about us.  We want others to realize our value.  I have good news for you.  Somebody knows you.  His name is God.  You are valuable.  You are known by God.  You have purpose and responsibility in this life.

Psalm 139:  You are valuable!
He knit you together in your mother's womb.  You are valuable.
 

The following Bible study notes are based on my pastor's sermon.  You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.


Psalm 139:  You are valuable!

Psalm 139 is a Psalm of David written for the choir director.

Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I get up;
You understand my thought from far away.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, Lord, You know it all.
You have encircled me behind and in front,
And placed Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.

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 up the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will take hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.

13 For You created my innermost parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully formed in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my formless substance;
And in Your book were written
All the days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

19 If only You would put the wicked to death, God;
Leave me, you men of bloodshed.
20 For they speak against You wickedly,
And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate You, Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there is any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.  - Psalm 139

Psalm 139:  You are valuable.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
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 1.  You are known by God.  

We may or may not know everything about each other but there is nothing God doesn't know about you.  Even the hairs on your head are numbered.

But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows. - Luke 12:7

We can make people THINK they know us but God DOES KNOW all there is to know about us.  God knows you better than anyone else.  He knows all and is everywhere.

There is no place we can go where we are not in the presence of God.

Adam and Eve tried to hide from God.

Now they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” - Genesis 3:8-10

Jonah tried to run from Him.
But Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship that was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and boarded it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord. - Jonah 1:3
Jesus asked the disciples, "Do you want to leave too?"  Peter responded, "Where shall we go for in you we have found the words of eternal life."
 
We cannot hide from God.  We cannot run from God.  When you think He doesn't know, He does.
God is the only one who can rightly judge you.  He's the only one from whom you cannot escape. 
 

2.  You have a purpose.

Life in the womb is valuable to God.  God knit YOU together in your mother's womb - your character traits, gender, disabilities, etc. YOU have purpose and meaning.

David was thrilled that God would knit him and weave him together in his mother's womb.  God did the same for YOU.  He made you.  He made up your DNA.  He wrote down your days in His book.  Your life matters.  

3.  You have responsibility.

We have a responsibility to protect the truth of scripture.  We cannot take God and His word and strip it of it's meaning and power.  We cannot take out parts of God's Word that we don't like (holiness, justice, judgement) and only keep the parts that cover peace, love, joy, grace, and mercy.  We have a responsibility to die to ourselves and our sins and submit to God.

David finishes the psalm by asking God to search Him, to search his heart, to see if there is any wicked way in him.  Then he asked God to lead him in the everlasting way.

What is the answer to the problems of our day?  

The answers to today's problems are not in political change, social justice, new laws, or social media wokeness.

The answer to the problems of our day is found in God and God alone.

Do you know the God who knit you together in your mother's womb?  Do you know the God who knows you, who values you and has a purpose for your life?  Do you know Jesus?  Learn more about how you can have a personal relationship with Him here.  He is the only way to have an abundant life.  

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Psalm 139:  You are valuable!
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