Our All Knowing And Ever Present God

I'd like to start with a word of prayer before we get started, okay? Bow your head with me and let's go to the Lord. Our Father God, we praise you and thank you for the opportunity to worship you. Father, help us to realize that this is your word, this is your truth, and that it is given to us so that we could know you better. Father, we thank you for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ.

We thank you for the servant that we're reading about yet even today in your word. Father, would you work a work in our hearts and help us to see you? Would you be the message? Would you help the messenger? And Father, I pray that you would work in each heart, that we would be drawn to you and to love you more. We praise you, Father, in your son's name.

Amen. As a child, I remember wanting to be so many different heroes. I would look for different ways to emulate those heroes. I remember one specific hero that I wanted to be. It was the Man of Steel. That's right.

Superman. I would go find my mom's largest hand towel and somehow fasten it around my neck, and I would then proceed to climb up onto the railing of my front porch and attempt to fly. As you can imagine, for some reason, I would always fly about seven or eight feet, basically at a downward angle. As you can guess, gravity was my greatest enemy. I wanted to be like Superman because he possessed some characteristics that were awesome.

Like, he was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and even more importantly, he could give people rides. Somehow, Superman had two weaknesses. One was Kryptonite and the other was Lois. Whether he was being the protective Superman or the alias Clark Kent somehow trying to woo her he was always watching over her trying to keep her out of trouble Somehow, the rest of humanity and the evils of the world seemed to keep him separated from Lois, his true love.

On the TV show, Superman could not overpower Kryptonite. He could not know the thoughts of Lois or even the thoughts of his enemies. Even though in every episode, Superman would arrive just in time to save Lois, he still couldn't be at two places at the same time. After several flights off my porch, I came to a realization of a couple things. Even Superman had limitations, and I still couldn't fly. in those early days it was hard to believe that there could be anyone who possessed greater abilities than superman and that this being would want to know and even love me i'd like to ask you to turn back to psalms 139 and i want to read the first 10 verses due to time constraints i could only tackle that much of the of the chapter oh lord you have searched me and known me you know when i sit down and when i rise up you discern my thoughts from afar verse three you search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways even before a word is on my tongue behold oh Lord you know it altogether you hem me in behind and before you lay your hand upon me such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high and I cannot attain it where shall I go from your spirit or where shall I flee from your presence if I ascend into heaven you are there if you make my bed in Sheol you are there If I take the wings of dawn and I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, your right hand shall hold me.

We need to consider this psalm as a hymn In fact it is a song that David himself wrote I would like to help us put this psalm into what I believe is a proper context. In order to do that, we need to consider this song through the eyes of David and by the examples in his life. David was raised as a shepherd. He grew up as a valiant warrior for the Lord and is remembered as God's choice to be Israel's first godly king and promised a line or a lineage to Christ the Messiah.

As a shepherd boy, David would look at the heavens and see the works of God's hand that made the moon and the stars and put them in their proper place. David had a daily watch over his father's sheep, speaking to them and calling them back from the dangerous cliffs or calling them back so that they would keep up with the rest of the flock in order that they would not get lost or stolen. He would care for wounds and pregnant ewes.

He would need to lead them out of the dangerous wilderness to find green pastures and still waters. We had the opportunity to visit Israel recently, and Bethlehem doesn't have those things. Green grass and still waters were not present and available very often. With his hands, David protected the sheep with his staff and his sling, having to battle wild beasts, coming face to face and killing both lion and a bear that wanted to steal away the sheep.

The talented boy David was called into service at King Saul's home to play music on his harp to soothe the sick spirit and mind of King Saul. As a young, valiant warrior, it was David's skill and practice of his hand that slung a stone and accurately landed on the forehead of a nine-foot giant and killed him. and with the sword and with his sword he conquered his ten thousands David knew what it was to be hated and hunted by the king and yet needed to wait on the Lord and the Lord hand to defend him and not to retaliate It is from these experiences that David writes about his heroic God who possessed a faithful and unlimited power in David's very colorful life. So when we go through this psalm together, we can think through the eyes of now King David, who knew firsthand the faithful character of God.

First of all, David knows that our God is an all-knowing God. If we read in verse 1, it says, Our Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down, you know when I rise up, and you discern my thoughts from afar. This passage, in this passage, David's song establishes a great doctrine that God has a perfect knowledge of us. Verse 1, he states, you searched me and you know me.

The word search in Hebrew here is the term dig, as if a miner was digging up a treasure or searching for a treasure. If God knows everything, what is it that God is looking for? I believe that we can find this answer just from David's life story. When God commanded Samuel to anoint David as the new king of Israel, we find in 1 Samuel 13, verse 14, it says, The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people.

Just for our information, prince over means leader or shepherd. But what God is looking for is a man after his own heart. If we continue in 1 Samuel, chapter 16, verse 7, we can see what God's values are. Verse 7, but the Lord said to Samuel, do not look on his, that is Saul's, appearance, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees.

Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. The heart is the key as to what God is looking for. The key is what he's looking at. If you'll turn to 2 Chronicles 16.9. we see another passage of what God is looking for. It says, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless towards him.

He's looking for a heart that is like his own. He's looking for a heart that is blameless. A blameless heart means a heart wholly devoted, And in this case, it would be wholly devoted to him. He knows every one of our innermost thoughts. He even knows the detail of our thoughts. In verse 2, it says, you discern my thoughts from afar, meaning our deep imaginative thoughts.

The fact is, God knows our thoughts better than we do. and he searches through each one and tests them to see if our hearts are turned towards him. God defines David as a man after his own heart, and now David is saying, God is digging through the depths of my heart to see if it is wholly true to him. God is looking for those who have a devotion to, a peace with, a friendship with him.

God is looking for a heart that gazes gaze is on him God desires to have a genuine relationship with us if we continue to read in Psalms 1 and 39 verses 2 and then to verse 3 he starts out by saying you know when I sit down and when I rise up verse 3 says you search out my path, my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. David states that God not only knows my heart, but he knows my ways, my patterns, my path, the habits of my life. And he's very well acquainted with each one.

God knows what flows out of the heart before I do. 1 Kings chapter 8, verse 39 Solomon prays a prayer that says here in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know according to all his ways For you you only know the heart of all the children of mankind Solomon, who was so wise, reflects that God not only knows, but here has an active part in this relationship and is involved in our lives. for he hears, he forgives, he acts, he responds and gives according to his righteous way. David was a shepherd.

David knew his sheep. He lived with those sheep on a mountain range. He knew how they acted, how they behaved. He knew the normal patterns of these sheep. That's what a shepherd has to know. And when these sheep would not respond or act or behave in a way that he knew, he knew there was something wrong.

Whether it was worms, whether it was bad feet, whether it was being overheated, in that heat that we experienced, I would not want to be wearing wool that day. If we go on and look at verse 4, even before a word is on my tongue. Behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. It's kind of like little Billy who runs to his daddy and asks for a popsicle just like the one that his sister has or the one that she just got.

So little Billy runs back in to see daddy and he starts stuttering and stammering and asking some questions like, Can I have that? She's got to, she's got to, she's got to. And Daddy so graciously pulls his hand out from behind his back and holds up a popsicle. Interestingly enough, Daddy knew exactly what Billy wanted. He was just waiting for him to ask.

He knew what Billy was going to ask before Billy even knew that he wanted a popsicle. Isn a lot like us before the Heavenly Father trying to pray and become when we become sleepy we get caught up in our imaginative thoughts We get lost in worry and not really know what to ask to God or even how to say it Turn to Romans 8, 26, and let's see how Paul identifies us when we come before the Father in prayer. Verse 26, he says, Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

For we do not know what to pray for, as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what's in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. the spirit of God not only knows what we need and want but he knows how to speak and how to ask for us even before a word is on my tongue let's go back to psalms 139 verse 5 you hem me in behind and before and laid your hands on me such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high, exalted, and I cannot attain it.

From David's perspective, he was already anointed by Saul. And being pursued by King Saul, David had a loyal army that perpetually encouraged David to take the throne from Saul. King Saul was filled with jealousy and hatred towards David and pursued to kill David while he should have been protecting his own country. David was in between a rock and a hard place.

He was actually hemmed in. God's hand was on David, holding him in just the right place at the right time. For David stayed firm that no one should lay a hand on God's elect, that is, King Saul, except God. All the while, God's hand was on David's life, moving him along as he directed. It kind of like a new parent who hovers over their child as they take their first steps Those awkward steps With one hand in front of them and one hand behind them in order to protect them and to help them if they fall Sometimes the parent is kind of more funny to watch than the child is.

God knows what we need when we need it. And this knowledge is too high and too wonderful for me. For God's hand moved David from a lowly shepherd of sheep and goats to the highest position in Israel, the king of Israel. At this point, we might consider that if our God is an all-knowing God, and he is, Could it be that his all-knowing character is so complete due to the fact that he is a present eyewitness, being that he is our ever-present God as well?

Basically, we can see God's ever-presence in our life in verses 7 through 10. But in verse 7, we read, Where shall I go from your spirit, or where shall I flee from your presence? David understands that he cannot, nor does he want to get away from God's presence. When he says, where can I go or flee from you? Do you remember Adam and Eve and what they tried to do in the Garden of Eden?

After they had sinned and eaten? The forbidden fruit. Their eyes were opened. And then they tried to hide themselves from God. What they didn't realize was that they could not hide. For God was with them all along.

For he is an ever-present God. It is part of his character. Thankfully, he is always present. For who would help us in our time of need? when he is our hope. So where else would David want to be? He's not trying to hide or get away from God here, but David is rejoicing and basking in God's ever-present, ever-presence.

When thinking of God's omnipresence or his ever-present, presence. I believe that A.W. Tozer identifies this concept very well when he says this about God's ever presence. It means simply that God is here. Wherever we are, he's here. There's no place, there can be no place where he is not.

Tozer goes on to say, no point is near to God than any other point. It is exactly as near to God from any place as it is from any other place. No one is in mere distance any further from or any nearer to God than any other person is. David's saying that no matter how high or how low or how far or how fast you go, you cannot be separated from God. In verse 9, David uses the analogy of taking the wings of dawn.

He might be referring to a great distance here or that you may be traveling at a great speed. The sun or the sunlight referred to is traveling at the speed of light, which is about 186,000 miles per second or a cool 670 million miles per hour. You're moving pretty fast here. And yet God is still waiting on you when you get there. Since God's character is love as well, why wouldn't we want him with us at all times?

What is the downside of having him continually being present with you? I want you to turn back to Romans 8. Romans 8 verse 35 let's see what Paul has to say in regards to God's ability to being ever present and all loving to us at the same time who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or dangers or sword Romans 8 says for I am sure that neither death nor life nor angel nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor death nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of Christ our Lord How can God love us through any circumstance, in any place, at any time, if he is not divinely present? how can God say to Joshua prior to leading Israel into the promised land against the Canaanites I will never leave you or forsake you so be strong and courageous if he himself was not actually going to be present with Joshua how could David be so excited about God's hand on his life if God did not keep his hand on him continually we find in verses 9 and 10 of psalms 139 david continues his song by stating if i dwell in the uttermost part of the sea even there your hand shall lead meaning guide or direct me and your right hand shall hold me david has already said that god lays his hand on him in verse 5.

Now he's adding to the point saying that same hand that is continually on me will also lead, guide, and direct his life wherever he goes. David has to remember God's hand directing him. Specifically, we can think about the battle with Goliath. I find it interesting in 1 Samuel 17 reveals some things about David in his heart as he comes up against this huge challenge.

In verse 45 it says, David said to the Philistine, You come to me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth.

That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel His whole point is God needs to be glorified God is his strength In verse 47 he continues that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with a spear not with a sword for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand. What confidence David has in his God? Not in self, but God.

This is faith. This is knowing what God has already done in his life. God delivers David out of many dangers in his life. Whether I live or die, our God is not to be defiled but glorified. That's what David's saying. Very simply, David knows that the victory is God's and that his hand is on his hand for the sake of God's name.

God not only has his hand on David, but it is God's right hand of blessing that holds and sustains him. Throughout scripture, God reveals about his right hand is identified as a place of honor and of authority. Often seen in the Old Testament, God's right hand is known as God's righteous right hand. The right hand is a place of trust, closeness, blessing, strength, and protection by the Heavenly Father.

At least that's what we read throughout scripture. David writes in Psalm 17, 7, wondrously show your steadfast love oh Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversary at your right hand if we move back a chapter chapter 16 verse 11 David states again you make known to me the paths of life in your presence there is fullness of joy at your right hand our pleasures forevermore. The hope of our lives is at the right hand of the Heavenly Father.

The pleasure forever is Jesus Christ. These promises are for his adopted children, for those who have repented of their sins and call out to him Jesus Christ is the one who is at the right hand of the Father We read in Hebrews 10 12 the identifying work of Christ for us But when Christ has offered for all times a single sacrifice for sin, he sat down at the right hand of the Father. It's not just a work.

It's a completed work for all times, for all. As we read earlier in Romans 8, we pick it up in verse 32. He, God, who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him graciously give us all things? who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?

Christ Jesus is the one who died. More than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. It reminds me of the old hymn, Jesus Paid It All. All to him I owe. Oh, sin has left a crimson stain. He washed me white as snow.

That work is already done. Simply put, for David, he knew it was the strength of the right hand of God that was upholding him. His right hand plucked him up as a shepherd boy and anointed him and placed him as the king of Israel and was promised to be in a royal lineage of Christ. He doesn't get any better than that, right? It is the very same constant right hand of the Father where we find Jesus Christ. the author and the finisher of our faith, the one who continues to do the will of the Father and be our righteousness interceding to God on our behalf.

It was through Christ's obedience and complete work on the cross that upholds every believer that looks back at the cross. For David, his hope and strength was also at the right hand of the Heavenly Father, and that hope was the same Messiah to come, Jesus Christ. whom he looked forward to. In Psalm 63, David said, my soul clings to you. You are my right hand that upholds me.

David made it a practice in his life to respond in a godly focused way that is seen in Psalms 27, where he said, you have said, seek my face. My heart says to you, your face, Lord, do I seek. David's response to God, David responds to God with a spiritual receptivity and obedience to him with an awareness, a turning his face, or in this case, his heart towards God.

Consider your heart response to God. I want you to turn to Jeremiah 29, verse 11. Many of us know this, but I want to ask a question. Does your heart seek God? God speaks to Jeremiah, and this is what he is told to say. for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans for peace and not for evil to give you a future and a hope Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. Have you sought out God with all your heart? If not, you need to look at the right hand of the Father, or you will find Jesus Christ your hope, your redeemer and strength. What a comfort to know that Christ paid the penalty for us and desires a personal relationship with each one of us.

How does your heart respond to an all-knowing, ever-present, loving God? let's pray Heavenly Father may our hearts be turned towards you help us to pray and expose our hearts to you as David did inviting you to search him in order to be closer to you search me oh God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way, grievous way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting. In Jesus' name, amen.