You are Chosen and Precious
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Psalm 139:1-10, 13-18, 23-24
1. O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me! 2. Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar. 3. Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4. Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 5. Thou dost beset me behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me. 6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8. If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! 9. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10. even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.13. For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb. 14. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; 15. my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. 16. Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17. How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18. If I would count them, they are more than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee. 23. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Should one ever doubt the deeply personal, intimately familiar relationship God has with us, just read Psalm 139 and doubt will be diminished. If you read this psalm in a certain mindset, you could almost picture God as our shadow! That’s how involved he is in every aspect of our lives.
God knows everything, every hangnail, every wrinkle and remnant of a childhood injury, our scars, bumps, bruises and ingrown toenails! He sees our dreams when we sleep and he walks every step with us throughout our days. He hears every word we utter and knows our every thought before it’s even formed. The psalmist here isn’t telling God what he [God] knows, but rather is acknowledging the vast dimensions of God’s relationship with us and acknowledging that it is incomprehensible.
He [and we] is unable to grasp God’s magnitude. Significance. That’s what comes to mind when I read these verses. Because of God we have significance. The God who has the power to breathe life, the God who commands molecules of dust to form a planet, the God who calls forth the elements, the God who reigns eternal and almighty loves us passionately, completely and with no if’s, and’s or buts.
Look in the mirror the next time you feel small and insignificant. Think about these verses and be reminded how precious you are. Remember the importance God assigned to you before the universe existed. Then fast forward from creation to the Cross. Jesus hung there on your behalf, and for me. He hung there for all mankind, past, present and future. And he hung there for you. For you. For me. He hung there because God does know the wickedness within us and he didn’t want us to miss out on spending eternity in heaven with him.
Jesus died for you. He had a choice, but he chose you and your salvation by submitting to the torture and agony of death on the cross. You are chosen. You are valuable. You are precious. You are part of God.
My prayer today is that you will find tremendous comfort in the significance God has assigned to you and your existence. And that you will live today so as to thank him for the inexpressible gift of his grace.
Mary
