You lay your hand upon me

Psalms 139:3-6 - I love the thought of God walking ahead of and behind me to keep me safe, and having His hand on my shoulder to reassure me that He is my protector and provider.

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“You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I enjoyed Tuesday’s look at Psalm 139, verses 1-2 so much that I thought that I would continue through this beautiful song of praise. Today we’re looking at the next four verses. Just as a refresher, this Psalm was one of those written by King David in (as Enduring Word puts it) “PRAISE AND PRAYER TO THE GOD WHO KNOWS ALL AND IS EVERYWHERE”.

I love what Enduring Word said about the first part of Verse 3

It can be very uncomfortable to know that you are always being watched. We may get nervous if we see video cameras monitoring us at all times. Yet our unease is based on the fact that we doubt the good intentions or good will of those who watch us. The child is comforted that a loving parent watches over him; when we are confident in the love and care of God our Father, His constant knowledge of us is a comfort rather than a curse.

Verse 3 continues in the vein of the first verse; God’s knowledge of us is complete with nothing overlooked. He knows what we’re doing even before we do, and discerns the reasons why we are doing it. Now, in Tuesday’s devotional I noted that “For those of us who claim to follow Jesus but still use profanity or angrily shout at those we love, we should recall that God hears and knows every word we speak or think”. Here we find in verse 4 that God is aware of what we’re going to say before we say it!

I’m sure that in many cases, He is shaking His head and wondering why I said certain things. I know I often do… when it’s too late and those words have escaped my lips. The evil one has a way of taking a gentle rebuke and turning it into a harsh and totally unnecessary curse.

I find the phrase “You hem me in behind and before” in the NIV translation of verse 5 to be somewhat discomforting. To me, it conjures up thoughts of parallel parking on a street and coming back to find that cars have parked in front and behind you, leaving only 3-4 inches of space in either direction! You’re not going to be able to move; you have no freedom. The NLT translation is much more reassuring: “You go before me and follow me”. God clears the path before you, and He “has your back” as you go through life.

The second part of verse 5 is also a comforting thought — God laying His hand upon David (and you!). Once again from Enduring Word, “this was an expression of God’s love and care for David. This was not the hand of oppression, but the hand of grace.” I love the thought of God walking ahead of and behind me to keep me safe, and having His hand on my shoulder to reassure me that He is my protector and provider.

Verse 6 is David’s admission that he understands that God knows him better than he knows himself, an admirable sign of his humility. We should emulate David and never reject what God and His Word say about us as His people, since God has more knowledge of our hearts and minds than we do.

I’ll close with this short commentary on verse 6 from Charles Spurgeon, who said:

“I cannot grasp it. I can hardly endure to think of it. The theme overwhelms me. I am amazed and astounded at it. Such knowledge not only surpasses my comprehension, but even my imagination.”¹

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Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Lord, I thank You for knowing me better than I know myself. Teach me to live my life with that fact in mind, so that I take direction from You and Your Word rather than my own sinful self. Thank You for always clearing my path of evil and danger, for Your steadying hand upon my shoulder, and for being my protector and provider. I pray this short prayer of thanksgiving for Your grace in the name of Your Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author

1. Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "The Treasury of David: Volume 3" (Psalms 111-150) (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1988)