The Lord Thinketh Upon Me
(Psalm 139:13-18)
King David was awed and overwhelmed by the knowledge that God knew all that was in his life, in his thoughts, in his heart, and in all his tomorrows. This is what he said:
Psalms 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
The fact that His Heavenly Father cared for Him was wonderful to him - as it should be to all God's children!
Psalms 139:13 For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
Reins are what drive us - our minds, wills, personalities. According to this passage, the Lord not only created us, He created what makes each of us unique, including our personalities.
I remember as a younger Christian, I used to get discouraged because I was serious-minded most of the time, when I laughed it was something fleeting. I had so many people tell me I needed to be more lighthearted, more easy-going - I couldn't change my personality, my inward being, to suit them - and I was made to feel like my personality was wrong. But then a kind Christian woman showed me this passage, and just as God's Word teaches that He made us as we are (height, physical appearance, and traits such as hair and eye color, etc.) - so too He made my basic personality (not referring to sinful characteristics, but to general manner). When I realized this, it took a load off of me. I realized I could be satisfied with the way my Heavenly Father made me. How about you - have you accepted the way God made you?
Psalms 139:14 I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Jeremiah 1:5a Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee.
Job 10:9-13 Remember, I beseech Thee, that Thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt Thou bring me into dust again? Hast Thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and favour, and Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. And these things hast Thou hid in Thine heart: I know that this is with Thee.
Like a Potter, the Lord God fashioned each of us, like vessels of clay. Notice the last verse above: And these things hast Thou hid in Thine heart. The work He has done in creating us was important to Him.
Psalms 139:15 My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
God made Adam out of the dust of the ground, and each of us is fashioned out of that same dust (earth) in the wombs of our mothers, away from the prying eyes of man - but always developing under God's watchful care.
In verse 16, it says, Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Notice it says "unperfect", not imperfect. Unperfect means "incomplete, or not complete (yet)". God knew all about us before He even began to create us. When we were yet unformed in the womb, the Potter knew exactly what the finished vessel (product) would look like - and He had everything about us already written down in a book in Heaven, before He began to develop and form us.
It is an interesting study to look at the other books that God keeps His records in Heaven: the Book of Life (or the Living) in Psalms 69:28; the Books of our Works with which the lost will be judged by in Revelation 20:13; the Book of Remembrance in Malachi 3:16; the Book of Tears:
Psalm 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?
Psalms 40:5, 17 Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: Thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
The Lord's thoughts are continually toward His creation. He didn't just create this world and then walk away from it - He is actively involved in the lives of His creatures.
Why did God create man?
Revelations 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.
He created mankind so we could bring Him pleasure. He created us for fellowship and to reciprocate His love. But He did not want to make robots - He wanted to give us a free-will, so we could freely reject Him or freely love Him in return. Unfortunately, with that choice, mankind could and did choose to rebel against his Creator.
BUT knowing that man would rebel, the Lord God planned His way of salvation before He even created the world - a plan that all three members of the Trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) would be actively involved in (just as all three members were involved in the creation of the Heaven and the earth).
Revelation 13:8 refers to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." This plan was so sure in the heart of God, that He considered it as good as done - just awaiting His perfect timing to bring it into effect.
The book of Revelation (17:8) also refers to believers (the saved, those who have repented of their sins and received the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ) as those who have their names "written in the (Lamb's) Book of Life from the foundation of the world." (See also 13:8; 20:15; 21:27)
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
Psalms 139:17-18 How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee.
God created each of us for a purpose - have you received His gift of salvation? Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, believing that He shed His blood and died for your sins upon the cross (paying the complete penalty that our sins deserved), that He was buried and rose again three days later? If you have done so, are you walking in fellowship with your Saviour now?
You are important to the Heavenly Potter, to the Creator, and He is continually thinking about all those He created. Are God's thoughts important to you?
Psalms 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
The fact that His Heavenly Father cared for Him was wonderful to him - as it should be to all God's children!
Psalms 139:13 For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
Reins are what drive us - our minds, wills, personalities. According to this passage, the Lord not only created us, He created what makes each of us unique, including our personalities.
I remember as a younger Christian, I used to get discouraged because I was serious-minded most of the time, when I laughed it was something fleeting. I had so many people tell me I needed to be more lighthearted, more easy-going - I couldn't change my personality, my inward being, to suit them - and I was made to feel like my personality was wrong. But then a kind Christian woman showed me this passage, and just as God's Word teaches that He made us as we are (height, physical appearance, and traits such as hair and eye color, etc.) - so too He made my basic personality (not referring to sinful characteristics, but to general manner). When I realized this, it took a load off of me. I realized I could be satisfied with the way my Heavenly Father made me. How about you - have you accepted the way God made you?
Psalms 139:14 I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Jeremiah 1:5a Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee.
Job 10:9-13 Remember, I beseech Thee, that Thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt Thou bring me into dust again? Hast Thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and favour, and Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. And these things hast Thou hid in Thine heart: I know that this is with Thee.
Like a Potter, the Lord God fashioned each of us, like vessels of clay. Notice the last verse above: And these things hast Thou hid in Thine heart. The work He has done in creating us was important to Him.
Psalms 139:15 My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
God made Adam out of the dust of the ground, and each of us is fashioned out of that same dust (earth) in the wombs of our mothers, away from the prying eyes of man - but always developing under God's watchful care.
In verse 16, it says, Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Notice it says "unperfect", not imperfect. Unperfect means "incomplete, or not complete (yet)". God knew all about us before He even began to create us. When we were yet unformed in the womb, the Potter knew exactly what the finished vessel (product) would look like - and He had everything about us already written down in a book in Heaven, before He began to develop and form us.
It is an interesting study to look at the other books that God keeps His records in Heaven: the Book of Life (or the Living) in Psalms 69:28; the Books of our Works with which the lost will be judged by in Revelation 20:13; the Book of Remembrance in Malachi 3:16; the Book of Tears:
Psalm 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?
Psalms 40:5, 17 Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: Thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
The Lord's thoughts are continually toward His creation. He didn't just create this world and then walk away from it - He is actively involved in the lives of His creatures.
Why did God create man?
Revelations 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.
He created mankind so we could bring Him pleasure. He created us for fellowship and to reciprocate His love. But He did not want to make robots - He wanted to give us a free-will, so we could freely reject Him or freely love Him in return. Unfortunately, with that choice, mankind could and did choose to rebel against his Creator.
BUT knowing that man would rebel, the Lord God planned His way of salvation before He even created the world - a plan that all three members of the Trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) would be actively involved in (just as all three members were involved in the creation of the Heaven and the earth).
Revelation 13:8 refers to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." This plan was so sure in the heart of God, that He considered it as good as done - just awaiting His perfect timing to bring it into effect.
The book of Revelation (17:8) also refers to believers (the saved, those who have repented of their sins and received the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ) as those who have their names "written in the (Lamb's) Book of Life from the foundation of the world." (See also 13:8; 20:15; 21:27)
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
Psalms 139:17-18 How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee.
God created each of us for a purpose - have you received His gift of salvation? Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, believing that He shed His blood and died for your sins upon the cross (paying the complete penalty that our sins deserved), that He was buried and rose again three days later? If you have done so, are you walking in fellowship with your Saviour now?
You are important to the Heavenly Potter, to the Creator, and He is continually thinking about all those He created. Are God's thoughts important to you?
Remember, the Lord thinketh upon you!
Written and preached June 25th/05
Jerry Bouey
For the study preached the day before:
All Our Tomorrows (Psalm 139:1-12)
For more studies that use passages in the Psalms as the springboard:
Psalms Series
Written and preached June 25th/05
Jerry Bouey
For the study preached the day before:
All Our Tomorrows (Psalm 139:1-12)
For more studies that use passages in the Psalms as the springboard:
Psalms Series
2 comments:
God's thoughts are definitely important to me. I try to always consider Him in anything and everything I do.
I'm catching up on my reading and you're been busy! :-) This devo truly truly blessed my heart. It's so comforting to know that the Lord thinketh upon me!! It brought tears to my eyes!! Good one, Brother!!!
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