I CAN RUN, BUT I CAN'T HIDE

December 16, 2009

I CAN RUN, BUT I CAN'T HIDE

Psalm 139

Keeley Dooley

Central Truth

What an amazing Father in heaven we have. He knows us, He loves us unconditionally, and He is always with us, no matter what.

O Lord, you examine me and know.
You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
(Psalm 139:1-2)

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.^{1

139:14
Or for I am fearfully set apart}
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your 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 your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
    O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies take your name in vain.^{2

139:20
Hebrew lacks your name}
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!^{3

139:23
Or cares}
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!^{4

139:24
Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16)}

Footnotes

[1] 139:14 Or for I am fearfully set apart
[2] 139:20 Hebrew lacks your name
[3] 139:23 Or cares
[4] 139:24 Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16)

Growing up, I was a good kid, but sometimes I made poor choices. Once I convinced my brother that it would be a good idea to draw on the back patio with crayons. We had a grand time until our mom found us, and I could tell by her reaction that maybe crayons weren't the best idea. In that moment I made a choice to lie to my mom, tell her I had nothing to do with it, and let my brother take the blame. As I went inside and watched my younger brother scrub the patio, I was overwhelmed with guilt. I remember wandering the house in search of a place to hide from my mom and my guilty conscience.

I often do this with God. I make bad choices, and I am too prideful to fall on my knees and seek forgiveness. I try to run and hide from God, the consequences, and the feelings that come with disobedience. This psalm says that God is always with us. He knows all our thoughts and actions even before they happen. At first, this seems scary to me, a sinner who likes to run and hide. But at the same time, these words are so freeing. It is so comforting to know that God knows me so intimately. He knows my strengths, He knows my struggles. He knows me. He created me. When I make poor choices, there is nowhere I can run and hide that God is not there, right by my side, patiently waiting to take me in and lovingly lead me back to a right relationship with Him.

In case you were wondering . . . yes, my mom did find me. I suffered the consequences of lying and helped with the cleanup effort. A right relationship was restored with my mom, and a huge weight of guilt was lifted from my young heart.

For all of us who have a tendency to run: stop, return to your loving Father, seek His amazing forgiveness, and walk well in a restored relationship with Him, our God and Maker.

1. What is in your life today that you are trying to hide from God?

2. What holds you back from fully confessing your sin?

3. Who are the people in your life with whom you can share your struggles and who encourage you in your walk with Christ? Write down the name of one of these people, and make it a priority to talk to him or her this week.