This has been my favorite Psalm for several years. I first looked more closely at it because of a song that really spoke to me. More on that below.

I see this psalm in five sections, and if I were to give the sections names, they would be Known, Seen, Planned, Claimed, and Searched. And perhaps an overall theme of:  Inescapable God. There is a weightiness to these themes. They are perhaps not always comforting words. Most of us want to be in charge of ourselves at some times. And when we have said or done something wrong, we may want to escape the presence of God. But as we better understand that God is only and wholly Love, God’s presence becomes comfort. This perfect love casts out all fear.

Known

The Psalmist says to the Lord, “you are acquainted with all my ways.” We are fully known and yet still fully loved – for both our good and godly ways and our wrong, hurtful and selfish ways. 

Seen

We cannot hide from God. The Psalmist paints these vivid pictures of trying to flee to heaven or hell, to the horizon at sunrise or the edge of the sea, and into the darkness which is never dark to God. How often do we try to hide from the Holy Spirit? Rather than continually running into God’s arms.  

Planned

The beautiful picture of the Father knitting me together in my mother’s womb helps me to remember that I am as I am supposed to be. I do not need to strive to change my essential self, but simply always try to be my best self. It also reminds me that God has planned and loves every other person and I am not intended to change anyone else either.

Claimed

This is the hardest section of the Psalm to read with its words of God killing the wicked and the Psalmist hating God’s enemies with a perfect hatred. Jesus told us to love our enemies, and we are saddened by the existence of so much hate of others in our world today. I use “claimed” in the sense of being accepted on the right side or the winning team. I stand against what stands against God, but I remember the battle is the Lord’s, not mine to fight.

Searched

The Psalm ends with a prayer that God would search and test the Psalmist, not to judge his wicked ways, but to lead him in right ways. Again, we need not be afraid with Love to guide us.

The song I mentioned at the start is one by Rich Mullins and band members and was released by his band after Rich’s death. The verses are words from this Psalm, but the chorus goes:

Nothing is beyond You

You stand beyond the reach

Of our vain imaginations

Our misguided piety

The heavens stretch to hold You

And deep cries out to deep

Singing that nothing is beyond You

Time cannot contain You

You fill eternity

Sin can never stain You

Death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain

the way You came to love me

Except to say that nothing is beyond You

As this Psalm says, I come to the end of God’s thoughts, and I am still with God.

Whatever you do or whatever happens to you, always remember that you were planned by God, you are known, seen and claimed by God, and God will lead you as you open yourself to God’s Spirit. Nothing we can be or do is beyond the love of our big, lavish and inescapable God. Indeed, “such knowledge is too wonderful for me.”

Prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.