God's Perfect Knowledge of Man

That was the title given to this entry in my Mom's binder.  She based it on Psalm 139.

Mom listed the verses that spoke to her heart and made an entry next to each.
v1   search me
v2   You know my thoughts
v3   You know all  my ways
v5   Your hand is upon me
v10 You hand leads me, Your right hand holds me
v14  please hear and accept my praise of You
v17  how precious You are to me, Oh God
v19  my prayer is to slay the wicked who are always ready to attack us (me), Your         children, Your chosen ones.
v24  lead me to Your ways

I've been reading The Story this morning and this dovetails with the way God knew the Israelites and led them through the wilderness into the promised land. Like them, God knows me intimately.  He knows all my strengths and weaknesses, knew long before I was ever born every mistake I would make, yet He chose me to be His child (In the most respectful way, I have to ask, "God are you nuts !?!?!). His right hand holds me. As He told Joshua not to be afraid, He tells me the same. He reminds me in Psalm 139 that wherever I am He will guide me and hold me fast.  And it is His job to destroy the wicked, not mine.  He will fight for me the way He fought for the Israelites.  Justice is not my responsibility.  Obedience to Him is.

The question at the end of this chapter was "What practical steps can you take to gain a deeper faith in God?"  In reading this chapter and then the Psalm I can see the first step I need to take is belief.  Choose to believe.   Once again, God has visited me with the concept.  This God who has perfect knowledge of me asks me to believe and trust Him.  To keep my eyes on Him and off of myself.  I so often need this reminding visit from the Lord.  It is so easy to get my focus off of Him and onto myself, my circumstances, the world, anything and everything that distracts, distances, and creates doubt in my heart and mind.

Lord, lead me away from doubt, lead me away from self.  Lead me to greater faith. Joshua asked the Israelites to choose who they would serve... the false gods of their forefathers, of Egypt or of the nations around them or would they serve the one true God.  He asks me the same, who will I serve?  Will it be doubt and unbelief, focus on self or will it be faith and focus in and on Him?  Joshua 24:23  "Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel."  Lord, help me to throw away any doubts, lack of faith, or hopelessness that comes from focusing on anything or anyone other than you.

Psalm 139

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
12     but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
    Get out of my life, you murderers!
20 They blaspheme you;
    your enemies misuse your name.
21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?
    Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
    for your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

And a final word from Mom.  

GOD'S PROMISE - HEBREWS 13:5  I will never leave you nor forsake you. 

Lord, I want to be like Jesus.  I can measure my love for God by showing my love for others.