Devotion 13 July 2026

You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is upon my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.

Psalm 139: 3-4

READING: Psalm 139: 1-12, 23-24

The Psalmist takes comfort in the knowledge that God knows everything about us, even before we do anything.  He praises God that He searches and knows us.  He knows every action we take, every word we say, even every thought we have.  He surrounds us and lays His hand on us. Verse 6 records David’s praise, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.”  These verses demonstrate David’s sincere commitment to God.  The Psalm expresses the power of the Lord’s knowledge and presence.  How does God’s intimate knowledge of all that we do or think affect our lives and those around us?  Do we regularly converse with God as to what we should be doing and what we should not be doing?  We should regularly cross-examen our spiritual lives by checking our thoughts, words, and actions with Our Lord Jesus.  We ought to reassess our relationship with Him and the ways this impacts on our lives. David says in verse 7, “ Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Where can I flee from Your Presence?”  He says that no matter what and where we go God’s hand will always guide us.  It might sound foolish but we can thank God that He is with us even through tough times and situations. David ends the Psalm with a plea to God to search and test Him and to know his heart and his anxious thoughts.  He asks God to check if there is any wrong thoughts or actions in his life and pleads God to lead him in His ways.  We read in Philippians1 : 6 , “I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.”   Fear, uncertainty, inferiority, fear of rejection can all contribute to our failures to have confidence in our Lord.  But remember, we are alive and each day is God’s precious gift to us!  We should let the promises of God’s presence and control of our lives be with us and fill our hearts with joy and our mouths with praise, today and always.  We read in Colossians 3 : 17, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we praise and thank You for Your constant presence in our live.  We thank you for knowing our every thought, word and action.  “Show us Your ways, O Lord, teach us Your paths; guide us in Your truth and teach us, for You are God our Saviour, and our hope is in You all day long.”  Amen

(Psalm 25: 4-5)