Being Known...brings Peace

prophecies about the coming Messiah. One of the names stated for Jesus is “Prince of Peace”. This morning we lit the Advent Candle of Peace because we recognize that Jesus brought the way of peace with God. God told His people that Jesus would come. The people should have recognized Him based on the scriptures that had told of His coming.

The Nation of Israel had been waiting 400 years for a Messiah. Many thought that the Savior would come with a sword to destroy the Roman Empire and give rise to nation of Israel once again. They were not looking for a humble servant who would do battle with the darkness of this world, defeat it, and offer peace to all who call Him Lord. Jesus was the physical embodiment of the peace God promises throughout His Word. This morning we are going to explore one of David’s psalms, which I believe gives us a great understanding of what peace can look like for Followers of God called according to His purpose.

Let’s Pray

We often talk about God’s Omniscience (His All-Knowingness). We recognize His Sovereignty over all things and at least verbally acknowledge that He knows all things.

God Knows…Omniscience

. 1 LORD, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. 3 You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, LORD. 5 You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. 6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

My Situation...

My Inclinations...

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. 1 LORD, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. 3 You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, LORD. 5 You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. 6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

1 LORD, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. 3 You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, LORD. 5 You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. 6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ps 139:1–6). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

God Knows Me...One of the great areas of stress, frustration, and heartache in our world today comes from people who don’t know who they are, why things are happening to them, or how to respond to their situations in life. We’ve all heard someone say, or said ourselves, “if only God would drop and directional book in my lap and let me know what He wants, then life would be so much easier.”

David begins this Psalm of worship and praise by pointing out that God Knows him. He recognizes that God knows him better than he knows himself. Verse 1 says “You have searched me know known me.” God’s knowledge is perfect and David trusts that God’s knowledge is perfect. There is no question about whether God knows any part of David. David might not know everything there is know know about himself, but he believes that God has that knowledge.

David recognizes that God understands his situation. In verses 2-3 he says “When I sit down , stand up, travel, or rest, You are aware of all my ways.” I think most of us have found ourselves in situations where we look up and wonder “How did I get here?” I can remember a couple of times early in my driving years, before I had started paying attention to where things were, I found myself in areas of town that I didn’t recognize, even to the point of getting on the interstate going the wrong direction one time. Even when David didn’t fully understand his situations and all that was happening around him, he knew that God was fully aware of each step he took.

David also praises God for the fact that God knows David’s inclinations and responses. “Before a word is on my tongue” “You understand my thoughts from far away”. Do you ever wonder why you react the way you do? Do you ever wish you had reacted differently? David tells us that God is not surprised by any of our responses to life. God is fully aware not only of what we do but why. On a side note…isn’t it amazing that God loves us still? He knows us and yet he loves us.

David ends this first section of his psalm by acknowledging that God’s knowledge astounds him. I am often amazed by the sheer amount of knowledge we have access to through the internet. From Google to youtube to facebook, you can find out what is going on in the world, look up a recipe to fix for dinner, and find out what your best friend had for lunch all from the smart sitting in your pocket. And yet with all this available to us, God’s true knowledge of all things in the entire Universe dwarfs any knowledge we may possess.

God is There…Omnipresence

Psalm 139:7-

Psalm 139:7–12 NASB95

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, 10 even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”— 12 even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you.

In this second group of verses, David imagines why God knows what God knows…God is everywhere at all times. I don’t believe that David is desiring to run from the Lord, or “escape His presence.” I think this is the natural continuation to the idea that God knows us. I think David is just imagining all the options recognizing that there is not a single, solitary place that God is not. God is here. God is there. There is no place in the universe that we can go where God is not. “Even the darkness is not dark to You.”

7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, 10 even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”— 12 even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you.

Maybe you’ve felt this, or talked with someone else who felt like God simply wasn’t there. They had done too much wrong, had strayed too far for God to be accessible. David praises God for His omnipresence. He recognizes that God is wherever he is and that is a good thing.

God is in Control…Omnipotence

13 For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

God knows me because He made me. How many of us have ever created something from nothing? David praises God for putting him together in his mothers womb. David recognizes the incredible power it takes to fashion and human being to be born into this world. God saw us and knew us before we were a twinkle in our daddy’s eyes.

13 For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.,B Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

David praises God because all His works are wondrous. From the tiny fingernails of a baby, to lofty mountains grandeur, God has personally created the world around us and sustains it. There is no more stable rock to build our life upon than the one who formed the rocks, trees, sky, and land. Not only that, but He created each one of us and knows our path long before we start to walk down it.

In fact, David tells us that God knew us before we were a twinkle in our daddy’s eyes. God knew us and knows each step of our life. He knew my life and the path it would take long before I was born.

17 God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is! 18 If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you.

David ends the praise portion of this psalm with an expression of awe. He basically says, God Your thoughts are too great for me to ever comprehend. It is amazing that each day when I wake up, I wake up to Your presence and relationship.

17 God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is! 18 If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you. Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ps 139:17–18). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

David’s Response to God’s Knowing...

I told you that I think this psalm gives us a great picture of Peace for the follower of God. I guess I should clarify that thought a little bit. This psalm could either be a tremendous source of peace in the life of a Christian, or it could be a source of great anxiety.

19 God, if only you would kill the wicked— you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me— 20 who invoke you deceitfully. Your enemies swear by you falsely. 21 LORD, don’t I hate those who hate you, and detest those who rebel against you? 22 I hate them with extreme hatred; I consider them my enemies. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.

Peace…What causes strife in our world? What causes chaos?

19 God, if only you would kill the wicked— you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me— 20 who invoke you deceitfully. Your enemies swear by you falsely. 21 LORD, don’t I hate those who hate you, and detest those who rebel against you? 22 I hate them with extreme hatred; I consider them my enemies. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.

This psalm has been a very personal psalm. David has been praising God in very personal and recognizable ways. As he comes to the end of it, there is an interesting picture of violence. “If only You would kill them…I hate them…I consider them my enemies.”

More than this simply being a request that God protect David, or destroy David’s enemies, I think taken in context with the rest of the passage, we see a picture of David’s desire to be right with God. David in no way wants to be associated with evil men who do evil things. He has spent the last 18 verses praising God for His divine attributes. With this remembering of who God is, David doesn’t want to find himself alligned against an all-knowing, ever-present, all-powerful God.

He finishes this psalm with a hard request… “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me…see if there is any offensive way in me...”This is a bold prayer of a man consumed with all that God is. God because these things I’ve said are true, examine me and help me see how I am not living up to Your desire for my life, and “lead me in the everlasting way.” Help me know what I need to change, and show how to change it.

What does all this have to do with peace?

I started out this morning telling you that this passage gives us a great picture of peace. As we draw this message to a close, let’s consider how God being God brings peace to His children.

tells us

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Php 4:6–8). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.

What is it, that causes a lack of peace in our lives today? What causes us to worry? A busy schedule? Trying to provide a future for your children that is better than what you had growing up? Financial strain? Relationships? Wars and rumors of wars? Politics? Parties? Presents? People? Let’s pause for just a moment and think like David did...

God Knows Me…He knows what sets me off and what calms me down. He knows my talents and my limitations because He created me. God promises to be with me, never leave nor forsake me, and never give me more than I can handle with His help.

God Knows My Situation…Each day of my life has already been recorded. My current circumstances did not catch God off guard. Whether my situation is of my own making or the result of other peoples actions, God knew it was coming, God is here with me, and He will continue to walk with me through to the other side.

God Knows My Inclinations…Search me, God, and know my thoughts…see if there is any offensive way in me…lead me in the everlasting way. God knows where I struggle and what hurts me the most. he knows how I ought to respond, but also knows how I will respond.

There is not a single thing in the world that God does not know about. Does it ever surprise you that NOTHING eve surprises God? He is here, He is aware, and He is working. If those truths don’t bring a peace to your heart, then maybe it is time to surrender your life, heart, and circumstances over to the creator of all we know. Let’s Pray.

Being Known...brings Peace

A Life Foretold