Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
Preaching
A Journey Through the Psalms: Reflections for Worried Hearts and Troubled Times
Preaching the Psalms Cycles A, B, C
Object:
The definition of a true friend is someone who knows all there is to know about you and still loves you. More than that, a true friend is always there for you. In the modern vernacular, a true friend, knowing all there is to know about you, still "has your back." Most people present a careful construct of themselves to the world. Most people maintain a trove of secrets unknown, they think, to anyone but themselves. But a true friend knows and won't go away.
This is the kind of fealty we find in the description of God in this psalm. No matter where this writer goes, God is there. God discerns every thought, knows every action, and is aware of our vast capacity for self-delusion and untruth. God has a file on us that goes way back. God knows it all and, incredibly, still loves us utterly and completely.
This is nothing short of amazing. It is, in fact, almost too much to bear. So, with Jonah and a host of notable others, we try to flee. Like the psalmist, we choose a dizzying array of hiding places. Careers, drugs, sex, alcohol, serial relationships; the list is long, and through it all God is still there.
To accept a love this complete has to have ramifications. To accept a love like this means that we ourselves must abandon our carefully constructed sense of self. We must step back from our delusions of independence and power. We must lay down every ridiculous assumption and face God simply, truly, as we are. Then and only then can this unqualified and abundant love flow into our being and claim us. And most of us just don't want to go there. It is, or at least we believe it is, easier to stay put. "Better the devil you know ..." or something like that.
This true friend, however, stays faithful. God continues to show up in the midst of our follies and wanderings. In the storm and stress of a fractured relationship, God is there. In the shame and disgrace of failure, God is there. No matter where we try to go, God travels with us, continuing to pour out abundant grace and love. This grace doesn't go away.
Perhaps it's time to stop hiding; time to stop running. Maybe the moment has arrived to turn and accept God's incredible love and to allow the delusions to fall away. Could it be that the moment of transformation in God's loving grace is upon us?
This is the kind of fealty we find in the description of God in this psalm. No matter where this writer goes, God is there. God discerns every thought, knows every action, and is aware of our vast capacity for self-delusion and untruth. God has a file on us that goes way back. God knows it all and, incredibly, still loves us utterly and completely.
This is nothing short of amazing. It is, in fact, almost too much to bear. So, with Jonah and a host of notable others, we try to flee. Like the psalmist, we choose a dizzying array of hiding places. Careers, drugs, sex, alcohol, serial relationships; the list is long, and through it all God is still there.
To accept a love this complete has to have ramifications. To accept a love like this means that we ourselves must abandon our carefully constructed sense of self. We must step back from our delusions of independence and power. We must lay down every ridiculous assumption and face God simply, truly, as we are. Then and only then can this unqualified and abundant love flow into our being and claim us. And most of us just don't want to go there. It is, or at least we believe it is, easier to stay put. "Better the devil you know ..." or something like that.
This true friend, however, stays faithful. God continues to show up in the midst of our follies and wanderings. In the storm and stress of a fractured relationship, God is there. In the shame and disgrace of failure, God is there. No matter where we try to go, God travels with us, continuing to pour out abundant grace and love. This grace doesn't go away.
Perhaps it's time to stop hiding; time to stop running. Maybe the moment has arrived to turn and accept God's incredible love and to allow the delusions to fall away. Could it be that the moment of transformation in God's loving grace is upon us?
