Reflections
"Truly you have formed my inmost being."
Our psalmist David tells us
that there is no way to hide
from God, who is all knowing,
and who is present to us always.
David says later in the Psalm,
“Where can I hide from your
spirit? From your presence,
where can I flee?”
There really is no need for us
to run away from the Lord.
His presence within us draws us
closer to Him. There is no reason
for anxiety just because He knows
all our inner secrets
(“With all my ways you are familiar.”)
In fact his presence is merely to confirm
that we have a share in His divinity,
After all, God is the one
“Who knit us in our mother's womb.”
He is our Creator, so why would we run from Him?
On the contrary, we are drawn to Him,
and we are led by Him along right paths.
“Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.”
When we hear these words,
we are reminded that John the Baptist
leaps in his mother's womb
when Mary visits Elizabeth.
John heralds the coming of Christ
even while he remains in the depths
of his mother’s womb.
Surely John the Baptist was
wonderfully made and so much of what
our psalmist says seems fit to apply to John.
As for us, truly the Lord is familiar
with all our ways; he knows our soul full well,
and he knows our frame as well.
Just as the hand of God was with John
from the moment of his conception,
so the Lord has a plan for each of us as well.
We are wonderfully made because the Lord
wouldn't have it any other way.
He equips us to do his work;
to be a light to our families and our communities;
to preach the Gospel and 'when necessary use words.'
We may not all be headed for a sojourn
in the desert, but the Lord knows
when we sit and when we stand;
He scrutinizes our journeys,
and He has made us for a purpose.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our Psalm response is, "I praise you, for I am wonderfully made." Do you believe
that you are created by God to do His will, that you are made for a purpose? Explain.
2. Our psalmist says, "O Lord, you have probed me, you know me." We cannot hide
anything from our God; He is familiar with all our ways. Are you convicted by these
words? Are there sins you commit that you would prefer to keep in the dark, or on a side porch, away from God's knowledge? In what way are you grateful for the scrutiny of the Lord?
Truly you have formed my inmost being.
ReplyDeleteSince I know God is the one who knitted me in my mother’s womb, how can I run away from Him? He is my Creator. We are created to do his will. He has a plan for each of us from the moment of our conception in our mother’s womb.
He knows everything about me. He scrutinizes the journey of my life. He has made me for a purpose while on earth.
How can I avoid Him? He is everywhere present; He is present to me always. As the psalmist David says, “Where can I hide from His spirit? I am woven together beautifully and fearfully by the work of his hand."
What must I do for my part? I am dealing with God, who is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-seeing. Even though my sins are hidden in the dark or on the side porch, God perceives my thoughts and discerns all my ways. I humbly ask Him to search my heart, and to reveal my wicked sins and thoughts; I will not argue.
I will repent for my sins when God points them out. I acknowledge that He is God, who ordains all my days. I praise Him, for His works are orderly and wonderful. I am on my way to everlasting life!