Always With Us - Psalm 139

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.”

Psalm 139:7-8 KJV

Over the years I have been taught these verses as if they are some sort of warning. You know, “God sees all that you do, so you better be good.” They are uttered and used to make God like Santa God. You know, “he sees you when you’re sleeping and he knows when you're awake . . . so you better be good for goodness sake.”

There is a problem with this idea. God does not keep a naughty list and a good list. He does not only bless the good people of the earth. No, God causes both the rain and sun to hit both the righteous and the unrighteous. The closest thing to a list that God has is the book of life, and those who have accepted Jesus Christ have their names written in it.

Instead of looking at these verses as some sort of warning, what if we looked at them as a form of comfort. No matter where we may wander on this earth, no matter what we may face, God is with us. He is always with us to direct and protect. He is always with us to comfort and correct. He is always with us.

This past Thanksgiving we went to my brother’s house for the family get-together. He lives about an hour south of Chicago. On Black Friday we decided to go the “Magnificent Mile” in Chicago to take the boys to Lego Land. When we got there, it was as packed as you can imagine. I was with Colby and Leslie was with Corey. No matter where in the store they went, we followed right behind. We knew the dangers of them being alone in such a crowd. So we were with them. Not to stop them. No to spoil their fun. Simply to protect and provide for them.

That is the picture of God. He knows the dangers of leaving us alone. So he is always with us. During the great times, he is there. During the times of the “Valley of the Shadow of Death” he is there. Always watching. Always protecting. Always providing.

As you read this Psalm, look for this message. And as you realize that God loves you too much to leave you alone, fall to your knees in worship.