Experiencing the Sovereignty of God
Psalm 139 is a favorite of many people and it is not difficult to discover why. As we read it even superficially, we can remember the instances where we have experienced what the psalmist is describing. In any translation the words remind us about the times in which we have experienced God’s grace in our lives.
Verse three, for example, is one that has resonated with me continually. “You chart the path ahead of me, and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment, you know where I am.”
(Psalm 139:3 LB) I vividly recall a very hot day last summer. I had left a friend in south Wichita and was taking my usual path on Highway I135 to Highway 54 going east. I was on my way to another meeting in east Wichita. As I was pondering that meeting, I discovered that I had bypassed Highway 54. I had never done that before! Somewhat chagrined, I turned east on a less traveled street and slowly made my way back east through a residential neighborhood. After driving only a few minutes, the car suddenly stopped and I barely had time to turn it to the right before it nestled against the curb. As I looked around, I discovered that I was in a quiet neighborhood on a one way street with very little traffic. My initial thoughts were filled with dismay at the delay and realizing that I would miss my next appointment. Those thoughts were followed by those of irritation and resentment against the mechanics who had repeatedly told me that the trouble I had experienced starting the car over the last two months were of no consequence. After calling the Automobile Association for a tow, I was told that it would be 2-3 hours before they would arrive and be able to tow my car to the mechanic’s shop.
After stewing and fuming for a while I finally settled down and realized for the first time that the Lord had charted the path ahead of me. Had I been on a major highway with nothing but barriers at the side, traveling 60 mph, a sudden stop would have created a major accident. In addition to the car damage, there would have been a significant probability of bodily injury to those involved in the accident. Even if no injuries were to have occurred, I would have been waiting in the hot sun in the scorching hot pavement while waiting for the tow truck. It was then that I looked around and was made aware of my surroundings.
I was parked in a lovely neighborhood. I was standing under the shade of a tree, watching a gardener prune the flowers in a well kept garden. After standing there for some minutes, the owner of the house I was parked by came out and brought me a chair to sit in while I was waiting. A little while later, she brought out a glass of ice water for me to drink which she later refilled. If my mind wandered off my surroundings to the inconvenience I was experiencing and what I thought was the failure of the mechanics, however, I would revert to a mind filled with irritation. I discovered while waiting the 2 and a half hours that if was better to contemplate the grace of God and His provisions that day than to dwell on my inconvenience. As I consider the grace of the Lord in choosing this place for me to stop and rest, I am going to vote for this spot next time I have car trouble!
The 139th Psalm has proved to be a source of comfort at other times in my life as well. On our tenth anniversary, my wife and I accompanied her sister and husband on a trip to Hawaii. I had never flown over the ocean before and was somewhat anxious about the journey. My office nurse, who was a follower of Christ, suggested that I look up Psalm 139:9-10. “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” (KJV) What a promise! I was doing exactly what that verse said! I was taking a morning flight, (The wings of the morning.) and I was dwelling in what was to me the uttermost parts of the sea. During that trip, and every trip since, I have experienced the fact that I was led by the Lord and held in His right hand.
Perhaps the most remarkable verse in the Psalm is verse 16. “You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your Book!” (Psalm 139:16 LB) Each and every day, and everything that happens in that day, is under the firm control of our heavenly Father. Most of the time, it is hard for us to make sense out of why things happen as they do. Occasionally, however, we get a glimpse into some of the methods and plans of the Lord. If you will allow me to go back to the previous story for a moment, we will be permitted that glimpse into His workings in our lives.
After the tow truck had deposited both the car and me at the mechanic shop i sat and waited for an Uber driver to take me back home. On the way home, I asked him how his day was going. As quick as a wink he replied “Terrible.” He explained that he had been at a clinic the previous day with anterior chest and upper abdominal pain. It had been present already several days at that time and he entered the clinic for an examination. All of the tests, including a chest Xray, an electrocardiogram, blood tests and other examinations were normal. He was told that it was nothing severe and just to take Tylenol for the pain. In the last twenty four hours, however, it had grown worse and he could hardly touch the spot without causing pain. From his description of the pain and the skin sensitivity I felt confident that he was suffering from shingles. I explained that the pain is sometimes present for several days before anything was visible on the skin. I called in the appropriate medication for him and it was very effective in curing him of the disease. We have since become friends, have visited on the phone numerous times and met for lunch and breakfast on several occasions. We have had several conversations about the importance of faith in our lives and plan to meet weekly to evaluate the claims of Christ. In the sovereignty of God, He allowed me the opportunity to use car trouble to develop a relationship with someone He is drawing to Himself.
The Psalmist concludes the psalm with these words. “Search me, O God, and know my heart, test my thoughts. Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24 LB) In view of the awesome love and power of the God who created us and controls our lives there is but one response that we should make. We must come before Him, lay our spirit, soul and body in His hands and commit all to Him. He knows us infinitely better than we know ourselves. Our desire should be that our Almighty God would search us and know our hearts. We need Him also to test our thoughts. With His infinite knowledge of us, which we do not have, we need Him to point out anything in us that makes Him sad, and lead us along the path of everlasting life.
Psalm 139 is a personal psalm in that it motivates us to reflect on how the Lord has interacted in our lives in different areas. I would encourage you to read it through several times carefully, jotting down instances when the Lord has made Himself apparent throughout your life. Develop a habit of reviewing those times regularly, enabling you to remember His sovereign grace in your life.
In Christ, Richard Spann