O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
WEEK 14
OVERFLOWING WITH GRATITUDE
FOR GOD'S LOVE
PSALM 139:1-10
O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
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.
HEAVENLY FATHER, it is such a staggering
realization to understand that You, the infinite God of the universe, truly love us— with a love that is everlasting. You set that love on us before time began.1
You chose us and ordained us to eternal life
in timeless ages past,2
and therefore we rest in the assurance
that Your love will endure
into the countless ages of eternity future.
You have made us a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
for Your own possession. Open our mouths to proclaim Your excellency,
because You have drawn us out of darkness and into the marvelous light of Your truth.3
You raised us up out of spiritual death
through the saving truth of the gospel, and You made us fully alive in Christ by Your Spirit—
all because of the great love
with which You loved us.4
We now have the blessed privilege of being not only
Your dutiful slaves but also
Your blessed sons and daughters. We say with the apostle Paul,
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ."5
You richly provide us with good things to enjoy.6
Although in this world we face frequent
tribulations,7 sorrows, sickness, and suffering for Christ's sake,
all the bitterness of life is sweetened by Your promises
and held in check by Your merciful grace. So many tokens of Your goodness and mercy encourage us
amid the discouraging realities of life in this fallen world. When we become downhearted,
You give us sympathy and support in abundant measure. When we face grave temptations,
You are our Guardian and refuge. You strengthen us in the hour of trial; and in the wake of every victory
You lead us in triumph.
Accept, O Lord, our feeble efforts to praise You and thank You. You never cease to love us;
You never fail to preserve us from the evil one; and You never skimp in showing us mercy. You will never cast us away;
Christ has promised never to leave us or forsake us; and Your Holy Spirit is with us—and in us—forever.8
You faithfully preserve Your saints eternally.9
Dear Lord of all mercy, remove from our hearts
the festering pride, evil desire, false motives, insincerity, envy, longing for worldly prominence, and every other secret sin. Help us to wait patiently upon You. May we learn to see the wisdom of Your providence
not only in Your actions, but also in Your delays. Stir in our hearts a proper sense of awe and reverence
for Your perfections, and may we learn to love and pursue holiness
as befits children of the Holy One. Inscribe Your love on our hearts
in such a way that our every thought
will somehow be a reflection of that love.
We celebrate Your grace and goodness to us
in the covenant of salvation. May we be a covenant-keeping people,
as You are a covenant-keeping God.
We thank You that in Christ we have
overcome the world, fulfilled the law, found justifying righteousness, seen death swallowed up in victory, and received all we need for everything You require of us. To Your name alone we give glory,
offering You our praise for Christ's sake. Amen.
1. Ephesians 1:4 2. Titus 1:1-2 3. 1 Peter 2:9 4. Ephesians 2:1-4 5. Ephesians 1:3 6. 1 Timothy 6:17 7. John 16:33 8. John 14:16-17 9. Psalm 37:28