God's Heart For You In Psalm 139
- Karl Gessler
- Sep 1
- 4 min read
A selfless person thinks about others. If you want somebody to talk, you only need to ask them questions about themselves or their opinions. Everyone wants to be known and will gladly share their thoughts and tell you about themselves if they sense a genuine invitation to do so. Many people doubt God’s love because they grew up without respect. Nobody asked for their thoughts or opinions, and when they tried to volunteer to speak up, they were put down, ridiculed, reprimanded, contradicted, or ignored. They struggle to this day to be known, seen, or heard. But there is no need to struggle to be seen or heard by God because He has beat you to the punch.
John’s Gospel says that Philip excitedly told his friend Nathaniel about Jesus and invited them to meet.
Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him. “Here he comes,” he said, “Look at him! He is a real Israelite through and through.” “How did you get to know me?” asked Nathaniel. “Oh,” replied Jesus, “I saw you under the fig tree, before Philip spoke to you.” “Rabbi,” replied Nathaniel, “You’re the son of God! You’re the king of Israel!”
“Wait a minute,” said Jesus. “Are you telling me that you believe just because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You'll see a lot more than that!”
John 1:47-50 NTFE
People are drawn to fortune tellers because they long for security, want to know the future, and feel known. And the truth is, demons do know enough about you to trick you. Humans give in to idolatry because they desire something like security or intimacy so badly that they will pay whatever price is asked. But Jesus is thinking about you before you are thinking about Him. Jesus strives for intimacy with you more than you desire to be known by Him. Jesus is the initiator, the pursuer, the truly selfless one. Before Nathaniel came looking for Jesus, Jesus already knew and “saw” Nathaniel. Most of us struggle with having quiet times with Jesus in God’s word. We have trouble listening to the Holy Spirit. We feel that we don't or can't know God. But this struggle is because we fear what God will say about us. We can't hear the Holy Spirit because our fear of hearing Him is greater than our desire to listen to Him. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice,” and some
will say, “I don't hear his voice, so maybe I am not saved!” But you don't hear His voice only because you are afraid to listen. All you need to do is begin to listen, and you will find the greatest love and intimacy you will ever know.
Before you speak, God knows you.
Before you tell your story, God is fully aware of it.
Before you tell your woes, God knows. Psalm 139 reveals God's heart for you. 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.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.
Psalm 139:1-18 NASB
If listening is loving, God loves you. God knows you better than you know yourself. While God had full knowledge of you, He gave His life for you. While you were still a sinner, Christ died for you (Romans 5:8).
“Come on!” she said. “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did! You don't think He could be the Messiah, do you?” John 4:29 NTFE
If God already knows us and is intimately acquainted with all our ways, He has demonstrated His love for us by His devotion to this knowledge. Now, why can't we take a few minutes to find out what He thinks about us? I can guarantee you that those whom you desire to pay attention to you don't think about you at all. That’s why you don't feel loved by them and why you are so desperate to get them to listen. Why not turn your attention to the one who thinks about you with countless thoughts? Why not listen to the one who built you, premeditated your existence, and deliberately fashioned you in your mother’s womb? Why don't you spend time with the One who sees you under the fig tree before you ever think of Him? Why don't you trust the one who suffered for you while you were persecuting Him? You will find no greater love in the universe than the love of your Father in Heaven. Take time to be with Him.
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