Mindy Lee Hopman

Where we find difficulty, we may always expect that a discovery awaits us. We find this to be true in every game we play, including this game called “life.” -C.S. Lewis

Reconcilation, Restoration, Renewal 

The Psalmist David did not travel an easy rode to kingship. Although God gave David the ability and opportunity to be king, God grew David in a mighty way before he received the crown. Commentators believe David penned Psalm 139 right around the year 1048 BC. 

Overall, the shepherd boy David learned he needed direction from God to navigate the situations both within him and around him on his journey. David also knew before he could ask God for guidance, he had to examine his own heart. Reconciliation, restoration, and renewal begin in my own heart. 

When we get to know YHWH, he reveals Himself to us, and at that moment, we begin to discover ourselves.   

Psalm 139

As God revealed Himself to David, God reveals Himself to us. Through his words, David helps those who believe in God discover they are known, enclosed, seen, led, chosen, and one in Him.  

1. God knows you. God is imperfectly known to man. Man is perfectly known to God. According to Genesis 1:27, God knows us well because He created us in His image. Don’t we want to be “in the know?” Just like Eve in Genesis 3:7, “They knew they were naked.” Eve wanted to know. The serpent deceived Eve when he lied to her and told her she would have knowledge like God. Let us remember, the created is not the same as the Creator. We can know Him, but we will never be Him or have His infinite knowledge. We are human; He is God. He knows the intimate details of our hearts because He formed us in the womb. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God, who also created the entire universe, and He reveals the intimate details of His heart and the plans for each of our lives when we draw close to Him. He knows where we are, when we wake up and when we go to sleep. He even knows our thoughts which may become our words. Before a word is on our tongues, He knows them all. Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.
   
   
2. God encloses you. Our omnipresent and omniscient Heavenly Father knows us well and surrounds us. Our finite minds have a hard time wrapping our hearts and our heads around His infinite wisdom. God surrounds us like a giant hug. His whole and complete embrace allows you to feel His love and protection right where you are. When a father gently lays his hand upon his child, he calms the child with His presence. His calming presence helps to guide his or her heart into the next chapter.
   
   
3. God sees you. Embrace your place. Embrace your story. He redeems each of us at the perfect time, and that is when we realize we are a part of His story, which is the most remarkable story.  Your Heavenly Father has always seen you. He never missed an event. He was present when you lost your first tooth, when you scored your first goal or the winning basket, when you took that hard test, or walked down the aisle! Not only that, but He is the worst one with which to play hide-and-seek! Hiding is not something new! At the beginning of time, Adam and Eve tried to hide. After they ate the fruit, they tried to hide from God. He sees you. His 20/20 heart vision is perfect in both the light and in the dark. God sees the depths of our hearts, and He loves us regardless. He loves us right where we are. He loves us in our mess. Thank goodness. Does your soul know it well? Our souls crave the depth adversity brings. Adversity either drives us to the depths of God’s love or tragically pushes us away from His tender embrace. God sees you. 
   
   
4. God leads you. It is a choice to let adversity draw you close to the Creator, sustainer, and lover of your soul and let Him lead you through. Soul nourishment flows from behind the veil when your heart is tethered to Christ.  From the summit, He will lead you through the sea if you let Him. You can face anything with Him. You’ve got this today because He’s got you, and He has given you the power of the Holy Spirit, which is entirely above and beyond yourself.
   
   
5. God chooses you. God wrote this script for you. Your story is excellent!  He continues to keep you at the forefront of His mind because He chose you, and He delights in you. What kind of thoughts does God have towards you? Precious ones – God’s thoughts about you are precious or rather weighty, incomprehensible to the human mind, and overwhelming to the Psalmist. I can only figure His thoughts for me must be similar to those I have for my children. I have prayed for their health since before they were born. I often think about and pray for their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual safety. And I pray for the desire of their souls to crave the Word rather than the world. And yesterday, today, and tomorrow I love them unconditionally. 
   
   
6. God is with us. We are one in Him. The prophets in the Old Testament knew about God’s presence yesterday, today, and tomorrow! They knew God would come to live with us. Jesus walked with them. He taught Jews and Gentiles how to live with justice, peace, and mercy. Jesus was not always loved or accepted, but that did not change the fact that God delighted in Him. God thought about Him, and God was with Him. This is the same for you and me. We may not always feel loved or accepted, but God still delights in us and thinks of us in a million little ways, and He is with us. Jesus died on the cross as the final sacrifice, once and for all,  to rise again to be with The Father, then send the Holy Spirit to live in us. Just look at the sand to remember! He has a million thoughts about you and He is always with you. We are one in Him! David hates the men who came against His all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful, all-loving Father. David’s discernment allowed Him to see the intention of his adversaries’ hearts was evil. They spoke hurtful words against the people of God and even God Himself. 

Everyone Must Choose a Team 

David’s wisdom in the Word allowed Him to understand vengeance belongs to the Creator of all things created. Everyone must choose a team. David makes it clear he is on God’s team!  

In the New Testament, God gives people from all nations the choice to be on His team! You choose God’s team when you accept Jesus as the final sacrifice once, and for all, He becomes the Lord of your life! 

The choice is intentional. God can see the big picture. He knows by denying His Son, you deny life with Him in this world, but even more importantly, you deny life together in eternity. 

But our Heavenly Father does not hate those who go against Him as humans do. Instead, our Heavenly Father grieves. Just as a parent’s heart grieves when a child chooses not to listen or goes his/her way, this a glimpse of the pain God must feel when we choose to go our own way. Here is the beautiful part about this relationship, our Father grieves until grace is received. 

TEAM Jesus 

You get to choose your team! Choose TEAM Jesus! Reconciliation, restoration, and renewal begin in your own heart. The moment you accept Christ, you become “alive” in Him and you are on HIS team! You are known, enclosed, seen, led, chosen, and you become one in Him! He is for you! And He will lead you on the everlasting way if you let Him! 

Coaches, athletes, administrators, teachers, friends, and family, you’ve got this today because He has you! 

These truth’s come from God’s Word.
God’s Word is true.
God’s Word is enough. 

You are so loved.
I am praying for you!

 

 

 

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