May 5

Psalm 139

When Dr. Henry Norris Russell, Princeton astronomer, had concluded a lecture on the Milky Way, a woman came to him and asked, “If our world is so little and the universe is so great, can we believe that God pays attention to us?” Dr. Russell replied, “That depends, madam, entirely on how big a God you believe in.” In 2010, man seems to be getting bigger and God smaller. A survey taken in Bridgeport, CT, asked children if God understood nuclear energy, 64% said no.

In Psalm 139 David addresses the issue of the size of God.

Two highlights from this chapter:

God is omniscient. This means he knows all things. He is infinite in his knowledge. He is most intimately acquainted with our persons, nature and character. God knows us. The Lord knows us as thoroughly as if he had examined us minutely and had pried into the most secret corners of our being. He knows the most common casual acts we commit. He knows when we sit down, and when we rise up. He knows every thought. If we take the figure of 10,000 thoughts a day, that is 3.5 billion thoughts a year. It says he knows our thoughts, “from afar.” This does not mean that God is far from us. It means he knows our thoughts even when they are far from us. Did you ever wonder what would have happened if you had done things differently? God knows all potential. God could write “It’s a Wonderful Life” for each person on this Bible reading journey.

God also is omnipresent. This is the truth that God is everywhere at the same time. Because God is spirit, he is not limited by time and space. God is here. There is no place, there can be no place, where he is not. 10 million people standing at many points in space and separated by incomprehensible distances can each say with equal truth. God is here. No point is nearer to God than any other point and no point further.

Two consequences:
1. God is much bigger than we can ever imagine. A small God means big problems. A big God means small problems. Increase your view of the size of God today. It will immediately impact your view of life.

2. There is no physical distance involved in drawing close to God; it has to do with our experience. When we speak of God being far or near to us, this is the language of our ordinary human relationships. The truth is, if God seems far from you today, guess who moved?