TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

Psalm 139:1-12
1 O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord. 5 You hem me in--behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.

Do you sometimes wish God weren't with you every minute? Is it because you're embarrassed about being where you are? Or ashamed of something you're doing?

I remember being called to the principal's office in junior high, which made me plenty nervous because I knew I was in trouble. But the real anxiety started when I saw who else was sitting in his office. My mom. Suddenly the air grew thinner and the room grew smaller. Oh, how I wished that she . . . or I . . . were anywhere else!

In Psalm 139, David described God's complete knowledge of him. Was David complaining? Did it make him claustrophobic? No way. It was a comfort to David that no matter where he went, he could count on God being there too.

The feeling of being claustrophobic with God can mean only one thing--He's too all-knowing for us to be comfortable with Him. Could it be a sin that we're trying to hide? Or clear instruction from Him we're refusing to obey?

When we are right with God, we enjoy His company. We look forward to spending time with Him. We're not ashamed to have Him hear a joke we tell or a conversation on the phone with a friend. We want to share with Him our deepest feelings. We don't fear Him as a cruel master who wants to beat us into submission. He's not an unfair employer hoping to pounce on us for another mistake. Nor is He a spiteful instructor who enjoys flunking students.

He is our Father. He is our Savior. He is our Advocate. He loves us. He empowers us. He desires and knows the best course for our lives. And instead of a claustrophobic feeling that He is always there, watching our every move, we can be comfortable in His presence.

No one knows us better--or loves us more--than God. --Cindy Kasper

DESTINATION POINTS

* Do I remember a time when I wished I could hide something from God? What happened?
* Is there any sin in my life right now that I'm allowing to keep me apart from God? What's my next move?

bottom line: God's presence is to be enjoyed--not feared.