Embracing God's Knowledge and Presence in Every Season
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, Orchard Church. Today, we delved into Psalm 139, exploring the profound knowledge of God. We began by celebrating the incredible work God is doing through our church members in Pilahatchee, Mississippi, where many have come to faith and been baptized. This aligns with our mission to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community and beyond.
In our series, "A Song for Every Season," we recognize that life often places us in different seasons—heading into, in the middle of, or coming out of a storm. Our focus today was on the knowledge of God and how it impacts our lives in these varying seasons. We discussed how knowing God personally and trusting Him deeply can transform our experiences, especially during challenging times.
Psalm 139 reveals God's omniscience—His all-knowing nature. David marvels at the vastness of God's thoughts, which outnumber the grains of sand. This illustrates that God's knowledge is beyond our comprehension, yet He thinks about each of us individually. This isn't to make us the heroes of the story but to remind us of the immense love and care God has for us.
We also explored God's omnipresence—His ever-present nature. David acknowledges that there is nowhere we can go to escape God's presence. This is comforting for believers, knowing that God is always with us, guiding and holding us. However, it also serves as a sobering reminder that God sees everything, including our struggles and sins.
David's response to God's knowledge is a heartfelt prayer for God to search him, know his heart, test him, and lead him in the way everlasting. This personal and intimate request highlights the importance of moving from head knowledge to heart knowledge, leading to genuine repentance and worship.
In conclusion, we are challenged to live in the awareness of God's all-encompassing knowledge and presence, allowing it to transform our lives and deepen our relationship with Him.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Omniscience and Personal Care: God's thoughts about us are innumerable, outnumbering the grains of sand. This illustrates His immense knowledge and personal care for each of us. Despite His vastness, He is intimately involved in our lives, thinking about us and caring for us deeply. [08:32]
2. God's Omnipresence and Comfort: There is nowhere we can go to escape God's presence. This truth is both comforting and sobering. For believers, it means that God is always with us, guiding and holding us through every season of life. For those who are distant from God, it serves as a reminder that He sees and knows everything. [21:39]
3. The Importance of Trusting God: Knowing God personally and trusting Him deeply can transform our experiences, especially during challenging times. Our emotions and circumstances may change, but God's knowledge and plans for us remain constant and good. Trusting in His omniscience helps us navigate life's storms with confidence. [03:57]
4. God's Pursuit of Us: God's love and mercy pursue us relentlessly, like a hound dog chasing its target. He desires a relationship with us and will make His presence known, giving us the choice to surrender to Him. This pursuit is a testament to His unwavering love and desire for us to know Him intimately. [23:41]
5. Moving from Head Knowledge to Heart Knowledge: David's prayer in Psalm 139 highlights the importance of moving from knowing about God to knowing Him personally. This involves allowing God to search our hearts, reveal our sins, and lead us in His ways. Genuine repentance and worship stem from this deep, personal relationship with God. [27:35]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:18] - Celebrating God's Work in Pilahatchee
[02:44] - Series Overview: A Song for Every Season
[03:57] - The Knowledge of God
[07:08] - God's Omniscience
[08:32] - God's Thoughts Outnumber the Grains of Sand
[11:07] - God's Thoughts About Us
[13:12] - God's All-Seeing Knowledge
[14:12] - The Sobering Reality of God's Knowledge
[19:05] - God's Knowledge of Our Struggles
[21:06] - God's Ever-Present Knowledge
[22:17] - The Comfort and Challenge of God's Presence
[23:41] - God's Pursuit of Us
[25:50] - The Choice to Surrender
[27:35] - Moving from Head Knowledge to Heart Knowledge
[30:36] - The Way of Everlasting
[32:12] - Invitation to Know God
[36:27] - Worship and Surrender
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Psalm 139:1-6 - "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain."
2. Psalm 139:7-12 - "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you."
3. Psalm 139:23-24 - "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does David acknowledge about God's knowledge of him in Psalm 139:1-6?
2. How does David describe God's omnipresence in Psalm 139:7-12?
3. What specific request does David make to God in Psalm 139:23-24?
4. According to the sermon, how does God's omniscience provide comfort and challenge to believers? [21:39]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does understanding God's omniscience change the way we view our personal struggles and sins? [14:12]
2. In what ways does David's prayer in Psalm 139:23-24 demonstrate a move from head knowledge to heart knowledge? [27:35]
3. How can the concept of God's omnipresence influence our daily decisions and actions? [22:17]
4. What does it mean for God's love and mercy to pursue us like a hound dog, as described in the sermon? [23:41]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. How does knowing that God is always present with you change your perspective on that experience? [22:17]
2. David asks God to search his heart and reveal any offensive way in him. What specific steps can you take this week to invite God to search your heart and reveal areas that need change? [27:35]
3. How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's knowledge and plans for you, especially during challenging times? Share a specific situation where you need to trust God more. [03:57]
4. God's thoughts about us are innumerable and personal. How can this truth impact the way you view yourself and others? [08:32]
5. In what ways can you be more aware of God's presence in your daily life? Identify one practical action you can take to remind yourself of God's omnipresence throughout the day. [21:39]
6. How can you respond to God's relentless pursuit of you? What does surrendering to His pursuit look like in your current season of life? [23:41]
7. Think of a specific area in your life where you need to move from head knowledge to heart knowledge. What practical steps can you take to make this transition? [27:35]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Omniscience and Personal Care
God's thoughts about us are innumerable, outnumbering the grains of sand. This illustrates His immense knowledge and personal care for each of us. Despite His vastness, He is intimately involved in our lives, thinking about us and caring for us deeply. [08:32]
Psalm 139 reveals the depth of God's omniscience—His all-knowing nature. David marvels at the vastness of God's thoughts, which outnumber the grains of sand. This isn't just a poetic expression; it signifies that God's knowledge is beyond our comprehension. Yet, despite His infinite wisdom, He thinks about each of us individually. This isn't to make us the heroes of the story but to remind us of the immense love and care God has for us.
God's omniscience means that He knows every detail of our lives, our thoughts, our struggles, and our joys. This profound knowledge should bring us comfort, knowing that we are never alone or forgotten. It also challenges us to trust in His wisdom and care, even when we don't understand our circumstances.
Psalm 139:17-18 (ESV): "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you."
Reflection: How does knowing that God thinks about you personally and cares for you deeply change the way you view your current circumstances?
Day 2: God's Omnipresence and Comfort
There is nowhere we can go to escape God's presence. This truth is both comforting and sobering. For believers, it means that God is always with us, guiding and holding us through every season of life. For those who are distant from God, it serves as a reminder that He sees and knows everything. [21:39]
God's omnipresence means that He is everywhere at all times. David acknowledges in Psalm 139 that there is nowhere we can go to escape God's presence. This truth is incredibly comforting for believers, as it means that God is always with us, no matter where we are or what we are going through. He is there to guide us, hold us, and provide for us in every season of life.
However, God's omnipresence is also a sobering reminder that He sees everything, including our struggles and sins. There is no hiding from God. This should lead us to live lives of integrity and honesty, knowing that God is always with us and aware of our actions and thoughts.
Psalm 139:7-10 (ESV): "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me."
Reflection: In what ways can you find comfort in God's omnipresence today, knowing that He is always with you and sees everything?
Day 3: The Importance of Trusting God
Knowing God personally and trusting Him deeply can transform our experiences, especially during challenging times. Our emotions and circumstances may change, but God's knowledge and plans for us remain constant and good. Trusting in His omniscience helps us navigate life's storms with confidence. [03:57]
Trusting God is crucial, especially during challenging times. Our emotions and circumstances are often in flux, but God's knowledge and plans for us remain constant and good. When we know God personally and trust Him deeply, it transforms our experiences. We can navigate life's storms with confidence, knowing that God is in control and has our best interests at heart.
Trusting in God's omniscience means believing that He knows what is best for us, even when we don't understand our circumstances. It requires us to surrender our fears and doubts to Him, trusting that His plans are for our good and His glory. This trust is built through a personal relationship with God, where we come to know His character and His promises.
Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV): "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to trust God more deeply? How can you begin to surrender that area to Him today?
Day 4: God's Pursuit of Us
God's love and mercy pursue us relentlessly, like a hound dog chasing its target. He desires a relationship with us and will make His presence known, giving us the choice to surrender to Him. This pursuit is a testament to His unwavering love and desire for us to know Him intimately. [23:41]
God's pursuit of us is relentless. His love and mercy chase after us, much like a hound dog chasing its target. This imagery illustrates the intensity and persistence of God's desire for a relationship with us. He will make His presence known in our lives, giving us the choice to surrender to Him. This pursuit is a testament to His unwavering love and desire for us to know Him intimately.
God's pursuit is not about forcing us into a relationship with Him but about inviting us into a loving and transformative relationship. He wants us to experience His love, grace, and mercy in a profound way. This pursuit should lead us to respond with gratitude and a willingness to surrender our lives to Him.
Psalm 23:6 (ESV): "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Reflection: How have you experienced God's pursuit in your life? What steps can you take to respond to His relentless love and mercy today?
Day 5: Moving from Head Knowledge to Heart Knowledge
David's prayer in Psalm 139 highlights the importance of moving from knowing about God to knowing Him personally. This involves allowing God to search our hearts, reveal our sins, and lead us in His ways. Genuine repentance and worship stem from this deep, personal relationship with God. [27:35]
David's prayer in Psalm 139 is a powerful example of moving from head knowledge to heart knowledge. He asks God to search him, know his heart, test him, and lead him in the way everlasting. This personal and intimate request highlights the importance of not just knowing about God but knowing Him personally. It involves allowing God to search our hearts, reveal our sins, and lead us in His ways.
Genuine repentance and worship stem from this deep, personal relationship with God. It's not enough to have intellectual knowledge about God; we must allow that knowledge to transform our hearts and lives. This transformation leads to genuine worship and a life that is fully surrendered to God.
Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV): "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"
Reflection: In what ways can you move from head knowledge to heart knowledge in your relationship with God? How can you allow Him to search your heart and lead you in His ways today?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "You can trust God because of his knowledge. You see knowledge supersedes emotions. It surpasses our feelings. You can't always trust your feelings or your heart regardless of what the culture may tell you and if you don't believe me when was the last time you had a late night craving and you gave into that and you had a late night stomach issue. All right we gave in gave into that said I knew better but I gave in to the flesh." [03:57] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "He knows the plans he has for you and the plans for those that belong in Christ are good. They're good plans. They are prosperous plans. They are to give you hope and a future not plans to harm you. That's a good God and the Lord can say that because he created you. He loves you and he knows what's best for you and for me." [05:32] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The Lord is ever-present. You can't go anywhere that He isn't. And that's really good news for the Christ follower and that's really bad news for those that are not in Christ. You cannot outrun Him. You cannot go anywhere that He is not. And David isn't just writing about a physical fleeing. He's also talking about spiritual things. Because the Lord is ever-present, He knows your heart." [22:17] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "You will not find what your heart longs for apart from the person of Jesus Christ. Those who go to Him will never hunger, they will never thirst, they will be completely satisfied, and they will lack for no good thing. You cannot outrun the Lord. He knows where you are physically and spiritually. But in God's pursuit of you, you have to make the choice on if you're going to allow Him if you're going to surrender to Him and allow Him to lead you." [25:50] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "The only way you will be able to stand before God in righteousness is by placing faith in who Jesus is and what he's done on the cross. You can memorize scripture. You can go to church. You can tithe. You can pray before you eat. You can do all these things. But do you know him? Do you know the Lord? Are you able to sing the song that I know him and he knows me?" [31:12] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "Truth doesn't change even if we feel like we're in an emotional circumstance that is short-lived and oftentimes they can cloud our best judgment from things that may make us say I shouldn't have done that. I wish I wouldn't have done that. I know better. Man what was I thinking right? We've all been there and most times you and I probably weren't out of the truth but rather our emotions in that season or moment and even though they shouldn't our feelings or circumstances can also change how we view God during those times." [04:30] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "There is nothing that you can see. Say or do or think that He does not see. That's a sobering reality. If we just take a step back and say, there is no unturned rock where we can hide something from the Lord. Good, bad, or ugly. Everything. Now, that's good news in Christ because all is forgiven as we heard about last week if you were in Christ. But man, the knowledge is too lofty. This should create a healthy fear and reverence of the Lord. He knows all things about the world, but also you." [14:12] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The goodness of God will sometimes feel like guilt to you when in reality it's conviction. And in His mercy, the Lord knows that you will not find what you are looking for apart from Him and Him alone. Because God created us from the inside out, He alone has the power to change us from the inside out. Believe it or not, the Lord isn't some killjoy. He has our best interest in mind. He has your best interest in mind, and you know what that is? It's that you would know Him and know Him wholeheartedly and experience Him." [24:18] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "See, verse 1 of Psalm 139 starts with acknowledging that the Lord already searches you and knows you. And verse 23 ends with him asking the Lord to search him and know him. It's not a contradiction. What happens is we see right here, when you ask the Lord to search you and know you and reveal anything, it actually makes you aware of what God is already doing. It closes the gap. It closes the two worlds, so to speak, to where when you ask the Lord to search you and know you, He's already doing that." [27:35] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "The Pharisees, they knew all about God. They knew His law. They knew the scriptures. They knew about sin and righteousness. And yet, they were the very ones that Jesus spoke against the strongest. They knew about God, but they didn't know about God. They didn't recognize Him when He was right there." [28:36] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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