Psalm 139
May 28, 2021This summer the Walk Ministry Team and Sunday School Committee are inviting Harvest members to join us for another memorization challenge. This summer we will be memorizing Psalm 139. Whether you are young or old, please join us in committing this part of God’s Word to memory.
As a parent of young children, I see Psalm 139 as a great portion of God’s word to remember together as it gives our children some important truths to hold on to and to help them trust in God (and we’ll find along the way that it does the same for adults too!). Here are four basic truths that I think make Psalm 139 a fertile field of truth for parents as they minister to their children:
- God knows us and sees us. “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar…” Psalm 139 speaks to the fact that not only can we know God, but God knows us! And not just in a superficial way… but he knows my hopes, fears, weaknesses, and even sins. The God of the Universe is acquainted with all my ways! He understands us, even when others don’t.
- God is everywhere. What a comfort to God’s children! We cannot escape God or run beyond His presence! At school, on the playground, at home, in their bedrooms when the lights go out, God not only sees, but He is 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” (vs. 9-10). With Psalm 139, we get to tell our children that God is an ever-present help that we can run to and ask for help from. He is always with us.
- God made us. From an early age, we like to make things: crafts, pictures, forts. It’s part of the way we reflect God in whose image we are made. Psalm 139 tells us that God is marvelously creative and chief among his creations is us! “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (v. 13-14a; c.f. Psalm 8). We can tell our kids that it is an amazing thing that God has made them the way he has – with their hair and skin color, their maleness or femaleness, their height and breadth, their gifts and personalities. These traits that make up our kids are to be celebrated and delighted in as the work of God!
- God establishes our life. At some point, our kids will ask us about topics like death. These are deep waters for any of us, let alone young minds and tender hearts. But Psalm 139 gives us a beautiful reassurance that all our days—down to the second—are established by God before we were born. “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (v. 16). When confronted by questions about death, one truth we can communicate is that God, who loves his people, is the one who knows how long we’ll live. And with such a powerful, wonderful God we can trust that He’s chosen wisely!
So I hope you’ll see the potential for great conversations around Psalm 139 this summer! The challenge will be starting on June 6th and run throughout the summer. We will be providing a schedule for memory work so you can follow along. We’d also love to hear any stories about how God is using Psalm 139 in the life of your family. You can submit those to walk@harvestopc.org.
In His Service,
Pastor Wayne Veenstra
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