How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You. (Psalm 139:17-18)

The Thoughts Of God

There is a lot on David’s mind. He knew that God was everywhere, that there was no place David could go, and that his Lord was not there. Everything he did and thought was known by God. The omnipresence of the Lord was a comfort to the shepherd king, knowing he was surrounded by the love and grace of his heavenly Father. David longed for the overshadowing of the presence of God in his life to lead him and keep him from evil. The knowledge of God began when David was in his mother’s womb. It seemed incredible to him that God had such vast knowledge. Many men would fear the eternal knowledge of the Lord, but David invited the investigation of his Creator to know everything about his life.

The mind of man is unable to grasp how big the mind of God is entirely. In the vast expanse of the universe with billions and billions of galaxies and innumerable stars, the Lord God looks down on His pale blue dot called Earth and seeks out the heart of a man named David to know who he is and what he is doing. God has been doing this since he first created Adam and Eve. That thought is something David cannot grasp. The sum of God’s power is without words. David never fears the presence of the Lord. There is no dread or fear of knowing God is so powerful. David used this knowledge to defeat the giant in the valley of Elah. Goliath came against David with a sword and spear. David came with a sling, a rock, and the name of the Lord God Almighty.

God is mindful of His children. It should be a comfort to know that the heavenly Father seeks out the good and welfare of His children. This is a blessing that is only found in the family of God. David pondered his relationship with God and was overwhelmed at the thoughts of God to consider him worthy of saving. There is joy in knowing that God’s children are in a covenant relationship to receive His immense blessings. God’s love is given to His children, along with His everlasting mercy. Grace comes from the immeasurable character of God to forgive the sins of wicked men. How can one sum up the thoughts of God in the scheme of redemption?

David reminds the people of God there is nothing to be alarmed at: God sees all, knows all, and understands all. He invites God to search him and know what is in his heart. David wants the Lord to test his character as iron to fire. The thought that God has such a presence in his life is a comforting measure of grace. David sinned with Bathsheba when he forgot how much God knew about his life. His repentance came from a heart realizing how omnipresent God was and that he had sinned in his life and stood condemned. He repented. The knowledge of God leads one to repentance. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of the Lord.

It takes courage to live with the knowledge of God’s presence and to live in this knowledge with joy and hope. Walking in the light is a choice to allow the Lord to test every fiber of a person’s heart for faithfulness. Inviting the microscope of God’s eternal vision to peer into what a man thinks, says, and does is not an easy task. David welcomed it into his life. The thoughts of God to man are impossible to put into words; how great is the sum of them. Joy is found when we awake and find that God is still there because He is faithful and true.