May 3, 2020
Pandemic Questions
Luke 21:10-11, 29-33
Pastor Dennis Elhard
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As I initially contemplated the direction of this message today, I had pretty much decided that I would put the Covid-19 pandemic aside. I don’t know about you, but I am starting to get weary of hearing sermons about it, of the media’s complete fixation on it, and even the many advertisements that make reference to the virus. While I understand the necessity of much of the information we are receiving, the amount of it has become a bit overwhelming. Nevertheless, after saying all that, I sheepishly confess that I succumbed to the temptation to speak on the issue again. I’m hoping that I didn’t just unleash a deep, collective groan from all who are watching.

What I want to consider for a few moments today is a couple of questions that I have had rolling around in my mind lately, and have also heard expressed by other pastors/teachers as well other fellow believers. These two questions often accompany major events – particularly if they are global in scope. These days they go something like this: Is this pandemic signalling the beginning of the last days? And, secondly, is this pandemic God’s judgment on the world? Not too heavy of questions, are they? I want to say up front that I am not speaking for God today; I claim no perfect understanding in these matters. What I am offering are my opinions of how I understand what the Scriptures may be saying to us. So let’s deal with the questions:

First: Is this pandemic signalling the beginning of the last days? We need to be very, very careful in making any absolute declarations or blanket statements about the corona-virus being the beginning of the end. It seems that with virtually every major event throughout the world some voices within the Christian faith make some kind of declaration that this is ushering in the return of Christ. Recently, one Florida minister stated that the virus is a plague from God. (Quote) “My spirit bears witness that this (corona-virus) is a genuine plague that is coming upon the earth, and God is about to purge a lot of sin off of this planet.” He stressed that such a plague is part of the “end times,” a period of tribulation that precedes the second coming of Jesus Christ. He is just one among many voices – you only have to google it to know what I mean! So why be so careful in making these kinds of declarations during these days of the corona-virus?

*There is plenty of precedence in history. In his recent book, Corona-virus and Christ, John Piper reminds us that during the global influenza epidemic of 1918 (Spanish flu), 50 million people died. (Quote) “People felt symptoms in the morning and were dead by nightfall. Bodies were picked up from front porches to be carted away to graves dug by bulldozers. A man was shot for not wearing a mask. Ministers spoke of Armageddon.”

There have been numerous other epidemics and pandemics throughout history. The Antonine Plague of AD165-180 killed 5 million people. An interesting statement followed this information (secular website) – “Christianity became increasingly popular after the plague occurred.” And I found out the reason later - during the height of the plague, most people fled the cities and headed for the hills. Only the Christians stayed behind to nurse the sick.

The Cyprian Plague of 250-271 – was estimated to kill 5000/day in Rome alone. St. Cyprian, a Bishop of Carthage, described the epidemic as signalling the end of the world. The Black Death (Bubonic Plague) of 1346-1353 – some estimates suggest it wiped out up to half of Europe’s population. Then there was the Spanish flu to which I already alluded. It was the most devastating global pandemic in history. The Asian flu of 1957-58 killed 1.1 million people – next came the H1N1 swine flu, Ebola, SARS – you get the picture. History sets a precedence of plenty of brutal epidemics that did not usher in the “last days.” Nevertheless, it would be understandable that it would make people wonder – is this the beginning of the end? And that says nothing about many other catastrophic events throughout the world – natural disasters of epic proportions, or when the Nazi Third Reich rolled through Europe crushing every nation in their way. Many believed that Hitler was the Antichrist. All this to say that history has provided much fodder for end time scenarios to flourish – yet we remain in wait. We must be careful in making any definitive declarations about Covid-19 and the end times of Christ’s return.

* We do not know for sure. Another reason to be careful of our declarations that link the end times with the corona-virus is because we simply don’t know for sure. To all those who have declared throughout history that the end times are upon us, and to no avail, what happened to them and to their witness? We dare not sully the name of Jesus with reckless claims. Who dares to speak for God? In Romans 11:34, Paul asks the question: “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” He is actually quoting from the OT - Isaiah 40:13. We don’t know the mind of the Lord – His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isa. 55:9). How can we presume to know definitively the plans and the timing of the Lord? We cannot and we should not try!

However, in my thoughts about this question of Covid-19 and the last days, there has also been a lingering “but.” While there is reason to be very careful in making the association, should it be completely disregarded? And while we can’t be definitive in linking corona-virus with the end times, neither can we be definitive in saying it is not a possibility. I’ve heard a pastor on TV state unequivocally that he doesn’t believe that this pandemic is a sign of the end times. But how can he know that for sure? In Luke 21:11 Jesus said: “There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places...” While the word pestilences can include many kinds of trouble, it certainly can also refer to infectious disease. So we see that pandemics can and will be a part of the end time’s tribulations. Could corona-virus be one of the early signs?

Another compelling “but” in my mind is the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Many Christians, but not all, believe this event was a major fulfillment of prophecy. The OT prophets spoke often of the restoration of Israel in the last days. Think of it – Israel has been an occupied country since 586 BC when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and carried many of the people into exile. (Maccabees; 2500+ years) So Israel’s return to nationhood is huge! I believe it fulfilled many, many prophesies of Scripture. Listen to these words: “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land (Ez. 36: 24). Or from Amos: “I will bring my people Israel back from exile. They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God. If you go to Israel today, you will see a land that has been transformed from a desert to a beautiful productive garden.

Many believe that Israel’s rebirth has triggered the countdown to Jesus’ return – how long? Who knows? God owns the timeline and He’s not sharing it. But I believe that the restoration of the nation of Israel is a sign that we are getting close – and Jesus said we are to understand the times and the seasons and we are to be watching for his return.

Second: Is this pandemic God’s judgment on the world? Again, we need to be very, very careful in making any absolute declarations or blanket statements about the corona-virus being the judgment of God. Why? Again because we really don’t know for sure, and by making broad, unsubstantiated declarations we can do great disservice to the name of Christ. You might remember when Pat Robertson was accused of saying that Hurricane Katrina was God’s judgement on America – or at least New Orleans. I’m pretty sure the media didn’t quote him fairly, but it raised a lot of scorn for evangelical Christianity – so we need to be careful what we say and how we distribute God’s judgment, because we really don’t know for sure. Since we do not know the mind of God, we are acting on presumption. Now was there some truth to that statement of Robertson’s? Quite possibly – New Orleans is well known for its wide spread debauchery during MardiGras. So God would certainly be justified in acting in judgment.

I’m certainly not prepared to declare that Covid-19 is God’s judgment on the world. However, in my thoughts there is again a lingering “but.” Is there biblical precedence of God using plagues and disease as a means of judgment in the Scriptures? There most certainly is – and numerous times. Here are three of the most devastating. In Numbers 16, the whole Israelite community grumbled and rebelled against Moses and Aaron in the desert– and in His anger God unleashed a plague that killed 14,700 people before He relented. Later on in Numbers 25, the Israelite men fell into idolatry and began to indulge in sexual immorality with Midianite woman and God sent a plague that took 24,000 lives. In 2 Samuel is the story of David’s sin in demanding a census, and 70,000 men lost their lives in a plague sent from God. Another time there was a plague of snakes and many died. What we can establish from this as a biblical principle is yes, God can and does use disease and plague as an act of judgment on humanity.

So my point is this. Is it certain that God is using corona-virus as an act of judgment on the world? No. Is it possible that God is using the corona-virus as judgment on the world? Yes. As the Answers in Genesis website states: “Though we shouldn’t presume God’s intention through the pandemic, certainly God has a reason to judge humanity.” It’s not like God is having trouble producing enough evidence of our evil. So sometimes God uses disease to bring particular judgments upon those who reject him and give themselves over to sin – a NT example of this is found in Acts 12:23: “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.” So, in my opinion, while we should not be quick to make any sweeping declarations regarding God’s judgment, neither should we be quick to deny that possibility.

In John Piper’s book, which I alluded to earlier, he grappled with the question, “what is God doing?” What is his purpose in all this? If you believe that God is still on the throne – then his will, his good and perfect will is being accomplished even in the devastation of the pandemic.

So to wrap this up, I’m going to share a few points he suggested as answers – and which may also help with the two questions we just considered:

* Some people may be infected with the corona-virus as a specific judgment from God because of their sinful attitudes and actions. Piper acknowledges the possible role of God’s judgment in this pandemic. Please note he says “some” – not everyone who gets sick or dies is a result of their sin. However, some people do die as a consequence of their sin – the example I gave of Herod earlier reveals this as does the story of Ananias and Sapphira – and no doubt some will die from the virus as a specific judgment because of their sin.

* The corona-virus is a God-given wake-up call to be ready for the second coming of Christ. I quote Piper here: “The message is clear. Stay awake. Stay awake. Stay awake. And the birth pains of the natural world are meant for this message. But, oh, how many people are not awake! For all their frenzied activity, they are sound asleep in regard to the coming of Jesus Christ. The peril is great. And the corona-virus is a merciful wake-up call to be ready.” Are you and I ready for that day? Like the song says, “People Get Ready!” Keep awake, there are signs all around.

* The corona-virus is God’s call to his people to overcome self-pity and fear, and with courageous joy, to do the good works of love that glorify God. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Serve your family, your neighbors and your community in the name of Jesus – it may be a time to set aside our fears and practice “risky kindness” – like the Christians in the Antonine Plague.

Is this pandemic signalling the beginning of the last days? Possibly. Is this pandemic God’s judgment on the world? Possibly again. I have offered no concrete answers to these questions because there are none. We simply do not/can not know for sure. But I believe that we dare not assume the answer is always “no” to these questions because ultimately our response is to be ready – are you?

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May 10, 2020
God Only Knows
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Pastor Bryan Watson
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Good morning.  Let’s open our sermon time with a word of prayer.

Heavenly Father, as we look to Your Word this morning, I pray that You will open the hearts and minds of all who hear this message, that they might understand what You are speaking to us today.  I pray that You will help me to speak only Your truth, and that You will guide my heart and guard my tongue as I speak from Your pulpit.  In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.

Our scripture passage for today is from the book of Ezekiel, chapter 37, verses 1 to 14.

1 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’”

Thanks be to God for His word!

If you recall Pastor Dennis’ wonderful message last week, you’ll remember that one of the things He said is that all of us need to be watching the signs of the times.  We need to be ready for Christ’s return, because we don’t know when He is coming.  One of the signs he mentioned was the fact that the nation of Israel is back in existence today. 

Now, Pastor Dennis and I didn’t co-ordinate our messages, but it’s quite obvious to me that this church is being led by a God who DOES, in fact, co-ordinate the messages that He wants us to preach, because I was already down the path of preaching about Ezekiel 37 and the valley of dry bones, which is a perfect complement to Pastor Dennis’ message from last week.  Let’s begin by understanding the context of what we are reading about.

For the first several hundred years of Israel’s history, after Moses led them out of Egypt, the nation of Israel was ruled by Judges.  Eventually, and against God’s desire, Israel demanded to be led by a king, just as other nations were.  God granted Israel’s desire, and a man named Saul became Israel’s first king.

For the next hundred years or so, Israel was ruled in a united kingdom through the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon.  However, after Solomon’s reign ended, very early in the reign of his son, Rehoboam, Israel was divided into two kingdoms: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.

As a result of repeated disobedience to God, and as foretold by prophet after prophet, the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed and taken captive by the Assyrians in 722 BC, while the southern kingdom of Judah lasted a little longer, finally being defeated and taken captive by the Babylonians in several conquests from 605 to 586 BC.

Ezekiel was a priest in Israel at the time of one of the dispersions to Babylon, and thus spent a good part of his life ministering to the Jewish captives in Babylon.  Israel as a nation was no more.  They had been destroyed by larger and more powerful empires, and if history showed us anything about conquered nations, it’s that they were gone forever, never to be seen or heard from again.

So that is the context as Ezekiel receives the vision of the valley of dry bones from God.  Destroyed, dispersed, and dissolved into other nations, this thing called the “Diaspora” had begun.  That is, the Jews were scattered across the face of the earth as punishment for their rejection of God.  The existence of Israel had drawn to a close.  For the Jews, all hope was lost.

You see, in Ezekiel’s vision, the valley represents the chasm of nations into which Israel had been exiled.  They were down and out, and it was going to be a tough climb… impossible actually, for them to ever come out of it. 

The dry bones… these dead skeletons, represented the Jewish people, as God said when he explained the prophecy to Ezekiel.  Verse 9 said that they had been slain.  They were a people who had been attacked and annihilated.

The bones signify that they were utterly disgraced, because it was a humiliating thing if the body of a dead Jew was not washed, prepared with spices, wrapped, and buried with dignity in a proper tomb or grave.  Instead, these bodies would have suffered the utter shame of being carrion for vultures and animals. 

It was symbolic of the complete judgment of God, for God had warned them in Deuteronomy 28:25-26 that if they rebelled against God, their carcasses will be food for all the birds and the wild animals.

God is trying to make the point that without a miraculous intervention, Israel as a nation was deader than dead.  In fact, one source I found listed 109 locations from which the Jews have been expelled between AD 250 and 1948, including the years of their expulsion.  God’s judgment was so complete that not only did they lose their own identity as a nation, but they really had no rest anywhere for 2000 years.

But then God asks Ezekiel a rather profound question: “Can these bones live?”  Ezekiel gave a genius answer.  Maybe he didn’t know for sure, but he did know that God had the ability to do whatever God wanted to do.  So, Ezekiel answered, “O Lord God, You know.”  I wonder if God smiled at the brilliance of Ezekiel’s response.

Ezekiel is commanded to prophecy to the dead bones.  Sometimes I wonder why God didn’t just command the bones to come to life Himself.  Why did He choose to do it through Ezekiel?  I can only imagine the confidence that Ezekiel must have felt when he prophesied as he was commanded, and then the bones did as THEY were commanded.

The Bible doesn’t say for sure why God used Ezekiel in this way, but I love the fact that God demonstrated His preference to work through people.  I think that’s a lesson we can all take from this passage of Scripture.

Ezekiel spoke as God commanded, and all the bones found their places.  As the kids’ song goes, the toe bone’s connected to the foot bone; the foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone; the ankle bone’s connected to the leg bone.  And so on, and so on.

Finally, they were covered in flesh and skin, but yet there was no life in them.  They were technically still dead.  These corpses are like Adam was in Genesis chapter 2: physically complete, but without life until he received the breath of God. 

I believe that’s where history currently finds us.  The nation of Israel was brought back from dispersion in May 1948.  They are once again physically complete as a nation, yet still waiting for the final piece of the prophecy to be completed, for as a nation they are still lacking the acceptance of Christ as their Messiah. 

But upon God’s command to Ezekiel to prophecy to the wind, the breath of God entered those dead bodies and that army came to life!  One day, the breath of God in the person of the Holy Spirit is going to come over Israel when they finally recognize and embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

But what significance does this passage of Scripture have for us today?

Lessons for Today

The first thing that we need to take away from this is that God already knows how everything will turn out, in every situation.  When God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live,” Ezekiel gave a very wise answer: “O Lord God, You know!”  Of all the things Ezekiel could have said, he said the best thing he could.  “God only knows.” 

In his book “God, the Bible, and You,” evangelist R.A. Torrey performs an in-depth study that reinforces God’s omniscience… his “all-knowing” attribute.  Psalm 147:5 says that God’s understanding is beyond measure.  It’s beyond measure.

Psalm 147:4 says that God counts the number of the stars and He calls them all by name.  And yet in Matthew 10:29 Jesus says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.”  So, stars in their magnitude, and sparrows in their insignificance, are all known unto God.

As Torrey says, “God knows FROM all eternity what He will do FOR all eternity”.  Let me repeat that.  God knows FROM all eternity what He will do FOR all eternity. (Try getting your head wrapped around  THAT!)

So from eternity past, God knew that He was going to create the world, He knew what was going to happen on that world from beginning to end, and He knew what the end of the world would look like and when it would happen. 

However, as mortal human beings, there is much that we DON’T know, especially about the timing of the end.  In Matthew 24:36, Jesus said, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”  So, don’t bother trying to figure out a date on the calendar.  And don’t pay any attention to anybody who does. 

Instead, take Christ’s advice that we are to be ready. Live like it could come at any moment.  Because you never know… your moment may come sooner than you think.  As He warned us in Matthew 24:42-44, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

The second thing we need to take away from this is that God not only KNOWS how everything will turn out, ultimately God is in control of every situation.  Think about it.  In the book of Ezekiel, God predicted 2500 years in advance that Israel would become a nation again, and here they are!  Through 2500 years of exile, at least 109 expulsions, and a genocidal Holocaust less than 10 years before their flag was raised, God brought Israel back from the dead.

In the Book of Daniel, God predicted hundreds of years in advance that the Medo-Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans would follow after the Babylonians.  And today, we find their ruins in the dust of history.

And in the book of Genesis, and in the Psalms and Isaiah, God predicted that a Saviour would come and die to save His people.  And we saw that in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” So, it doesn’t matter whether we believe it or not.  If Jesus said that He is going to come again to judge the world, you can take it to the bank!  He will!

And the third thing we need to take away from the vision of the dry bones is that nothing is impossible for God.  God took those dry bones and made them live!  He took a nation that had been conquered and had disappeared for 2500 years and placed them back into their own homeland and raised a flag above their heads.  So, when our own situation seems impossible, we need to remember who our God is! 

In Numbers 11:23, God says to a struggling Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”

And in Luke 1:37, as the angel Gabriel is explaining the virgin birth to Mary, he says to her, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

And in Mark 10:27, Jesus is comparing a rich man entering heaven to a camel trying to pass through they eye of a needle.  Questioned about the seeming impossibility of the situation, Jesus says, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

I’m saying these things to you because I know that each of us has our own situations to deal with, and they can feel overwhelming.  But remember, God knows; He’s in control; and nothing is impossible for Him.

Perhaps you’re finding it hard to believe these things for your life right now.  Maybe you feel that the world, and more specifically, YOUR world, is in a state of chaos and you just need to know that somebody does, in fact, know about your situation and does have things under control.  I’d like to encourage you to reach out to our pastoral team here.  We’d love to talk with you and pray with you and help you to know more about God.  You can find our contact information at www.lefchurch.com.  Why don’t you reach out today.

Amen, let’s pray.

Father in Heaven, we thank You for the truth of Your Word to us this morning.  And we thank You for being in control.  Lord, when our situations are difficult, the devil often comes along to try to get us to believe that You are unable to help us, and we become afraid.  Help us, Father, to make the choice to listen to Your Word instead of the lies of the devil.  Help us to remember Your great strength and power.  Help us to believe that You can take control of our situations, and that, in fact, You ARE in control of our circumstances right now.  For we believe in You. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.



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May 24, 2020
God Knows
Psalm 139:1-6
Pastor Dennis Elhard
(Watch on YouTube) (Audio Only) (Podcast)

Jonah was a man who thought he could run away from God. When God asked him to go and preach against the great city of Nineveh, he caught the first boat going out in the opposite direction. The Bible doesn't tell us whether he thought that God wouldn't know if he ran away, or that if he bolted God would change his mind. Whatever reason, God quickly showed him that he had no difficulty in tracking him down and providing him with a setting where he could experience a change of attitude. Trying to run from God assumes that we think God's knowledge is somehow limited and that we may be able to escape under his radar. But God knows! God's knowledge knows no limits.

The first six verses of Psalm 139 teach us about God's attribute of possessing the ability to know everything. The theological term for this attribute is “omniscience.” Omniscience literally means “all-knowing.” All events are present in the divine mind, that is, he has direct understanding about everything in creation. Divine knowledge is comprehensive – his understanding is all-inclusive and knows no limits – from the workings of the atom, to the wonder of nature and its cycles, and to the heavenly bodies of the universe. But he also knows all the events of history and the future, the rise and fall of governments, and all the news makers in the headlines today and tomorrow. God does not lose sight of anything; and nothing takes him by surprise because his attention was diverted somewhere else.

But God's knowledge is not only extensive; it is also intensely personal and active. Some consider Psalm 139 to be one of the most intimate psalms of the Bible because it displays a striking awareness of God's interest in and knowledge of individuals. The components of this psalm reveal a very close personal relationship between the Psalmist and his God. He is not only the God who plumbs the depths of space, but he is the God who knows the very number of hairs on our heads. (Matthew 10:30) This passage teaches us that he knows everything about each one of us. God's knowledge of us permeates everything we do, everything we think and everything we say.

The first thing we learn from our text is this: God knows all about us. (vs. 1-4) “Lord, you have searched me and you know me.” The word for “search” has the sense of “examining” or “exploring.” David, who wrote this, believes that the Lord has been searching out the minute details and aspects of his life. God is searching him in order to know him – to know his character and his life pursuits. The Hebrew word for “know” refers to an intimate knowledge – it is to know by experience. It s not just an intellectual understanding; it is knowledge that is gained by experiencing (same Hebrew word for sexual intimacy). So as with David, the Lord is searching us, examining us, and he knows us far more intimately than we can even comprehend.

In verse two the psalm begins to give us some of the particulars of the ways that God knows us. So how are the ways he knows all about us?

1. He knows our every move. “You know (same Heb. word) when I sit and when I rise.” God knows your very posture. He is aware of your posture right at this very moment, and he even knows if you are slouching or sitting up straight. And He knows when you move, when you rise up, and when you begin to walk. He knows when you are at rest and he knows when to get up for work. According to this line of scripture, there is not a move that you can make that God is not aware of. That is an amazing and incredible statement. Have you ever stopped and thought about that? What impact could that have on your life? Remember the line from the song, “O be careful little feet where you go!”

2. He knows the extent of our thought life. Now we are getting into even deeper water. “You perceive my thoughts from afar.” The word “perceive” could have also been “discern,” meaning the “ability to understand.” The phrase “from afar” could refer to a couple of things. It could mean that God can discern our thoughts from a great distance - the heights of heaven, or it could mean that God knows our thoughts even before we fully formulate them in our own minds. Whatever the case may be, God is attuned to our thinking, and that is a sobering thought.

God knows our thoughts – we cannot hide them from him – and our thought-life is a major test of our faith. Oswald Chambers wrote: “The mind of man is the battleground on which every moral and spiritual battle is fought.” While we cannot always control what come into our minds, we can decide what we will do with those thoughts. Charles Spurgeon writes: “Some will say they cannot help having bad thoughts; that may be, but the question is, do they hate them or not? Vain thoughts will knock at the door, but we must not open to them. Though sinful thoughts rise, they must not reign. He who turns a morsel over and over in his mouth, does so because he likes the flavor, and he who meditates upon evil, loves it, and is ripe to commit it. Snails leave their slime behind them, and so do vain thoughts.

Good thoughts are blessed guests, and should be heartily welcomed, well fed, and much sought after. They cannot be too much cultivated; they are a crop which enriches the soil. (Phil. 4:8 – Read) Remember that God knows the full extent of our thought life. He knows the areas where we battle and knows the areas where we have victory. Be very careful of the things that you allow to go into your mind and remain– patterns of thinking become the strongholds of our enemy.

3. He knows the extent of our activities. (Read verse 3). God not only knows our every move, but he knows the things we are involved in and with. He knows when you are “out and about,” he knows when you are sleeping, and he knows every pathway you take. The word the NIV translates as “discern” is interesting. It literally means to scatter and was often associated with sifting or winnowing - the process during harvest of separating the wheat from the chaff (combine chaff-er). So you have the sense here that God has sifted through our going out (lit. travels) and our time of lying down. So it appears from this that God's knowledge is not mere “knowing,” but that in some sense his knowledge is actively sifting through even our routine activities. He knows and is somehow involved in the full extent of our life's activities. In Job 34:21 we read, “For his eyes are on the ways of man, and he sees all his steps.”

This particular verse in this Psalm spoke powerfully to Donna a number of years ago. She was going through a very difficult time in her life – struggling with panic attacks. On a day when she was feeling especially terrible, she could do nothing else but lay on the couch and cry out to God. God spoke to her, not audibly, but to her heart. And the thought came, read Psalm 139. She was not familiar with this Psalm at that time, or any Psalms for that matter, so the number meant nothing to her initially. But when she read about God's knowledge of her “lying down,” it was like a word of hope to her. She knew that at that moment God knew her situation and even what position she was in.

4. He knows what we are going to say before we say it. This is an extension of God knowing our thoughts. If he knows what we are thinking about he knows what we are about to say. Before a word is on our tongue, he has intimate, experiential knowledge of what our words will be. Words are powerful things – they have the ability to build up, and they have the ability to tear down. Will it help us to choose our words more carefully if we remember that God knows them even before they roll off our lips? Though he knows what we are going to say before we say it that does not mean that we cannot choose the words that come from our lips.

God's knowledge of us permeates everything we do, everything we think and everything we say. He knows our words and deeds, our thought and motives; he knows us inside out. So you see, God knows all about us.

The second thing we see in this text is that: God's knowledge of us surrounds us (vs. 5-6). Notice the words used in verse 5: behind, before, and upon. God's all-encompassing knowledge of us is so personal and intimate that it gives us the sense of being surrounded. The exact meaning of this verse is difficult. It seems to be saying that God's knowledge of us is so pervasive that it is everywhere – in every direction. God's ability to know, then, is comprehensive – complete; in comparison our knowledge is limited – both of God and even knowledge about ourselves.

In verse 6 David exclaims with awe and worship that God's ability to know him is too wonderful, too high for him to be capable of comprehending. He confesses that God knows him better than he knows himself. God's knowledge is out of his reach - and it's out of ours. When we come to the borders of our capacity to understand and can go no further, we can still bow in worship of the immensity of the knowledge of God.

The Hebrew word that the NIV translates as “hem me in” is very interesting. It is often understood as besiege, but can also mean enclose/surround. So the meaning seems a bit ambiguous, since besiege can often have a negative sense. It seems then that the knowledge of God's all-knowing is both a comfort and a concern to David. The realization that God knows everything about us can be a source of comfort (Donna), but it also can be very disconcerting and maybe makes us a little uncomfortable.

Does the knowledge that God knows in a very intimate sense your thoughts, your desires, your words and all your activities make you a little uncomfortable this morning? Maybe it is making you feel very uncomfortable! Undoubtedly this reality brings to all of us some sense of concern since none of us are perfect. When we think deeply about this truth, it should cause us to consider seriously the kinds of choices we make. What are the patterns of my thought-life? Where am I surfing on the Internet? What am I watching? What am I reading? What are my entertainment choices? Are our activities pleasing to God? Remember, he knows everything, even when we want to run and hide.

On the other hand, maybe the message that God knows you and that this knowledge surrounds you brings a message of comfort to you today. It seems that was the sense in which David primarily understood it, because he responds with worship. If you are not trying to hide things from God, his scrutiny can bring a sense of wonder, of comfort, and of intimacy with the One who created you. Knowing that he knows what you are going through at this moment, or even whether you are sitting or standing, can be a great source of comfort and assurance that you are not forgotten or uncared for.

God knows! He is omniscient. He knows everything – from the cosmic level down to the intricacies of each of our lives. He knows of the unsettling times we are living in, and he knows your concerns, your fears, and your anxieties. He’s a good Father, and because he knows you intimately, he cares for you – in 1 Peter 5:7 we read: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Aren’t you glad God knows you and watches over you? He knows all about us and that knowledge surrounds us. God's knowledge of us permeates everything we do, everything we think and everything we say. We are never alone!