If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.
7 sermons cite this verse
… Not that. I'm talking about who really knows you. David was able to pin this in such an amazing way in Psalms 139 verse 1 through 14 And I want you to see this because I really need you to know only God can fix you because only God truly knows me David writes, oh lord You've examined my heart and know everything about me You know when I sit down, you know when I stand up, you know my thoughts watch this even when I'm far away This is so encouraging for me because some of you are in here and you're new to faith And you barely just came today because the person that your friends with told you to come and you may not be close to God, you may not believe at all. But all I want you to know is your creator still knows your thoughts and he knows you even if you're far away. And this is the thing about our God is he doesn't want to be disconnected from you. …
… 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. For you created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you. when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. …
… such is your omniscience, your all-knowing. We continue, verse 7, where shall I go from your spirit or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there. I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there your hand shall lead me your right hand shall hold me if i say surely the darkness shall cover me and the light about me be night even the darkness is not dark to you the night is bright as the day for darkness is as light with you this is david's way of saying not only do you know me, but you are with me. No matter how high, no matter how low, no matter how far away, no matter how dark and mysterious my situation may seem to me, Lord, you are there. See, His omniscience is that attribute of God with reference to His knowledge. Immensity is the attribute of God that means He fills all in all. …
… If you can look for him in the lows, you can only go so low. One psalm says, "'If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, you are there. Where shall I go from your presence? Where shall I ascend? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there. If I descend to hell, you are there. If I say, "'Surely the darkness will cover thee. light will become as night to thee, for you are there. Your presence is everywhere." So, I want you to look for God in the lows. The contrast we have in Psalm 120, why I thought it would be so great for us to study together today, is because on one hand, this psalmist is going up. He's going up to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is in the mountain region, so to go to Jerusalem, You Go Up Every Time, a song of ascent. He's singing a song of ascent as he's going up, but it's also a song of lament, which is grief. He's on his way, headed up to worship, but there is something that is weighing him down as he walks. Every single person who is here in this room today, on your way up to worship, on your way up to lift your hands and praise God, on your way over here, there was something that was weighing you down. It's surprising you don't have a flat tire from all the weight that was in the car with the tension that is in your family …
… something today that I think is really, really easy to understand but so difficult to apply. I'm going to be reading from Psalm 139, verses 7 through 17. This will be the foundation, and then I'll share a story from the Old Testament to illustrate this thought today that God gave me. Every sermon starts as a thought, so I want to talk to you about thoughts from a thought God gave me, which is, by the way, why I keep stacks of notebook paper all around my house. In case God gives me a thought, I need to be ready to catch it, just in case I can give it to you. This is so powerful. look at Psalm 139, David is speaking about the wonder of God. I was going to read only verse 17 to set up my thought, but I feel like it'll be so much more effective if I start at verse 7. So listen to this. The psalmist says, Everyone standing, please, for the Word of God, if you're physically able. Thank you. …
… us in front of people who didn't want to see it happen. It is one thing to be familiar with, if I ascend to the heavens, thou art there. And if I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there. but it's another thing to watch God show up in the mess of your life and stand up with a broom and a mop and for some of us some bleach it's another thing to find out about the scripture but when I get to Proverbs 3 5 and it says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding I had some difficulty because in my life I remembered praying for my best friend to get better and then watching them lower her casket. I remember praying for a job and hoping and then getting to the final interview and getting an email. Y'all probably got this email before. Miss Anderson, we're sorry, but we've gone in another direction. Y'all know that email. …
… or whither shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me. and thy right hand shall guide me, shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day. The darkness and the light are both alike to thee, for thou hast possessed my reign. Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. The word of the Lord is blessed. You may be seated. Shall we pray? Oh, to grace, how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be. Let your grace, Lord, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. …