After God's Heart

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast the sum of them!

If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

I awake, and I am still with you.

                                  Psalm 139:17-18 ESV 

     Have you ever tried to count the grains of sand on the seashore, or the stars on a dark cloudless night, or the drops of water in the ocean? Impossible! The number would be so vast that we cannot conceive the total. Yet we are told God’s thoughts are more than the sand.

     Psalm 139 is a beautifully written hymn of David that begins with “O LORD, you have searched me and known me!” and ends with “Search me, O God, and know my heart!”  In Acts 13:22 we find King David called “A man after God’s own heart” (NIV)

     David was an adulterer (Bathsheba) and a murderer (Uriah) and yet out of the depths of his sin, he seemed to understand the vastness of God’s wisdom, presence, mercy, love and grace.

I think of David as the Olympic Torch runner, lighting the way for those who came after him to see and know the vastness of God’s love.

     God is always present with His children. We are never alone. When we sleep, we are in His care. When we rise, we are in His care. When our spirits plunge to the depths of depression, we are in His care. When life seems great and we feel on top of the world, we are in His care. There is no place to run, no place to hide, no place too deep and no place too far to evade the love of God. He formed us, He knows us, and He sees us every moment of every day.

     Once we surrender our hearts to God through Jesus Christ His Son, God watches over us, Jesus intercedes for us and the Holy Spirit indwells us. We are never alone.

     If you are lonely today, pray. If you are anxious, pray. If you are sad, pray. If the weight of the world is crushing you, pray. If you are happy, pray. If you are grateful, pray. God is listening, watching, waiting for His children to realize and recognize that He is alive, powerful and ready to meet every need. His thoughts are precious and uncountable and His presence is constant.

     Today, I want to be after God’s heart! How about you?

 

©Joyce Powell