Psalm 139: Revisited

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are 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. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.
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.
Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain.
Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139

God, You have searched my heart and You know my innermost thoughts and desires. You know when I am resting and when I am working; You know my every thought, no matter how far I run. I cannot hide from Your glory.
You understand my plans and my actions, You foresee every eventuality in my life. There is nothing I can say or do that You do not already know; You are there before me and You are there behind me. Wherever I go, You are both with me and yet already there, laying Your hand of protection over me, showing me I am safe.
Father God, You know so much; more than I can ever comprehend. No matter how hard I study or what level of education I achieve, I will never equal Your understanding.
Where can I hide from You? Is there anywhere I can go that You cannot? I could travel to the highest peak of Everest, and You would already be there. I could bury myself in the deepest cavern, and You would be there also. I could flee to the ends on the Earth, sink to the ocean floor, but You are already there - ready to protect me and lead me back to safety. Even if I tried to hide in the darkness, slink into the deprivation of an urban underground or a rural backwater, You will find me. There is day and night to You - You see so deep into both that they might as well not exist; darkness provides no seclusion from Your sight.
Even when I was developing in my mother's womb, You were there with me. You built me and put me together; You wrote my DNA and hardwired my brain, You knitted my bones and fashioned my eyes. I thank You for the amazing work that is me - that is every human being within the whole of history. You created me and knew who I'd be, and You knew all this before my parents did; before my parents were even born themselves.
Father God, You think about me all the time and if I tried to count how often You regard me... Father, Your thoughts are more numerous than all the grains of sand on all the beaches. You think about me the way a parent watches a toddler, looking out for me whether I am awake or asleep.

Despite all this, Lord, there are still those who don't know You or, worse, those that actively hate You. Keep me spiritually secure from this - You know it hurts me to hear others speak out against You. Give me the strength to stand up for You and show others Your breathtaking love and patience. Father God, please give me the demeanour to speak with both grace and humility, and yet the words and authority to defend You. Look inside my heart and check me for duplicity, search me and know my fears. My Father and my God, point out my failings and teach me to follow You evermore closely.