Under the Father's Covering

Monday, November 29th, 2010

Today's Passage: Psalm 139:1-6
Memory Verse: Ps. 139: 1-2

Have you ever watched the way a mother and her toddler interact?  It's amazing.  At first glance, you'd think that mother wasn't really paying attention to her child at all.  But if you looked closer, you'd see that although she gives him or her room to move around, she's always watching out of the corner of her eye.  Even if she's carrying on a conversation, she would never get too distracted to let her precious child out of her sight.

Reading today's passage sort of gave me that feeling about what the psalmist was thinking when he wrote this psalm.  The Message Bible captures it this way:  

"God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too--- your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful--- I can't take it all in!"

When you think about it, a toddler wants to be able to explore as far and as much as he or she can without the presence of that parent standing in its way.  But, just like a loving parent who sees the dangers that child doesn't see, Mom will be standing right there, guiding him or her gently in the right direction and away from the danger.  Have you heard the toddler protest at not having the freedom to do what he or she wants?  Oh, sometimes it might be just a whine.  Other times, it comes much more loudly.  But that won't stop Mom from doing what she does anyway.

Isn't that just like God in our lives?  We may think we're big enough to do what we want to do.    But God's merciful LOVE doesn't let us get far enough away to hurt ourselves.  He can see us trying to reach for those things that might ultimately destroy us.  So He reaches down and picks us up, moving us to safety in spite of our protests.  Then all frustration fades as we are wrapped in His arms, all frustrations quickly forgotten in the shadow of His love.  Makes you wanna just stay close, knowing we won't lack for anything as long as He is near.  May we all live in this place of covering everyday.

Prayer:  Father, like the psalmist, I'm proud to say that the knowledge of You never being far away from me is too wonderful for me.  My tiny mind couldn't begin to conceive how You do it.  But with all of me, I greatly appreciate how You cover me.  I repent for the times when I think I can be independent and do things on my own.  Then You allow me to falter just a little, and I realize I can never be without You.  Teach me to be content to live in and stay always under Your covering.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.