O my Beloved, You have searched me and know me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You discern my innermost thoughts.
You find me on the journey and guide my steps;
you know my strengths and my weaknesses.
Even before words rise up in prayer, Lo, You have already heard my heart call.
You encompass me with love where’er I go, and your strength is my shield.
Such sensitivity is too wonderful for me; it is high;
boundless gratitude is my soul’s response.
Where could I go from your Spirit? Or how could I flee from your Presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there!
If I make my bed in darkness, You are there!
If I soar on the wings of the morning or dwell in the deepest parts of the sea,
Even there your Hand will lead me, and your Love will embrace me.
If I say, “Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night,”
Even the darkness is not dark to You, the night dazzles as with the sun;
the darkness is as light with You.
For You formed my inward being, You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise You, for You are to be reverence and adored.
Your mysteries fill me with wonder!
More than I know myself do You know me; my essence was not hidden from You,
When I was being formed in secret,
intricately fashioned from the elements of the earth.
Your eyes behold my unformed substance;
in your records were written every one of them,
The days that were numbered for me, when as yet there was none of them.
How precise to me are your creations, O Blessed One!
How vast is the sum of them!
Who could count your innumerable gifts and blessings?
At all times, You are with me.
O that You would vanquish my fears, Beloved;
O that ignorance can suffering would depart form me–
My ego separates me from true abandonment,
to surrounding myself into your Hands!
Yet are these not the very thorns that focus my thoughts upon You?
Will I always need reminders to turn my face to You?
I yearn to come to You in love, to learn of your merry and wisdom!
Search me, O Beloved, and know my heart! Try me and discern my thoughts! Help me to face the darkness within me;
enlighten me, that I might radiate your Love and Light!
Nan C. Merrill, Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
The relationship between God and the psalmist is deeply intimate and intertwined. The psalmist is fully known by God and to be fully known is to be completely vulnerable. Vulnerability can feel frightening, but it can also open the door to a deeply rooted, connected love.
At times, I find great comfort in this connection. Other times, I read this psalm and feel the urge to say, “Just leave me alone so I can escape the weight of your thoughts” (a paraphrase of verse 17). When I read this psalm (or any scripture) I try to pay attention to how it makes me feel. Sometimes, reflecting on the love of God feels overwhelming, even exhausting. I catch myself wanting to earn that love, or to respond by doing more, loving others better, being more useful.
But participating in the reign of God on earth is not meant to be a performance. It is sacred, meaningful, and often difficult work. I’ve learned to notice when I start measuring my spiritual life by productivity, because “results” are not the goal of a cultivated spiritual life. Being with God is enough.
I have to remind myself of this often. Having worked in pastoral and nonprofit settings, I know how easily “work” and “spiritual life” become entangled. But there are seasons when those two words don’t belong in the same sentence. In those moments, I need to do less or do something different. Sometimes that means neglecting the blog. Sometimes it means reading a book that has nothing to do with work, taking a class just for joy, or simply taking a nap.
Being with God is enough. I don’t have to do anything to be with God. God already knows me and God knows I need rest.
My hope is that we can all worry a little less about doing and instead relax into simply being with God. Psalm 139 reminds us that God is with us wherever we go, in whatever we do or don’t do.
So let’s just be with God.
Let’s simply be.
Check out other psalm reflections in the links below or find more of my writing published in Presbyterian Outlook or listen to my experiments in podcasting on the Period Pastor Podcast. Follow me @periodpastor
Past reflection links:
139 Year B (2023-2024)
139 Year B (2020-2021)
I began writing Psalm reflections during Lent of 2020. Shortly after, we decided to close the church building, work from home, and worship via zoom. Many churches use the Revised Common Lectionary (RLC) that rotates scripture on a three-year cycle (A, B, and C). Starting in Advent 2019, the church decided to worship with the texts from Year D, which is still not circulated as are years A, B, and C. Year D was created with the goal of including scriptures that were left out or not used as frequently as others. While we were using Psalms in year D, most other lectionary followers were using Year A. In Advent of 2020 we rejoined those who use the lectionary in year B. Advent of 2021 year C. When we returned to in person worship, we took the psalm reflections out of the order of worship. I continued to write them for the blog. Advent of 2022 year A. I left church work in July of 2023 but continued the practice of writing psalm reflections. Advent of 2023 year B. Advent of 2024 year C. I finished year C early, so I began work on psalms I missed: Psalm 119, Year D and others not in the lectionary. By the end of 2025, I have written a reflection for each psalm.
Advent of 2025 year A.
I use the Vanderbilt Divinity Library’s resource for lectionary readings and the PCUSA planning calendar to make text selections.
Year A Psalms
1st Sunday in Advent Psalm 122, 2nd Sunday in Advent Psalm 72, 3rd Sunday in Advent Psalm 146, 4th Sunday in Advent Psalm 80, Christmas Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1st Sunday after Christmas Psalm 148, 2nd Sunday after Christmas Psalm 147, 1st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 40, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 27, 4th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 15, 5th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 112, Transfiguration Sunday Psalm 2 or Psalm 99.
1st Sunday in Lent Psalm 32, 2nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 121, 3rdSunday in Lent Psalm 95, 4th Sunday in Lent Psalm 23, 5th Sunday in Lent Psalm 130, 6th Sunday in Lent Psalm 118 or Psalm 31.
Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 114, 2nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 16 or Psalm 111, 3rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 116 or Psalm 34, 4th Sunday of Easter Psalm 23 or Psalm 100, 5th Sunday of Easter Psalm 31 or Psalm 119: 9-32, 6th Sunday of Easter Psalm 66 or Psalm 115, 7th Sunday of Easter Psalm 68 or Psalm 21, Pentecost Psalm 104.
1st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 8, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 33 or Psalm 50, 3rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 116 or Psalm 100, 4th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 86 or Psalm 69, 5th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 13 or Psalm 89, 6th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 45 or Psalm 145, 7th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119: 105-112 or Psalm 65, 8th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 86, 9thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 119, 10th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 17 or Psalm 145, 11th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 85, 12th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 133 or Psalm 67, 13th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 124 or Psalm 138, 14th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 26, 15th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 149 or Psalm 119, 16th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 114 or Psalm 103, 17th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 145, 18th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 78 or Psalm 25, 19th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 19 or Psalm 80, 20th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 106 or Psalm 23, 21st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 99 or Psalm 96, 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 90 or Psalm 1, 23rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 107 or Psalm 43, 24th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 78 or Psalm 70, 25th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 123 or Psalm 90, 26th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 100 or Psalm 95.
Sources and notes:
“Psalm 139 is the most personal expression in Scripture of the Old Testament’s radical monotheism. It is a doctrinal classic because it portrays human existence in all its dimensions in terms of God’s knowledge, presence, and power. It reflects an understanding of the human as enclosed in divine reality. The psalm is even more a devotional classic, because used as prayer it bestows and nurtures an awareness of the LORD as the total environment of life. It teaches and confesses in the fullest way that “my times are in your hand” (31:15).” Mays p. 425
“The whole has the cadence of a faith that trusts itself to a being known by the LORD that includes discernment of the self, presence to the self, and creation of the self. The psalm is a spiritual achievement that transcends the limits and functions of the usual types.” Mays p. 427
“The psalmist speaks about self by speaking to God and speaks about God by speaking as a self.” Mays p. 427
“Psalm 139 is the second in a collection of eight psalms of David at the end of book 5. Like Psalm 138, it is classified as an individual hymn of thanksgiving, praising God for goodness to or on behalf of the psalm singer, usually for deliverance from some trying situation.” W p. 258
“Four verses of the psalm, 19-22, stand in stark contrast with the rest. They are often omitted in reading and studying the psalm, but scholars suggest that they may provide the hermeneutical key to understanding the circumstance under which it was composed. …. In this context of conflict and hostility the psalm singer speaks in trust and thankfulness for God’s presence.” W pp. 259-260
In verse 13 the Hebrew word translate as “formed” occurs in this Psalm and “three other times in the Hebrew Bible in the sense of begetting a child. …. In Psalm 139 we may be permitted to see the psalm singer voicing a connection between her own “forming” and the first child of humanity (Gen 4:1), the children of Israel (Deut. 32:6), and Woman Wisdom (Prov 8:22).” W p. 263
“The presence of such love invites both fierce loyalty (vv. 19-22) and sweet surrender (vv. 23-24).” NIB p. 697
Alter, Robert. 2007. The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary New York: W. W. Norton & Company
WBC Allen, Leslie C. 1983. Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 101-150. Vol. 21. Waco, TX: Word Books, Publisher.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. 1974. Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible. 8th ed. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Press.
Bourgeault, C. (2006). Chanting the psalms: A practical guide Audio Book. New Seeds.
Brueggemann, Walter. 2007. Praying the Psalms: Engaging Scripture and the Life of the Spirit. 2nd ed. Eugene, OR: Cascade.
Brueggemann, Walter. 2014. From Whom No Secrets Are Hid: Introducing the Psalms. Edited by Brent A. Strawn. 1st ed. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
Brueggemann, Walter. Davis Hanskins, Editor. 2022. Our Hearts Wait: Worshiping Through Praise and Lament in the Psalms Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville KY.
Brueggemann, Walter. (2002). Spirituality of the psalms. Augsburg Pub. House.
Brueggemann, Walter. (1984). The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary. Minneapolis: Augsburg.
Chilson, Richard, ed. You Shall Not Want: A Spiritual Journey Based on the Psalms. Ave Maria Press, 2009.
Chittister, Joan. (2011). Songs of the heart: reflections on the psalms. John Garratt Publishing.
Cudjoe-Wilkes and Wilkes Cudjoe-Wilkes, G., Wilkes, A. J., & Moss, O. (2022). Psalms for black lives: Reflections for the work of Liberation. Upper Room Books.
WBC Craigie, Peter C. 1983. Psalms 1-50–Word Biblical Commentary. Vol. 19. Waco, TX: Word Books.
Creach, Jerome Frederick Davis. 1998. Psalms: Interpretation Bible Studies. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
DAFLER, J. (2021). PSOBRIETY: A journey of recovery through the psalms. Louisville, KY: WESTMINSTER JOHN KNOX.
W de Claisse-Walford, Nancy L. WISDOM COMMENTARY: Psalms Bks. 4-5. Edited by Barbara E. Reid. Vol. 22. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 2020.
Green, Barbara. 1997. Like a Tree Planted: An Exploration of Psalms and Parables Through Metaphor. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.
W Hopkins, Denise Dombkowski. WISDOM COMMENTARY: Psalms Bks. 2-3. Edited by Barbara E. Reid. Vol. 21. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 2016.
NIB Keck, Leander E. 2015. The New Interpreters Bible Commentary. Vol. 3. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.
Lewis, C. S. (2017). Reflections on the Psalms. Harper One, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers.
Mays, James Luther. 1994. Psalms. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.
McCann, J. C. (1993). A theological introduction to the book of Psalms: The Psalms as Torah. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.
McCann, J. C., & Howell, J. C. 2001. Preaching the Psalms. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.
Merrill, N. C. (2020). Psalms for praying an invitation to wholeness (10th Anniversary Edition ed.). London, England: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Miller, Patrick D. 1986. Interpreting the Psalms. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press.
Morgan, Michael. 2010. The Psalter for Christian Worship Revised Edition. Westminster John Knox Press.
Schlimm, Matthew Richard. 2018. 70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know. Nashville, TN: Abington Press.
Spong, M. (Ed.). (2020). The words of her mouth: Psalms for the struggle. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press.
WBC Tate, Marvin E. 1990. Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 51-100. Edited by David Allan. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker. Vol. 20. Waco, TX: Word.
Weems, Ann. 1995. Psalm of Lament. Westminster John Knox Pres
OTL Weiser, Artur. 1998. Old Testament Library: Psalms. Translated by Herbert Hartwell. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Manchester University Press.
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