Devotional Reflection on Psalm 139:7–10
Some days, the world feels too vast.
We drift through it—small, unseen, alone in a sea of noise and stillness. We begin to wonder: Does anyone see me? Know me? Am I really... alone?
That was the burden on my heart as I began painting this piece. A lone sailboat, adrift at sea and dwarfed by towering cliffs, came to symbolize a soul feeling lost in the vastness of life—unnoticed, isolated.
I originally titled it "Alone." But as the image took shape, so did the truth I needed to share: we are never alone with God.
The final title became "Omnipresence." Because the truth is this: no matter where we are—physically, emotionally, spiritually—God is already there.
Psalm 139 reminds us:
“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.”
— Psalm 139:9–10 (NKJV)
That changes everything.
Psalm 139:7–10 (NKJV)
“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.”
Understanding the Word Through Inductive Study
When I study, I use the Inductive Bible Study Method:
- Observation
- Interpretation
- Application
Observation
David, the psalmist, asks two rhetorical questions in verse 7:
“Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?”
He doesn’t say, “Where can I go from You?” He uses Spirit and presence intentionally. Why?
Interpretation
To interpret, I looked at where these words first appear in Scripture.
Spirit
- Genesis 1:2 – The Spirit of God hovers over the waters.
- Matthew 3:16 – The Spirit descends on Jesus at His baptism.
- John 4:24 – “God is Spirit…”
- Romans 8:9 – The Spirit of God dwells within believers.
We learn that God is Spirit—non-physical, eternal, personal, and present.
Presence
- Genesis 3:8 – Adam and Eve hide from the presence of the Lord.
- Jeremiah 23:24 – God fills heaven and earth.
- Proverbs 15:3 – His eyes are in every place.
- Hebrews 4:13 – Nothing is hidden from His sight.
To be in God's presence is to be fully seen.
David isn’t trying to escape God. Instead, he’s acknowledging: No matter where I go—You are already there.
Why the Rhetorical Questions?
If you’ve ever said, “Every time I turn around, there you are,” you know it can carry frustration. But David isn’t annoyed. He’s in awe.
Let’s read the next verses:
“If I ascend into heaven… You are there.
If I make my bed in hell… You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning…
Even in the uttermost parts of the sea…
Even there—You lead me.
You hold me.”
David isn’t fleeing. He’s marveling. God isn’t just present—He’s leading and holding.
Application
I’m in my early 50s, and I’ve felt deep loneliness at times. Moments when I was surrounded by people yet felt completely unseen.
Psalm 139 reminded me:
I was never alone.
And neither are you.
To seal this truth, read Romans 8:38–39:
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities nor powers,
nor things present nor things to come,
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Nothing—not your fears, not your doubts, not your isolation—can separate you from His love.
Psalm 139:10 says:
“Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.”
Wherever “there” is for you—grief, uncertainty, anxiety, or even joy—God is holding you. Not loosely. Not conditionally. But firmly, lovingly, faithfully.
You are never out of reach.
You are always in His hand.
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