Silence for 2-5 minutes:
If your mind wanders, silently pray a simple prayer again and again, such as, "I surrender to your love" or "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me" until the Holy Spirit gives you a sense of peace and focus.
Scripture: Psalm 139:1-6
1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. 5 You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
Reading:
Psalm 139 explains in vivid detail how completely exposed we are before God. God of course, knows everything. Theologically speaking, we say God is omniscient. It just comes as a big surprise that God wants to be personally omniscient with ordinary people like us, searching out the depths of our souls. I mean, doesn't He have more important things to do? Initially, we run away and hide from God like our first parents, Adam and Eve did. God however, is tenacious in His quest.
I think we understand in theory that intimacy is being fully known as well as being fully loved by another. A popular definition of intimacy is "into-me-see." This poses a problem though. Much of what is eventually seen are things we desperately try to hide. We spend our lives wearing masks, speaking half-truths, and pursuing superficial behavior modification, never experiencing deep-rooted heart change. We run from God until He "hems us in."
David has finally learned to accept the exposure a relationship with God entails. David even rejoices in it! David understands that hiding is futile, for God will not give up the chase.
Exposure before God is the key to the transformation of our lives. We are exposed before the Lord who accepts us without qualification. Once again, as in Eden, we are “naked and unashamed.” As we experience unqualified acceptance, we know we are encountering the love we have always sought. It is a love that must be experienced and yet is beyond all dimensions.
Paul puts it this way:
that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17b-19)
Only after being fully exposed before God, yet fully accepted and loved are we ready to walk down the "everlasting way" of this transformative journey of love.
Questions/Actions:
In what ways are you hiding parts of yourself from God? Do you see the Lord "hemming you in" so that you will surrender to His love and acceptance?
Prayer:
O Lord, I have foolishly held back parts of myself from you. I have thought that you would reject those parts of me that I don't like. Help me to see that with You there is no rejection of any part of me. Let the exposure of all that I am lead me down the road of transformation to be like Jesus my Savior. Amen!