There are times when the hardest words in the world to utter are “Praise the Lord!” (also translated “Hallelujah!”). These words just don’t flow from our lips. In fact, there are times we are turned off even when others use the words! Interestingly, each of the last five psalms in the Hebrews’ ancient songbook begins with that exclamation of praise.

Do you want to be a person whose walk with God is intimate and deep? Honestly now, is Christianity simply a ticket to heaven for you, or is it the very root and foundation of your life? Is this business of Bible reading/study, prayer, church attendance, baptism, witnessing, the Lord’s Table, and the singing of hymns just something to calm your guilt and/or occupy your Sundays?

As David thought about God’s intricate design of humanity in Psalm 139, and he pondered the Lord’s loyal love for each individual He took such care to fashion and endow with purpose, the king grew angry at the enemies of God. How ungrateful. How disloyal! How outrageous that they should rebel!

Isn’t this true? We are a species of wonder. No one would argue that the human body is a phenomenal combination of strength, beauty, coordination, grace, and balance on the outside. But if you think the outside is remarkable, just glance inside. Talk about something wonderful! Verse 15 describes our origin.

Look at the first twelve verses of this great song. From the first six verses we discover that God knows us thoroughly and completely. God is omniscient. Furthermore, we learn that God is in full control. Nothing occurs outside the realm of His sovereign will. God is omnipotent. Then, in the next six verses, we find that He who knows us is always near us. God is omnipresent.

There were times in my childhood when I would become fearful at night. (You may recall having similar feelings.) At those times I would grab the covers and snatch them over my head. I can still remember tucking myself far down beneath them, thinking that I would be kept from harm. How childish, yet how much like adults! In a figurative sense, we do this when we think that doing something in secret will somehow escape the Lord’s notice. This ancient song . . .

All right, so God knows me and controls me (Psalm 139:1–6); He can do that at a distance, through millions and millions of light years of space. But is He near? According to Psalm 139, David’s song about the amazing attributes of God, yes.

The Lord remains in complete control of the smallest details of His creation; He is all-knowing and all-powerful. Knowing us as He does, He puts the necessary controls upon us. The fact that He “encloses” us could be misunderstood. This is the translation of a Hebrew term used for the besieging of a city in battle—closing off all escape routes. One Hebrew scholar says it means “to be hemmed in.” The idea is that God has us in inescapable situations . . .

If you’ve ever been a part of a large organization, such as a multibillion-dollar corporation or a governmental agency or a university, it’s unlikely you’ve ever met the people at the top of the leadership chain. You may have heard their names or read their announcements, but you probably didn’t know them personally. And they undoubtedly wouldn’t have known you from any other person in the organization. So, it’s only natural to wonder if the supreme Ruler of the universe has the slightest idea who you are.

Did God respond to the plea of Psalm 137? Absolutely! After seventy years in exile, every Jew who wanted to return to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and restore the temple was allowed to do so. And the Jews learned their lesson. While they were certainly not a sinless people after their chastisement, they never again struggled with the issue of idolatry. And to this day, they prize the Old Testament Scriptures above all.