When I left for my morning walk, I noticed it. The wind enveloped me. It surrounded me. It was swirling all around me. When I paused to feel the wind - to take it in for a moment - it was behind me and before me and beside me. I couldn't escape it. And the Holy Spirit brought Psalm 139:5-6 to mind. Check it out in these different translations:
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain. NIV
5 You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand! New Living Translation
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! The Message
5 You have beset me and shut me in—behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me.
6 Your [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high above me, I cannot reach it. Amplified
Isn't the thought of being completely surrounded by God incredible? Picture God constantly swirling around you like the wind... never leaving you or forsaking you as Deuteronomy 31:6 says. Envision the wind as God's gentle embrace when you're struggling because the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). Or just as the wind can be a powerful force, imagine God's powerful tug lifting you up when you've fallen like Psalm 40:1-3 describes:
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
Hear Him speak His truth to you... it could be gentle encouragement like the rustling of the wind through the trees or it could be a tumultuous roar of warning like the sound of a tornado. God's Word is powerful and Hebrews 4:12 reminds us how powerful it is:
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Rest in confidence that God is behind you and before you and beside you as Psalm 139:5-6 so beautifully reminds us. Experience the joy and peace that comes from choosing to believe Psalm 139:5-6 because it truly is too much, too wonderful to grasp (Psalm 139:6 The Message).
May we never experience the wind the same way again...
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