“Even before a word is on my tongue O Lord, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:4-5
Last week I said I was going to “spend a few weeks in psalm 139”, and so we continue into verses 4 and 5.
Verse 5 of psalm 139 has been sticking out to me today.
“You hem me in”
I looked up that word, “hem” in the original Hebrew is this word “tsuwr” which means to confine, or shut in, or enclose.
I love that image of being surrounded by God, of God enclosing me.
God is on all sides.
God is before me and behind me.
Instead of feeling claustrophobic, it ends up making me feel secure and safe.
There’s a song that we’ve sung at church a few times, called “Future/Past” that comes to mind when I hear this psalm. The song says,
“You, you are my first, you are my last,
you are my future and my past.”
(Watch/listen to it here)
This is God to us.
This is God to us.
Before us.
Behind us.
In the past.
In the future.
All around us.
And what is God doing with us?
The end of verse 5 reminds us that God isn’t just watching us from far away, but laying a hand on us…
In almost every occurrence in scripture, the laying on of God’s hand indicates blessing or healing.
That is the promise of this verse.
God surrounds you, encloses you within his loving, healing touch.
I hope you feel that hand of God on you today.
God surrounds you, encloses you within his loving, healing touch.
I hope you feel that hand of God on you today.
Be blessed.