He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
As a teenager, Charles Spurgeon wrestled with God. He’d grown up going to church, but what was preached seemed bland and meaningless. It was a struggle for him to believe in God, and Charles, in his own words, “rebelled and revolted.” One night a fierce snowstorm forced the sixteen-year-old Spurgeon to seek shelter in a tiny Methodist church. The pastor’s sermon seemed directed at him personally. In that moment, God won the wrestling match, and Charles gave his heart to Jesus.
Spurgeon later wrote, “Long before I began with Christ, He began with me.” In fact, our life with God doesn’t begin with the moment of salvation. The psalmist notes that God “created [our] inmost being,” knitting us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). The apostle Paul writes, “Even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace” (Galatians 1:15 nlt). And God doesn’t stop working with us when we’re saved: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).
We’re all works-in-progress in the hands of a loving God. He leads us through our rebellious wrestling and into His warm embrace. But His purpose with us then is only beginning. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 nlt). Rest assured, we’re His good work regardless of how old we are or what stage of life we’re in.
13 For you created my inmost being;v
you knit me togetherw in my mother’s womb.x
14 I praise youy because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,z
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was madea in the secret place,
when I was woven togetherb in the depths of the earth.c
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordainedd for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,a e God!f
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,g
they would outnumber the grains of sandh—
when I awake,i I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!j
Away from me,k you who are bloodthirsty!l
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversariesm misuse your name.n
21 Do I not hate thoseo who hate you, Lord,
and abhorp those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.q
23 Search me,r God, and know my heart;s
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive wayt in me,
and lead meu in the way everlasting.
INSIGHT
- How’s God working in your life at this very moment?
- What’s He doing with you for His purposes?
Psalm 139 is a lyrical composition of undisputed beauty. The psalmist celebrates God’s omniscience (His knowledge of everything; vv. 1–6), His omnipresence (His presence everywhere; vv. 7–12), and David’s intimacy with such an omnipotent (all-powerful) God (vv. 13–18). The way the psalm ends (vv. 23–24) mirrors the way it begins (vv. 1–2). Notice the repetition of the words search and know.
At first glance, verses 19–22 seem out of place. They differ from the rest of the psalm in tone and content. While David writes as an intimate friend of God, there were those who lived and functioned in opposition to Him. They’re described as “wicked” (v. 19), “adversaries” (v. 20), and “[those] who are in rebellion” (v. 21). The God-conscious psalmist, however, wasn’t among them and distinguished himself as such. The similarity of verses 19–22 to what follows in Psalm 140 may suggest that the two psalms should be read together.
PRAYER
Loving God, I’m overwhelmed to think of Your loving care for me from the moment of my birth. Thank You. Help me to respond to Your ongoing work in my life. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!!
Read: Psalm 139:13–24 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 1-3; Luke 8:26-56
