Scripture
1O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
2You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
5You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
7I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave,[1] you are there.
9If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
13You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
17How precious are your thoughts about me,[2] O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
19O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!
20They blaspheme you;
your enemies misuse your name.
21O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?
Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
22Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
for your enemies are my enemies.
23Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Translation notes (2)
- 139:8 Hebrew to Sheol.
- 139:17 Or How precious to me are your thoughts.
How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
Last year, I was gifted a pair of AirPods, and I use them every single day. I use them to listen to music, use them when I exercise, and use them when I talk on the phone. These AirPods are extremely valuable to me not only because of how often I use them but also because I know they are not cheap. Because of this, I am careful with them. I make sure that I do not lose them. Why? It is simple. We take care of and protect what is valuable to us. If we care for material possessions that we see as valuable, such as silly AirPods, how much more should we care for people? Each person we lock eyes with is infinitely more valuable than the most valuable material possession we could ever have.
Scripture teaches that every person on earth is extremely valuable to God. David wrote about this truth in Psalm 139. Throughout this Psalm, David recounts the fact that God knows him completely and loves him. He writes about the fact that God created him and has a masterful plan for his life. As he writes, he declares, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it” (verse 14). A little further on in this chapter, David declares, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered” (verse 17). David was convinced that because he was created by God, the Supreme Creator, he was valuable. In fact, God’s thoughts about him were precious. The same thing is true for each and every person on earth because God created them. God created each person on earth with uniqueness and intentional design. Because of this, His thoughts about them are precious.
Because each and every person is valuable to God, they should be valuable to us, as well. This means we treat them as valuable. It means that we are to treat them with kindness. After all, you take care of and protect the things that are valuable, and human beings are of utmost value.
When we interact with other people, may our motto be, “They matter to God, so they matter to me.”
Moving Toward Action
Let’s make it our mission to remind people just how valuable they are, one by one. Start today by thinking of one person you know who needs to hear just how valuable they are to God and to you. Tell them how valuable they are, and then do one thing to show kindness to them today. It may be as simple as learning an acquaintance’s name and showing them kindness and respect.
Going Deeper
Read Psalm 139:1-24 (NLT)
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