Golden Chains

Psa 139:1 ESV To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, you have searched me and known me!

          Psalm 139 begins with a statement only a God-lover could make, and not resent it. What solace it is to know that I am known, and there is one Person from whom I cannot hide, one with whom I can communicate honestly, without reproach.
          That's right, without reproach! When Adam sinned, did God suddenly blast him with a thunder bolt? NO! God walked through the garden in the cool of the day. When Adam failed to run to Him as was his custom, God called out to him.
          If only Adam had run to his Father/Creator, fallen on his face and confessed his sin in brokenness. But only when he realized he couldn't hide, his first words were an excuse. I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.(Genesis 3:10) Even then, God refrained from condemning Adam. In vs. 11, God said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? Just a question, still leaving Adam the opportunity of confessing his sin.
          But how did Adam respond to God's grace? The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate. What a lame excuse! Adam, who was intelligent enough to name all the animals of the garden, gave a small child's excuse, as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
          Then, as a last resort, so history could not say He failed to give them a chance to confess, God addressed Eve on the issue. Her answer? The serpent deceived me, and I ate. Confession, yes. But with blame, demonstrating she had learned nothing and her heart was hardened to her own guilt.
          Only then, did God pronounce the judgment we know so well.
          So, back to King David, a man who could have his every whim, but found it necessary to praise God for the limits, or confinements, of his life. The man whose circumstances knew no limits saw the value of control from without; he knew so well that his self-control was not enough. In Psalm 139:5, he wrote:

You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

          No wonder God named him The man after God's own heart.
Father, I too praise you for reigning over me by reining me in before and behind. Your grace is without limit. Your love is beyond knowing. Your peace is a river of life. Your works are marvelous. Yeshua's blood washes me throughout. Thank you, Father.