THE WONDROUS ACT OF FOLLOWING GOD
Psalm 139: 17-18
06/16/13 Dr. Marshall C. Zieman
Our Old Testament lesson is taken from the book of Psalms, from Psalm 139, which theologians have called “the crown of all
psalms.” I invite you to take your pew bibles and once again open them up to Psalm 139, found right in the middle of your bible.
Strangely enough, for this sermon today, I don’t want you to look at me; instead I want you to look at this. I want you to look
down at the entirety of Psalm 139 as we think about these words to us. Look at the entirety of this psalm, the whole thing, because
the verses I will read for today are best seen in light of the whole psalm. The whole psalm, which was originally written as a poem or
a song, is a work of 4 distinct stanzas, and our two little verses for today compose the ending of the third stanza. Look at Psalm 139,
verses 17 and 18. In fact, if you’re looking at it, let’s say it out loud together. Alright?
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
Here in the sanctuary with Ron, you have been working your way through this Psalm for the last few weeks. So today, Father’s
Day, is week 4 of this 6–week series. I’d like to remind you of what the psalmist has said so far, and it boils down to three main
things:
First, in the first 6 verses there, look at those verses. Those verses tell us that God is Omniscient. This means that God knows
everything. Most importantly for you and me, God knows everything about us. He knows everything about humanity. So look at
those words in those first 6 verses. God searches. God knows. God perceives. God discerns. God is familiar with everything about
us. That’s just the first 3 verses. God knows our thoughts. God knows our actions. God knows our words, even before we speak
them. God is Omniscient.
Secondly, in verses 7-12, we see that God is Omni-present. This means that God is everywhere. Verse 7 begins with a
question: “Where shall I go from your Spirit?” The psalmist isn’t trying to escape, but is expressing the joyful astonishment that
escape is impossible and that God’s hand is everywhere to guide and hold him.
He even shows us three different escape routes in these verses and declares that even there, God is present – if you go to
heaven, or to Sheol (the abode of the dead), God is there. Rising on the wings of the dawn, (which is a poetic way of saying,
‘travelling at the speed of light’) to reach the far side of the sea—God is there. Or how about the darkness; if you hide in the
darkness? Darkness is like the light to God (God’s eyes pierce through the darkness) God is there, too. Because God knows
everything about us, because God is with us wherever we go, you find that Psalm 139 is often read at funerals – these are great
words of compassion and comfort at times when we need it most. So if this psalm rings a bell with you, you’ve probably heard it
read at a funeral.
The third section of this psalm is found in verses 13-18, and here we learn God is Omnipotent, or All-Powerful. God can search
us out (not only because God sees us and is with us, but) because God made us. Both our “inward parts” there, and our “frame,” are
made by God. So, not just your body, but also your mind, your will and your emotions were all made by God! God made you the way
you are. And then it says, “We are knit together, we are intricately woven, (look at those words in there) we are fearfully and
wonderfully made. Even before we were born, all the days of our lives were planned and written in God’s book.
And when we behold a baby (like Kamryn, or Landon) all these things come to mind about the way we are made, when you
think about those little babies and all the days of their lives that lie ahead of them and you realize that God already knows what lies
ahead. (That’s a great comfort to parents, by the way, to realize that God already knows what lies ahead.) Almighty God, the Creator
of the Universe, created us– God knows us. How did Handel put it, quoting from Isaiah? Who is God? He is our Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. That God is also your Creator. God made you, and He knows you.
(Thus, God is called in Scripture, “The Author of Life.”)
Science is teaching us so much about life. We are constantly learning more. Our culture loves to differentiate between
Science or Faith, like they were opposites but the conflict is not always there. Science helps us to see the amazing acts of God even
clearer.
So, go to the Perot Museum and stare into the galaxy or below the earth or sea. You should wonder at the complexity of all this
that God has created. Go to the Dallas or Fort Worth Zoos and look with amazement at the difference of all the animals. Go to the
City Performance Hall and hear our musicians proclaiming the glories of God. Go to Rangers Ballpark and watch Elvis Andrus turn
that double play; it’s amazing how he can do that. Or look at the little fingers and fingernails of little Shay or Kamryn or Landon and
be amazed at the wonder of God behind all that.
All of these things should lead us to our two verses here today. After hearing all that from this psalm, now we’re ready to hear
what the psalmist said and what we read out loud just now:
17How precious to me are your thoughts, O Lord! How vast is the sum of them! 18If I would count them, they are more than the
sand.
The psalmist is in love with this kind of God – the God who knows Everything about him, who is Everywhere with him, and has
Every Power over him. Because of this, God, “I want to follow you, I want to know your thoughts, I want to walk in your ways. I want
to be your disciple, I want to be your man, your woman. On Father’s Day, God, I want to be the best father, or mother, or child, I can
be.”
And you pledge all this, not based on who you are, or how good you think you are, you strive to be this kind of God-follower,
because this kind of God is so wonderful. Look at the exclamation in verse 14 – “Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very
well.”
This is a model for us on how we’re supposed to live our lives.
A case study, from that great laboratory, the book of Acts, which was read for us earlier: Paul and Silas, at midnight in the
jailhouse in Philippi. This God, who knows everything about them and is everywhere with them and has every power over them in
his divine wisdom has seen fit to land them in jail and that’s where they are. (In the preceding verses we are told that the city leaders
had already beat them up, and then they were actually put in the most secure part of the prison, their feet fastened in stocks. This is
dire.)
So you’d naturally think they were hurting, and frightened, and worried. Maybe they were. But what, in fact, were they doing?
Praying and singing hymns to God. Would that be your reaction? I think it can be, if you believe that the God you love and serve
knows everything about you, is everywhere with you, and has every power over you.
In the pages of Acts we see Paul, learning these things. He is learning to worship God, in spite of their circumstances.
Everybody in the prison is taking note. So God chooses to send this earthquake, and everybody is freed. God has done it again. He
has shown up… right on time. Maybe you’ve also had instances when God has shown up, right on time for you. I’ve had a few. St.
Paul, it seems, had a lot of them, as you read through Acts.
On this Father’s Day, let’s not talk about Paul, but instead talk about this father, the jailor, and his response to all this. This
passage leaves us with a great example of what being a father is all about, or should be. If being a father is about finding what is
best, and wanting your family to have the best, then this jailor has found it.
In one incredible moment – his jail is destroyed, he’s about to end his life, but wait, nobody’s escaped, and then, as a
testament to the power of God to show up any time and convict anyone, when we are least of all expecting it, this most unlikely of all
candidates is asking about God and salvation.
Paul and Silas had been apprehended and beaten, then imprisoned and bound in the darkest part of the jail, but still praising
God all the while, then rescued by the power of God but didn’t try to escape, and this jailor notices it.
God came to the jail that night, not just with the earthquake, but in the power to touch this man’s heart and now he’s asking
them about how he can get what they have. “What must I do to be saved?”
31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 And they spoke the word of the
Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was
baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along
with his entire household that he had believed in God.
God lights a fire in his heart, and he responds. They speak the word of the Lord to him, they tell him about Jesus, and His
whole household follows suit. This is the Wondrous Act of Following God: You realize that God is calling you. You give yourself
wholeheartedly to God. You entrust your family wholeheartedly to God. Now, everybody’s rejoicing. What a great picture. It’s like
when Zacchaeus, the notorious tax collector, is found by God, Zacchaeus’ heart is changed, he repays what he stole, he gives to the
poor, and Jesus cries out, “Zacchaeus, you are saved.” That whole house is filled with joy.
The jailor’s house is rejoicing, too – they’ve all believed in God. What they are exclaiming, in their own words, is just what the
psalmist teaches us to say in verses 17-18: 17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18If I
would count them, they are more than the sand.
He’s saying, “God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, God’s so good to me.” Maybe our kids will sing that this week
in VBS. Don’t you want to say that, every day? On Father’s Day, what is keeping you from saying it today?
Parents, what’s keeping your whole household from following your lead?
I know what you’re thinking – “you don’t know my household” (my kids, my teenagers). We don’t know exactly who was in the
jailor’s household, either. Did he have teenagers thinking, “Dad, why are you getting baptized?” Did he have a mother-in-law living
with them? Or a dozen other relatives? We don’t know, but we know this: when God showed up at his house, they all paid attention.
This is how it’s supposed to work. This is the real thing. Keep this picture in your mind; this is how it’s supposed to work.
It’s been said that when the FBI wants to teach its people how to identify counterfeit money, they don’t show them counterfeit
money. What do they show them? Real money. They study real money so well, so absolutely well, that when ANY counterfeit bill
shows up, they can spot it immediately. That’s how well they know the real thing. If God knows everything about you, is everywhere
with you, and has every power over you, that is the real thing. What else matters, really?
May God open all our hearts as wide as the psalmist’s heart as we partake in the wondrous act of following God. Follow God
this week, wherever He takes you.
Let’s pray. Lord, where will You take us this week? Hopefully not to jail but wherever You lead us may we realize that You are
there too and may we have hearts that want to pray to you and even sing a hymn to you, no matter what! We thank You, God, for all
You know about us, for everywhere You are with us, for the total power You have over us as our Creator. Forgive us when we forget
these things. Make these things lie deep in our hearts as we follow You this week. It’s in Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.