Many believers wonder to themselves, and sometimes out loud, “Does God have a plan for my life? I wonder how I can find out.” The theme that God cares about every aspect of our lives is emphasized in this psalm. The general purpose of life is clearly stated in Isaiah 43:7: “Even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” Additionally, each believer has a specific purpose and function. Consider David, the shepherd who became king; Elisha, the farmer who became a prophet; Nehemiah, a cup-bearer who became a wall builder; Hannah, a housewife who became the mother of a great judge. Many examples in the Bible and in history show that God used people according to His will. To understand God’s will, one must be a child of God, willing to obey Him, and patient in waiting for His guidance.
This psalm of David describes someone who personally understands what it means to walk in humility before God. His deep knowledge of God and the life experiences that stem from that understanding are what the psalmist writes about. A personal relationship with God isn't just an abstract feeling of warmth and comfort. It is spiritual, Christ-centered, influential, mutually felt, growing, and shared.
In a personal relationship with God or with others, there is mutual recognition. Each recognizes the other. There is mutual openness. Both can approach each other without fearing rejection. They share mutual interests. There is mutual respect that comes with open communication between both parties. The knowledge of God in such a relationship, as this psalm expresses, leaves no room for second-guessing. This is a personal response to the Lord, not copying someone else’s experience or guidelines.
When we acknowledge the omniscience of God in everything we think about and do, we have nothing to hide. His knowledge of us and all we think and do extends beyond our actions to include our motives, attitudes, and goals. We have a limited understanding of what omniscience means, but not what it fully entails. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” However, this does not mean our relationship with the Lord is negatively affected. In fact, for eternity, that relationship will continue to build deeper and more positive traits as the greatness of our Lord steadily unfolds before us.
The fact that God is everywhere removes any reason to think we are beyond His understanding or inability to help us in times of need. It also reminds us, “You cannot hide from God, though mountains cover you. His eyes your secret thoughts behold…” There is no limit in the universe as to where God is, because He is omnipresent. “God is a spirit.” The limits of time, space, and matter do not apply to Him. There are four extremes listed in these verses. Not even the distance between heaven and hell, or the heights of the sky or the depths of the sea, can mark a boundary for our God, who is in every place, at all times, and knows everything.
Our God is so great in knowledge, presence, and power that our minds can only grasp a small part of His greatness. In His omnipotence, He created the universe and everything in it to display His glory and His personality to all intelligent people who take the time to observe, study, and truly learn from what we examine. A baby was born last night that began existence as a person, smaller than the period in this sentence. From that tiny living being, there come 60 trillion cells, one million miles of nerve fibers, sixty thousand miles of blood vessels, and two hundred and fifty bones that make up a human body. That does not include all the color traits, personality traits, and intellectual traits that are part of that small dot of living matter. God, who created it, makes it work in marvelous ways suited to it, puts it all together in proper order, and keeps it all functioning.
The psalmist's knowledge was extensive enough to understand the process of creation and each new act of creation. He recognized that life comes from God and depends entirely on Him, encompassing all aspects of our being—physically, spiritually, and emotionally. When we reflect on all that God has done in creating us, sustaining us, and planning for our future, we should respect ourselves as much as the Lord does. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” There are reasons for this that we might not yet understand—and perhaps never will—but God knows them. Describing God is beyond human knowledge and words. Faith is what makes God real to us. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
If we think of love as a vague feeling of tolerance for anything, even if it isn't biblical, we misunderstand “agape.” Love and truth are connected. Grace and truth are connected. So, in our limited understanding, we might not see why God punishes wickedness so harshly. Sin is like a virus that can't be cured; it must be completely eliminated. Free will shows that humans are not mindless creatures responding only to stimuli like hunger, thirst, and survival. For the emotions of love and hate, the legal choices of justice and evil, the intellectual choices of true and false, and the moral choices of righteousness and sin, we must trust that “The Judge of all the earth” does what is right when He punishes. “Thou wilt slay the wicked…”,
God knows whether our faith is genuine or not. God knows where we are at all times. God created the whole person at conception. Personhood comes from Him, not from the being, animal, or plant. Only God can give life to anything. He alone has the power and right to slay or to save. When He dispensed those who rule over others, He provided the guidelines He expects to be followed in the scriptures of truth.
The final verse of this psalm is a prayer that suits all of God’s people. A true child of God who desires to please Him is not afraid to say, “Search me.” God knows us better than we know ourselves. He will test us for integrity and truth. He will reach a conclusion about what needs to be done to keep us following our Lord in the paths of righteousness. These paths are always the same and have an everlasting nature and purpose. The integrity of devotion will keep us faithful to the Lord in all areas of our lives, especially when we have as clear an understanding as possible, given our limited ability, of who He is.