Hemmed in by the Almighty.

In the New King James Bible (my Bible of choice) psalm 139:5 says "You (God) have hedged me behind and before..."

But in the NIV or ESV it reads "You have hemmed me in behind and before..."

In either case the meaning is the same. God has us surrounded. Where can we run from Him? And when we want to run is there any place we'd rather be?

Hemmed in. Hedged in. Held in. Surrounded. He goes before us and He follows behind us. Everywhere and in everything we can see Him. If we look.

We must learn to see the stitches. He's here and on this side and He's over there too. His skillfull work is all around us to remind us there is no place for us that does not hold Him too. Those moments of deepest, seemingly unforgivable sin and those moments of swollen joy and worship. He's there. He sees us the same in both.

When we betray and deny Him. When we dance in joy for Him. He's there. He's the same. His grace is reaching down to us. Ever reaching. Always surrounding.

But we cannot truly know His grace until we know our own grace-hate. Our grace-blindness. Our grace-ignorance. Our gracelessness.

In the ugliness of our hearts there is the pushing desire to "go it alone" to "do it my way". I know this so well. I am a rebell if nothing else. My eyes are so often blind to the help that is grace. Trying to sprout life through the concrete of my heart. Its a miracle, but He does it.


A quote from Martin Luther:
"God receives none but those who are forsaken, restores health to none but those who are sick, gives sight to none but the blind, and life to none but the dead...He has mercy on none but the wretched and gives grace to none but those who are in disgrace."


He has hemmed us in. We cannot get away from Him. Therefore, let us learn to see Him.


Liz