1 00:00:10,230 --> 00:00:14,310 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture, a Calming 2 00:00:14,390 --> 00:00:18,689 Speaker 1: Scripture Center devotional podcast designed to help you end each 3 00:00:18,770 --> 00:00:22,050 Speaker 1: day with God's Word in your mind and on your heart. 4 00:00:25,090 --> 00:00:27,990 Speaker 1: Right after this short word from our sponsors, we'll reflect 5 00:00:28,170 --> 00:00:42,279 Speaker 1: on tonight's scripture and Psalm chapter 139. Tonight's scripture reflection 6 00:00:42,340 --> 00:00:46,060 Speaker 1: is written by Amanda Eidelman and read by Carrie Eichberger. 7 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:53,940 Speaker 1: Psalm chapter 139. You have searched me, Lord, and you 8 00:00:53,980 --> 00:00:57,210 Speaker 1: know me. You know when I sit and when I rise. 9 00:00:57,930 --> 00:01:01,610 Speaker 1: You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going 10 00:01:01,710 --> 00:01:04,380 Speaker 1: out and my lying down. You are familiar with all 11 00:01:04,420 --> 00:01:08,580 Speaker 1: my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, 12 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, 13 00:01:12,420 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is 14 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,340 Speaker 1: too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 15 00:01:20,270 --> 00:01:23,110 Speaker 1: Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I 16 00:01:23,209 --> 00:01:26,209 Speaker 1: flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, 17 00:01:26,250 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, 18 00:01:29,030 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: you are there. If I rise up on the wings 19 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: of the dawn, if I settle on the far side 20 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: of the sea, even there your hand will guide me. 21 00:01:38,660 --> 00:01:42,100 Speaker 1: Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 22 00:01:42,580 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: surely the goodness will hide me and the light become 23 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:49,010 Speaker 1: night around me, even the darkness will not be dark 24 00:01:49,050 --> 00:01:52,630 Speaker 1: to you. The night will shine like the day, for 25 00:01:52,710 --> 00:01:56,150 Speaker 1: darkness is as light to you. For you created my 26 00:01:56,250 --> 00:01:59,559 Speaker 1: inmost being, You knit me together in my mother's womb. 27 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 28 00:02:04,540 --> 00:02:08,899 Speaker 1: Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My 29 00:02:09,020 --> 00:02:11,780 Speaker 1: frame was not hidden from you when I was made 30 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,700 Speaker 1: in the secret place, when I was woven together in 31 00:02:14,740 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body. 32 00:02:18,860 --> 00:02:20,940 Speaker 1: All the days ordained for me were written in your 33 00:02:20,980 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: book before one of them came to be. How precious 34 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,579 Speaker 1: to me are your thoughts, God. How vast is the 35 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: sum of them! Were I to count them, they would 36 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am 37 00:02:34,660 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: still with you. If only you, God, would slay the wicked. 38 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,750 Speaker 1: Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty. They speak of 39 00:02:42,810 --> 00:02:47,209 Speaker 1: you with evil intent. Your adversaries misuse your name. Do 40 00:02:47,270 --> 00:02:50,510 Speaker 1: I not hate those who hate you, Lord? And abhor 41 00:02:50,550 --> 00:02:53,790 Speaker 1: those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing 42 00:02:53,850 --> 00:02:58,540 Speaker 1: but hatred for them. I count them my enemies. Search me, God, 43 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,820 Speaker 1: and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. 44 00:03:03,740 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: See if there is any offensive way in me and 45 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:14,260 Speaker 1: lead me in the way everlasting. What does searching bring 46 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:19,489 Speaker 1: to your mind? Typically, we search for valuable things. We 47 00:03:19,530 --> 00:03:23,070 Speaker 1: spend our time seeking out answers to questions that matter 48 00:03:23,110 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: to us. We search for someone to love and spend 49 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: our life with. Often, we are searching for meaning in 50 00:03:30,820 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: our own stories. Searching brings to mind the idea of 51 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:41,100 Speaker 1: earnestly desiring to know something or someone. In Psalm 139 52 00:03:41,100 --> 00:03:44,950 Speaker 1: verse 1, the psalmist writes that God had searched him 53 00:03:45,070 --> 00:03:50,950 Speaker 1: and knew him. These words paint a picture of interest, value, connection, 54 00:03:51,210 --> 00:03:55,820 Speaker 1: and love. God searches our hearts and our thoughts. He 55 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,970 Speaker 1: finds every part of who we are to be precious 56 00:03:59,030 --> 00:04:02,830 Speaker 1: and worthy of love. God is described as a father. 57 00:04:03,670 --> 00:04:06,170 Speaker 1: As a parent, we get a glimpse of the kind 58 00:04:06,210 --> 00:04:09,950 Speaker 1: of love God has for us. Parents are enamored with 59 00:04:09,990 --> 00:04:13,660 Speaker 1: their children. We are interested in their every quirk and 60 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: silly mannerism. We do all we can to meet all 61 00:04:17,220 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: our kids' needs, and we devote our lives to raising 62 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: and guiding our kids. Of course, as human parents, we 63 00:04:24,500 --> 00:04:28,380 Speaker 1: also mess up. We run out of patience. We sometimes 64 00:04:28,460 --> 00:04:31,730 Speaker 1: fail to show up or love as selflessly as we should. 65 00:04:31,750 --> 00:04:35,410 Speaker 1: So the analogy of an earthly father and our heavenly 66 00:04:35,430 --> 00:04:39,230 Speaker 1: father isn't a perfect one, but it's a glimpse into 67 00:04:39,290 --> 00:04:43,450 Speaker 1: how fully known and loved we are. Our Father God 68 00:04:43,610 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: is love, and His love is perfect. When we begin 69 00:04:48,420 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: to internalize how loved we are, how thoughtfully our being 70 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:57,420 Speaker 1: was crafted, how invested God is in our stories, we 71 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:02,290 Speaker 1: start to let go of our anxiety. 1 John 4.18 teaches, 72 00:05:02,850 --> 00:05:06,850 Speaker 1: There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives 73 00:05:06,970 --> 00:05:10,650 Speaker 1: out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The 74 00:05:10,750 --> 00:05:14,910 Speaker 1: one who fears is not made perfect in love. As 75 00:05:15,029 --> 00:05:19,310 Speaker 1: fully loved beings, we can let go of fear. As 76 00:05:19,350 --> 00:05:23,029 Speaker 1: you rest, Embracing the end of a day you've been gifted, 77 00:05:23,770 --> 00:05:27,530 Speaker 1: meditate on the love of Christ. Christ gave it all 78 00:05:27,850 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 1: so we could accept His perfect love here in the 79 00:05:30,500 --> 00:05:33,060 Speaker 1: land of the living and look forward to the hope 80 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:37,180 Speaker 1: of heaven. By God's amazing grace, we can live with 81 00:05:37,260 --> 00:05:41,180 Speaker 1: peace and rest in the knowledge that nothing can separate 82 00:05:41,300 --> 00:05:48,500 Speaker 1: us from the love of Christ. Father, I thank you. 83 00:05:49,070 --> 00:05:52,330 Speaker 1: that you take time to search and know me, that 84 00:05:52,380 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am thankful that 85 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,740 Speaker 1: you delight in who I am and promise to never 86 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:02,940 Speaker 1: leave me or forsake me. Help me to rest in 87 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:06,900 Speaker 1: the knowledge of your love. Try out any lies that 88 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,230 Speaker 1: would lead me to live with fear or anxiety. Give 89 00:06:10,250 --> 00:06:13,229 Speaker 1: me the strength I need to trust you and to 90 00:06:13,270 --> 00:06:16,849 Speaker 1: stay connected to you every day. I love you, God, 91 00:06:16,870 --> 00:06:19,549 Speaker 1: and thank you, I am your child. 92 00:06:20,390 --> 00:06:20,810 Speaker 2: Amen. 93 00:06:22,810 --> 00:06:25,950 Speaker 1: How did tonight's scripture speak to you? Share your thoughts 94 00:06:26,060 --> 00:06:28,190 Speaker 1: in the Your Nightly Scripture Forum discussion. 95 00:06:36,940 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture 96 00:06:41,940 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 2: was read from the New International Version by Biblica. All 97 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:52,700 Speaker 2: rights reserved. be sure to follow our sister show, Your 98 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:58,020 Speaker 2: Daily Bible Verse, on Apple or Spotify. By following Your 99 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:02,430 Speaker 2: Daily Bible Verse and Your Nightly Scripture, you can be 100 00:07:02,510 --> 00:07:06,770 Speaker 2: sure that your day begins and ends centered on the 101 00:07:06,810 --> 00:07:07,429 Speaker 2: Word of God. 102 00:07:19,570 --> 00:07:21,020 Speaker 1: Thank you.