In verses 11 and 12 of David's song about the magnificence and nearness of God, he announces that not even darkness affects God's pervading presence.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,"
Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
There were times in my childhood when I would become fearful at night. (You may recall having similar feelings.) At those times I would grab the covers and snatch them over my head. I can still remember tucking myself far down beneath them, thinking that I would be kept from harm. How childish, yet how much like adults! In a figurative sense, we do this when we think that doing something in secret will somehow escape the Lord's notice. This ancient song reminds us that God sees all! Even the darkness is not dark to the Lord. According to Hebrews 4:13, there is not a creature hidden from Him.
On the encouraging side of the issue, we need never feel lonely. Our Heavenly Father sees it all. He understands our complexities and quirks; He appreciates the unique difficulties we face; He "gets" us better than our closest companions. And best of all, He cares.
Because of David's great Psalm 139, we must come to terms with two of God's attributes that appear conflicted. He is transcendent, which means He exists outside of the universe, beyond the scope of space, time, and the laws of physics. He is immensely greater and more powerful than all of the mass and matter of the universe combined. Yet, God is also immanent, which means He relates intimately and personally with each and every person.
He manages the universe, yet knows every minute detail of 7 billion individual lives. I find that mind-boggling!
From Living the Psalms by Charles R. Swindoll, copyright © 2012. Reprinted by permission of Worthy Inspired, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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