Psalm 139:7-12

7.Where can I go from Your Spirit ? Or where can I flee from Your presence ?
8.If I ascend to heaven, You are there ; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9.If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10.Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11.If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,"
12.Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

Whenever I read this familiar psalm, I always sing verses 7-10. Someone has set these exact words to a melody, which I learned in college and remember every time I read Psalm 139. These words surely are precious to every believer. We are never alone. Once we become a member of God’s family by believing in Jesus, He never leaves us. In fact, this is one of the names of Christ: Immanuel, which means God with us (Matthew 1:23). Psalm 139 expresses this truth beautifully. There is nowhere we can go where God does not go with us. In fact, not only does He stay with us, He guides us no matter where we are. David says, “Even in the remotest part of the sea Your hand will lead me.” God will take hold of us. He truly loves us with a love greater than any human being can ever give.

23."BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US."

Verse 11 and 12 seem to speak special hope to those who are going through exceptionally dark and difficult circumstances. David speaks of an overwhelming darkness when event the light seems like night. These phrases make me think of the family who has lost their father to cancer, the person submerged in depression, or the patient in the hospital suffering with chronic pain. God does not change in these circumstances. He overcomes them. The darkness is not dark to Him, “and the night is as bright as the day.” He gives us hope in the hardest circumstances of life by His continued presences with us and His unique ability to redeem darkness for light.

Reading this passage reminded me of one of my most favourite books, The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis. Toward the end of the story, the main character Shasta is on a mission but becomes lost in the woods. Most unfortunately for him, he is lost in the pitch black middle of the night in woods he has never been in before. As he wanders hopelessly in the dark, Aslan (the character who represents God) comes alongside him. Although Shasta is terrified, Aslan walks beside him for the entire night. Eventually, Aslan becomes light- it is still pitch black, but light emanates from Aslan. In the end, when it is daylight again, Shasta can see that Aslan led him safely through the danger of the night to just the place he needed to be.  (You'll have to read the book to get the full effect of the story.)  This is a beautiful picture of what our God does for us as well.