God Gets Closer When We Try to Flee

"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139: 7-10)

 

The Beloved David, who is a picture of all of us, beloved in the sight of God because we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1: 6).

 

He is a picture of a man living under a New Covenant, and no matter where he goes, he knows that God is with him.

 

Notice that our sins do not put God away from us, or cause His Spirit to leave us. David's prayer in Psalm 51, that God would not take His Spirit from him, is no longer the prayer in Psalm 139.

 

God has searched David (and all of us), and He knows everything (Psalm 139: 1)

 

He specifically mentions His Spirit in this psalm:

 

"5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" (Psalm 139: 5-7)

 

His hand is on us, not to lead us to bad but to good:

 

"5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

 

6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psalm 23: 5-6)

 

Back in Psalm 139, whether he goes to heaven or hell, David recognizes that God is with him.

 

The verse that is particularly fascinating, however, points to David's attempt to take the wings of the morning and live in the deepest parts of the ocean.

 

Obviously, that destination is further away than the grave or hell, and to this day, man has not explored vast stretches of the ocean floor.

 

Yet even if David takes the fastest means, the rays of sunlight which touch the earth at the dawn of morning, not only is God still there, but God is leading David, and His right hand holds him.

 

So, even if we are trying our best to get away from God (forget about falling away in our ignorance or despair), not only does God not go away from us, but He is in fact leading us. When we think that we are going away from Him, we are actually growing closer to Him and walking more in concert with His Will.

 

This may seem strange, but in reality this revelation should give us great comfort and hope. We cannot be lost from God our Father once we are saved. We cannot get away from Him, even when we want to. Even if we get angry with Him and blame Him for our troubles, He does not stop caring for us and carrying us through hard times.

 

In short -- Even when we try to flee, He is closer than ever to us!

 

"28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30I and my Father are one." (John 10: 28-30)