God, investigate my life;
get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
then up ahead and you’re there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can’t take it all in!
Psalm 139:1–6; The Message
Do you ever feel like you start each day stuck in a rut? Let’s face it, most of our mornings begin the same way. We wake at about the same time, shower and get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, and think briefly about the day’s schedule. Some of us deal with kids, grandkids, or pets. Before the coffee is brewed or the news is checked, day after day, we manage to remember who and where we are, and what we need to do.
Psalm 139 reminds us that God also knows all these things about us. Even before we know God and even when we’re not thinking of God, God knows us. God’s knowledge of us somehow precedes our awareness of God. God knows when we sit and when we rise, when we speak and when we are silent, when we feel close and when we wander far. This isn’t stalking or surveillance; it’s relational, an intimacy grounded in love and care.
As Wesleyans, we have a name for this gentle, persistent presence of God at work in us long before we have words for faith. We call this grace that is already waiting when we wake up prevenient (before living or being) grace.
Perhaps the most comforting truth for this morning is that we don’t have to summon or invite God into our day. God is already with you, wherever you are and whatever you’re facing. Already listening. Already invested in you.
Maybe the work of this morning is something as basic as noticing. Where might God already be present in your life today, even before you acknowledge him presence?
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for meeting me before I even begin my day. Help me notice your presence around me throughout my day. Reassure me that I am known and loved by you. Amen.
