Section 1 (Verses 1-6): God knows me
In section 1, the Psalmist (David) acknowledges that God knows him better than he knows himself, and is always with him:
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
Section 2 (Verses 7-12): God pursues me
Next, David recognizes the omnipresence of the Holy One. There is nowhere to hide from His Holiness:
I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night — but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.
Section 3 (Verses 13-16): God created me
Now David moves on to recognition that the One who created all things took the time to “knit together” the very fiber of his being (as He does for each and every one of us)! Life is truly a precious, God-given Gift!
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Section 4 (Verses 17-18): God considers me
As if the Creator of all things spending time on us frail humans isn’t enough, He goes even further to actually spend time thinking about us! This is truly a humbling thing to consider.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me!
Section 5 (Verses 19-22): God makes me righteous
And yet, there is still more. He creates us, He thinks about us, and He moves our hearts to be more like His, to the point where we even feel His sense of unrighteousness against those who speak against our King! He leads us to feel a righteous anger against those who slander our Lord and Savior.
O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers!
They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name.
O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.
Section 6 (Verses 23-24): God leads us to want more of Him
Finally, as God has done all other things for us, He becomes the “Gift that keeps on giving”! The more we consider Him, the more we want to know Him. This will lead us through this life and into the eternity that He is preparing for us:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Oh, what a glorious God we have!