Thoughts From Afar...

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways…You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” Psalm 139

The other morning I was in charge of Kherington, my granddaughter, in the waiting room of my daughter’s OBGYN. For one hour I chased her around that room and put items back in my pocketbook that she kept throwing out. At one point I looked up and saw her standing at the top of the hallway which led to the room where Kristen disappeared. Her eyes darted between the hallway and my eyes with both anticipation and decision needing to be made on her part. Let’s just say that I ‘perceived her thoughts from afar!’ I waited until her move and quickly rose to my feet at which point she disappeared down the hallway but Emmy prevailed. I am sure she thought that since she could no longer see me that she had removed herself from my presence. The truth is I knew exactly where she had gone and how far for which she could roam.

Our Father is the same way as He sits enthroned above us. We dart from situation to situation without giving much thought to the requirements of even small obedience in our lives. We make decisions that may not be the will of our Father but He still remains present in our circumstances although we have removed ourselves from His will. We choose ‘hallways’ that lead to the desires of our hearts without sitting down with God and discussing His will for our lives.

We may detour like Kherington but He still sets the boundaries for which we are allowed to roam. He knows our thoughts, our agendas and our temptations and will never allow them to become larger than what we can endure through Him. He hems us in for our own protection and gathers us close to Him when we wander too far.

This knowledge gives me comfort and peace that as I make decisions in error His hand will be upon me to correct, to redirect and lovingly bring me back around.