Fully Known, Deeply Loved - Psalm 139

Carol Walker

Introduction: The Fear of Being Seen and the Safety of Being Known

Years ago, even before I knew Dan, I went to Europe on a summer short-term mission trip with a friend of mine. Before we arrived at the mission house in Austria, we spent two weeks in England staying with mutual friends. While in England, I struggled with having a good sense of direction, and I was constantly asking questions about our whereabouts.

By time we boarded the plane, heading to Vienna, Austria, I realized it was irritating her. We landed in Austria and then the mission director drove us to the mission house, After we arrived at the mission house, I felt confident. I told my friend, Eileen, I knew exactly where we were…. until she asked me to explain the directions, naming the streets.

Proudly, I said, ‘Yes. Get on the highway called Einbahn, follow it until it turned left by the red brick building, and I described a few more turns, and then we reached the mission house. She smiled and said, ‘Carol… that word means one way.’ And just like that, I was completely embarrassed, my directional challenge was fully seen, and I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

That moment stayed with me — not because I didn’t know German, but because of how it felt to be seen in light of my failure. Most of us have felt a similar feeling at some time in our life – some part of us becomes visible and we want to hide. The fear of being seen and misunderstood is real.

The fear that if someone really knew our inner self — or what we struggle with — we would feel humiliated and embarrassed rather than accepted. Yet Psalm 139 tells us something radically different: The God who fully knows us is the God who deeply loves us.— Fully Known, Deeply Loved. As a kick-off, I want to share from Psalm 139 – A Psalm that meets us in the fear of being transparent yet reminds us we are fully known and deeply loved.

Psalm 139:1-6 Intimate Relationship with My Lord

How do we know it is a Psalm of intimacy? Opens with “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.” “O LORD” is a personal, relational, covenant name of God.

It draws God himself toward his people. It is a Psalm is spoken in first person. The LORD’s posture is described as closeness.

Psalm 139:1-4 “You have searched me, LORD, 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. Before a word is on my tongue you, O LORD, you know it completely.”

What does the Lord do in this intimacy? Searches, perceives, discerns me, he is familiar with my ways. Notice this progression—“searched” and ends with “familiar”. When we are familiar with—this implies we have spent time with.

He knows our movements, our thoughts, our words before we speak—nothing about us is outside his knowing. Immediately following this intimacy and familiarity, David concludes with “O LORD.” – the same personal intimacy he began with. In verse 5, the relationship gets closer.

Psalm 139:5 “you hem me in—behind and before… you have laid your hand upon me.”

The word “hand” is a sign of closeness, intimacy, and protection. Laying a hand on someone implies closeness—like I can lay my hand on my husband, Dan, but not a stranger. This is not the posture of a distant judge.

This is the posture of a loving Father, who is protective and caring. The God who fully knows us is the God who deeply loves us.— Fully Known, Deeply Loved.

Psalm 139:7-12 Made for Connection

David moves us to a posture of connection. He writes rhetorical questions, not because he needs an answer, but because he is declaring truth. He is expounding on the idea that the LORD is everywhere.

Psalm 139:7-9 “Where can I go from your Sprit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,”

Then David brings it around to the LORD’s touch again.

Psalm 139:10 “even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

God’s hand gives guidance. His right hand signifies strength, favor, and a firm grasp. Recall verse 5 “you have laid your hand upon me.” Closeness, Protection, and resting.

Years ago, I would take our children to the store. As we climbed out of the van, I grasped my hand with the hands of the younger ones, then the older children grabbed another part of my arm or the basket I was pushing. Holding my hand was for closeness, protection, and safety.

It brought direction as we walked from the van to the door. It brought strength as they learned discipline through listening and obeying mom’s voice. The same is true as we focus on the Lord’s hand in this chapter.

His hand draws near. His hand guides. His hand bring strength.

When I was younger, probably around age 4 or 5, there were times when someone would do something that would irritate me or make me mad. I wanted to think bad thoughts about them to be mad at them. But I feared Jesus.

I did not want Jesus to know my sinful thoughts. So, I would go around the house to find books, then take them to my room and stack them on my head. I thought that if I created this barrier above me, then Jesus could not know my thoughts.

That is a funny story, but as adults, we also find ways to hide when we deep parts of us that we try to keep hidden.

Psalm 139:11-12 “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”

There is no place I can go from your presence because you are everywhere. We cannot hide in the heights, nor the depths, nor the far side of the sea. We cannot hide in the darkness, nor under a stack of books.

The Lord is everywhere for our relationship with him. This comforts us because this chapter has spoken of Lord’s closeness, nearness, protection, guidance and strength resulting in a beautiful relationship. There has not been a single judgement in this chapter Everything has pointed to a relationship of being seen and valued by the LORD.

Psalm 139:13-18 Creativity and Our Response

Psalm 139:13-18 speaks of another aspect of the LORD’s intimacy – his creativity.

Psalm 139:13 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

This relates back to the “hand” imagery. When we create something, this implies that our hands are on it. The LORD created us, knitted us together in our mother’s womb.

David has taken us through a journey of the LORD’s closeness. Searching us, Protecting us, Guiding us, Giving us strength. Now in verse 14 we read a beautiful response from David.

Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.”

David has this attitude of praise, adoration, and acknowledgement, because he understands something profound. He is the LORD’s masterful workmanship. He knows he is fully known…and deeply loved.

In a world where we are constantly measuring ourselves through social media, don’t let algorithms determine how you view yourself by mindlessly scrolling through social networks. Instead, meditate on God until your soul knows you are one of God’s wonderful works. Then you can say with confidence these words of praise.

Psalm 139:15-16 “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

If we haven’t felt seen by the LORD by now, these verses make it clear. “My frame was not hidden from you…your eyes saw my unformed body…” The LORD is intimate with us.

He is weaving his desire for intimacy through this whole chapter. After knowing everything there is to know about us, I can hardly read the next verses without slowing down and focusing on every word.

Psalm 139:17-18 “How precious to me are your thoughts, O GOD! How vast is the sum of them. Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.”

David begins with a relational warmth, “How precious…” After knowing everything about our inner world, that hidden side of us that we tell no one, the LORD’s thoughts toward us are precious. The God who fully knows us is the God who deeply loves us.— Fully Known, Deeply Loved.

In God’s infinite wisdom, creative nature, his ability to hold countless thoughts, numbering more than the grains of sand, his thoughts toward me are precious.

Psalm 139:19-24 An Invitation to Be Searched and Led

I used to wonder why these verses 19-22 were in this beautiful chapter that speaks of our intimacy with the LORD. But recently, the Lord has shown me a new perspective which makes perfect sense.

Psalm 139:19-22 “If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.”

David talks about the evil of those around him with words like wicked, bloodthirsty men, speak with evil intent, and adversaries misuse your name. David makes it clear that he wants to have nothing to do with them. These verses inform us that our love for God creates grief and sadness towards the evil around us.

As we deepen our intimacy with the LORD, we will be grieved toward the evil surrounding our life. It also gives us a picture of the difficulties David was facing, as men were in pursuit of his life and many times his life was threatened. Understanding this sets us up for the final two verses.

Psalm 139:23-24 “search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

David brings an ending to this chapter much the same as he began in verse 1. “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me….” Now he prays, “search me, O God, and know my heart.”

Despite adversaries that surround him, he is inviting God to search him and look for anything offensive. David finds this searching and knowing to be comforting because he desires growth that leads him into the everlasting arms of his LORD. We miss divine guidance when we pray “lead me” without also praying “search me” and “test me.”

Instead of asking God to lead him toward a self-appointed destination, he asks the LORD to lead him in the way everlasting. David wanted to make choices that drew him nearer to the LORD. When we invite the LORD to search us and test us, it is a win in life because it creates growth.

Living Open Before the God Who Knows You

When I think back to that moment in Austria, what I remember most isn’t the mistake — it’s how quickly I wanted to disappear. When our faults and challenges are made known we want to hide. Many of us live that way spiritually.

We fear being fully known, so we stay guarded — even with God. But Psalm 139 shows us a radically different response. David doesn’t hide; he invites God to search him, to test him, and to lead him.

Because when you know that God’s searching is rooted in love, you don’t have to fear being seen. You can come honestly, you can come openly, and you can come as you are. The God who knows you completely loves you deeply — and that is the safest place to be.

This is why David can invite God to search him. The God who fully knows us is the God who deeply loves us.— Fully Known, Deeply Loved.

Stepping Forward in Honest Surrender

In a moment I will open the altar for a response to the LORD. Some of us have spent a long time hiding and being distant from the LORD—hiding pain, hiding fear, hiding parts of ourselves we think God couldn’t possibly want to see. This altar is not a place of shame, but of embrace—embracing the “Fully Known, Deeply Loved” relationship with the LORD.

If David’s prayer is your prayer, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” If this is your prayer, I am opening the altar for you to come and make a declaration to allow the Lord to search you, test your thoughts, and see if there is any offensive way that needs to be dealt with.

This message is not about information, but about invitation—an invitation of honest surrender. If you desire that intimacy of honest surrender with the LORD then come to the altar. It will be a time between you and the LORD – a moment to be seen by the LORD and to feel his loving hands wrapped around you.

Hands to protect you. Hands to guide and lead you. Hands to strengthen you.

This chapter reminds us that we are fully known, fully seen, and deeply loved. The invitation is not about shame; it is being Fully Known, Deeply Loved. It is about allowing David’s prayer to be our prayer.

Continue in this moment of personal reflection before the LORD, embracing the relationship he has for you. Are you carrying fears in your heart? Then, stop and pray verse 5 “you hem me in—behind and before you have laid your hand upon me.”

Are you tempted to scroll on your device for a pick-me-up, only to discover another discouragement? Then, stop and pray verse 14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.” Are you like me with that inner critic that so faithfully has negative things to lead me to believe?

Then, stop and pray verse 17-18 “How precious to me are your thoughts, O GOD! How vast is the sum of them. Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.” I encourage you to pray verses 23-24 each day with an open heart that God would come near.

📘 Continue the Journey

Reflect deeper and apply this week’s message with the Message Study Guide — perfect for personal devotions, family discussion, or your Life Group.

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