If I take the wings of the dawn . . . : “Deepening the Faith” devotional 13
This installment is part of a regular devotional series, “Deepening the Faith,” written by Gordon faculty and staff for the enrichment of the wider College community.
Posted on March 4, 2019 by College Communications.
This installment is part of a regular devotional series, “Deepening the Faith,” written by Gordon faculty and staff for the enrichment of the wider College community.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overcome me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. —Psalm 139:7-12 In this stunning passage from the poetry of King David (of David and Goliath fame), there is a clue to our humanity and to the inexorable love of God for human beings—broken and weak as we are. In his poetry (the Book of Psalms), David is often crying out from a place of depression, insecurity and even paranoia. He was a warlike, embattled ruler with a generous but also duplicitous heart. He was barely more than a savage from our current civilizational standards, and he lived among savage enemies. He was always on the alert to defend his people and his reign—but he was also imaginative, filled with wonder and a consummate artist. In this passage from Psalm 139, the poet cries out to God in wonder and praise—in essence, “No matter where I go, I know you are near!” In these verses David declares the faithfulness and mystery of God’s involvement in our lives. We often enter “darkness” and sometimes feel cut off from light and peace—such that we wonder if God even exists at all. But the poet insists that God is right there in the darkest places—intimately acquainted with all our trials and doubts: “Surely the darkness will overcome me, / And the light around me be night, / Even the darkness is not dark to You.” To God our human fears are the occasion of love and care. There is nothing that can separate us from God’s love: “Even the darkness is not dark to You.” And in the biblical understanding of “darkness” there is evil: cruelty, theft, lying, prideful posturing, power-hunger, lust, greed and a multitude of dark-hearted human errors. But even there—in the darkest precincts of the human heart, God is present and undaunted in his love and involvement in our lives—if we invite him in. The poet points us toward a place of equanimity in difficult times. Finding the “peace which passes understanding” requires that we have faith in a God who is intimate with every aspect of our lives. Take time to consider if, indeed, you have felt God’s presence in times of trial. Reach out to God in childlike trust and wonder. God will be there waiting.Share
- Share on Facebook
- Share on X (Formerly Twitter)
- Share on LinkedIn
- Share on Email
-
Copy Link
-
Share Link
Categories
Archives
- April 2025
- March 2025
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014