Psalms 139:1-24 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
When faith becomes weak or “sags,” there is a temptation to rely on external props—rituals, public opinion, and popularity—to sustain religious life. This reliance is portrayed as a symptom of deeper: spiritual unhappiness, restlessness, uneasiness, unease, melancholy, depression, despondency, dejection, disquiet, trouble, anxiety, leading to practices that dilute the authenticity and depth of Christian faith. The passage suggests that this external orientation is a defining characteristic of contemporary Christianity, often overshadowing genuine spiritual commitment.
The antidote to spiritual bloating and moral decay is a spirit of faith and humility. Faith acts as an “antibody,” protecting the heart from the corrosive effects of pride, vanity, and the desire for recognition. Humility enables believers to focus on what truly matters: God’s perspective, rather than the fluctuating opinions of others. This approach fosters spiritual health and resilience, shielding individuals from the moral “bacteria” that distort authentic Christian living. (Tozer)
