A devotional thought from Psalm 139
Psalm 139:6–12 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me. 11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; Even the night shall be light about me. 12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
I have such fond memories of listening to my Papaw and his brothers debate who had the best hunting dogs. Their good-natured bickering and boasts were more entertaining than any comedy sketch that I’ve ever seen. Whose dogs were more tenacious on the trail and whose got sidetracked and followed the wrong tracks? Of course, my Papaw believed that his hounds were the best which means that I think that too! I believe what my hero said, his dogs sniffed out that ole bear and stayed right there in the chase until the very end. The terrain didn’t keep them from following and they didn’t run away from the fight. I witnessed it a few times and I heard it a whole lot more, my Papaws hounds were faithful and focused!
So, what do my Papaw's hunting dogs have to do with today’s portion from Psalm 139?
I am told that this passage was the inspiration for Francis Thompson's wonderful poem about the pursuit of God’s Spirit after a lost soul which he named, “The Hound of Heaven”.
You may at first find offense in that comparison, the holy third person of the Trinity to a hound dog, but if you read and ponder the meaning then you will see the truth, the Holy Spirit is faithful and focused.
Can I share my experience?
Before I knew him, God’s Spirit pursued me. In my darkest times filled with pride, he was on my trail. My times through rough valleys didn’t detour him from his chase. Through sinful seasons he stayed. When I ran from him, he ran faster until he overtook me by his grace. I couldn't shake the Hound of Heaven then and certainly wouldn’t now that he is known. He has promised to never leave me, and I couldn’t be more glad! I thank God for his pursuit and his persistence and for not leaving me to my own way.
If you are running from him today, stop and let him catch you, you too will be glad that you did!
Readings for 12/9/20