We couldn’t find him anywhere — my nephew, whom I see every day. Our precious blessing with an extra chromosome had wandered deep in the woods. Ten minutes, thirty, forty-five minutes turned to sixty. The minutes merged together as emotions swirled, and desperation descended.

Dozens of friends rallied together — searching, shouting, turning brush, looking in deep crevices. With voices raw and hearts heavy, the panic was palpable.

One of the main problems? When Edison wanders, he hides. When he knows he’s done something wrong, he won’t yell out to those who desperately desire to help. Instead, he stays silent in his shame.

And Eddie, he’s no ordinary child. As an Ecuadorian newborn, this joy blessing was wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed in a dumpster to die. Miraculously rescued once before, the Lord had already used his little life in untold ways. In that moment, we didn’t know the end of the story, but we knew the One who did.

Have you ever felt that kind of panic, if even for a second?

Read Psalm 139:1-12 out loud and remember those emotions. Scriptures promise a fullness of joy when we dwell in His presence. Won’t you join me? There’s such power in declaring the spoken Word and letting it settle deep in our hearts. It changes everything. As you read, remember that our desperate longing to find our lost loved one was only a small microcosm in comparison to His pursuit and desire of us.

In verses 1-6, we discover God’s omniscience. The word omniscient brings together two roots: the prefix omni-, meaning “all,” and the verb scire, meaning “to know.” And in verses 7-12, we witness God’s omnipresence, meaning He is all present.

When I comprehend what that truly means in my life, that He is all-knowing and always present, I can’t help but respond in gratitude:

Oh Lord, I am so unworthy of the way You search for me. You know every hidden crevice of my heart and understand me more than anyone. Before my journey even began, You went into my future to prepare a way for my past. It’s such a breathtaking reminder that not one single detail of my life doesn’t pass through Your hands of presence first. Our joys, our sorrows, our dreams, our struggles – nothing surprises You. Thank You, thank You. There’s such a glorious intimacy in how You know us like no other and will never stop searching for us.

Sweet friend, no matter how you feel today, whether filled with doubt or grief, comparison or fear, He is near to you and desires fellowship with you. When we feel far, He will drop everything to find us. When we feel lost and unseen, He loves us so desperately that His pursuit of us is relentless. Regardless of our choices, He continues to seek us out.

And can I let you in on a little secret? Lean in and listen closely. Even though our sins are many, His love, grace, and mercy are so much more than we can imagine. Before He created us, He chose to do life with us. He loves us with an everlasting love and has set about to woo us and call us nearer to His heart.

Do you believe that? If not, read Psalm 139 again. The Word is alive and active, and this passage that I’ve read dozens of times breathed life to me in a new way as I thought of how we pursued Edison.

As I uncover the depths of God’s nature — the enormity of how He loves us, protects us, pursues us, and seeks us out — sometimes it’s nearly impossible to fathom. But I believe it. I receive it. And I hold onto that truth when I feel lost.

After four hours, an amber alert, and over one hundred people searching, we found Eddie. He was safe, and now Psalm 139 takes on a whole new meaning for me. God’s truth in those verses are personal, intimate, and specific, and He hears our prayers when we call out to Him.

Here at (in)courage one of our greatest privileges is turning to God together in prayer.

How can we pray for you?

Please leave a prayer request in the comments and then pray for the person who commented before you.

 

Oh Lord, our joys, our sorrows, our dreams, our struggles - nothing surprises You. -@beautyandbedlam: Click To Tweet Leave a Comment