Unforgettable
Do You Struggle To Believe God Hasn't Forgotten You?
Graeme Golding
May 30, 2021 32m
In difficult times, we can sometimes struggle to believe that God hasn't forgotten us. We may even believe He has abandoned us. But in today's message, Graeme Golding walks us through Psalm 139 as we learn how we are always unforgettable to God. Video recorded at Frisco, Texas.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
You're listening to the Preston Trail Community Church podcast. We're a church based in North Texas that is committed to helping people find and follow Jesus Christ. We hope that the message you're about to hear is encouraging and inspiring.
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon. Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. Search me 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.
Graeme Golding
Well, this morning we are looking at Psalm 139. But before we do, let me ask you a question. Have you ever met someone or had an experience that was unforgettable? Maybe it was the day that you met your firstborn, you held your firstborn in your arms. That moment for you was unforgettable. Perhaps it was when you were picked on a team or invited to a dance, or your first kiss was unforgettable. Oh, I remember mine. It was unforgettable. I was in the car, I leaned over to kiss this girl and all I remember was a clashing of teeth. And let me tell you, at that moment, any thought of romance came to a screeching halt. Right? It was unforgettable, it was unforgettable.
You know, in 1997, I was living in Australia. For those who don't know, I'm not from Texas. I was living in Australia, and I came over to America to attend a leadership conference. And on August 8, 1997, in Chicago, I sat down next to a girl from Beaumont, Texas. Wendy Speidel. She was wearing a black and white check skort with a white button shirt. Let me tell you skorts are coming back. They're coming back. Now, here's the deal. I think about that moment and I can picture the moment, and I can tell you exactly what I said to her. That moment was unforgettable, it was unforgettable.
Do you know what's unforgettable to God? When God thinks about what's unforgettable, do you know what he thinks? He thinks of you. He thinks you're unforgettable. You see, God was there the moment you were conceived. He was there. The moment you were born. He was there. He knew you. He was right there. He knew the first time you ever forgave somebody. That was unforgettable to him. The first time you chose to serve another person, let me tell you, it was unforgettable to him. When he thinks of you, he thinks—unforgettable.
Here’s my hope for us today. My hope is that you will come to know that when God thinks of you, he thinks that you are unforgettable.
Our text today is Psalm 139. This is David, and he’s talking to the creator of the universe. “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.”
Stop! David is saying the creator of the universe knows us. He says, “You know when I sit down or stand up;” and God knows everything in between. “…you know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home;” and everything in between… “You know everything I do.” You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.” David says, God knows us!
There are four things that I’m going to suggest today that make us unforgettable to God. Number one, you already know this: God knows you. He knows exactly what’s going on in your life. He knows the desires of your heart. He knows the things you’re passionate about. He knows everything about you.
Question: How many people do you think really know you? Come up with a number right now and tell the person next to you, here in Frisco, in McKinney or put it in the chat online. Go ahead, tell them how many people you think really know you.
Okay, got a number?
I got on Facebook this week, and I thought I'm going to see—I don't know how good a guide Facebook is—but I thought, I'm going take a look and see how many people know me on Facebook. And I've got 1605. Look, I'm a friendly sort of guy! I thought that was a pretty good number. But then I thought, I'm going to see what Coby Engstrom, our online pastor, I'm going to see how many people know him. He's got 2240. He's got significantly more people that know him than know me. (Now, Colby did say to me that he would like more friends, so if you're in McKinney, here in Frisco or online, go to Facebook, search Colby Engstrom add friend, he would love to have you as his friend.)
But then I wondered about Sarah Davidson. For those that don't know, Sara Davidson is at our McKinney campus. She is a rock star, and she's got 3000 friends, like, she's half my age, but twice as many people know her.
Well, then I’ve got go to Jim Johnson. Right? Our senior pastor. I wonder how many people know Jim Johnson. I looked, and he's got nearly 5000 people! That's significantly more than I have. And then I asked myself this. I wonder how many of Jim Johnson's friends really know him. I wonder how many really know him. And then I thought to myself, I wonder how many have actually been to his house for a meal. And knowing Jim and Robin, my guess is that over the years there's probably been hundreds of people that have gone to his home. Probably hundreds. And then I thought, I wonder how many of those hundreds who know the shattered dreams in Jim's life. It’s a lot less. Right? And then I thought, I wonder how many people could finish one of Jim's sentences. Now I know Robin is probably the only one. They've been together I think about 76 years. All I know is they married very young, very, very young, and they've been together a long time. But no one knows Jim Johnson as well as God does. You see, the Bible says that God knows Jim Johnson's thoughts before he's even had them. Right? He knows Jim that well.
Here's the point: God knows you. He knows you. He knows exactly what you're going through right now. He knows you. He knows your heart. He knows your disappointments. He knows the shattered dreams. When life wasn't turning out the way you thought, and you asked God, “Where are you?” Oh, he knew exactly what was going on. When you said “This is not how I thought life was going to be.” Oh, God knew exactly. He knew exactly what was going on in that moment. God knows you. And that’s because of the next point: he created you.
In verse 13—again, it's David talking to the creator of the universe—and he says, “For you created my inner most being; you knit me together in my mother's womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know it full well.” Listen, you are not an accident. The Bible says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You know, some of us wish we were taller, we wish we could run faster, sing louder. Heck, some of us wish we could just hold a tune, right? There are some things that you and I are probably not going to change, you're probably not going to be able to change your shoe size. But you can change how you respond to others. You can choose how you use your gifts, the gifts that God's given you. You can choose how you use them.
God knows you. He created you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. The Bible says that you were made in the image of God. He knows you because he created you. And the next thing that makes you and me unforgettable to God is the fact that he pursues you. The creator of this universe has a desire to be engaged in your life. He has a desire to engage with you. He knows you because he created you. He created you, and he pursues you.
In verse seven, David is talking to God, and he says, “Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” David's saying it doesn't matter where he goes, God is always there. “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, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
You can't hide from God. Oh, you can turn your back on him. You can certainly choose to do life your way. You can say, “I'm going to do it my way and not your way, Lord.” Oh, I know people—I'm sure you do, too—who have started out walking with the Lord, and suddenly, for some reason, decide to turn their back on him. Make no mistake, God is right there. He is closer than those people think—he's pursuing us.
Remember Adam and Eve? Adam and Eve were in the garden, and they sinned. They disobeyed God. They did their own thing, and then, they went and hid. Why’d they hide? Because it was shameful, right? They were embarrassed. They felt shame. They felt like they didn't want to be with God. What does God do? Well, God calls out to them, doesn't he? And what does he say? “Where are you?” Well, God is God, he knew exactly where they were. Why was he calling out “Where are you?” I'll tell you why he was calling out. I think he was doing it for their benefit. You see, God wanted them to know that even though they had sinned, even though they had disappointed him, God still wanted to be with them. Right? And the same is true about you and me. God is pursuing you. He wants a relationship with you. And despite what you may have done, that never stops God from wanting to spend time with you. God is pursuing you. He wants you on his team. He's inviting you to the dance. God knows you because he created you, and he pursues you because—number four—he wants to bless you.
Back to verse five. The psalmist says to God, “You hem me in behind and before…” This is a picture of someone valuing a treasured object, right? That “someone” is God, and that something is you. God values you. And then this incredible phrase, “You lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” The next thing is that God wants to bless us. Yeah. He wants to bless you.
In 1996, I was still living in Australia, and I was pastor of a small little church. And at the end of a message that I gave, I can't even tell you what the name of the message was, or what I spoke on (it was unforgettable), and at the end of that message, I gave the people some suggestions on what they might want to do. I said, “You might want to go tell someone you love them. You might want to go tell someone, I'm sorry. Or you might want to go ask someone to forgive you.” Then, I prayed a prayer and dismissed everyone. Everyone left. On this particular day, my mom and dad were there. And my dad comes up to me at the end of the service, and he puts his hand on my shoulder. Now, what you need to know is my name is Graham Douglas Golding. And my dad always called me, Doug. Okay? So, my dad came up to me, and he put his hand on my shoulder, and he said to me, “Dougie boy, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You're doing a great job.” I didn't even know what I was doing. You know, I’m 30 years old, pastoring this church of like, 50 people, I've got no clue. But my dad is telling me you're doing a great job, son. And then he put his arms around me, and he squeezed me tight. And like, I didn't know my dad was that strong. I knew my dad loved me; I never doubted that. But you know, that was the first time since I’d become an adult that my dad put it into words, and he told me he loved me and that he was proud of me. And he hugged me.
You see, what my dad did on that day, are you ready? He gave me a blessing. He gave me a blessing. And make no mistake, God wants to do exactly the same for every single one of you in this room. You might be sitting there in McKinney or here in Frisco or even online, you've chosen a great day to join us here at Preston Trail. And here's what I want you to know: God sees you. He knows you, he's pursuing you and he reaches his hand out to you. He calls you by name, and he says, “I love you. I'm proud of you. And I want to bless you.”
He knows you because he created you, he pursues you because he wants to bless you. But there's a problem. While all those things are true, many of us feel forgotten, right? Many times, we say, “God, where are you?” Doesn't it sometimes feel like we don't feel unforgettable to God, we feel like we're forgotten. So, two things that I want to suggest that are reasons why we might feel forgotten. The first one is this: difficult circumstances. Yeah. I don't know what your birth story is. I am the youngest of four kids. So, my parents had three kids, and then they were pregnant with me. And my birth story goes something like this. My mom was hoping for a girl, and she got me. But the other thing about my birth story is kind of strange: My mom said to me that I was an accident. Now the part that I've questioned over the years, you know, they knew what it took! They had three kids! You knew what it took to conceive three children. I'm just trying to work out which part of the process was an accident!
Seriously, you may have been told you're a mistake. You may have felt abandoned as a child, you may have been abandoned as a child, but here's what I want you to know: you are not a mistake. You are not a mistake, and God never abandoned you. The Bible says that it was God, it was the creator of the universe, who knit you together in your mother's womb. He says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Difficult circumstances can make us feel forgotten. The loss of a child. I know there are some in this room who have lost a child and you say “God, where are you? Why are you allowing this to happen?” The loss of a job, the loss of a family member; I know some who have lost their entire family. And they’re saying, “God, why have you allowed this to happen?” There are circumstances that sometimes make us feel forgotten.
Do you know another reason that makes us feel forgotten? Number two—hurtful relationships. Relationships once treasured and then broken, particularly when someone walks out on you. Someone who says “I do,” and then they decide they don't anymore. It's easy to say, “God, where are you? Why are you allowing this to happen?” It's easy in those moments to feel forgotten, like God somehow doesn't care about us anymore.
Maybe you’re here today, and you are aware of someone who has tried to destroy you. They have intentionally caused you great harm. You know, as you read through Psalm 139, you get to verse 19— and talk about unfiltered—David's gone from “You created me, I'm fearfully and wonderfully made” to an appeal for slaying the wicked. We get an unfiltered part of David's story, because he remembers those who have literally tried to kill him, and he expresses his thoughts to God. And I'm so glad. I'm so glad about the transparency and the honesty of the Scriptures. And David is so authentic, because he expresses how he's feeling in that moment, as he thinks about those who are literally trying to kill him.
And then the psalm closes with an incredibly courageous prayer in verse 23. As we look at this, I'm hoping it will help us all know and experience the reality that we are unforgettable to God. How do we embrace the truth that we're unforgettable to God? The first thing is to ask God to reveal your blind spots. Verse 23 says, “Search me God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
Now, I don't know about you. But as I read that, I said, “Well, if God knows David, why is David asking God to search him?” You remember in the first verse, David established that God knows everything, right? Now the end of the psalm, he’s saying, “God, search me.” Oh, I love what John Ortberg says, John Oberg says the me I want to be, and the me I cannot see. The me I want to be. You know, sometimes, we look in the we look in the mirror, and what we see is not really a true reflection of who we really are. You know, you're in a group, some of you may have been in a group situation where someone dominates the conversation, is always trying to fix another person, you've been in a group like that, I'm sure. Let me ask you a question, who's the last person in the group to know there's a problem? It's the person with the problem, right? You know, it's the person who has the problem. And we all struggle with this. We all have a tendency to see ourselves differently than we actually are. We think we're actually better than we are. You know, when someone yells at their kids, we see someone that yells at their kids, or their parents got an anger problem, right. But when we yell at the kids, well, our kids are “misbehaving,” right? Just ask God to reveal the blind spots in your life and when you do, when you’re courageous enough to do that, God will reveal them to you. And when you begin to deal with them, you will begin to experience the truth and the reality that you’re unforgettable to God.
Next, allow him to calm your anxious thoughts. Let's go back to verse 23. David's prayer at the end of the psalm, he says “Search me God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Anyone here had any anxious thoughts recently? Maybe in the last year, last week, maybe this morning? I know I have. I've had a few.
What are your anxious thoughts? Maybe you're watching online right now, we're so glad you joined us. And maybe you're afraid of not getting married by a certain age. Maybe you're watching online, and you're stuck in a marriage that you're afraid is not going to get any better? You see, what we fear the most reveals what we're struggling to trust God with the most. Allow him to calm your anxious thoughts. How do I do that? Well, when you think about your kids, and you're worrying about them say, “Lord, I'm choosing to trust you. I'm choosing to trust you.” When you think about your finances, you're concerned about that, say, “Lord today, I'm choosing to trust you.” Allow him to calm your anxious thoughts. When you and I allow God to do that, once again, we'll embrace the truth that we're unforgettable to God.
Next, ask him to reveal any sin in your life. Go back to the prayer in verse 23. David says, “Search me God and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me.” You see, David was aware that sin so often can stop him from experiencing the fact that he's unforgettable to God. And so, he asked God, “God, would you show me the areas of sin in my life?” And I believe that when we honestly come before God, and we ask him that prayer, and we say, “God, would you forgive me?” We claim the promise of 1 John 1:9 that says, “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Not just some, not just a little bit, but all of our sin. And when we experienced the forgiveness of God, once again, we’ll embrace the truth, that we're unforgettable to God.
Well, can you imagine? Can you imagine a God who knows you because he created you, pursues you because he wants to bless you? And even in your brokenness and sin is willing to point out your blind spots, calm your anxieties and forgive your sins. When you put all those things together, what would be the most natural response that you or I could make to a God like that? Let me suggest, number four, you invite him to lead your life.
Verse 23, David is making this his prayer, “Search me, 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.” You see David's heart, he wanted to allow God to lead his life. You know, we here at Preston Trail, we talk a lot about helping people find and follow Jesus. There is nothing more important than a person making the choice to say yes to Jesus and saying, “Jesus, I want to follow you, I'm allowing you to lead my life.”
And I know that there are many online watching and maybe you've already done that. I know there are many in this room who have already said that, but I know it's also possible that there might be some watching and you've heard about Jesus, but you've never invited him to lead your life. And I know it's possible that there are some in this room who enjoy coming to worship, you're coming to Preston Trail, and you hear a great message every week, the music's fantastic. And listen, we are so glad that you come, and we say keep coming. But there could be nothing more important than inviting God to lead your life. And you ask how do I do that? You say “God, would you lead my life?”
I want to invite the worship team to come out right now, and I want to give everyone here and those watching online a few moments to do some business with God. I want to give you an opportunity right now where you are to share your heart and whatever's going on. I know it's possible that there's something going on in your life that's got nothing to do with what I'm talking about. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to share that with God right now. Share your heart with God and allow God to speak to you. There’s going to be a prayer on the side screen right here. And there are four things:
Ask God to:
1. Reveal your blind spots
2. Calm your anxious thoughts
3. Reveal any sin in your life.
4. Lead your life
Perhaps this morning, you'll be courageous enough to say, “Lord, I'm ready for you to lead my life.” We'd ask you just to take a moment now as the worship team sings to choose one of those and make it your personal prayer right now.
God, we want to thank you so much that you're a God that knows us intimately. We acknowledge you as the one who's created us. You pursue us, and you want to bless us. We are so thankful, Lord. Lord, we invite you now to lead our lives. Lord, your way is so much better than doing life by ourselves. Help us to embrace that truth. Help us to embrace the truth that we are unforgettable. Not because of who we are, but because of your incredible love. We thank you, Lord. We ask all this in Jesus’ name, amen.
We hope that you feel encouraged and inspired by the message you've just listened to. If you'd like to get in touch with someone on our team, you can send an email to info@prestontrail.org. Additionally, you can call us at 972-668-1244. We would absolutely love to hear from you. Thanks so much for listening.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
unforgettable, god, anxious thoughts, david, pursues, people, sin, verse, thought, lord, life, search, fearfully, moment, psalm, jim johnson, dad, created, online, prayer
Recorded in Frisco, Texas.
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon. Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. Search me 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.
Graeme Golding
Well, this morning we are looking at Psalm 139. But before we do, let me ask you a question. Have you ever met someone or had an experience that was unforgettable? Maybe it was the day that you met your firstborn, you held your firstborn in your arms. That moment for you was unforgettable. Perhaps it was when you were picked on a team or invited to a dance, or your first kiss was unforgettable. Oh, I remember mine. It was unforgettable. I was in the car, I leaned over to kiss this girl and all I remember was a clashing of teeth. And let me tell you, at that moment, any thought of romance came to a screeching halt. Right? It was unforgettable, it was unforgettable.
You know, in 1997, I was living in Australia. For those who don't know, I'm not from Texas. I was living in Australia, and I came over to America to attend a leadership conference. And on August 8, 1997, in Chicago, I sat down next to a girl from Beaumont, Texas. Wendy Speidel. She was wearing a black and white check skort with a white button shirt. Let me tell you skorts are coming back. They're coming back. Now, here's the deal. I think about that moment and I can picture the moment, and I can tell you exactly what I said to her. That moment was unforgettable, it was unforgettable.
Do you know what's unforgettable to God? When God thinks about what's unforgettable, do you know what he thinks? He thinks of you. He thinks you're unforgettable. You see, God was there the moment you were conceived. He was there. The moment you were born. He was there. He knew you. He was right there. He knew the first time you ever forgave somebody. That was unforgettable to him. The first time you chose to serve another person, let me tell you, it was unforgettable to him. When he thinks of you, he thinks—unforgettable.
Here’s my hope for us today. My hope is that you will come to know that when God thinks of you, he thinks that you are unforgettable.
Our text today is Psalm 139. This is David, and he’s talking to the creator of the universe. “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.”
Stop! David is saying the creator of the universe knows us. He says, “You know when I sit down or stand up;” and God knows everything in between. “…you know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home;” and everything in between… “You know everything I do.” You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.” David says, God knows us!
There are four things that I’m going to suggest today that make us unforgettable to God. Number one, you already know this: God knows you. He knows exactly what’s going on in your life. He knows the desires of your heart. He knows the things you’re passionate about. He knows everything about you.
Question: How many people do you think really know you? Come up with a number right now and tell the person next to you, here in Frisco, in McKinney or put it in the chat online. Go ahead, tell them how many people you think really know you.
Okay, got a number?
I got on Facebook this week, and I thought I'm going to see—I don't know how good a guide Facebook is—but I thought, I'm going take a look and see how many people know me on Facebook. And I've got 1605. Look, I'm a friendly sort of guy! I thought that was a pretty good number. But then I thought, I'm going to see what Coby Engstrom, our online pastor, I'm going to see how many people know him. He's got 2240. He's got significantly more people that know him than know me. (Now, Colby did say to me that he would like more friends, so if you're in McKinney, here in Frisco or online, go to Facebook, search Colby Engstrom add friend, he would love to have you as his friend.)
But then I wondered about Sarah Davidson. For those that don't know, Sara Davidson is at our McKinney campus. She is a rock star, and she's got 3000 friends, like, she's half my age, but twice as many people know her.
Well, then I’ve got go to Jim Johnson. Right? Our senior pastor. I wonder how many people know Jim Johnson. I looked, and he's got nearly 5000 people! That's significantly more than I have. And then I asked myself this. I wonder how many of Jim Johnson's friends really know him. I wonder how many really know him. And then I thought to myself, I wonder how many have actually been to his house for a meal. And knowing Jim and Robin, my guess is that over the years there's probably been hundreds of people that have gone to his home. Probably hundreds. And then I thought, I wonder how many of those hundreds who know the shattered dreams in Jim's life. It’s a lot less. Right? And then I thought, I wonder how many people could finish one of Jim's sentences. Now I know Robin is probably the only one. They've been together I think about 76 years. All I know is they married very young, very, very young, and they've been together a long time. But no one knows Jim Johnson as well as God does. You see, the Bible says that God knows Jim Johnson's thoughts before he's even had them. Right? He knows Jim that well.
Here's the point: God knows you. He knows you. He knows exactly what you're going through right now. He knows you. He knows your heart. He knows your disappointments. He knows the shattered dreams. When life wasn't turning out the way you thought, and you asked God, “Where are you?” Oh, he knew exactly what was going on. When you said “This is not how I thought life was going to be.” Oh, God knew exactly. He knew exactly what was going on in that moment. God knows you. And that’s because of the next point: he created you.
In verse 13—again, it's David talking to the creator of the universe—and he says, “For you created my inner most being; you knit me together in my mother's womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know it full well.” Listen, you are not an accident. The Bible says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You know, some of us wish we were taller, we wish we could run faster, sing louder. Heck, some of us wish we could just hold a tune, right? There are some things that you and I are probably not going to change, you're probably not going to be able to change your shoe size. But you can change how you respond to others. You can choose how you use your gifts, the gifts that God's given you. You can choose how you use them.
God knows you. He created you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. The Bible says that you were made in the image of God. He knows you because he created you. And the next thing that makes you and me unforgettable to God is the fact that he pursues you. The creator of this universe has a desire to be engaged in your life. He has a desire to engage with you. He knows you because he created you. He created you, and he pursues you.
In verse seven, David is talking to God, and he says, “Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” David's saying it doesn't matter where he goes, God is always there. “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, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
You can't hide from God. Oh, you can turn your back on him. You can certainly choose to do life your way. You can say, “I'm going to do it my way and not your way, Lord.” Oh, I know people—I'm sure you do, too—who have started out walking with the Lord, and suddenly, for some reason, decide to turn their back on him. Make no mistake, God is right there. He is closer than those people think—he's pursuing us.
Remember Adam and Eve? Adam and Eve were in the garden, and they sinned. They disobeyed God. They did their own thing, and then, they went and hid. Why’d they hide? Because it was shameful, right? They were embarrassed. They felt shame. They felt like they didn't want to be with God. What does God do? Well, God calls out to them, doesn't he? And what does he say? “Where are you?” Well, God is God, he knew exactly where they were. Why was he calling out “Where are you?” I'll tell you why he was calling out. I think he was doing it for their benefit. You see, God wanted them to know that even though they had sinned, even though they had disappointed him, God still wanted to be with them. Right? And the same is true about you and me. God is pursuing you. He wants a relationship with you. And despite what you may have done, that never stops God from wanting to spend time with you. God is pursuing you. He wants you on his team. He's inviting you to the dance. God knows you because he created you, and he pursues you because—number four—he wants to bless you.
Back to verse five. The psalmist says to God, “You hem me in behind and before…” This is a picture of someone valuing a treasured object, right? That “someone” is God, and that something is you. God values you. And then this incredible phrase, “You lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” The next thing is that God wants to bless us. Yeah. He wants to bless you.
In 1996, I was still living in Australia, and I was pastor of a small little church. And at the end of a message that I gave, I can't even tell you what the name of the message was, or what I spoke on (it was unforgettable), and at the end of that message, I gave the people some suggestions on what they might want to do. I said, “You might want to go tell someone you love them. You might want to go tell someone, I'm sorry. Or you might want to go ask someone to forgive you.” Then, I prayed a prayer and dismissed everyone. Everyone left. On this particular day, my mom and dad were there. And my dad comes up to me at the end of the service, and he puts his hand on my shoulder. Now, what you need to know is my name is Graham Douglas Golding. And my dad always called me, Doug. Okay? So, my dad came up to me, and he put his hand on my shoulder, and he said to me, “Dougie boy, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You're doing a great job.” I didn't even know what I was doing. You know, I’m 30 years old, pastoring this church of like, 50 people, I've got no clue. But my dad is telling me you're doing a great job, son. And then he put his arms around me, and he squeezed me tight. And like, I didn't know my dad was that strong. I knew my dad loved me; I never doubted that. But you know, that was the first time since I’d become an adult that my dad put it into words, and he told me he loved me and that he was proud of me. And he hugged me.
You see, what my dad did on that day, are you ready? He gave me a blessing. He gave me a blessing. And make no mistake, God wants to do exactly the same for every single one of you in this room. You might be sitting there in McKinney or here in Frisco or even online, you've chosen a great day to join us here at Preston Trail. And here's what I want you to know: God sees you. He knows you, he's pursuing you and he reaches his hand out to you. He calls you by name, and he says, “I love you. I'm proud of you. And I want to bless you.”
He knows you because he created you, he pursues you because he wants to bless you. But there's a problem. While all those things are true, many of us feel forgotten, right? Many times, we say, “God, where are you?” Doesn't it sometimes feel like we don't feel unforgettable to God, we feel like we're forgotten. So, two things that I want to suggest that are reasons why we might feel forgotten. The first one is this: difficult circumstances. Yeah. I don't know what your birth story is. I am the youngest of four kids. So, my parents had three kids, and then they were pregnant with me. And my birth story goes something like this. My mom was hoping for a girl, and she got me. But the other thing about my birth story is kind of strange: My mom said to me that I was an accident. Now the part that I've questioned over the years, you know, they knew what it took! They had three kids! You knew what it took to conceive three children. I'm just trying to work out which part of the process was an accident!
Seriously, you may have been told you're a mistake. You may have felt abandoned as a child, you may have been abandoned as a child, but here's what I want you to know: you are not a mistake. You are not a mistake, and God never abandoned you. The Bible says that it was God, it was the creator of the universe, who knit you together in your mother's womb. He says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Difficult circumstances can make us feel forgotten. The loss of a child. I know there are some in this room who have lost a child and you say “God, where are you? Why are you allowing this to happen?” The loss of a job, the loss of a family member; I know some who have lost their entire family. And they’re saying, “God, why have you allowed this to happen?” There are circumstances that sometimes make us feel forgotten.
Do you know another reason that makes us feel forgotten? Number two—hurtful relationships. Relationships once treasured and then broken, particularly when someone walks out on you. Someone who says “I do,” and then they decide they don't anymore. It's easy to say, “God, where are you? Why are you allowing this to happen?” It's easy in those moments to feel forgotten, like God somehow doesn't care about us anymore.
Maybe you’re here today, and you are aware of someone who has tried to destroy you. They have intentionally caused you great harm. You know, as you read through Psalm 139, you get to verse 19— and talk about unfiltered—David's gone from “You created me, I'm fearfully and wonderfully made” to an appeal for slaying the wicked. We get an unfiltered part of David's story, because he remembers those who have literally tried to kill him, and he expresses his thoughts to God. And I'm so glad. I'm so glad about the transparency and the honesty of the Scriptures. And David is so authentic, because he expresses how he's feeling in that moment, as he thinks about those who are literally trying to kill him.
And then the psalm closes with an incredibly courageous prayer in verse 23. As we look at this, I'm hoping it will help us all know and experience the reality that we are unforgettable to God. How do we embrace the truth that we're unforgettable to God? The first thing is to ask God to reveal your blind spots. Verse 23 says, “Search me God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
Now, I don't know about you. But as I read that, I said, “Well, if God knows David, why is David asking God to search him?” You remember in the first verse, David established that God knows everything, right? Now the end of the psalm, he’s saying, “God, search me.” Oh, I love what John Ortberg says, John Oberg says the me I want to be, and the me I cannot see. The me I want to be. You know, sometimes, we look in the we look in the mirror, and what we see is not really a true reflection of who we really are. You know, you're in a group, some of you may have been in a group situation where someone dominates the conversation, is always trying to fix another person, you've been in a group like that, I'm sure. Let me ask you a question, who's the last person in the group to know there's a problem? It's the person with the problem, right? You know, it's the person who has the problem. And we all struggle with this. We all have a tendency to see ourselves differently than we actually are. We think we're actually better than we are. You know, when someone yells at their kids, we see someone that yells at their kids, or their parents got an anger problem, right. But when we yell at the kids, well, our kids are “misbehaving,” right? Just ask God to reveal the blind spots in your life and when you do, when you’re courageous enough to do that, God will reveal them to you. And when you begin to deal with them, you will begin to experience the truth and the reality that you’re unforgettable to God.
Next, allow him to calm your anxious thoughts. Let's go back to verse 23. David's prayer at the end of the psalm, he says “Search me God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Anyone here had any anxious thoughts recently? Maybe in the last year, last week, maybe this morning? I know I have. I've had a few.
What are your anxious thoughts? Maybe you're watching online right now, we're so glad you joined us. And maybe you're afraid of not getting married by a certain age. Maybe you're watching online, and you're stuck in a marriage that you're afraid is not going to get any better? You see, what we fear the most reveals what we're struggling to trust God with the most. Allow him to calm your anxious thoughts. How do I do that? Well, when you think about your kids, and you're worrying about them say, “Lord, I'm choosing to trust you. I'm choosing to trust you.” When you think about your finances, you're concerned about that, say, “Lord today, I'm choosing to trust you.” Allow him to calm your anxious thoughts. When you and I allow God to do that, once again, we'll embrace the truth that we're unforgettable to God.
Next, ask him to reveal any sin in your life. Go back to the prayer in verse 23. David says, “Search me God and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me.” You see, David was aware that sin so often can stop him from experiencing the fact that he's unforgettable to God. And so, he asked God, “God, would you show me the areas of sin in my life?” And I believe that when we honestly come before God, and we ask him that prayer, and we say, “God, would you forgive me?” We claim the promise of 1 John 1:9 that says, “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Not just some, not just a little bit, but all of our sin. And when we experienced the forgiveness of God, once again, we’ll embrace the truth, that we're unforgettable to God.
Well, can you imagine? Can you imagine a God who knows you because he created you, pursues you because he wants to bless you? And even in your brokenness and sin is willing to point out your blind spots, calm your anxieties and forgive your sins. When you put all those things together, what would be the most natural response that you or I could make to a God like that? Let me suggest, number four, you invite him to lead your life.
Verse 23, David is making this his prayer, “Search me, 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.” You see David's heart, he wanted to allow God to lead his life. You know, we here at Preston Trail, we talk a lot about helping people find and follow Jesus. There is nothing more important than a person making the choice to say yes to Jesus and saying, “Jesus, I want to follow you, I'm allowing you to lead my life.”
And I know that there are many online watching and maybe you've already done that. I know there are many in this room who have already said that, but I know it's also possible that there might be some watching and you've heard about Jesus, but you've never invited him to lead your life. And I know it's possible that there are some in this room who enjoy coming to worship, you're coming to Preston Trail, and you hear a great message every week, the music's fantastic. And listen, we are so glad that you come, and we say keep coming. But there could be nothing more important than inviting God to lead your life. And you ask how do I do that? You say “God, would you lead my life?”
I want to invite the worship team to come out right now, and I want to give everyone here and those watching online a few moments to do some business with God. I want to give you an opportunity right now where you are to share your heart and whatever's going on. I know it's possible that there's something going on in your life that's got nothing to do with what I'm talking about. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to share that with God right now. Share your heart with God and allow God to speak to you. There’s going to be a prayer on the side screen right here. And there are four things:
Ask God to:
1. Reveal your blind spots
2. Calm your anxious thoughts
3. Reveal any sin in your life.
4. Lead your life
Perhaps this morning, you'll be courageous enough to say, “Lord, I'm ready for you to lead my life.” We'd ask you just to take a moment now as the worship team sings to choose one of those and make it your personal prayer right now.
God, we want to thank you so much that you're a God that knows us intimately. We acknowledge you as the one who's created us. You pursue us, and you want to bless us. We are so thankful, Lord. Lord, we invite you now to lead our lives. Lord, your way is so much better than doing life by ourselves. Help us to embrace that truth. Help us to embrace the truth that we are unforgettable. Not because of who we are, but because of your incredible love. We thank you, Lord. We ask all this in Jesus’ name, amen.
We hope that you feel encouraged and inspired by the message you've just listened to. If you'd like to get in touch with someone on our team, you can send an email to info@prestontrail.org. Additionally, you can call us at 972-668-1244. We would absolutely love to hear from you. Thanks so much for listening.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
unforgettable, god, anxious thoughts, david, pursues, people, sin, verse, thought, lord, life, search, fearfully, moment, psalm, jim johnson, dad, created, online, prayer
Recorded in Frisco, Texas.
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