“How precious also are Your thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should number them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.”
Psalm 139:17-18
As the lyrics of the song say, “When He was on the Cross, we were still on His mind.”
No one needs to tell us that David, the shepherd-psalmist-king, loved the God of Abraham. His psalms and the record of his life in the Old Testament attest to this. And, today’s Manna shows that he also knew the Lord God loved him (and us) as well.
Many a night as he sat on the Judean hills, meditating upon his people’s Salvation-History, his heart overflowed with great joy. As the Holy Spirit inspired him to write those beautiful “songs of the soul” and then set them to music, he was likely overwhelmed by knowing that the God of the universe knew everything about him (vv.13-16).
That’s why he wrote today’s Manna, describing God’s thoughts toward us as both “precious” (Heb. “yaqar”—“to make heavy, rare, prized, etc.”) and “plenteous” (“how great is the sum of them—more in number than the grains of sand on the seashore”). And, in reflecting upon this, he likely broke out in some anthem of praise he’d composed or one which his people, the Jews, sang in worship.
Regardless, when we think of these words, we, too, are moved to praise and thanksgiving:
“How precious are Your thoughts unto me, O God!” When you got up this morning, the God of the universe greeted you with a Holy Kiss. As you go about your busy schedule today, He’ll be right there beside you, whispering “I love you.” When an unexpected deadline arises or major crises looms on the horizon, He says “Don’t worry. I’ll help you through it.” And, as you retire for the night, He’ll draw close and say, “Rest now, my child. I’ve got everything under control. Go to sleep and know I’ll watch over you during the night.”
“How great is the sum of them—more in number than the sand.” No one knows how many grains of sand are upon all of the world’s shores. And, trying to count them would be seemingly impossible; yet, the same God Who promised Abraham that his descendants would be more numerous than the grains of sand (Gen. 22:17b; 32:12) and stars in the sky (Gen. 15:5; 22:17a) knew that one day we would be included in that number—which means we were a part of His Plan even BEFORE creation occurred! Hallelujah!!
“When I awake, I am still with You.” Truly, the best “sedative of the soul” is not a pill, potion or prescription; it is the Presence and Promises of the Living God (Ps. 3:3-6; 4:7-8; 23:1-6). That’s why we can lie down and night. . .without doubt or dread. . .and sleep like a baby. That’s why we can awaken the next morning, smile and say “Good morning, Lord!” instead of “Good Lord! Another morning!”
Yes, truly, it’s wonderful to know that our Lord is “mindful of us and still makes house calls” (Ps. 8:4). May the Holy Spirit today help us keep this in mind as we go about our daily chores. That way we’ll act more like a child of the King instead of some abandoned, homeless orphan.
By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated December 10, 2010
