Profound Simplicity

A few things that struck me over conversations I've had just recently...

Psalm 139 is a very interesting Psalm filled with treasures of wisdom and hope. It begins and ends with a similar theme - searching of the heart. The Psalmist expresses how God knows his heart, in fact everything about him, and at the end of the passage, he asks God to search his heart and know if there's any offensive way in him. How profound yet simple! He knows that God knew ALL of him yet there's such humility to ask God to show him his heart. He longs for deeper intimacy. And I'm convinced that he also wants to know how God sees him. It wasn't enough for the psalmist to list down all that God says about him. What does this say? What does verse 14 mean? "I am fearfully and wonderfully made"? Does this mean more than what was described between the first verse and the end of the passage? It puts fear and awe in me to discover God's purposes in me, NOT just His plans! It brings me to the place of being in awe of this Almighty Creator, who so loved and knows me intimately. 

Oftentimes, I seek for guidance and get frustrated when I couldn't wait for the answer; when I can FULLY trust the One who created me and knew me since the beginning of time. I can trust that He truly is a GOOD Shepherd. Psalm 23 encourages me so much, and I've seen and tasted how good He really is. Come to think of it, if a shepherd is good, it is his responsibility to keep the sheep on the right track, never the sheep's. Yes, the sheep knows the voice of its shepherd but never it's task to always be on the right direction. 

There's this phrase in Ps 23, "Your rod and staff they comfort me." How can this be? First thing that pops in my head when I see a rod, could be 'punishment'. But no, it is for my own good when the Shepherd uses His rod to lead me in the right direction. I could choose to be stubborn and want to go my own way; and the Shepherd redirects me with His rod but it's never to punish me. He truly is good! He does all out of love!

Both Psalm 139 and 23 bring me to the place of thankfulness and in awe of an utterly good Father  whose grace never runs dry! 

To end this musings, I'd like to share a short story:

One late afternoon, I got on the bus and found out I didn't have enough credit on my travel card. The driver took my card and checked it, then asked me if I had cash, which I haven't either. Meanwhile, I silently asked God to show me what to do. I was prompted to ask the driver if he could drop me off at a gas station just a mile and a half away, to which he said yes. I was so thankful he did. I sat down thinking I could find a cash machine at the Shell station. I got there and asked the girl at the counter if they refill credit on travel cards. She said no but she'll ask someone where the nearest place I could do that. She came back with a negative answer. Then I asked if they have a cash machine, to which she apologised there wasn't any either. Then a lady from the other side of the counter, approached me, and gave me 5 euros. I was surprised. The girls at the counter were surprised too! I'll never forget the look on the faces of those girls working at the station. I gratefully took the coins and said thanks and blessings over the lady. Then I rushed to the bus stop hoping I didn't miss my bus, and violá here it comes! My head was spinning, thinking if that was a common thing for Finns to do over strangers. I told the story to my friend and she said, it must have been your angel. With a smile of conviction I agreed. This is a very simple thing but it meant a lot to me. It humbles me to think God is interested even to the smallest details of my life. That's simple goodness yet profound!

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." 

(Psalm 139:16)

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life..." (Psalm 23:6)