Lectio Divina: Awakened To God’s Presence (Psalm 139)
by Mark Gladman
Alan Watts once said, "God and union with God are Reality; nothing is more real, more concrete, more actual, and more present... What we have to realize, therefore, is not the getting of union with God, but the not being able to get away from it." In this Lectio Divina reflection, we reflect on Psalm 139 and the deep awakening to God that its words lead us to. Through this meditation, may you grow more deeply aware of the reality of God's presence within and without, wherever you are.
Transcript
Hello friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk-in-docs,
Welcoming you to this Lectio Divina contemplation and meditation audio,
In which today we will be reflecting and praying from Psalm 139.
I personally believe that every single person is born both within the Divine,
And with the Divine within them.
I love the poem from Kibir,
Which says,
We all know that the drop is in the ocean,
But we don't quite realise that the ocean is also in the drop.
And I believe that the spiritual journey is one on which we don't experience this God being in us,
And us being in God,
For this is the reality that has been for all time,
And for all of our days.
But the spiritual journey is an awakening to this.
But how truly deep does this go?
How deep are we able to grasp the very fact that we are immersed in a God-soaked world,
And that in just the same way,
The Spirit of God is immersed deeply within us.
And it's a beautiful Psalm,
Which begins to reveal to us the full extent of this reality.
In this,
The Psalmist goes to great pains to describe their realisation,
That there is nowhere they can go to escape from God.
The Psalmist imagines going to the highest heights into the depths of the sea.
The Psalmist envisions going from where they are to miles across the other side of the ocean,
And yet realises that nowhere they might be,
Will they ever find themselves separated from the reality of God's presence.
Whether it be light or dark,
Day or night,
Today,
Tomorrow,
Yesterday,
Here or there.
Psalm 139 reveals to us not just how deeply we are immersed in God,
And how deeply God is immersed into us,
But also the intimacy of that relationship,
Which is found in the deep and beautiful knowledge that the Divine has for you and I.
And the Psalmist concludes this prayer by asking this Divine to ensure that if there are things within them that would hinder them from living into the fullness of that reality,
That that be revealed to them.
Not so that they can feel guilty,
Or not so that they can feel judged,
But so that they can keep themselves in check,
So they can keep themselves firmly living into the very image of God in which they've been created,
And continue to live fully into the Kingdom of God in which we exist,
Simply by being alive.
And so I invite you to spend some time reflecting on the words of this Psalm of Awakening,
To see what it is that God might start to move you towards,
What it is that God might want you to see,
And how it is that God might deepen your understanding and awakening to the beautiful reality of your being completely immersed in this God-soaked world,
While being equally filled by the Divine Presence within you.
And so I invite you to sit,
To settle yourself,
To relax,
To breathe deeply in and out,
And as you rest in the very presence of the Divine,
Ask with me that our ears would be open to hear what it is that God would want to say to us in this time of listening to this Psalm,
That our minds would be open to think through what it is to think through what it is that God reveals to us from the text that we're to focus on today,
And that our hearts would be open to receive the seed of this Word,
That it would be planted deeply into the soft watered soil of our souls,
And that we'd have the courage to accept this Word,
And to walk into it,
And to live into it,
Bearing beautiful fruit for the Kingdom of God in our lives and in the lives of the world around us.
Amen.
And so we begin.
O Lord,
You have searched me,
And You know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise.
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down.
You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue,
You know it completely,
O Lord.
You hem me in,
Behind and before.
You have laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
Too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
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.
If I say,
Surely the darkness will hide me,
And the light becomes night around me,
Even the darkness will not be dark to You.
The night will shine like the day,
For darkness is as light to You.
For You created my inmost 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 that full well.
My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in Your book,
Before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are Your thoughts,
O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
They would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with You.
Search me,
O 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.
O Lord,
You have searched me and You know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise.
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down.
You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue,
You know it completely,
O Lord.
You hem me in,
Behind and before.
You have laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
Too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
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.
If I say,
Surely the darkness will hide me and the light becomes night around me,
Even the darkness will not be dark to You.
The night will shine like the day,
For darkness is as light to You.
For You created my inmost being.
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise You because I am fearful of the darkness.
You are wonderful,
Wonderfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful.
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place,
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
You are the most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
Most beautiful,
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.
If I say,
Surely the darkness will hide me,
And the light becomes night around me.
Even the darkness will not be dark to you.
The night will shine like the day,
For darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost 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 that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book,
Before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts,
O God.
How vast is the sum of them.
Were I to count them,
They would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
Search me,
O 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.
And so as we rise from this time of prayer,
Help us to go,
God,
With that deep knowledge that we are surrounded by you at all times,
And that you also dwell deep within our hearts.
May the reality that we can never be separate from you,
Away from you,
Lost from you,
Or divided from you,
Be always on our mind and our hearts.
May we always have the courage,
Whenever we feel alone,
And whenever we feel lost,
To open our eyes and to see again your presence both in and near us.
And as we carry this presence,
May we share it with others,
That they too might have their eyes awakened to that beautiful reality,
That we are in your presence,
Now and always.
Amen.
And may grace,
Peace,
And love go with you,
My friends,
This day and every day.
Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the one whose name is love.
Peace be with you.
God bless.
4.9 (117)
Recent Reviews
Bob
August 2, 2025
Wonderful point of anchoring on The Solid Rock in All and All in The Solid Rock.
Rita
July 11, 2025
Thank you for this reflection. It is on one of my favorite psalms.
Madison
February 13, 2025
I love this psalm it puts into perspective how God is working in my life since the beginning
Lisa
April 16, 2024
I love this Lectio Divina so much. It grounds me and settles me into the ‘God soaked world’. Each time I listen, I find something new to ponder. Thanks Mark.
Deanna
May 14, 2023
Thank you Mark…on Mother’s Day i needed to feel His presence
ian
April 10, 2023
Got a lot out of this one tonight Your introduction was helpful, I still find I have to remind myself to read the text as poetry not literal discription
Betsie
March 26, 2023
Psalm 139 is a favorite~your message and prayers very comforting. Thank you
Simcha
March 24, 2023
My teacher, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, of blessed memory, has a wonderful story of his first meeting with Rev. Howard Thurman at Boston University in which this Psalm becomes the key to interfaith understanding. You can read my friend Rabbi Mark Novak's retelling of the story here: http://www.rebmarko.com/blog/category/howard-thurman
Carolyn
March 24, 2023
So beautiful. Thank you for choosing this reading. A rich blessing for this day. 🙏 ❤️
KatieG
March 24, 2023
So beautiful. What a wonderful way to start my day. Blessings back to you Brother Frederick-James!