You Hem Me In

I was reading from the book of Psalm the other morning and a verse that I have most likely read many times, made me pause. It was as if God was speaking audibly to me and saying "Stop! Right there, precious daughter. Look close. Read that line again. There is so much truth right there and so much meaning for you. This is the redemption story I speak of for my children."

You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5

You hem me in. 

There is so much powerful truth in that line, friends. Can we sit there for just a moment? Jesus is the bookends of my story, of your story. He goes before and comes behind and doesn't ask us to journey alone. His hand is over all of it.

You hem me in. 

The parts of our story that we don't wish to ever relive? That we don't wish upon our worst enemy? The parts that hurt and make us cry and keep us awake and night and sometimes make us feel like a crazy person has taken over our brain? Jesus is before those parts and He promises to follow up. He doesn't leave us hanging. He doesn't walk away when life gets messy.

You hem me in.

There is so much comfort and hope and peace and even joy in sitting here and letting this truth run deep. But we have to let it run deep. We have to believe it, friends. Until we believe this promise as truth we are opening the door for a life of anger and bitterness and ugliness and despair. Because life is really hard.

You hem me in.

But I don't want the anger or bitterness. I want the hope and peace and the joy. So to get to that place I have to believe that God is a God of goodness and love. I have to believe this, regardless of whatever unfortunate circumstance I might be facing this day. Because God's goodness and faithfulness are not, in any way, tied to my circumstances. That is a lie from the evil one. Circumstances are always changing and shifting but God is not. His goodness is never up for question. God is always working, and He is always steady and always constant.

You hem me in. 

Jesus walks before and walks behind and it is only Him that fills the gap. Only His hand can fill the dark places. It is only Jesus who can make miracles from our mess.

You hem me in.

I write these words with tear filled eyes, not out of sadness, but out of complete amazement and wonder of this promise.

So may you feel His love today. May you feel His presence and His hope. May the joy come. And may you believe that He does indeed hem you in. . . even in the midst of the very thing that is making you hurt. And may you feel His mighty hand holding tightly to yours.