“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.”
The Face
David describes a searching that is comprehensive and ongoing, downsitting and uprising, the most ordinary movements of an entire day, and thought afar off, even ideas not yet fully formed, all of it already known. This is not occasional divine attention. It is described as total, continuous, covering the whole of an ordinary life.
This is worth sitting with directly against whatever fear of being truly known might otherwise make this searching feel threatening rather than comforting. David’s own tone here is not anxious but confident, thou hast searched me, stated as settled fact worth building the rest of this psalm’s confidence upon.
This comprehensive knowing includes the ordinary, unremarkable parts of your day, not merely the significant, dramatic moments. Downsitting and uprising, the plain, everyday rhythm of an actual life, is named here as genuinely, fully known, not overlooked simply because it seems too mundane to matter.
Whatever ordinary rhythm makes up your actual day today, receive this psalm’s claim as genuinely true. You are searched and known, comprehensively, not only in the significant moments, but in the downsitting and uprising, the whole of this actual, ordinary day, already fully seen.
Turn Your Face
- Notice any fear that being truly known might be threatening rather than comforting.
- Receive today’s ordinary downsitting and uprising as genuinely, fully known by God.
- Rest in this comprehensive knowing today, the way David’s own confident tone here models.
Prayer
Lord, you have searched me and known me, my downsitting and my uprising, my thoughts even afar off. Let this comprehensive knowing be comfort today, not threat. Amen.
Carry this today
Comprehensive knowing includes the ordinary, unremarkable parts of your day.