Behind and before, You encircle me...

Recently, Psalm 139 came up as one of the psalms in rotation in the Liturgy of the Hours. I love this psalm. Every time I pray it, I am struck by one or another of its verses. This time it was verse 5, which goes like this: "Behind and before, you encircle me and rest your hand upon me."

It is such a comforting thought to know that our God is so personal to us that He wishes to capture us in His embrace; and to rest His hand on us to guide and direct us...

In times of distress and suffering, He encircles us as a gesture of protection - a promise to us that He will not give us more than we can endure. When we stumble and seem ready to fall, He rests His hand upon us to steady us and give us strength to go on.

In times of temptation, He encircles us with His grace; help that we can accept or not. When we fall into sin and our hearts and souls cry out for mercy and forgiveness, His hand is there to lift us up and bring us back into friendship with Him. We know He has not abandoned us; it is we who have abandoned Him.

We simply cannot fathom the love our Father has for us. Our love for spouse, children, other family members or friends is only a tiny foretaste of the love that our God has for each of us. It is a sacrificial love that allowed His beloved Son to become one of us. And that Son willing to taste death to be the ultimate sacrifice that brought healing to us and to all of creation.

Even then, we were not to be left alone; for the Spirit was promised to us. We believe God's Holy Spirit is with us right now, to guide us in the way we are to go. All we are required to do is to love, to trust... and to encircle in love the people we encounter and to place our hands in theirs to comfort them in their need, just as our God does with us.

Lord, let Your Light shine through us unto everyone we meet.