URC Daily Devotion Sunday 23rd August 2026
O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.
Before ever a word is on my tongue
you know it, O Lord, through and through.
Behind and before you besiege me,
your hand ever laid upon me.
Too wonderful for me this knowledge,
too high, beyond my reach.
O where can I go from your spirit,
or where can I flee from your face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there.
If I lie in the grave, you are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn
and dwell at the sea’s furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
If I say: “Let the darkness hide me
and the light around me be night,”
even darkness is not dark for you
and the night is as clear as the day.
For it was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being,
for the wonders of all your creation.
Already you knew my soul
my body held no secret from you
when I was being fashioned in secret
and molded in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw all my actions,
they were all of them written in your book;
every one of my days was decreed
before one of them came into being.
To me, how mysterious your thoughts,
the sum of them not to be numbered!
If I count them, they are more than the sand;
to finish, I must be eternal, like you.
O God, that you would slay the wicked!
keep far away from me violent hands!
With deceit they rebel against you
and set your designs at naught.
Do I not hate those who hate you,
abhor those who rise against you?
I hate them with a perfect hate
and they are foes to me.
O search me, God, and know my heart.
O test me and know my thoughts.
See that I follow not the wrong path
and lead me in the path of life eternal.
Reflection
Genesis tells us that humans were made to be in relationship with one another and with God. We know that, and yet, we also know that that is not the reality for many people, who feel lonely or isolated. If that is you, perhaps this psalm can offer some hope and reassurance – as it reminds us that we are known, and loved, by God.
This is a psalm that I have always loved and found helpful. I had, and still have, a strong case of imposter syndrome; even 7 years post-ordination I still wonder why I’m doing this, and why God called me. And yet, God did and continues to inspire and give me the strength I need to serve in the Church, the communities, and the wider world.
It is so important to be known and trust that God knows us intimately. We cannot run away or hide, for God holds us close – God knows and loves us as we are, and for who we are calling us to serve him as we are. One of the most important lessons I had to learn during my training was not how to be a minister but how to be me.
The final lines on slaying and hatred don’t seem to fit with the rest of the psalm, and yet, there is a truth here – trusting that we will love as God does, and hate those who turn away from that love – as The Message translation puts it: “Your enemies are my enemies!”
This is a psalm that we can pick up and use as a prayer – try it and see how it feels – with its words of praise, thanksgiving, promise and challenge – pray and listen to God’s response, to God’s love.
Prayer
O God, you search me and you know me.
You know my thoughts, my words, and my actions –
you made me, and love me for who and what I am.
Help me to accept and to live in that love,
to be the person who you call me to be,
in Jesus’ name.
Amen