Pastor Craig Carter

North Kent Community Church

1480 Indian Lakes Rd. • Sparta, MI 49345 

“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” (Psalms 139:17-18 NIV).

I am thinking about my sermon series for this month on “Love.” Specifically, God’s love for me! I could not help but contemplate on the verse in Psalms 139:17-18 that tells me what God thinks about me. Did you know that the thoughts God thinks about me are much better than what I think about myself? Let’s look at these verses and the three primary characteristics about God’s thoughts.

First, God’s thoughts are precious. When you reflect on your life and what you think about yourself, do find your personal thoughts precious? The Hebrew word here for “precious” means to be precious, valued and honored. It is also a verb that means God puts actions behind His thoughts. He is always working behind the scenes of our lives to show us our value and to bring us honor. Another root Hebrew word for “precious” means “to be pleased.” Do you know when God thinks about you, He is pleased? Why? Because you do everything, right? No! Most of us spend our whole lives trying to please others and God, too. However, according to His Word, the only thing that pleases Him is faith, and our trust in what Jesus already did. God so loved us that he sent his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). He put action behind His loving thoughts.

Secondly, His thoughts toward you are numerous; they are vast. He said if we could count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When was the last time you accurately counted the number of sand grains at Grand Haven beach? In your human ability, it is not possible. Yet, God says that’s how much he thinks about you! God thinks about you all the time. Psalm 139: 2-4 says, “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.”  The Hebrew word for “vast” not only means be to be numerous or great, but to be powerful, mighty and strong. God’s thoughts toward us are strong. They are not “strong” with negativity, but strong in love. They are designed to make us stronger. Understanding and receiving God’s loving thoughts towards you empowers you to be strong. Romans 8:35-37 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Lastly, His thoughts are comforting and reassuring. Notice in verse 18, David says, “when I awake, I am still with you.”  It is as if he is surprised that God is still there. The word “awake” implies it’s a new day. When I wake up today, He is still there. He has not left me. Regardless of my previous day, good or bad, He is still there. Remember, God’s thoughts and actions are strong, filled with the power to convince you of His love towards you. There is no greater statement of love than consistency and faithfulness. All of us have experienced unfaithfulness in some way, shape or form—a lack of follow through, a broken promise, a failed commitment. Whatever the form, we know the insecurity it brings into our lives regarding love. However, God assures us again and again, that He will “never leave us or forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5).

Remember that when you wake up tomorrow, God is still there with you, and He is for you! His thoughts and actions towards you are precious and vast, designed to reveal to you that He loves you. You’re precious and so are God’s thoughts toward you.