“You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:5)
My grandmother taught me how to hem. I remember it being as difficult to learn as tying shoelaces, my fingers feeling thick and clumsy. I wanted to learn to sew, however, so I kept practicing. Eventually I learned, and am grateful I did, since it has come in handy so often.
There are times when our world seems to unravel right before our eyes. The Bible clearly says “when we have troubles” not ‘if’. We can’t get a needle and thread, sew it up with a neat hem-stitch, and fix it.
The good news is that we have a promise, in the book of Psalms, written by David. King David wrote out of his experience; he knew what he was talking about. In Psalm 139, he says the Lord has us hemmed in and protected.
When you feel like you are hanging by a thread, and just barely holding on, it’s good to remember the beautiful “hemmed in” promise we can claim from the Lord.
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 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, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:1-5)