In response to a significant personal crisis, I decided to re-dedicate myself to studying the Psalms. I was drawn to the Psalms because of how they show human vulnerability and the power of God's love. To that end, I decided to focus on Psalm 139. Thirty years ago, I had committed it to memory. As I revisited the chapter, the verses returned to me with ease. I was struck again by its powerful imagery: “If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.” When I read this, I picture myself seeking out the edges of a heavy blanket and pulling it over my head to hide from myself and the world. I was humbled by verses 16 and 17: “Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none yet existed.” God knew me before I was an indistinct gathering of cells. He knew of the day I would wake up to see the sun peeking through the window, and fall to my knees to worship Him. He also knew the days I would make terrible decisions, walk away from Him, and eventually return to ask for forgiveness. Returning to Psalm 139 was an attempt to re-focus on God rather than my current crisis. I was reeling from a deep betrayal. The hurt of this betrayal had turned my life upside down, leaving me vacillating between intense rage and gut-wrenching devastation. Even now, I carry a hollowed-out feeling in my stomach. I decided to study Psalm 139 two verses at a time, writing them out repeatedly for two weeks. I decided not to use any commentaries. I wanted a purely personal encounter with the text. To help with memorization, I began color-coding the themes I discovered: - Yellow (vv. 1–6): An acknowledgment of God’s omnipresence🟡 - Green (vv. 7–12): The realization that I cannot hide from God🟢 - Purple (vv. 13–16): God's omniscience🟣 - Orange (vv. 17–18): An exclamation of God’s incomprehensible majesty🟠 Then, I arrived at verse 19.