Psalm 139:9–10 (ESV)

9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

The wings of the morning likely points to the fast movement of the morning light when a new day begins. Suddenly streaks of light appear and they move rapidly across the morning sky. And when we read the uttermost parts of the sea, we may think of the farthest streams or rivers.

These two images show that regardless of how fast we move and how far we travel, we always remain within the reach of God. God’s hand will indeed find such a fleeing person.

Jonah found this out the hard way! God was watching him enter the ship to Tarshish. God was still watching him, even in the belly of the great fish! This same Jonah experienced that the mighty hand of God saved him from the fish, and Jonah spoke a prayer of thankfulness.

Jonah prayed, For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me… The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me…Yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God (Jonah 2:3–6).

In the psalm’s words, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me, it resonates through how blessed we are in the presence of this gracious God. In his hands we are safe for this life and for eternity.