I read Psalm 139 most days

My Bible: reasons to believe in the power of the Bible

‘I read Psalm 139 most days, because it’s such an intimate psalm, especially now, in such an anxious time. It’s about God knowing us so intimately. It always affects me when I read it. It touches me deep in my heart. 

‘When I first read it I was in my 20s and immediately I thought, “This is something that I would like to be read at my funeral”. I wrote a note about that in one of my Bibles. I was a journalist then. Thirty years on I’m a team vicar in the Church of England. I took a funeral this morning, and I suppose I take Psalm 139 to other people’s funerals. I have done quite a lot of funerals recently. Some of them have been Covid. It’s such a privilege to do and to hold that space for people in a difficult time. 

‘Psalm 139 is all about comfort really. I’ve been living alone for the last few months, but I know that God is with me even though my family aren’t at the moment. God is absolutely there with me. That gets me that God is so close to us and it’s so very, very comforting at the moment. 

‘My daughter is expecting at the moment and that’s in Psalm 139 which is true for her too. Verse 18 is what I like particularly: “I come to the end – I am still with you”. Oh! That makes me so thankful to God. It’s a prayer for others, as well as a reflection for myself.’

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