What is the meaning of Psalm 139:18?

If I were to count them

David has just spoken of God’s “precious thoughts” toward him (Psalm 139:17). He moves naturally to consider counting them—an admission that the exercise is impossible, yet it shows:

• God’s thoughts are real, not abstract; they exist in measurable abundance (Psalm 40:5).

• Every individual believer is the object of those thoughts (Matthew 10:29-31).

• David assumes literal accuracy: God actually does think about him more times than he could number.

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they would outnumber the grains of sand

Sand is the largest natural image of multitude Scripture offers (Genesis 22:17; Jeremiah 33:22). By choosing it, David testifies:

• God’s attention to us dwarfs any human calculation (Job 5:9).

• The promise of God’s covenant love is as sure as creation itself (Psalm 33:11).

• We are never lost in a crowd; the Lord’s specific thoughts toward His own are endless, fitting Jesus’ assurance that every hair is counted (Luke 12:7).

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and when I awake

Sleep separates a person from conscious thought, yet David declares that the instant he wakes, God is already present:

• Night or day, the Lord keeps watch (Psalm 121:3-4).

• Rest is safe because God sustains life moment by moment (Psalm 3:5; Lamentations 3:22-23).

• Waking becomes a fresh testimony of mercy, a reminder that God’s lovingkindness doesn’t pause while we sleep (Psalm 4:8).

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I am still with You

The climax is not merely that God remains with David, but that David remains with God:

• The relationship is secure, founded on God’s faithfulness, not David’s performance (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5).

• God’s presence is personal and continual—He is the Shepherd who never leaves the sheep (Psalm 23:4; John 10:27-28).

• Even in an unknown future, David stands confident: the God whose thoughts are innumerable will never abandon him (Isaiah 41:10).

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summary

Psalm 139:18 celebrates the limitless number of God’s caring thoughts, using the immeasurable sand to drive the point home. David literally cannot count them, yet each new dawn proves their reality. Awakening finds him still wrapped in God’s unbroken presence, underscoring the security every believer enjoys in the faithful, ever-watching Lord.