Psalm 139:5

You hem me in behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 

I have pretty much only ever heard the word "hem" in relation to sewing. I decided to check out a dictionary to see what else I could glean.

2. to enclose or confine 
Origin: before 1,000, Middle English, hem (m), old English hem, probably akin to hamm, enclosure; see home. 

I love that hem is related to home. It shows that God protects us. He makes us at home with Him and gives us a deep, abiding safety and security. Later in the Psalm, David will say that there's nowhere to go to escape from the Lord. God is so with us that He will never leave us - in fact, if you are in Christ, you have full and unfettered access to God 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Isn't that a crazy thing? And it's not as though this hemming in is a constriction or jail cell; for God lays His hand upon us. He hems us in, that He would be our caregiver and provider. As Paul writes in Romans 8, if God is for us, who can be against us? Having God's protection is better than the best security system, the most resilient armor, or the entire US defense budget ;)

As I wrote this, I thought of the hymn, How Firm a Foundation, which finds its roots in Scipture. In the song, we recall that God will help us and cause us to stand strong (Isaiah 41:10), that He will be with us in the deep waters and fiery trials (Isaiah 43:2 and 2 Corinthians 12:4), and that not even all the powers of hell can disrupt the relationship we have with God in Christ (John 10:27-29, Romans 8:38-39, Hebrews 13:5-66, Psalm 37:28). This hymns is a great way to remind ourselves of the promises God has to be with us always. [I was too lazy to actually try to find a video of this song that includes verse 3. It is often passed over and I don't know why. It might be my favorite verse. I like Fernando Ortega's recording, but it skips this verse. Sigh. ]

How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord

Is laid for your faith in His excellent word 

What more can He say than to you He hath said

To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled 

Fear not I am with you, O be not dismayed

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid 

I'll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand 

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand 

When through the deep waters I call thee to go 

The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow 

For I will be with you, thy troubles to bless 

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie

My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply 

The flame shall not hurt thee I only design 

Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine 

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

I will not, I will not desert to his foes 

And though even hell should endeavor to shake

I'll never, no never, no never forsake