You hem me in!

By Carol Holmstrom Fellowship Bible Church Celebrate Recovery Staff

Psalm 139:5 is one of my favorite “comforting” verses:
"You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me."

Other versions use words like encircle, surround, enclose, and barricade instead of hem. But, here are some thoughts on the idea of God “hemming us in.”

The dictionary definition of hem is: verb (used with object), hemmed, hem·ming:
  • to fold back and sew down the edge of (cloth, a garment, etc.); form an edge or border on or around.
  • to enclose or confine
  • an edge made by folding back the margin of cloth and sewing it down.
  • the edge or border of a garment, drape, etc., especially at the bottom.
  • the edge, border, or margin of anything.
 
I don’t sew a lot, but I have done a little sewing in my time. What I do know about a hem is this: A hem is really there to protect the edge of the cloth. It keeps the raw edges from being exposed to unraveling and ultimately ruining the piece of cloth.

What does that mean for my recovery? What I hear from this verse is that human hands do not hem us in, only God’s hand can do that. So, as I surrender those raw edges to God and let HIM hem them in, He keeps me from unraveling. Those raw edges are my hurts, hang-ups and habits. It’s those things done to me or by me that have caused a hurt. It’s the lies that play in my head. It’s the unhealthy coping mechanisms I have developed to ease my pain.

Letting go of control and letting God hem me in is Principle 3 for me. Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. The only way I can keep from unraveling is to daily surrender those raw edges to Christ and allow Him to keep those things in His hands; to “hem me in before and behind.”

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