Show Notes
Do you ever feel like you have to clean yourself up before you come to God—or like your inner critic and body‑image struggles get the final word on who you are? In this episode on Psalm 139:1–4, we explore what it really means to be fully known and fully loved by God, and how remembering who He is reshapes how we see ourselves.
Description In this Life as Worship episode, Angela talks with educator and author Elizabeth May Bennett about Psalm 139:1–4 and the stunning truth that God has searched our hearts and knows everything about us—our actions, thoughts, and even our words before we speak them. Elizabeth shares how this psalm has grounded her as an overthinker who has wrestled with identity and decades‑long body‑image struggles, and why God’s complete knowledge of her is now a comfort rather than a threat.She also tells how a “Remember who you are” moment from The Lion King became a holy nudge from God to see His image in her reflection and live from His verdict—beloved, chosen, valued—instead of striving to earn worth.
Episode Highlights
Why the Book of Psalms feels like “the Facebook of the ancient world”—raw emotions, honest prayers, and a God who meets us in all of it.
What Psalm 139:1–4 reveals about God’s omniscience: He searches our hearts, knows our movements and thoughts, and understands our words before we speak.
How being fully known by God can feel scary at first, yet becomes deeply comforting when we remember His character and the cross.
Elizabeth’s long battle with body image and identity, and how God used a “Remember who you are” moment from The Lion King to remind her that His image and presence define her.
Practical ways to “flip the script” on the inner critic: bringing honest thoughts to God, receiving what He says about us, and letting that overflow into kindness toward others.
Great Quotes
“To me, reading Scripture is just like being at the gym and standing right underneath one of those fluorescent lights. It shines the light and really examines your heart.”
“When I was younger, I tried to kind of clean myself up before I’d pray. Now I don’t feel like I’m hiding anything, because if God already knows what I’m thinking, why would I pretend?”
“God really spoke to me through that Lion King scene—‘Remember who you are.’ It was like He said, ‘Elizabeth, you’ve forgotten who you are because you’ve forgotten Me. I live inside of you.’”
“I’ve been so hard and critical on myself that it’s turned outward. The more I learn to love myself in my vulnerable places, the easier it is to love others in theirs.”
“We think, ‘I’ve got to work for my identity or my value,’ but God is saying, ‘You think you know who you are, but you really don’t. I’m going to tell you who you are—beloved, chosen, valued, accepted.’”
Resources Mentioned
Psalm 139:1–4 – God searches and knows us completely: our actions, thoughts, paths, and words before they’re on our tongues.
The Journey to Find My Divine Design – Elizabeth’s book inviting readers to embrace their God‑given identity, remember who they are in Christ, and walk in their purpose. - Amazon Affiliate Link. I earn money for qualifying purchases.
Elizabeth’s website – elizabethmaybennett.com, for more about her writing and speaking.
YouTube channel: divine design.me – where Elizabeth shares faith‑based content and lighthearted parody videos.
Related Episodes (from Life as Worship)
God’s Covenant: A Thousand Generations – Seeing how God’s faithful character and promises shape our identity and obedience today.
Permissible and Beneficial: How God Is Calling Us to Live In Freedom – Learning to live out who we are in Christ instead of being defined by rules, comparison, or performance.
Be Strong and Courageous: Finding Courage When You’re Afraid – Finding courage to live as God’s beloved child when fear and insecurity feel loud.
Newsletter Invitation If Psalm 139 and Elizabeth’s story reminded you that God really d
More from Life As Worship
Do you ever feel like you have to earn God's love, or that you'll never be good enough no matter how much you do? In this episode on 1 John 3:1, we look at the love the Father has lavished on us through Jesus. We also talk about how resting in that love frees us from performance and lets us love others the way God does. Description Angela welcomes her friend Angela Donadio, a ministry leader, Bible teacher, award-winning author, and survivor of two near-death health crises. She co-leads River of Life church near Washington, DC, with her husband. She also founded the Communicators Collective Retreat and the Voice of the Voiceless. Together they explore 1 John 3:1 and what it means to be called children of God. They look at why John wrote with such confidence in Jesus' love, and why that love can't be earned. Angela Donadio shares how years of perfectionism shaped her faith. Then, on a cold hospital table, she heard the Lord ask whether she could worship Him there, and that moment changed how she related to Him. Her message to anyone worn out from striving: stop trying to earn God's love. Rest in it, then respond to it. Episode Highlights
Have you ever been doing your best to honor God, and still found yourself in a hard season, quietly wondering where His blessing went? In this solo episode, Angela gently explores Philippians 1:29–30 and Micah 6:8, and how God's blessings reach far beyond health, wealth, or comfort. You'll be encouraged to see His presence and His eternal promises even in difficult days, and to consider how He may be inviting you to love and serve others right where you are. Description If you're walking through a difficult season, it doesn't mean God has forgotten you or held back His blessing. Angela reflects on how easy it is to measure God's goodness by our circumstances, and points us to the deeper gifts we have in Him: a restored relationship with God through Jesus, the Holy Spirit living in us, and the hope of eternity. As she prepares to move to a new community, Angela shares how this truth is shaping her desire to serve her neighbors. It's an invitation to rest in God's goodness when life is hard, and to let doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with Him become everyday worship. Episode Highlights
Do you ever feel like parenting, work, or a hard decision depends entirely on you getting it right? In this episode, Angela and J. Harrington discuss Romans 8:11 and what it means that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in believers. You’ll be encouraged to ask for His help in ordinary moments, even when the answer does not come the way you expect. Description Angela welcomes author and ministry leader J. Harrington to explore Romans 8:11. While writing Swords Up, J. paused over the truth that the Holy Spirit lives in believers, and it changed how she approached fear and the demands of daily life. J. shares what asking for the Spirit’s help looked like when she faced an unfamiliar task at work and when she realized her words at home needed to change. Together, Angela and J. discuss prayer, correction, and the wisdom of seeking help from trusted people too. Episode Highlights
Are you in a season of change—moving, saying goodbye, grieving, or waiting—and wishing you could see how it all works out? In this solo episode on Daniel 2:21, Angela Mackey unpacks what it means that God changes times and seasons, and why He gives wisdom for the step in front of you rather than the whole road ahead. DescriptionIn this solo episode, Angela Mackey digs into Daniel 2:21: "He changes times and seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." She sets the verse in its context—Daniel and his friends in the first exile, Nebuchadnezzar's impossible demand, and Daniel's prayer of praise after God revealed both the dream and its meaning—then looks closely at what "times and seasons" actually means: the moments that matter and the activity God has for His people in them. Angela also shares her own season of transition and what it looks like to trust God when He lights up only one step at a time. Episode Highlights
Do you ever feel the pull to go along with whatever is trending—at work, with friends, or on your phone—even when you know it is not how God is calling you to live? In this episode on Romans 12:2, Megan Feveryear and I talk about refusing to be shaped by this age and letting God renew your mind so you can discern His good, pleasing, and perfect will. DescriptionThis week I sat down with Megan Feveryear—writer, creative communicator, and storyteller—to linger in Romans 12:2. It is a verse I have built much of this ministry on: do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Megan shares how that verse pushed her to leave everything familiar and move more than 600 miles to Nashville. We talk about community that helps you keep going, the small daily choices that actually renew your mind, and why not every good thing is God's best. If you have been wondering what is shaping you, this conversation is for you. Episode Highlights