Knowing and Being Known

Psalm 139 is a beautifully intimate psalm, reminding us how deeply God knows us:

O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
³ You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
⁵ You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it. Psalm 139:1-6

God is familiar with my daily routines, my habits, my whereabouts. He even knows my unspoken thoughts, the things I hold deep within me that others do not.

This kind of knowledge can feel uncomfortable perhaps for it means that just as he knows the quiet good works and victories of my life so does he know the silent struggles…

The times I practiced patience and the times I lost my temper.

The times I slowed down to truly listen and the times I hurried through.

The times I full heartedly trusted and the times I stewed on my insecurities.

The times I served cheerfully and the times I grumbled inwardly or outwardly.

But God’s vast knowledge of my life and my heart is sweetened. He not only knows us; he also loves us.

⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. John 15:9

God’s love is so wonderful because he knows us so well. He is able to love us deeper than anyone else can on earth. The question I must ask myself then is how well do I know and love him?