Known and Loved - Devotional

Read This: “O Lord, you examine me and know. You know when I sit down and when I get up even from far away you understand my motives. You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; you are aware of everything I do. Certainly my tongue does not frame a word without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it. You squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me. Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension; it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.” (Psalm 139: 1-6)

"Examine me, and probe my thoughts! Test me, and know my concerns! See if there is any idolatrous tendency in me, and lead me in the reliable ancient path!” (v. 23-24)

Watch This:

Think: This passage is such a powerful testimony of God’s love for us. That He knows when we get up in the morning, how we spend our days, what we think about, and even what motivates our actions speaks volumes of how important each of us is to Him. Like the author, David, it’s hard for us to wrap our minds around how much interest God takes in our lives.

So often we fall into the trap of thinking that God has bigger things to worry about. With things like wars and famine going on, why bother Him with our petty problems? And while He never neglects the big things, here we clearly see that He also cares enough to note even the smallest details of our days.

Knowing everything He knows about us—our quirky personalities, our struggles, our sin, our shame—God still loves us enough to die for us. There is no better feeling in the world than to know you are completely known and completely loved. God already knows every horrible thing we’ve ever done or will do, and yet, still he loves us more than we will ever understand. Don’t be tempted to fight him on that. Sometimes it’s easier to believe that we aren’t good enough for God than to accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. But God loved us before we knew Him, and had a plan to save us before we realized we needed saving. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

What an awesome Heavenly Father we have. King of Kings, Lord of Lords, who knows how many hairs are on our heads right now (or not there, as the case may be), the unconfessed sins in our hearts, and loves us all the same. Secure in that, how can we not give our best for Him who has done so much for us? May we cast aside our idols and allow Him to lead us in the path of righteousness.

Ask: Reading through the Bible, it’s easy to see how much God loves us. But head knowledge and heart knowledge don’t always agree. Do you really believe God knows you and loves you as much as Psalm 139 says? Do you live like God loves you that much?

Pray: Spend some quiet time asking the Holy Spirit to reveal any sin in your heart that may be keeping you from a fully restored relationship with God. Ask Him to help you trust His love for you so you can boldly obey and follow where He leads you.