God Knows You

(Psalm 139)

 O LORD, you have searched me
   and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
   you know it completely, O LORD.

For some of us, maybe most of us, this Psalm is a little scary. We wear masks and pretend to be someone/ something that we are not. The world perceives us to be one thing; all the while we know the truth about ourselves. We are afraid of what others would think if they knew our secrets, if they saw us “warts and all”. The idea that someone can know us “completely” is somewhat frightening.
King David conveys the thought that God has searched us, explored the deepest recesses of being and upon this complete inspection, knows us! This isn’t a casual glace, this is x-ray stuff. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13)
He knows our every move; our physical activity is in His sight. What we do matters! Our actions count! There is a time to sit and there is a time to rise. He knows our thoughts, every wondering of our minds are His to understand. It matters what we think. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he”. (Proverbs 23:7) Our thoughts count! He knows the words on our tongues before they exit our mouths. It matters what we say. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer”. (Psalm 19:14) Our words count!
While at first, the idea of God knowing us completely might be a little disconcerting, it is also freeing. Masks come off and the real me is allow to be free before my God. No pretense, no falsehoods, no deception; only total and complete truth. I stand before a loving God, a God that cared too much to allow His creation to suffer without a savior; I stand before Him totally exposed. He knows my weaknesses and my strengths. He sees the intents of my heart. He is fully aware of my motives. The freeing aspect of this is that I can talk to Him in a way that I cannot talk to anyone else. I am free to be me with Him. And because of that, I can ask for His help in the areas of my life that I struggle with, that area that I am ashamed of and He is ready to help. No other being is in that position, only God knows us completely.
So what am I to do with this? How does this affect your life? First, relax. This is not new; God has known you from the womb. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb”. (Psalm 139:13) He has watched our entire lives and understands our issues and struggles. He was there for our conception, He will be there when we draw our last breath and He will be there when we open our eyes to eternity. That is blessed assurance. Secondly, enjoy it. Having a God that knows us inside and out is good! “There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus, no not one”. Enjoy the full relationship with the God of creation. Thirdly, by knowing that our thoughts and actions are on full display before God, shape up. J Ask for His help to make the changes in your life that you need to make. He understands and is able to assist us in the most difficult areas of our lives. “He is able, more than able”. And lastly, praise Him for who He is. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” He is the ever present God who is ever present for our benefit.