He Knows Me, Yet Still Loves Me

In Psalm 139:1-6 lies a section of scripture that I can not truly fathom.

[1] 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 ESV, emphasis mine.)

We find out that the Lord knows us, yet still loves us. But you may say, “He can’t love me. If He knew what I did or what I said or where I went then He would surely not be pleased.” Well that’s just the thing – He knows because He is all knowing, “omniscient.”

David knew first hand that the Lord knew everything about him (read 2 Samuel 12). However, instead of running away from God like many of us do, He ran to God. In 2 Samuel 12:13 David confesses that He has sinned against the LORD. In Psalm 51 David cries out for God to rescue him and cleanse him from all evil.

So think now about Psalm 139… (v.1) “O LORD, you have searched me and known me!” Here is what David is saying: God, you know what I’m thinking (v.2), you know what I’m doing and where I’ve been (v.3), You know what I’m saying (v.4) and yet you still love me (v.5) and I just don’t get it (v.6).

Can I tell you? God’s knowledge of you is a good thing. Without God’s knowledge of you there would never be any conviction, there would never be any need to forgive you, there would be no way to know what you need, no way to empower you, no way to guide you, no way to comfort you…… God’s knowledge of you is for your good.

So good–that knowing all things God still shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us – Romans 5:8.

So good–that His continued kindness is meant to lead you to repentance – Romans 2:4. Yes, even knowing you.

When we allow the all-knowing God to have free reign in our failing bodies and allow Him to continue showing us our need for Him, then we’re saying: clean up my thinking, straighten up my doing, make pure what I’m saying, CHANGE ME.

July 24, 2002, when the all-knowing Jesus showed me my life without Him and saved me, I didn’t want to continue being the me that I thought I wanted to be, but the me that God designed me to be. I was CHANGED, and ever since, I want to live for His glory. I want to be obediently faithful to His calling on my life. I want to allow His Spirit to continue to bring conviction to my life. And none of that would ever be possible without God knowing me.

When we understand that God knowing all things about us is for our good–then we can say with confidence, as David in Psalm 139:23-24 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

Would you ask God to show you what He already knows about you? Maybe that would help open up our eyes to who we really are.

God knows me and yet still loves me,

Bro J.

We are all in pursuit of something; careers, extending our families, extending our life, just trying to make it, You get the picture. When we say we are in pursuit of something what we are really saying is, “I’m trying to gain something.”

Paul knew too well what it meant to grab the world and life by the tail until Jesus grabbed his heart and had his complete attention. He writes to the church at Philippi and tries to get their attention with these words.

Philippians 3:1-10 (ESV) –  [1] Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. [2] Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. [3] For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—[4] though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: [5] circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; [6] as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. [7] But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—[10] that I may know him. 

We can brag and whistle dixie all the days of our lives but if we don’t have Christ then it doesn’t mean a “hill of beans.” Paul had all the reasons to brag but he knew that bragging wouldn’t get him anywhere and took the attention away from the one who had “grabbed” his heart, Jesus. He wanted to know Christ and make Him known, therefore he was willing to lay aside any brag or self worth that he had ever received and even loose everything he had gained, just to know Jesus. Therefore, his pursuit was no longer in self worth but Jesus.

Many things will try to get your attention to pursue it. What will it be that you do pursue?

Let’s ask a serious question! What do you find yourself pursuing? Would you be found pursuing Christ, in serious pursuit? Would you be found in Him? Would you be found wanting to know Him?

Cause in the end, nothing else really matters.

In pursuit of Jesus and Wanting to Know HIM more,

Bro. J