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.