KNOW

verb: to understand, to be familiar with; recognize

“You know me inside and out…” Psalm 139:15

Inside and out.

That is how our God knows us.

There is so much I still don’t really know about myself. Maybe that’s why I majored in Psychology all those years ago. I was fascinated with people–their emotions, their choices, their dreams and quirks and gifts. I had questions about myself and my own strengths and fears and flaws. I’ve always loved learning about connection, about how God works so creatively in and through the people we encounter in our lives. I’m intrigued by how childhood experiences influence our grown-up values and behaviors, I’m wrestling with what it means to be genuinely Christian at this time in our world, and I’m reassured by how much we have in common as we parent, age, grieve, recover, forgive, celebrate, and love.

Through talking, listening, reading, and journaling, I’m beginning to figure out what makes up the good and bad, the gifts and needs, the ins and outs of me.

But God already knows.

“You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence.” v. 4

We belong to a God who already knows what we are going to say because he knows our hearts and minds so well. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He recognizes us, he is familiar with us, and best of all he understands us.

He recognizes us.

He made us. He formed our bodies in the womb. He orchestrated every step of our growth and development before and after we were born. He knows our every cell, every heartbeat, every hair, every nerve, every breath.

“every bone in my body…exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.” v. 15

He is familiar with us.

He knows our habits. He knows our happy places. He knows our coffee order, the routes we walk, and what we have in our cart at Target. And he knows our hiding spots. He knows exactly where we go when we are ashamed, afraid, or overwhelmed. And he comes too.

“Oh, he even sees me in the dark!” v. 11

He understands us.

God doesn’t ever misinterpret us. And he is never surprised by something we say or do. What an indescribable sigh of relief to have someone who knows us completely, love us completely. His grace encompasses our worst mistakes and celebrates our greatest joys. We don’t have to pretend when we are with him.

“I’m an open book to you…” v.1

God gets us.

 INVITE HIM IN

Open the book of your heart and soul to Jesus. After all, he wrote your story and is already aware of what happens on every page. He wants to walk through the good and the hard times, to be in every special and every ordinary moment with you. You can trust him with it all. He knows you.