"O Lord, you...know me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.... Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether....
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.... Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."
Psalm 139:1-18
Father God, your intimate knowledge of us may at first be unnerving...you know our words before we speak them and our thoughts before we think them. You've heard every selfish thing we've said, and every curse we've ever uttered. You know our deepest secrets, both our longings and our lusts, our pure desires and dreams and our unholy cravings and yearnings. Often we hide the darkest parts of ourselves because we believe that if other people knew what we thought, if they knew our secrets, they would be appalled and abandon us, unfriend us and forsake us. But you know it all and love us still.
In fact, you know us better than we know ourselves. You know the darkness within us better than we do, as we often try to excuse away our sinfulness and cover up our faults to fool even ourselves into thinking we are good enough people on our own. The truth is, we are not good enough on our own, O Lord, and we need you. You know this, and you don't despise us for our need. Instead, you are compassionate and merciful. And from the abundant riches of your infinite grace, you shower us with your love and forgiveness, even at the cost of your own Son. O Lord, we thank you! When we realize the depth of your love, your intimate knowledge of us is no longer unnerving, but is incredibly freeing. We can enjoy true, deep, and abiding peace when we realize that you know everything there is to know about us and love us anyway, and will love us now and forever, no matter what.
In addition to your amazing grace, this psalm reminds us to thank you for the miraculous gift of life. You knit us together in our mothers' wombs. You formed every part of our bodies. Every person on this earth you have made in your image, to reflect your glory, O Lord. Every day of our lives were known by you in advance, and even were authored by you and written down in your book. We are a part of the story you are telling. You have purpose for us being here in this world. Sometimes we lose sight of this, O Lord. But knowing that you have a plan for our life, renews our hope for living. Even now, there is something you are accomplishing through us. Lord, we pray, let our lives be unto your glory, now and forever. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
