October 28, 2014
God Knows Me
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! (Psalm 139:1-6, NLT).
Friend to Friend
To think that I can know God is an amazing truth. It is also a truth I find humanly impossible to understand or grasp or wrap my mind around. To think that God knows me is a reality that absolutely rocks my world! But He really does!
God knows me.
He knows my name.
He is aware of my every thought, hears every word I speak, and delights in who I am.
After ministering in South Florida for many years, God led us to North Carolina to begin what Dan and I thought would be an exciting chapter of life. Our daughter did not agree.
Danna had absolutely no desire to leave South Florida, and made it very clear that she was not happy with us for forcing her to move from her birthplace, the land of the free where every friend she would ever have in her entire life lived. (Danna has never been short on drama.)
I eagerly pointed out farm animals as we drove the quiet country roads of Waxhaw, North Carolina. "Whoever heard of living next to cows and goats? And why would anyone want to live in the mountains when they could live at the beach?" Danna wailed.
I loved the mild winters. Not Danna. "I am going to freeze to death, and then you'll be sorry," she promised.
I found the friendliness of the people refreshing. "They are just nosy, Mom. You really need hang on to your purse and keep every door locked," Danna warned.
The open spaces of North Carolina were a wonderful change from the cramped and crowded South Florida terrain. "It takes forever to get anywhere," Danna would moan as we drove the twenty minutes to the nearest grocery store.
And heaven help the country gentleman who dared to open a door for us! Danna would glare at him as if he were a stalker in search of his next victim.
The soft, southern accents I enjoyed sent Danna into her best impersonation of "a Carolina redneck," twang dripping from every syllable of every word. "Seriously, mom, who talks like that?" she probed.
In retrospect, it is a miracle we are both still alive!
I thought Danna's greatest struggle in moving to North Carolina was the fact that she did not know anyone in this foreign land to which her obviously misinformed and misguided parents had exiled her, but over dinner one night, she corrected my faulty perspective.
"Danna, I know it is hard to start over in a place where you don’t know anyone," I began. Her instantaneous response caught me off guard. "Mom, it is not that I don't know anyone. The problem is that they do not know me!"
In that moment, I came face-to-face with the reality that we all tend to define happiness and contentment on the basis of who cares if we are alive or is aware that we even exist. We want to be known! We garner worth and value by seeing ourselves in the eyes of others instead of seeing ourselves in the eyes of God.
Just as the shepherd knows every sheep by name, God knows my name, and He knows yours. Nothing touches your life without God’s permission. Nothing. What the enemy meant for evil, God will use for good if you let Him. Even your own sin cannot and will not keep Him from you. God knows you and loves you and is aware of every need in your life. No matter what you are facing, God’s got it!
Let’s Pray
Father, I am a wounded, rebellious and lost lamb. I need Your love and guidance to get me through each day. I need Your protection from people and circumstances that would harm me. You are my Source and my Deliverer. You are my Shepherd. Help me trust You – really trust You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
I encourage you to read Psalm 23 once a day this week. Let is soak into your heart, mind and soul. When fear comes, turn to God. When you are in need, trust the Shepherd. When confusion surrounds you, believe God will make the crooked paths straight. Celebrate the fact that you are His lamb and He is your Shepherd. Record your thoughts in your journal.
More from the Girlfriends
Learning to trust God and step out in faith is a lifelong journey. To help you get started, check out Mary’s new E-Book, 10-Day Trust Adventure. What does it mean to trust God? What would your life look like if you were walking by faith and trusting God with your whole heart? The 10-Day Trust Adventure addresses every decision you make in every area of your life - including your past and future, your family and friendships, your finances and work - and how to make those decisions as you step out in faith and really trust God. Check it out! And be sure to connect with Mary on Facebook or through email.
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