Being Known

"What matters supremely, therefore, is not...the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it- the fact that he knows me. I am graven on the palms of his hands. I am never out of his mind. All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me. I know him because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when his care falters.

This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort- the sort of comfort that energizes, be it said, not enervates- in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love and watching over me for my good. There is tremendous relief in knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to bless me.

There is, certainly, great cause for humility in the thought that he sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow humans do not see (and I am glad!), and that he sees more corruption in me than that which I see in myself (which, in all conscience, is enough). There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, he wants me as his friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given his Son to die for me in order to realize this purpose." from Knowing God

Psalm 139:1-6

O Lord, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my every thought when far away.

You chart the path ahead of me

and tell me where to stop and rest.

Every moment you know where I am.

You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, Lord.

You both precede and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to know!

That I might know you...

Lord, it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve Thee is my share,
And this Thy grace must give.

If life be long, I will be glad,
That I may long obey;
If short, yet why should I be sad
To welcome endless day?

I don't know that I've ever heard this hymn by Richard Baxter- it was in Knowing God by Packer, which I've recently begun reading. But that is my prayer today, that like Paul I would desire to know God (Phil. 3:7-10). So much so that nothing else matters. That though I may take up my cross to follow Him, it would never become the decider of my attitude or countenance. I want to know God so fully that I reflect the "joy unspeakable" instead (1 Pet 1:8).

Packer states "those who know their God are sensitive to situations in which God's truth and honor are being directly or tacitly jeopardized." He also plainly challenges our prayers to and praises of God. Daniel demonstrates the prayer of a man who truly knows God. Packer asks if God's "holy majesty, his moral perfection, and his gracious faithfulness keep us humble and dependent, awed and obedient, as it did Daniel?" So today, I am praying that my life and my prayers would show more and more of my desire to know God, greater peace and joy beyond any circumstances and heartaches, increasing energy to pray for God's cause, and further boldness for God's glory to be praised.