Psalm 139:1-6 – O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

THEME OF THE DAY: AND HE LOVES US STILL. Imagine we set up a meeting to spend time together discussing life and things of the Lord. The day, time, and place are agreed upon. Soon, our appointment arrives. We meet in a nice and warm environment. Before our conversation begins, we must acknowledge something which will be extremely important for both of us. Go back and read today’s scripture. What is the character trait God displays which overwhelms, humbles, and produces worship in David? It is His omniscience or God’s ability to know all things about David; his actions, thoughts, attitudes, and everything else between.

Now back to our conversation. Assume I have that ability. I am able to look you in the eye and know everything about you. I have access to all your thoughts, attitudes, actions, and everything in between. And maybe recently, maybe right now in our meeting, you are entertaining bad thoughts about me and I know them all. So, how are you feeling right now as I not only stare into your eyes but your mind and heart? Probably not very good. In fact, you might consider excusing yourself from our meeting. If you had that ability in my life, I would be leaving right now. I would excuse my embarrassed self. Well, thankfully, we don’t have that ability with each other. There is not a human being alive who would want every thought, action, and attitude on full display for all to see. The embarrassment factor would be high. There also would be humiliating shame. Certainly, a blush or two would come across our faces. Why? Because of two things. First the fact of sin. No one is sinless or guiltless. Each of us has a past, maybe not one of horrific public sin, but a thought life which has been to sinful places we wouldn’t want people to know about. The other reason for the embarrassing exposure with one another is our pride or fear of people’s opinion of us We want people to like us; affirm and accept us. Maybe to the point we put on “plastic smiles” Sunday mornings in order to protect the image we want people to have of us. There is way too much hypocrisy in our relationships with other Christians. We are afraid if they truly knew us from the inside out instead of just on the outside, we would be rejected and avoided. The church needs more Biblical fellowship of realism; of sharing our lives not sheltering our lives. Our love for one another is only Biblical if it gets “transparently messy” in our relationships or basically, if we become real with one another.

Even though we don’t have the “superpower vision” to see inside each other’s mind and heart, we have the same God of David who does. He sees all – the good, bad, and ugly; the sincere and fake; the willful sin and fight for holiness; the critical spirit and the patient spirit; the self-centeredness within and the times of self-denial. Yes, our God sees all, all the time. And guess what? He loves us still. He really does with all our spiritual warts and spiritual failings. When the Lord tells us “My steadfast love endures forever”, He means it despite what He constantly sees in our lives, hearts, and minds (Psalm 136). So, what should such ability by God do for us? It should do what it did in David – produce humility, submission, gratitude, thanksgiving and worship. Why? Because despite all that God knows of us, He loves us still and that will never change! Rest in this truth when a conversation with God happens. He is looking into our souls and says, “I love You” regardless of what I see and know of you.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for Your omniscience which deepens my love for You and hatred for sin.”

QUOTE: “God’s love is so wonderful that it never changes, even as He knows our deepest thoughts and battles”