Dear Faith Family,
Last week I suggested a better question for getting to genuine identification is: To what/whom have you given yourself away? When we have an answer to this question of commitment--to what/whom is our heart bound--we'll truly know someone, even ourselves.
Knowing who we truly are, in the service, affection, and betterment of something more than ourselves is what every human yearns for. It's why our souls are never satisfied even with the best of things. No matter what we gain, if our efforts and accumulations terminate on us, we are left wanting something more.
While our better question gets us to our ultimate end, it is not where we start. The ironic and frustrating paradox of this pursuit is that we can not give ourselves away, commit ourselves wholeheartedly to something or someone, without knowing what we are giving: our heart. And we cannot know the heart of who we are except through being known. Or, once again paraphrasing Merton,
"Our deep longing to discover who we truly are, and to live out the fulfillment of our discovery in the love of others and God comes through first discovering that we cannot find ourselves in ourselves alone; we must find ourselves in and through others...the Other."
Good thing the Other already knows and is glad to share His knowledge. At least that is what Psalm 139:1 proclaims:
O LORD, you have searched me
and known me!
We cannot answer the better question alone. In fact, it's not even a question that starts with self-knowledge, but rather the One who knows us. And His knowledge is not merely a designer's knowledge of his apparatus, but knowledge from presence. His knowing of us comes from His ever being with us.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me. (v. 5)
To know we are known—crafted and pursued—so intricately and intimately is actually, as the psalmist says, "too wonderful for me to take in!" Which is why we are encouraged through Psalm 139 to regularly ask for an examination:
Search me, O God
and know my heart!
Examine me and
know my disquieting thoughts,
And see if there is any grievous way
in me,
and lead me in the way ancient
and everlasting.
(v. 23-24)
So this week, my friends, I encourage you to do two things. First, remember who knows you truly, by praying this prayer.
Father, you investigate my life;
you get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
then up ahead and you’re there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can’t take it all in!
And second, remember that He knows you because He is with you by setting aside a few moments to work through the exercise below.
Love you, faith family! God bless.
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REMEMBERING WHAT'S KNOWN
PREPARATION
Set aside 10-20 minutes of relative quiet. Have your bible open to Psalm 139, a journal/paper, and a pen.
PRACTICE
The first part of Psalm 139 is about remembering what is true, that God has searched us and knows us! What we are seeking is not something new, but something known. The following exercise is designed to help us recognize this truth by remembering God's knowledge of us at a particular moment in our lives.
Step 1 | Confess & Read
Confess what you have experienced, but sometimes forget:
"O LORD, you have searched me and known me!"
Now read Psalm 139:2-12
Step 2 | Choose A Memory
The psalmist recognizes God's knowledge of him in three different "places."
When God knew what you needed before you could ask/act (v. 2-5).
When God was present at the "heights" of life (v. 8-10).
When God was present in the "lows" of life (v. 11-12).
Which "place" is the Holy Spirit drawing you to? Don't try and force it. Give yourself a minute for a memory to come to mind.
Step 3 | Remember
Now read the verses that correspond with the "place" you remember God was with you. Then let the details of the memory in that place come into full view in your mind. Give yourselves a couple of minutes to remember.
Step 4 | Reflect
Now, with the memory coming to the forefront, consider the following questions:
What were the circumstances (what, when, where, with who)?
What made you aware that God was with you?
How would you describe what you felt after you knew God knew you?
Write down your answers.
Step 5 | Pray & Share
Finally, use the following prayer to lead you into a time of gratitude and wonder in God's knowledge of you:
"Father, you investigate my life; you get all the facts firsthand! I am an open book to you..."
Then, share what you remembered with a friend, co-worker, spouse, or neighbor. Write down their name and ask the Spirit for the courage and opportunity to share your story. Remember that it's through the stories of others that we often recognize our own!