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God Knows…and Cares Tom Barnard
“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… How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly …And when I wake up in the morning you are still with me!” (Psalm 139:1-2; 17-19 TLB; NLT)
“Before God created the universe, He already had you in mind.” Erwin W. Lutzer
History attributes the authorship of the 139th Psalm to David. The shepherd David. The musician David. The kid with the five smooth stones and home-made sling. The slayer of Goliath of Gath. David, Israel’s second king. Courageous warrior. Psalmist. The same David who coveted Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his loyal soldiers, and ordered his death. David, whose seven penitential psalms remain as some of the most spiritually powerful of all the psalms. David, who led Israel to the heights of grandeur. David, who prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” That David.
Have you ever wondered if God knows where you live? Have you asked yourself if God is too busy to notice you? Have you ever mused, “Does God even know my name?” David knew. In this same psalm he said, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb… You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (13-16). David had no doubts at all about how much God knew and cared about him.
Why is it that we doubt so much and worry about this and that? If David was right, God is watching us in the same way he watched King David. And he likes what he sees. Jesus said, “Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it…So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).
Father God, I am humbled when I think about your love for me. Just reading the words written thousands of years ago by King David brings tears to my eyes. I am unworthy of the least of your mercy, but you offer it to me over and over again. Accept my praise and thanks. If you are willing, allow me the opportunity to return your love to me with a renewed dedication to your cause. In the strong name of Jesus I pray. Amen. |