Psalm 139
What does it mean to be known? Let’s say you are talking to a friend, and they tell you they bumped into someone who says they know you, what are your first thoughts? Curiosity, worry, excitement, intrigue? They tell you the person was your Ex, whom you do not talk to and things ended very badly. Now what is going through your mind?
What does it mean to be known? You are in a group setting at a social event and the topic turns to a very famous currently relevant celebrity/sports star who is loved & admired by everyone present and you just so happened to grow up with them and knew them well before they were famous, and still talk with them. Most likely, you would use this opportunity to use the words, “I know them.” Maybe you would share childhood stories, and in an instant become the center of attention for that current moment.
What does it mean to be known? You are in a time of trial and suffering, you live alone, you feel alone. Depressive and anxious thoughts fill your head and even when you pray it feels like no one is there. Then a knock at the door comes and your closest friend who you asked to leave you alone and told that everything is fine shows up and refuses to leave until you talk about what’s going on. After you talk and begin to feel better you asked her how she knew to come over and she says, “I know you”.
In the 139th Psalm King David talks about what it means to be known by God. He, quite eloquently, describes the joy, the fear, and the frustration of being completely known by a God who upholds the very fabric of your being. This week we will look at this Psalm and discuss what it means to be known, our aversion to it, and at the same time, the human need to be known.
Peace,
Nathan Bentley