Have you had people in your life who knew you so well, they knew just what to say when you needed it? Or maybe they could pick out a gift that was especially meaningful, because they knew just what you liked. These personal gestures certainly make us feel special.
Now, think about the personal relationship God offers us. The psalmist David proclaimed, “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD” (Psalm 139:1-4, NLT).
Wow! That’s personal insight at its highest level! God knows everything about us including every word we speak, every thought we think, and even the attitude of our heart. I think it’s very significant that we understand how personally God knows us, because it reveals at least three important characteristics of His nature.
First of all, God offers us personal love. It’s our love for others that moves us to care about them and be interested in their affairs. To think that God is interested in every detail of our lives shows that He deeply loves and cares for us.
Secondly, God offers us personal provision. Problems we face can be very complex whether they are physical, emotional, or relational in nature. But God understands each one completely and can offer the specific help we need.
Finally, God offers us personal guidance. The psalmist David declared, “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” (Psalm 139:16). While our vision is limited, God sees and understands our lives from beginning to end. He can give us better insight, advice, and direction than we could ever get from our own understanding or another person’s opinion.
The famous 23rd Psalm opens with these words: “The LORD is my shepherd.” I love how David refers to the Lord as “my shepherd.” He could have called the Lord “a” shepherd or “the” shepherd, and he certainly would have been true. But David obviously enjoyed a relationship with the Lord that was very personal … to the level that he could call Him “my” shepherd.
You see, if you know God just as “a” shepherd, your knowledge is probably based on what you’ve heard about Him. When you know God as “the” shepherd, your knowledge is based on what you believe about Him. But when you know God as “my” shepherd, you know God because of what He’s done personally for you.
We can all enjoy a close and personal relationship with the Lord. In fact, that’s what He desires. After all, He knows every detail of our lives down to the number of hairs on our head. He understands us better than we understand ourselves!
Yes, one of the wonders of His greatness is that while He is the Creator of the universe, He still knows and cares about each of us on a deeply personal level. Know that you are special to the Lord. When you seek Him, you’ll receive personal love, provision, and guidance you can find nowhere else. Let Him be “your” shepherd today. (EVAN JACKSON)