In the Word: Fully Known
Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be studying Psalm 139 together. This Psalm is used often (and rightly so) to demonstrate the value of human life, and God’s care for us from even before we were conceived. What can we learn about God’s tender care for us and for our babies from these verses? How does a greater knowledge of these truths offer hope and comfort to us in the midst of grief?
Fully Known
“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.”
Psalm 139:1-6
READ:
Pure intimacy is one of our basic human relational needs—to be fully known, connected, vulnerable, yet still loved with abandon by another. We seek this in marriage and friendships, but our ultimate fulfillment is found in our Creator—the only One who can truly know us with this kind of familiarity and acceptance.
David explains in Psalm 139:1-4 that, as God’s creation, we are searched and known by the Lord. He knows everything about us and what is happening to us and all around us. The word “search” indicates the ongoing nature of His relationship with us, and “know” denotes more than merely being acquainted with someone or being able to list facts about them. In fact, the same word used to describe this “knowing” is the Hebrew word used to describe sexual intimacy throughout the Old Testament (compare Genesis 4:1).
At first glance, this comparison may seem confusing. But I believe God uses this word because it paints an accurate picture of the depth of His understanding of us and of His desire to connect with us. Author Dr. Juli Slattery explains it best when she says that sexual intimacy is a “brilliant metaphor of a profound truth. God created us as sexual beings so that we might understand what it means to long, to desire, and to crave intimate oneness” with the Lord. God is personally involved in every aspect of our lives, and He remains faithful, unwavering, and completely connected to us in the midst of it all, inviting us to respond in the same way towards Him.
David understood what it mean to live in intimacy with God because He pursued and relied on His connection with God to bring Him through the ups and downs of his life, including the loss of a child. David deepened this intimacy over time by:
Trusting the Lord (1 Samuel 17:47)
Strengthening himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6)
Praying, pleading, and fasting (2 Samuel 12:16)
Worshiping the Lord (2 Samuel 15:32)
Inquiring of the Lord (2 Samuel 21:1)
Listing praises of God (2 Samuel 22 and many of the Psalms)
Asking God to search Him (Psalm 139:23-24)
Ultimately, David constantly communed with God, regardless of his circumstances, because God was the only One who knew him with perfect intimacy.
We have a choice in how we respond to the Lord’s intimate involvement in our lives. We can run away in fear and distrust, questioning His authority, or we can embrace His active involvement in our lives and our grief. Through the awful pain we experience in loss, His intimate knowledge of us can become a unique, solitary source of consolation.
God is there for us; He knows the depth of our sadness that even those closest to us cannot comprehend. He is there when we wonder how our children would have looked, and when we are burdened by the “whys” surrounding our loss. He is there, and He knows.
REFLECT:
- How will you respond to the Lord’s knowing of you and your grief?
- In what ways do you find yourself either lacking trust in His sovereignty, or embracing His unique connection to you?
- Using the list of how David sought intimacy with the Lord, which of these habits can you adopt in your own relationship with God?
JOURNAL:
Read through Psalm 139 and write about what God’s intimate knowledge of His creation means for your baby(ies) in heaven and their time on earth. If you have a picture, I suggest keeping it near during this time to marvel at His creation.
Resources:
Dr. Juli Slattery Rethinking Sexuality: God’s Design and why it Matters (New York, Multnomah, 2018)
Dr. Juli Slattery Sex & the Single Girl (2016) PDF version; p. 12-13
- Kayla
Hope Mom to Anna Joy
I am married to Justin and Hope Mommy to Anna Joy. We live in sunny south Florida where I love reading, writing, teaching, and just being with family & friends! I work in the hospital as a RN, and humbly serve as volunteer Nurse Manager at our local pregnancy resource center, Care Net. My personal ministry passions include leading women to deeper understanding of Jesus’ truth through their marriage struggles, sexuality, and miscarriage.
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