So where are you at in your life today? Who knows you best? Have you ever been asked about your strengths and weaknesses? What about your likes and dislikes? Is there anyone who is better set to answer those questions than you? Have you ever asked God to search you and reveal what He finds? What did you learn? What did you find out? Is there any reason why you wouldn’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t, or haven’t asked God yet?
The All-Knowing God
In Psalm 139:1-4, David marvels at God’s intimate knowledge of him, saying, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.” This scripture highlights that God’s understanding of us surpasses our own. He knows our thoughts, actions, and even the words we will speak before we speak them.
Key takeaway: God’s omniscience assures us that He is fully aware of our innermost being. Practical application: Regularly ask God in prayer to search your heart and reveal areas that need growth or healing, trusting His perfect knowledge of you.
Our True Identity in Christ
Jeremiah 1:5 reminds us, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” This verse emphasizes that God’s knowledge of us predates our existence. He has a unique purpose for every one of us, shaped by His intimate understanding of who we are.
Key takeaway: Our identity and purpose are rooted in God’s foreknowledge and design. Practical application: Embrace your God-given identity by seeking His guidance and living according to the purpose He has set for you, acknowledging that He alone knows the best path for your life.
Trusting God’s Insight Over Ours
Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” These verses teach that our understanding is limited, and we must rely on God’s superior wisdom.
Key takeaway: Trusting God’s insight over our own leads to a righteous and fulfilling life. Practical application: Practice surrendering your plans and decisions to God’s will, regularly seeking His wisdom through prayer and scripture, and trusting His guidance.
The Divine Insight We Need
God’s omniscience and intimate knowledge of us provide a foundation for living a life that aligns with His purpose and glory. By understanding that He knows us better than we know ourselves, we can confidently seek His guidance and trust in His plans. Psalm 139 assures us of His detailed awareness of our being, Jeremiah 1:5 reveals our God-ordained purpose, and Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages us to trust His superior insight. Embracing these truths, we can allow God to lead us in being the fathers, husbands, and men He has called us to be, ultimately reflecting His glory in our lives.
Today’s Devotional:
This year, I am utilizing the 365 Daily Devotions book I received for Christmas, applying its teachings specifically in the context of fatherhood. It’s called WALKING WITH GOD by DAVID JEREMIAH. It’s exciting to learn from a new resource this year as we have tried different options the past two years and will keep working through this for 2024. For more information about the author and his ministry, visit DavidJeremiah.org.
Topic: KNOW THYSELF?
Verse: Psalms 139:1
'You have searched me, Lord , and you know me. '
Who knows you?
Today’s Devotional starts with Socrates, an ancient philosopher who said “Know Thyself” and how it is hard to do. It speaks to how Jeremiah 17:9 says:
'The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? '
Don’t Compare yourself to others. Judge Not! Today’s Devotional shares how “Paul cautions us against being too quick to approve ourselves or condemn others, saying:
'I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. '
- 1 Corinthians 4:3-4
God knows you
Today’s Devotional reflects on the reality that we are human, fallen creatures, and so need to be turning to God and asking Him into our thought processes and activities. “We must be careful about being overly introspective and too quick to criticize others.” We can end up “wounding ourselves and others by misguided judgements.”
Seek God who knows you better than you know yourself
Today’s Devotional wraps by calling us to “be discerning about right and wrong.” We must “be willing to properly admonish someone when the Spirit leads, but remember there’s only One who can actually read the heart.” So let’s be the dads open and willing to turn to God and take hold of today’s verse. Let’s ask Him to search us, know our hearts, test us, and understand our stresses, worries, and anxieties, to see if there is any wicked way in us and lead us in the way everlasting.
“The best of [us] are too apt to judge rashly, and harshly, and unjustly; but [God’s] judgment is always according to truth.”
MATTHEW HENRY
