The Beautiful Blessings of Being Known

As an attentive and observant parent, you can always tell by the look in your toddler’s eye when they are up to something.

That little mischievous twinkle in their eye with an accompanying smirk on the lips gives their motive away. You know the one I’m talking about. When they are soon to reach for the item you told them “no” about. It’s just that they cannot resist reaching into the dog’s food bowl and trying a piece! And you could have predicted this whole scenario three minutes ago when you noticed them spying the bowl with freshly scooped dried dog food in it!

God knows all of us like that too.

He knows the look we get in our eyes, he sees when the dimples come out when we smile, he hears the tone in our voices.

The Bible tells us a story in Luke where God sees and hears what is going on too.

And I didn’t catch it at first.

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Hi, I’m Brooke Z. from The Pondering Scottie! I enjoy writing posts that encourage and inspire, the ones that touch your heart, make you think, make you laugh or give you a great idea! If you’re into Jesus, family, books, homeschooling, nature, travel, memoir and some surprises thrown in along the way, then please consider subscribing or upgrading today!

Now back to our post:

In Luke 7:36-50 NIV we read this short story:

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.

A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.

As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

(Source: Biblegateway.com - NIV version)

You see, some of us tend to know this story about the sinful lady with the expensive perfume from her alabaster jar and how she rubbed Jesus’ feet with her tears and poured perfume over them. But, at least for me, I hadn’t caught the part about Simon.

Maybe you haven’t either.

Let’s explore it together by looking closely again at verse 39: “When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

There! There it is, did you catch it?

Here it is: “When the Pharisee who had invited him observed this, he said to himself. (verse 39)

Simon says to himself, “If this man were a prophet…”

Oh man, I love Jesus. Here comes his response. Here comes the mic drop moment:

“Simon, I have something to tell you.”

And you know at this moment that absolute TRUTH is going to pour out of Jesus’ mouth faster than that perfume flowed out of the jar!

For you see, Jesus read Simon’s thoughts here! Simon said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know…” and Jesus did indeed know! He knew everything!

He knew much more than Simon said to himself in fact, because God knows ALL!

And He knows our thoughts before we have them and he knows our words before we speak them.

Because of his omniscience, God knows our hearts, our motives, and our intentions also!

And depending on where you are in your walk with the Lord, this might be comforting or it could be terrifying!

In Matthew 9:4, it says, “But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?’” You see, God knows our heart condition as well as the number of hairs on our head!

“But even the hairs of your head are all numbered,” Matthew 10:30 tells us.

In 1 John 3:20, John writes to Christians here saying, “...for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”

We often are our own worst critics but because of his all-knowing ability, God also knows and understands our true selves, and we can take great comfort in that today, friends.

In Matthew 6:8 the Bible tells us “...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

God knows your situation and prayer request even before you bow your head to pray. We don’t have to carve out perfect prayers; we can come to him just as we are and trust that he is already working things out in his timing.

Belonging and being known by God can bring us tremendous comfort and security, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 tells us.

This brings me such comfort knowing that he is near, knows all about me and is leading me.

And it can for you too, friend.

Let’s pray this scripture together, shall we?

“Oh LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

You know when I sit down 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 know it completely, O LORD.”

Thank you for knowing us completely and loving us just the same, Jesus.

Worthy is your name to be praised!

Amen

(Psalm 139:1-4 NIV)

Until next time sweet friends,

Brooke

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