I am Known

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8gKXu6J2wE

Jesus Loves Me ~ Chris Tomlin

 

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.”

~ Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

 

I sat down, yesterday, to write in my journal, but then began to cry. They weren’t tears of sadness, but of knowing…that I’ve been known, seen, and loved.

 

El Roi is the God who sees you. This isn’t just a quick glance. El Roi knows your deepest, most intimate needs, desires, and even fears. He has dug away the dirt that’s been piled up and packed down and found the tiny seed that was buried deep inside your heart. This seed is almost too afraid to barely whisper, “See me,” because it really wants God to “Love me”.

 

It doesn’t matter how the seed got buried so far beneath the surface. Any number of circumstances, including lies, could have shoved it there. What matters is that you are seen. You are known. And you are loved!

 

Because God knows you, He calls you. But He does more than just call you.

He…:

sees you.                             knows you.                         made you.                          

designed you.                    freed you.                            loves you.                           

covers you.                        carries you.                         trains you.                          

heals you.                          satisfies you.                      blesses you.       

fights for you.                   protects you.                      stretches you.                   

prunes you.                       feeds you.                           teaches you.                      

counsels you.                    instructs you.                     forgives you.                     

prays for you.                   cares for you.                     protects you.

helps you.                         clothes you.                       restores you.                     

refreshes you.                  empowers you.                 replenishes you.               

provides for you.             transforms you.                 walks with you.                

has redeemed you.         is faithful to you.              strengthens you.             

renews your power.        nourishes you.                  invites you to His Table.

And more!

I encourage you to take some time and ask El Roi—the God who sees you—what facet of His love, which part, specifically, He wants you to focus on today and in your current season. Maybe today it’s just remembering that you are known: really, truly, and fully known.

©Heather Potts 2023

Known and Loved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVVlMQved8k

You Know Me ~ Steffany Gretzinger

 

You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.

~ Psalm 139:1 NIVUK

 

What do athletic socks, a fake plant, and a watermelon have in common? They were all birthday gifts given by women who know me. They know what I need, can handle, and enjoy. Gifts are fun to receive. Some gifts will make you laugh, some will bring you delight, and some will touch a tender spot in your heart, as you realize how well you are known and loved.

 

David, the youngest and smallest son of Jesse, expressed his awe of God in the Psalms. Though David may have been overlooked by his earthly family, his heavenly Father knew and loved him completely:

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, (Psalm 139:2-4)

You are familiar—intimately acquainted—with all my ways… David felt safe in the hands of his God who knew him: his praise and doubts, his rejoicing and rejections, his good deeds and mistakes, his wins and his faults. The Lord knew all these things, and still loved him.

 

We all long to be known, and loved, like that. The same Lord who knew and loved David, knows and loves you. Our Father knows, loves, honors, cares for, created, designed, corrects, disciplines, and teaches us in a personal way. He knows your past and is fully aware of the things you’ve endured and had to overcome; He’s seen your future and knows the preparation you still require to be victorious; He was with you yesterday, He’s journeying with you now, and still, He loves you. You, dear child, are fully known and fully loved.

©Heather Potts 2022

Known

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BhTAJ49MQ0&list=RDdH0PmaKxOtA&index=4

Nothing Else ~ Cody Carnes

The Lord is good, A strength and stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows [He recognizes, cares for, and understands fully] those who take refuge and trust in Him.

Nahum 1:7 AMP

Three days ago, we learned that our downstairs neighbor, who’d lived alone the full 3 ½ years we’ve known him, chose to live and die alone. I use the term “known” loosely, because there was very little we knew about him, including that he had family nearby, who clearly loved him.

What is a life that’s known? What does it take to love and be loved by others? I think it starts with courage and choice. Jesus demonstrated that for us by His sacrifice. His desire to know and be known by us, that not one of us would be lost to Him, compelled Christ to the Cross. Knowing that He desired to know and be known by you, when did you choose Him? When did you ask Jesus to be your Savior, that you’d get to know Him?

Like everyone our age, I remember where I was and what I was doing 20 years ago, today. Today was life-changing for so many. While there are hundreds of thousands of stories, I pray that this one touches your heart:

He got up, got dressed for work, kissed his girlfriend good-bye and headed out the door.  Today was the day it would all change for him.  He was starting a new job, a new way of life.  After orientation, his boss showed him to an office and asked him to file while she was in a meeting.  A while later, he began to hear a commotion.  People were yelling and running.  He stuck his head out of the office and saw the burning twin towers on TV and the reporter talking about the concerns for the President.  Then someone in the office shouted, “Air Force One is across the street!  Should we evacuate the building?” No one answered. All eyes were locked on the TV in horror. He moved back into the office and closed the door, his mind whirling.

 

Standing in that office, leaning against the door, he was afraid.  “What if I die today?  What if they take out the President’s plane and this office with it?  What if my girlfriend was right about Jesus and I miss it?”  He began to remember what his friends had said one night after work, so many years ago.  They had talked about a Savior. Not a mean God, but One who loved him and who would accept him.  Sliding down to the floor, he said, “God I give you my heart.  From this day forward, I’m Yours.”

 

In Psalm 23, David called the Lord his “Shepherd”, someone who knew David: his needs, desires, wounds, and even joys. David has been called a man after God’s heart, not because he lived a perfect life, but because he chose to live a known life--known to and by his Savior, the way we all long to be known.

I don’t know your story, or how you were affected by that terrible, dark day.  I do know that while so many lives were lost that day, at least one soul was saved, because he chose to be known by his Savior. Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was the day my husband gave his life to Christ! 

Friends, my prayer is that you will choose to not live this life alone, but will be courageous enough to choose a known life--both by your Savior and by those around you.

©Heather Potts 2021