Daily devotional, April 24, 2024 The dictionary
"For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything."
1 John 3:20
I was an elementary student prior to the Google era, and so Mr. Webster is the one I sought for when I do not understand a certain word. My mom bought me a really big and thick dictionary and she taught me how to use it. I was amazed at how many words that big red dictionary held, and I often wondered how long it took them to compile all that information.
As followers of Jesus, we can rest assured that our God needs no reference tool just to understand us. He is all-knowing that He knows our thoughts and actions even before they are formed.
"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." Psalm 139:1-3
In one of his more popular Psalms, King David shared his amazement at how God fully understands us. That He is gracious enough to know where we are coming from in terms of our responses to various situations in our lives, hence King David’s prayer and praise:
"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 139:4-6
Our God understands everything that we do because He can see through our hearts. He is the God who sees, and just as we cannot hide anything from Him, He also sees everything that we do, and everything that other people do to us. We do not need to burden ourselves to explain too much because He hears all of our cries, and sees well beyond our tears. In fact, He knows what we need even before we ask Him.
"And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
Hebrews 4:13
Moreover, Jesus knows what we are going through because He has gone through hurts and various difficulties too. He knew how it is to hunger and thirst, be tempted, be ridiculed, be betrayed, face death, be persecuted, and endure hardship and sufferings. He knew how it is to say goodbye to his loved ones and leave them behind. He is not AND will never be indifferent to our pains.
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin."
Hebrews 4:15
God fully knows how it feels to be human, and so when we pray to Him, we can trust that He can empathize. So when others do not understand us, and when we sometimes feel like we do not even understand our own selves, we can take heart that there is someone up there who knows, who sees, who understands, and yet continuez to love us for who we are. He knows our backstories, and yet He still invites us to come back to Him, and form a loving relationship with Him.
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Hebrews 4:12-16 and Psalm 139 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you feel like God understands your circumstances and pain?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for assuring me that you know me inside out. That you know my mistakes and yet you love me. That you see my efforts to be a better person for you. Give me the strength and confidence to continue pursuing you. Amen.