What comes to mind when you think about knowing someone? Have you thought you knew someone only to be fooled? Have you had others say they know you, and you know they do not really know you? When someone says they know you, do you think about the hidden things inside?
Knowing someone can only be partial. There is no way for us to know their inner thoughts. We think we know them based on their actions, behavior, and by what they say. Others believe they know us based on the same things. Yet, none of us fully know one another.
Yet, the Psalmist records the statement that God will deliver us and protect us, if we know him. I know, it says to “those who know my name.” In the time periods in which the Bible was written, the statement to know someone’s name meant to fully know them, not merely their name. It not only implies fully knowing God but also following his commands.
This means a lifestyle change for many of us. Our lives must reflect that we are followers of Jesus Christ. It means we should act as he acted, which includes taking care of the poor, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, seeking justice for everyone, treating one another with respect and love. In other words, we can’t hold grudges, spout hatred, be judgmental, and disregard those on the margins like the rest of the world.
God identifies his chosen children as those who love him. If we love him, we obey his commands and follow the example Jesus set for us. We give up our own personal preferences to obey God. We make worshiping him a priority. We do everything we do for his glory. There are no half measures, no half stepping, no standing in the middle. Whether we like it or not, God demands we are fully committed to him. When we love him with every fiber of our being and our entire heart, it comes naturally.
I pray we all love God with our entire heart, soul, and mind. I pray we commit everything we do to his glory. I pray each one of us will follow the example Jesus has set for us. Love God with your entire being. Commit yourselves fully to God. Follow Jesus’s example.
Psalm 91:14
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
Marty Pressey 