Day 31
Someone Knows and Someone Cares
Read your Bible: Psalm 139:4–6, 17–18
Spotlight Verse:
Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.Psalm 139:4
There was a popular commercial a while back that showed a middle-aged receptionist punching a switchboard in a white room:
“Hello, this is heaven.”
“Shark!!”
“I’ll put you right through! Hello, this is Heaven…”
“Yeah, I’m being investigated for tax fraud…”
“Please hold, Senator… Heaven…”
“Yeah, my daughter’s marrying a rock musician.”
“Oh, I’ll connect you right away!”
When I pray I can find myself acting a little like that: It’s all about informing God. “Lord, here’s the René report…”
Earlier I quoted from a book called Children’s Letters to God. In another of these actual letters from children, a little boy fills God in on his life:
Dear God: My name’s Simon. That’s from the Bible. I am eight and a half. We live across the street from the park. I have a dog named Buster. I used to have a hamster but he got out and ran away. I am small for my age. My hobbies are swimming, bowling, my chemistry set, reading, coin collecting, and tropical fish. Right now I have three kinds. Well I guess I said a mouthful. Goodbye, Always a friend, Simon.48
I tend to pray a lot like that! I’m sure God loves every sincere word, but it’s good for me to realize He doesn’t need a reporter here on earth, checking in with Him.
In today’s Scripture, David says that God knows all our words before they are even formed. Even half-formed prayer words like:
“I know it’s wrong but I want to do it anyway.”
“I feel so stupid. Why did I do that?”
“How could God love me?”
“Lord, I am so sorry.”
“I am so scared.”
“I’m so lonely.”
“I hate you.”
“I love you.”
“Are you real?”
He knows every word.
That’s why Jesus said,
“When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:7–8
Why pray, then? To reconnect with Him. To relax in Him. To release your burdens. To receive relief.
God isn’t waiting for you to inform Him so He knows what’s going on, or to confess to Him so He can explode at you in surprised rage, because, remember, nothing surprises Him. He’s waiting for you to come to Him so that He can restore the vitality of your relationship.
During those times when you think, “Nobody knows and nobody cares,” you can rest assured — Someone knows. And that Someone cares.
Questions For Reflection
This week, repeat this phrase to yourself often: “Someone knows and Someone cares.” How does it positively impact you to remind yourself of this truth?
Although you may believe in God’s omniscience intellectually, does your behavior demonstrate your trust in that truth?
