DAILY READING
REFLECTION
He Knows
by Jennifer Jerrome
Have you ever said, “If God only knew what I was thinking right now.”
According to verse 4, He does.
Well, I’ve thought some very unchristian thoughts, so the idea of God knowing the inner workings of my mind is a little unsettling. Sometimes I just want to keep my crazy thoughts to myself and I’ve caught myself telling God, “Excuse me, I’d like to be alone please.”
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?" (v. 7)
The answer: Nowhere.
You can’t escape Him. He loves you too much to lose track of where you are physically, mentally or spiritually. He’s like an all-knowing, all-seeing Life360.
He’s in our heads and it’s a good thing.
He’s not there to control our thoughts, but to give us pause before we do or say things we’ll regret. But even when we do, He’s there to gently remind us of who we are and Whose we are. When our minds and hearts are racing with anxiety, depression, fear, frustration, anger, etc., He’s there to calm us or at least ride the wave with us. Like verse 10 says, "Your hand will guide me and hold me fast."
Father,
Thank you for politely ignoring me when I tell you to leave me alone. You’re not going anywhere and I’m grateful for that. Thanks for always being right there with me. Amen
Addendum Alert!
As He’s done before, God brought the message of this scripture home – literally.
I work at the library and as I was putting a book on the shelf, it caught my eye… Turn My Mourning into Dancing by Henri Nouwen, a Dutch Catholic priest. I was familiar with his work through Richard Rohr and the beloved Mr. Rogers. I decided to take the book home, but it sat on my nightstand for a while. After I thought I was done writing this devotion, God whispered, “I think it’s time to pick up the book.”
Sure enough, I started scribbling notes as soon as I opened it.
“For by trying to hide parts of our story from God’s eye and our own consciousness, we become judges of our own past. We limit divine mercy to our human fears. Our efforts to disconnect ourselves from our own suffering end up disconnecting our suffering from God’s suffering for us (p. 5).
And it didn’t stop there. Page nine said “I let Christ live near my hurts and distractions.”
On page 11, “We are called time and again to discover God’s spirit at work within our lives, within us, amid even the dark moments.” Um, where can I go from your Spirit – NOWHERE. You are WITHIN me.
I have several more chapters to read, but Father Nouwen paints a beautiful picture of our lives with Christ.
PRAYER
God never ceases to amaze. May we allow Him in our minds and hearts to guide our lives, remembering His love isn’t going anywhere. Amen, Amen, Amen.
Thank you Jennifer, this is beautiful. Psalm 91 has long been a favorite, and one God often steers me to when I need to feel His presence in a big way.