Do You Know the "Know-ness", "With-ness" and "Made-ness" of God?

If you are one of those people who trusts God no matter what, never suffers with anxiety, and sleeps peacefully in the stormiest of circumstances, then please go away. We all hate you.

I’m kidding, (sort of).

The truth is that sometimes we find ourselves overwhelmed. It’s unclear exactly what the Lord is doing and where he is going with our lives. This is a problem. We would rather know where we are going, how we are going to get there, and who will be waiting for us with a glass of (insert favorite beverage here) when we arrive. Unfortunately the Lord does not always, (or usually), find it necessary to give us the whole plan when we're following him. Personally I find it rather inconvenient. I don’t like change and I don't like uncertainty. It makes me nervous, anxious, doubtful, and confused. Following God without clear answers leads to sleepless nights, ulcers, and at the very worst, grumbling, (see also the Israelites).

So what do you look to for “faith food” when you're in these kinds of moments? (I just made the phrase "faith food" up and I hereby claim full rights to it from now on).

What feeds our faith in God in the presence of the unknown? It could be any number of passages from the Word, but I’ll share my own most recent “food” from Psalm 139, highlighting a few parts. Please read along in the Bible to make sure I’m not lying.

Psalm 139:1-6 – GOD KNOWS our thoughts and He is WITH US.

The Lord knows our anxious hearts. He knows the troubled thoughts which are bounding around our head like pin-balls. He knows the prayers we speak out of fear and doubt. He knows it all and he is still with us and loves us. “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me,” (139:5). The Lord of all creation knows the roller coaster going on in our minds and his hand is upon us when we are overwhelmed. This is the “know-ness” of God, (yes, I just made up another phrase).

Psalm 139:7-12 – GOD KNOWS where we are and is WITH US.

No matter where we go, what steps we take, or what decisions must be made, God is WITH US. God’s “with-ness”, (another made up word), is a constant theme in the Bible. God told Moses, “I will be with you.” God told Joshua, “Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” God spoke through Isaiah, “fear not, I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God,” (Isa. 41:10). Jesus told the disciples after the Great Commission, “Behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” No matter what we face or where we go, “even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me,” (139:10). This is the "with-ness" of God.

Psalm 139:13-16 – GOD MADE YOU with purpose.

You and I were made by God purposefully and wonderfully. God made us to be exactly who we are, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Even though we all share in the brokenness of this world, we were still made by God for his purposes. We matter to God. He can use us. Somehow we fit into the body of Christ and his purposes on the earth. God can use each of us, no matter how small or feeble we may be, to glorify himself and show Christ to a fallen world. God made us as his “handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” (Eph. 2:10). This is the "made-ness" of God.

So what is the “faith food” from this psalm?

The "know-ness" of God. He is with us when our hearts and minds when we are troubled. 

The "with-ness" of God. He is with us no matter where we are, no matter how much we are struggling, no matter how anxious and confused we may be. 

The "made-ness" of God. He purposefully and wonderfully made you and me  so we could accomplish his works on the earth.

Lastly, consider the love of God. He loved (insert your name here) and gave his life for (insert your name here), Galatians 2:20.

This psalm served as my “faith food” this week. I’d be honored to hear how you've fed your own faith in the Word.