Completely Known

by Cindi McMenamin @CindiMcMenamin

Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, Lord.  Psalm 139:4 CSB

I’ve heard some women say their husbands can look at them and know exactly what they’re thinking.

I envy them. To have a mind-reader husband would be quite nice.

But for most of us, no one knows what we’re thinking and feeling, until we try to express it in words, which often don’t come out quite right.

I remember the day I really understood that the Lord can enter the private area of my mind and heart – the part no one else can see – and knows exactly what I’m thinking and feeling. What a relief to be assured that I was truly known by the One who designed me and wants to be in relationship with me.

David, the psalmist, prayed, “Lord, You have searched me and known me.  You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways” (Psalm 139:1-3). David goes on to say that even before he speaks, the Lord knows what he is going to say. That is intimate knowledge – so intimate that David admits it is too wonderful for him to understand.

As a child, I always expected my mom to know what I was thinking, to know when to come in my room and comfort me when I was upset. And when she didn’t, I became angry. I can tend to do the same thing to my husband today. So many times, I want him to talk with me, so I leave clues that are, in my opinion, obvious. But my husband often has other things on his mind and doesn’t pick up on my “hints.” That tends to annoy me and make me feel I’m not important enough for him to study and try to figure out.

God doesn’t need the hints, though. He already knows the condition of my heart and mind. And because He knows my thoughts, He understands me in a way no one else ever could. Better than a mother. Better than a husband. Better than a best friend. He knows me, literally, more than I even know myself. And with all that intimate knowledge, He still loves me and accepts me. Now that’s unconditional, unfathomable love.

Lord, thank You that I am completely known and, in addition to knowing all about me, You loving me more intimately than anyone else ever could. Help me to keep You first in my heart today.

TWEETABLE
Completely Known – thoughts on #GodsLove from @CindiMcMenamin on @AriseDailyDevo (Click to Tweet)

About the author: Cindi McMenamin is an award-winning writer and national speaker who helps women strengthen their relationship with God and others. She is the author of 17 books including her best-selling titles When Women Walk Alone (more than 130,000 copies sold) and When God Sees Your Tears. For more on her books and resources to improve your walk with God, your marriage, or your parenting, or for a free consultation to see if she can help you write your book, see her website: www.StrengthForTheSoul.com.

Do you long to hear God’s whispers on your heart? “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Do you want to know His thoughts of you, His plans for you, His comfort and His presence? Then Cindi’s book, God’s Whispers to a Woman’s Heart is for you!

Join the conversation: How does knowing you are completely known (and  unconditionally loved) make a difference in your life?

God’s Got This

by Cindi McMenamin @CindiMcMenamin

He who gives attention to the word will find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.                                                                                                                               Proverbs 16:20 NASB

My friend, Allison, sent me a text message upon learning that her husband was diagnosed with colon cancer. I was surprised by her reaction.

“God’s got this,” she wrote.

Not a “Why him?” or “Why did God allow this?” Not even a “What if…?” She showed only an unswerving trust in the One who can handle all things.

I want that type of unquestioning faith in the face of uncertainty. Like Allison, I want to be able to think or say “God’s got this” when the unexpected or unthinkable comes my way. And I realize I have the ability to display that kind of trust in God because I’ve been given the same thing that Allison has been given: God’s trustworthy Word.

I’m encouraged that God is intimately aware of all my ways and His Word tells me that He knows my thoughts (and concerns) before I even think them (Psalm 139:1-4). That assures me He is already working on the matters that concern me most.

I’m also glad God knew that His creation would be prone to worry, and so He had the Apostle Paul address that habit of ours in Philippians 4:6-7:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (NLT).

Any time we find ourselves in a situation we can’t do anything about (which is why we worry in the first place) we can trust that God is Who He says He is, and that He can work out that situation far better than we can.

Today, when I begin to worry that God hasn’t “done something yet,” I have to remind myself that He is God. He doesn’t need my help. He doesn’t need my stress. He desires my trust. When I acknowledge that He is God, and I am not, and that His plan is always better than mine, that is when He gives me peace that guards my heart and mind.

The next time we begin to worry, we can ask ourselves “What am I believing about God that isn’t true? Do I believe He is true to His Word? Do I really believe He can take care of this?”

And when we can answer those questions with the statement “God’s got this” we can experience His peace.

Lord, help me to trust You with every ounce of my being, every day of my life  so when the unexpected or the unthinkable comes my way, I am already assured that “God’s got this.”

TWEETABLE
No matter what…”God’s got this.” Thoughts from @CindiMcMenamin on @AriseDailyDevo (Click to Tweet)

About the author: Cindi McMenamin is an award-winning writer and national speaker who helps women strengthen their relationship with God and others. She is the author of 17 books including her best-selling When Women Walk Alone (more than 130,000 copies sold), When You’re Running on Empty, When God Sees Your Tears, and Drama Free: Finding Peace When Emotions Overwhelm You. For more on her books and resources to strengthen your soul, marriage, and parenting, or for more information on her coaching services to help you write the book on your heart, see her website: www.StrengthForTheSoul.com.

Join the conversation: In the last time you struggled to trust God, what incorrect belief about Him could have been influencing your heart?