Fully Known without Having to Perform
Written for Bible Journey Plan. Our editorial standards.
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Psalm 139:1-3 KJV
You can spend a great deal of effort trying to be understood. You choose the right photograph, explain a decision, or hope someone notices the part of your life that feels overlooked. Other people will always know you only in part.
The Lord's knowledge is complete. He sees the effort no one praised and the sin you hoped no one would discover. There is no need to build a false account of yourself before Him, and no possibility of making one succeed.
That truth brings both seriousness and comfort. Hidden wrongdoing is not hidden from God. Hidden sorrow is not hidden either. You can confess honestly and seek His help without first finding an impressive way to describe the situation.
Let being known by God free you from constant performance. Be truthful in the image you present to others. Accept the limits of what any one person can understand, while continuing to seek healthy relationships and appropriate support. The Saviour who knows sinners fully is the One who died and rose again for them. Bring your actual life before Him, including the ordinary details you assumed were too small to matter.
Keep the passage in context
David recognizes the LORD's complete knowledge of his movements and thoughts. God's knowledge reaches beyond public behavior into every part of ordinary life.
Read further: Psalm 139 in the King James Bible.