I am Known

My friend, how are you? Are you seen? Do you feel heard? Do you feel known?

A truth God has been pressing into my memory and my lived experience lately is that I am known. God knows me! Nothing I am and nothing I do is hid from Him. He sees the fear, the distrust, the sinful selfishness, the failures, and the pride. He sees the daily struggle with temptation, the hurts I won’t let go of, the falls flat on my face, the anguished times of crying out in frustration and anger at my circumstances, and the things I allow to come before my relationship with Him. God sees and knows it all.

And He loves me despite all He knows.

Dear friend, you are known! And you are loved.

We seek to be known by those in our family. Those in our inner circle. Those in our sphere of influence. Many of us feel unknown and unloved by the very people who ought to know and love us best. We feel all alone.

But we aren’t.

There is a Father who has never rejected us. A heavenly Parent who has never belittled us when we most needed loving arms around us. A Friend Who has never left our side at our time of greatest need. A Teacher Who has never taught us the wrong lesson. A Shepherd Who has never wounded us by being insensitive or uncaring. A Husband and Lover Who has never hurt us.

There is a Father Who has permanently opened up His arms of love to receive us. A heavenly Parent Who invites us to come into His throne room and just be. A Friend Who walks with us even in the unseen. A Teacher Who gives the gentlest, most compassionate, and most personalized lessons. A Shepherd Who hung on a cross to heal all that is wrong in our souls. And a Husband and Lover Who has taken all of our hurt upon Himself.

This is our God.

This is the One we are privileged to have a relationship with. This is the One Who made us knowing that we would turn from Him. This is the One Who made us anyway, purely for the sake of love. The One Who is so full of love that He just had to create human beings to share that love with.

When I feel unknown and unloved, I remember that that is a lie from the enemy. For the enemy knows that when I live out the truth that I am known, God in me is unstoppable. Perfect love casts out all fear. There is no fear in love.

What do you fear most? Being rejected because you think others hate what you see in the mirror as much as you do? Being alone because you will never be good enough to deserve anyone’s love? Losing control of what you feel is keeping you afloat?

Friend…dear one…do not fear!! Expect humans to fail you and disappoint you. That is a constant that will not change this side of glory. There is always some other human out there who is more talented, prettier, thinner, smarter, more popular, and more successful from a worldly perspective. But God is no mere human. And you belong to Him. He made you, your body, your tendencies, your hormones, and your metabolism just the way He wanted them. He does not reject you. Rather, He glories in you! He gave His Son to have a relationship with you. You are not alone! Dear one, you must accept the truth that you are not in control. And that is a very, very good thing!!

I challenge you to remind yourself daily that you are fully known and fully loved. Nothing outside of God’s loving hand can touch you. You are His. He made you. He has redeemed you. He forgives you. He is with you.

And in Him, you belong.

You are an essential part of His family. You play a part no one else can. Without you, the body of Christ just isn’t whole!

It is a fight. It is difficult, and sometimes it hurts. But we are on the winning side. So don’t give up! Tell yourself the truth until you can recite it in your sleep. Until it becomes so familiar that it crowds out the lies vying for space in your mind. Until it is so much a part of you that you live it.

And dare to take the faith-plunge into His waiting arms. So many good things wait for you on the other side of fear! What do you have to lose? Lonely days. Sleepless nights. Endless frustrating gazes into the mirror. Do these sound like the life you want to live? You don’t have to live it!! You have been made free! Not just freed, but made free. You have the ability to reject the lies and allow God to open your eyes to the truth. To show you things that were impossible for you to see before. You are new!

Forgiven. New. Loved. Cherished. Known.

These words are true of you, dear friend!!

Love, your sister