A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 139.
Sometimes you just know. You just know what someone is going to say.
- The gate agent at the airport has just announced a full flight. But I ask if we can seats together. It never hurts to ask, and once in a great while, they can do it. But most of the time, they say, “I’m sorry, it’s a full flight.”
- When you call up to cancel a subscription – assuming you can get an actual person to talk to – they offer you something to keep you subscribed.
- The standard response to “Thank you” is “No problem.” Not, “You’re welcome.” Unless you’re at Chick-fil-A, and there the response is, “It’s my pleasure.”
- As the barber struggles to run a comb through my thick mane, he or she always says, “Wow, you’ve got a thick head of hair!”
- When I call the vet, the friendly tech answering the phone says, “Can I put you on hold?”
- On a walk through the neighborhood with my Great Dane, I always hear, “Is that a horse?”
My day is filled with predictable responses. This is not a new idea. It’s in the bible.
“Before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it” (Psalm 139:4).
God knows exactly what you’re going to say. He knows before you do. Yes, he knows you that well.
That’s an interesting dynamic, isn’t it? You pour out your heart in prayer, you enumerate all the things you’re thankful for, and you bring your whole prayer list to God, and his response could be, “I knew you were going to say that.”
So why pray? Part of our faith is conversation. We converse with a God who speaks. We are people who respond. Of course we’re not telling him anything he doesn’t know. But we need to talk to him. It reminds us who he is. It brings to mind what he does and can do. It makes us aware of his presence. It’s part of being created in his image. In the beginning God spoke, so we speak, too.
I like the truth that God knows. He knows what I need and what I think I need. He knows where I am. He knows where I’m going even if I’m not certain. He knows me better than I know myself!
Waite for it... 