Remember the sitcom from the 80’s, Cheers?
The theme song said “Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name And they’re always glad you came”. Then Norm would walk in and the whole bar would call out “Norm” as he walked to the end of the bar and sat down.
This was a popular show for 11 years. People identified with the characters, they became friends to many. I think what probably resonated the most with the viewing audience is that so many people just want someone to recognize that they are here.
They want to be known! We all do.
I heard a pastor say two things impacted him greatly when he was an 18 year old. It was then, for the first time, he heard that God knew who he was and that God loved him unconditionally. He said that was all it took for him to give his life to the Lord.
The reality of knowing that God Almighty knows me – He knows everything about me and loves me anyway, is pretty overwhelming.
“You, Lord, brought me safely through birth, and you protected me when I was a baby at my mother’s breast. 10 From the day I was born, I have been in your care, and from the time of my birth, you have been my God.” Psalm 22:9-10 CEV
“You are the one who put me together inside my mother’s body, 14 and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt.” Psalm 139:13-14 CEV
God, the Father, knew us as we were growing in our mothers’ womb. He knows every detail, He knows every bump and bruise, every hurt and disappoint, every failure and bad thought and He loves us unconditionally.
Each of us knows what it’s like to face rejection; having people we call friends learn something about us that reveals our actions in our darkest moments and they turn and walk away.
It’s not that way with God the Father. He knows every sin and shortcoming; He knows our past and our future. He loves us still. He loves us unconditionally.
“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.
9 But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger. 10 Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son’s life. 11 And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us.” Romans 5:6-11 CEV
King David had great victories but he also had some real failures of character. He defeated Goliath, became Israel’s king, led armies to victory but he also committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered.
He’s the one who wrote the verses about God knowing us even while we are in our mother’s womb. He was well aware that God is always with us. He knew first hand that God’s love is unconditional. This is what he recorded the Lord saying to us in Psalm 91.
“Because you love me, I will rescue you. I will protect you because you know my name. 15 When you call to me, I will answer you. I will be with you when you are in trouble. I will save you and honor you.” Psalm 91:14-15 GW
Thank you Father for knowing me, loving me, making peace with me and saving me! Thank you for knowing my name!
Coach was my favorite!