We are discovering right now in our Easter season sermon series that the ultimate longing of every human is to be seen, known, and loved. That is it. That is what we want and what we need. We need to know that there is someone out there who knows the real us, understands why we are the way we are and accepts us and all our imperfections.

We see it talked about in Psalm 139: God’s love story about how deep God’s love is for each one of us. We see it in different translations:

You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. (NIV)
Lord, You know everything there is to know about me. (Passion Translation)
O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. (NLT)
O Eternal One, You have explored my heart and know exactly who I am. (The Voice)
Lord, You have examined me. You know me. (CEB)
(Psalm 139:1)

The writer of the Psalm is in awe of God. The God who sees, searches, examines, explores, and knows us, who marvels over our faces, our gifts, and our beauty. It might be hard for you to believe that, to imagine someone looking in love at all the mess we see in our lives. But, that one truth is fundamental to believing anything else at all about the love of God: That God sees us and knows us and loves us. 

Why do we crave to be seen, known, and loved? Well, God has designed each one of us to desire a relationship with our Creator, the One who knows us completely and loves us unconditionally. In Psalm 139:1-3, David shared his realization of the way God sees, knows, and loves God’s children: 

O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off, You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

Look at what God does in these verses:

God searches and knows us. God understands us.

God is familiar with our ways. God completely gets what we say. 

There is no person on earth who can know us as God does, see us like God does, or loves us as God does. Just look at how much God cares as David describes in Psalm 139:17-18:

How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.

There is not a moment when God forgets us. God is never too busy to look our way. We never have to fear that God does not see or know us.

And then, on those days when you find yourself thinking: you do not matter and do not make a difference, remember, all you have to do is look to God. Rest in God’s deeper knowledge of who you are, how you feel, and what you need. When others don’t understand what you say, trust that God does. When you feel left out, concentrate on the love of God that brings you closer to God.

Then take the following three truths and plant them deep in the core of your being:

God sees you.   God knows you.   God loves you. 

Blessings in Christ, 

Rev. Jeremy Squires
pastorjeremy@nolensvilleumc.org