“Just As I Am . . .”

But I am poor and needy; yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God. Psalm 40: 17, NKJV.

Holy God, it is good to know that no matter what condition we may be in, You, Lord, consider us, and care for us. For this we give You thanks. So speak to us now, through Your Word. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

We live in a very superficial age. Although science has reached some depths that we never thought we would live to see, yet, in so many ways in our dealings with each other, there is so little depth. We seem to resist getting to know people too well. Is it, perhaps, because we fear that if we knew all there is to know about each other, we would not be able to love each other? Or, is it because we feel that it would place too much responsibility for their well-being upon us? Whatever the cause, we seem to prefer to keep things on the surface. 

In God’s dealings with us, it is just the opposite! God wants us to get to know Him, intimately (John 17: 3). And He wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives. He knew what David was going to say, before he said it. He also knew where he was at every hour of every day:  Listen to the way David spoke about God’s interest in everything he did, “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD” (Psalm 139: 1-4). God is interested in the things that we think about. You see, our thoughts direct our ways – and He is interested in the way we “take.”

“The way that I take,” is really the way I live my life, my philosophy of life. It is who I am under all circumstances; in the good times as well as the bad times. Job said:  “But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23: 10). During Job’s suffering, he wanted an audience with God. He wanted to go before God and plead his own case. Nevertheless, he was sure God knew, that no matter what happened, he would be faithful to Him. He would pass the test. The results would speak for themselves. He would come forth as a metal that had passed through the purging of fire. “Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer”  (Proverbs 25: 4). God was interested in Job passing the test!

God is also interested in our whereabouts.He knows the danger there is in being at the wrong place, at the wrong time. It can be a matter of life and death. Our spiritual where-about is very important to God as well. The center of the Garden of Eden, where the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was located, was off limits. It was the only place in the garden where the serpent could tempt Adam and Eve (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 53). As long as they stayed away from it they were safe. So take note, that oftentimes, where we go, may influence what we do. Therefore, God’s interest in “where” we are. 

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You” (Psalm 139: 7-12). God wants to keep us safe, so “He keeps an eye on us!”

God wants to know everything about you and me, because He loves us. And He wants us to get to know as much as we can about Him, so that we can have a high-quality relationship. Yet knowing as much as He does about us, God loves us just as we are!

NOTE:  I was so excited about the last thought of our devotional that I claimed it all for myself! As I read it again, I shared it with all of us! It is now in the plural. Sorry!