True intimacy

What does it mean to know and to be known? Through the Old Testament God continually says that he knows us, in fact He has known us since before He formed us in our mother's womb. His knowledge of us essentially has no boundaries, for David in Psalm 139 that is originally a burden and then he finds comfort in that reality, essentially God knows him because he cares so deeply for him. In other Psalms he asks what is man that you are mindful of him. Through Hosea God speaks of having taught Ephraim to walk, through Isaiah He says we are inscribed on the palms of His hands. In the Gospel of John, we are told in the second chapter that Jesus knew what was in man and in other places we are told the same. God's knowledge is complete and yet he loves us anyway.

When I was a kid I was convinced that at some level there were little thought bubbles like in cartoons that floated above my head and that people knew what was running through my brain. Why those weren't there for other people so that I could know their thoughts I have no idea, but I remember being concerned that people would know what I was thinking about and that they would be horrified about that. I can't imagine what horrible thoughts a third grader would have been having but even then I was aware that they weren't something I should share with the rest of the world, sort of like getting caught in a private chat in class and having the teacher say, "John would you like to share that with the entire class."

God doesn't need my presumed thought bubble, He knows my heart. That is the reason that the first thing we do in our worship is pray, "Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known and from you no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen." We both know that some of the stuff in my heart is a complete mess and that unless it is cleaned up I can't really worship, my sin separates me from a holy God and the intimacy He wants more than I do.