To Those Who Know and Are Known By the Lord,

    We have the privilege of participating in the Lord’s Supper and growing in our knowledge of the Lord this coming Sunday. As I have been reflecting on our texts for the worship service, I am struck by how important it is to know and be known by God. This may seem simplistic and obvious, however, it is a matter of great Biblical importance. It is something that the Biblical authors returned to again and again as well as the reason that Christ came to offer his body to be broken and his blood to be spilled.

Consider Psalm 139:1-4 as David writes:

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.”

     What strikes me is that the Lord is active in searching us both inside and out so as to know everything there is to know about us. This means that He desires to know us in order to be in a relationship with us. In addition, God wants to be known through the incarnate person and work of Christ according to John 1:14-18. He is not just interested in garnering some information about us so He can control and manipulate us. God wants us to know Him deeply as well so that the relationship will be dynamic and growing.

    This knowing and being known is critical to our growth as Christians. It is foundational to our ability to pray. Jesus declares in the latter half of Matthew 6:8, “…your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” How incredible and beautiful is it that God knows us so intimately that He knows exactly what we need and, by implication, is already moving to provide even before we say a word!

    As you prepare to take the bread and juice this Sunday, give thanks to God for making Himself known to you in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Celebrate the truths of Psalm 139 and Matthew 6:8 knowing that your celebration was made possible by the broken body and shed blood of Christ. Pray for God to reveal Himself to you further in the common elements of His table and in the eternal grace of which they are a sign and a seal. Plead for the Spirit to illuminate the hearts and minds of others present to come to know the Lord who knows them well enough to lead them to witness the beauty of the Gospel made visible in His supper.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Cameron