To Know and Be Known - Part 3

Yesterday I had the strangest encounter. I was out for my daily walk when I saw a petite, older woman in tatered clothing shuffling with a cane about to cross my path. Her head was down so she didn't see me. I slowed my steps to go around her and passed by wondering who she was, if she was homeless and if there was anything I could do for her. My heart was broken to watch her, but I really didn't know what to do.

As I continued my walk, I recalled a sermon my son Benjamin had preached a few weeks earlier from James 2, on faith without works is dead. Verse 15 particularly stood out in my mind, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily bread. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it." He also referred to Matthew 25 when Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats. To the sheep on His right he says, "I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink..."

I realized that I had to go out of my way not to run into this frail lady. "Jesus," I prayed, "did I just walk past You." "Did I just ignore You dear Lord" "Did I just pass up an opportunity for you to know me through service to this woman?"

I decided that after my walk, I would drive back to the place I had seen this ragged woman. When I did, there she was still wandering around. "Can I do anything to help you," I asked. Then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, "What do you do?" I was so startled and wasn't quite sure how to answer her question. So I said the first thing that came to mind, "I teach women the Bible." A big smile lit up her face. "Where do you teach them," she asked. I told her the name of our church. Then she shocked me further by saying, "Do you have a card or an email address, I have been wanting someone to teach me the Bible."

I didn't have a card, but I did give her my name and email address along with the name of our church. She smiled and shuffled away. As she left I realized I hadn't done anything for her. So I called out again, "Can I do anything for you."

"No," she said, "I just want someone to teach me the Bible."

Did I encounter Jesus on my walk? I don't know. But I saw someone in need and instead of silently praying for them or saying, "God bless you," I asked them how I could help. I want Jesus to know me not just from His relationship as God, but I want Jesus to know me as I serve Him when I see the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the needy. With all my heart I want Jesus to say, "Yes, I knew you when you fed Me, when you clothed Me, when you took care of Me."

To Know and Be Known - Part 2

As you may know, I am a Starbucks regular. Twice a day, that's where you can find me. In the morning I get a venti black ice tea, no sweetener. And later in the afternoon, I get a 50 cent refill. I love Starbucks---the ambiance, the smell of fresh brewed coffee and the baristas. So recently when I felt led to fast Starbucks for 40 days, it was truly a sacrifice. During the forty days I went to other places to get ice tea, but it just wasn't the same.

When my fast was over, I gladly returned to my routine. For the first several days the barista's at my neighborhood Starbuck's asked me where I had been. "We were afraid you went to another store, or that you had moved or worse that something had happened to you."

In addition to the ambiance and the fresh coffee aroma, I love Starbucks because I am known. Often my drink is ready even before I get to the register. Almost every visit I am greeted by name and asked about my well being and my day. I also try to get to know the baristas. I ask their names and inquire how they are. I offer to pray for their needs and occasionally they seek me out to ask for prayer.

This seldom happens at other coffee shops and bookstores I frequent. And even though they may have good ice tea, I have found that I would rather go somewhere where I know and am known. So, I have a question for you dear reader. What does it mean to be known? How can God know us? (Read To Know and Be Known - Part 1)

To Know and To Be Known

I love to sing worship songs that express a desire to know the Lord. Because truly it is my heart felt prayer to know Him more and more. However, I shudder when I read the passage from Matthew chapter 7 that says, ²¹"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' ²³Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' " (Emphasis added)

It strikes a godly fear in my heart to read that there are some who will think they knew Him but were never known by Him. So in addition to the worship songs I sing and the prayers that I pray to grow everyday in my knowledge of God, I also pray that The Father would know me. I often use David's prayer from Psalm 139:23-24 as my own, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

I have more thoughts on this passage. But I shared these few hoping to hear from you.