He Knows My Name

BY JORDAN MAYER

​“When I look at the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
(Psalm 8:3-4)

A couple weeks ago, I hiked Mount Si while visiting my brother out in Seattle, Washington. It was a grueling 7.5 mile out-and-back. As my first hike of the year, both my legs and my lungs were questioning my life choices. But, eventually, we reached the top and, like always, the view more than made up for the struggle it took to get there. Having never been out West, I had never seen mountains quite like this before. It was truly breathtaking.

Something about the grandeur of mountains, or the vastness of oceans, or the brilliance of sunrises stirs something inside me. I believe it’s the same kind of feeling that David had when he wrote Psalm 8. These masterpieces of creation have a knack for recalibrating our perspective. As I stood at the top of Mount Si, apart from the beauty of what was before me, I couldn’t help but be reminded of how small and insignificant I was by comparison. One tiny human atop a mountain looking across miles of forest, neighboring mountain ranges, a small town, clusters of clouds, and endless sky.

Contrary to popular opinion, the world doesn’t revolve around us. In fact, the vast majority of the world doesn’t even know we exist. Most of us will pass through this life in relative obscurity. We are a mere breath, a passing shadow, a grain of sand. We are a small blip on the radar of the universe.

But here is where the truth of God’s Word reveals a beautiful reality. While most of the planet may not know our name, the Creator God who made the planet does! David asks the question, “What is man that you are mindful of him”, because God is, in fact, mindful of us. How can this be? The God who spoke the world into existence knows us, not just generally, but personally.

I admit that I have difficulty even fathoming this reality. I try to think of an example that might help, but the truth is I don't have any frame of reference. So I can merely say like David, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it” (Psalm 139:6). In our finite, human minds, we would give God a pass for not knowing anything about us. After all, He not only created all things, but actively sustains it by the power of His Word (Hebrews 1:3). If there was ever anybody that could use the "I'm too busy" excuse, it would be God! And yet, He knows each and every one of us. In fact, He knows us even better than we know ourselves!

This is a humbling and sobering reality. He knows the depths of my sin and depravity. Every evil thought and every wicked deed. All the brokenness and ugliness that I hide and mask from those around me. God knows it all and yet, most amazing of all, He still chose to know me, love me and save me. I can't earn his favor and I don't deserve it, but He offers it freely to me as a gift. As Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”.

May we all bask in the reality that God knows us and is mindful of us. More still, may we rejoice in His great love for us!