Psalm 9:10

There's just so much in this verse isn't there? Those who know Your name will put their trust in You - those who know who You are, who know Your character, who know Your personality - those who know, who know by experience the depth and length and breadth of You will put their trust in You. And that won't be difficult because they will be in awe of You, amazed that the One who is beyond goodness, full of love and mercy and compassion, the One who never changes, who always keeps His promises and who will never ever turn away those who seek after Him - that One will not be difficult to trust but will be like a magnet drawing those who know Him closer, ever closer to the warmth and safety of His arms.

Those who know Your name will put their trust in you. Those who know You O Lord, will rest their whole being, all that they are and all that they have on You. Those who know Your name, O Lord, will stand on Your Word, on Your promises, will build on the foundation of Your grace and Your love - will walk by Your light and hold on to Your hand in the darkness. Those who know Your name O Lord will not be afraid but will know deep within that You will never leave nor forsake them for You are the God who sees, who knows and who will never, ever stop caring. Those who know Your name O Lord will long to be by Your side, will long to see Your face, will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness knowing that You are the great and mighty I AM, the Creator and Sustainer of all things and the giver of all blessing . O Lord, those who know Your name will dwell securely, will draw deeply from the wells of Your water of Life and know the great, overwhelming joy of knowing Your name.

Thank You Lord that I know Your name - You are Jesus, my Lord and Saviour, my Redeemer and my Friend.

Matthew 8; Proverbs 2:1-15

I'm always asking the Lord to draw me closer to Him, to help me to love Him more and serve Him better and as I read these verses from Proverbs this morning I knew that here was His answer: keep seeking, keep knocking, keep asking and I will know Him and love Him and I will be blessed in the process. It took me back to Matthew 6 - in the middle of Jesus sermon on the mount - as He told His disciples and the crowd that had followed Him not to worry about the things of this life but rather to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. Not that the things of this life didn't matter but that they would be provided for by a Heavenly Father who cared and loved more than they could ever understand.

I read too Matthew 8 as Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons; as He calmed the storm and praised the faith of a gentile centurion and I began slowly to understand how it all fit together, how the Lord was answering my prayer for closeness to Him. Here was His answer - I must be attentive, I must listen hard to Him as He speaks in His word, I must incline my heart to understanding - that is I must turn my will, the centre of my being to His ways and His commands and I must continue in this as if I were digging for gold or mining for precious jewels. I must keep on keeping on - not simply because that is what I am told to do but because it is the deepest desire of my heart to discern the fear, the absolute awe and wonder of my Lord and discover the knowledge of God. And more, because in the process of digging and searching and seeking after Him, I will discover wisdom and understanding and I will be able to live in such a way as to love Him more and serve Him better.

He will do it as I search. He will fill my heart with wisdom and my mind with understanding. He will guard my steps and preserve my way. He will deliver me from the way of evil and lead me in the paths of righteousness and those paths will fill me with absolute joy.

The disciples were learning all of this as they walked with Him. They were just like me, afraid often, not understanding always what was happening in front of their eyes, not sure of where He was taking them but absolutely set on staying with Him. When He sent the demons into the herd of swine and the people of the city begged Him to leave because they wanted nothing to do with a man who would threaten their way of life, the disciples stayed on, they continued to seek and to know and to ask and they would be the ones who came into the knowledge of the Lord and the power of His resurrection.

I am praising Him this morning because He has set this desire to know Him better and to love Him more in my heart and praising Him because He will surely fulfil that desire.