我姐姐找到一本我們兒時的故事書，這讓我們七十多歲的媽媽非常開心。這本書是敘述一隻小熊偷了蜂蜜之後，被一群憤怒的蜜蜂追趕。媽媽記得每一個有趣的細節，也記得我和姐姐期待小熊能順利脫逃時的笑聲。我對媽媽說：「謝謝妳，在我們小時候總是講故事給我們聽。」她知道我的人生故事，包括我小時候的樣子。現在我已經長大了，她仍然深知我、瞭解我。

上帝也瞭解我們，而且祂比世上任何人都更瞭解我們，包括我們自己。大衛說上帝「鑒察」我們（詩篇139篇1節）。祂愛我們，洞察我們的內心，深知我們的一切。上帝知道我們的心思，明白我們言語背後的原因和意思（2、4節）。關於我們的每一個細節祂都瞭如指掌，而且會以祂對我們的瞭解來幫助我們（2-5節）。這位最瞭解你我的上帝，不會因厭惡我們而轉身離去，反倒會以祂的慈愛和智慧來向我們伸出援手。

在感到孤獨、被忽視或被遺忘時，我們可以確信一個事實，上帝永遠與你我同在，祂看見且認識我們（7-10節），就連我們不為人知的隱私，甚至更多的事，祂都知道。我們可以像大衛一樣，滿有信心地對上帝說：「祢認識我。……祢的手必引導我，祢的右手也必扶持我。」（1、10節）

When my sister found a storybook from our childhood, my mom, now in her seventies, was delighted. She remembered all the funny details about a bear who stole honey and got chased by a swarm of angry bees. She also remembered how my sister and I laughed as we anticipated the bear’s escape. “Thank you for always telling us stories when we were kids,” I told my mom. She knows my whole story including what I was like as a young child. Now that I’m an adult, she still knows and understands me.

God knows us too—deeper than any human being can, including ourselves. David says He’s “searched” us (Psalm 139:1). In His love, He’s examined us and understands us perfectly. God knows our thoughts, understanding the reasons behind and meanings of what we say (vv. 2, 4). He’s intimately familiar with every detail that makes us who we are, and He uses this knowledge to help us (vv. 2-5). He who knows us most doesn’t turn away in distaste but reaches out to us with His love and wisdom.

When we feel lonely, unseen, or forgotten, we can be secure in the truth that God is always with us, sees us, and knows us (vv. 7-10). He knows all the sides of us that others don’t—and more. Like David, we can say with confidence, “You know me . . . . Your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (vv. 1, 10).