To Know God

"Those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you." - Psalm 9:10

Today I'm wondering how well I know the name of my God. I could tell you that He's got a whole slew of names to represent different facets of his character - from Jehovah-Shalom - our God, our Peace - to Jehovah-Shammah - our God is present. I could tack on those rather strange titles of God as a Lion and a Lamb - or really mess with my own head with the references of God tucked in Revelation (quite the framework for a good nightmare.)

Apparently, Sunday School answers can be readily accessed, but to really know God's name - as this verse suggests - directly correlates with trust. "Those who know your name put their trust in you." So I guess the question is not how well do I know the name of my God, but how well am I trusting Him? My words of devotion fall flat if I don't analyze the anxiety-prone areas of my life and then answer that question.

Will God really protect and provide for my family? When a crisis rocks everything I know to be true, will I still choose to believe? Will I know that even in the crisis, that God has my best interests at heart? Will Paul and I pursue God as passionately with two little kiddos in tow? Though it's exponentially more difficult to follow God with the same fearless gusto with kids, there is no other option. They will see the world through us and their little eyes will study our every move. Will they be able to look at us one day and say that Mommy and Daddy knew Jesus and that they all out trusted Him? And will that knowledge and trust look beautiful enough to compel them to follow God also?

I think that my favorite part of the verse above is that with the knowing and the trusting come God's presence. He doesn't leave those who go after Him. He gives the seeker the source of life. And whether that life sees laughter or tears, wealth or poverty, health or disease, that life sees Jesus. And that life - that fearless life - is immeasurably worth the living.