He knows what? He thinks what?

At MOMS today we learned about "a wee little man who climbed up on the sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see." Yep, you guessed it, we learned about Zacchaeus! I've heard this story all my life but I've never really paid attention to the fact that Jesus called Zacchaeus by name. When Jesus saw Zacchaeus up in the tree, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." (Luke 19:5) Its apparent that Zacchaeus had never met Jesus before but Jesus called out his name like they knew each other. That's probably because Jesus did know Zacchaeus. 

We learn all through scripture that God calls us by name so I'm not sure why I'm amazed by this but, I am. I guess it shows the intimacy of a relationship with Jesus. He created us, He knows us, and He loves us. Him calling us by name symbolizes how He feels about us. One of my favorite passages is Psalm 139: 13-18 also expresses how God feels about His children. It says, "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex. Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (17) How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!"

Until today, I had never read the New Living Translation version of Psalm 139. I love verse 17. Knowing that God has thoughts of me blows my mind. Why would He think of me? Oh, its just so amazing to think that my God, the One who created the moon and the stars, spends time thinking of little me. I am the type of person that is touched by thoughtful gifts or just knowing that someone has been thinking about me so, reading that God's thoughts of ME outnumber the grains of sands absolutely touches my heart. 

Today I am thankful that Jesus knows my name. Really, my name!! Not just that girl that lives in High Point but my name! Not only that, but He spends a lot of time thinking about me. For me, that truth alone reveals His love for me and brings a lot of comfort and peace to my heart. I am also thankful for the faithful teachers at MOMS. I leave each and every Thursday with nuggets of truth that encourage me with my walk with Christ.