O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. Psalm 139:1–2 (NAS)

Jesus Knows Me This I Love. We were driving around looking for a famous BBQ place when I saw this on a sign in front of the First Christian Church of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

At first I thought I read it wrong. Doing a double take, I realized it was a play on the words of the old children’s hymn.

Jesus loves me, this I know were some of the first words I learned. My mother sang it while she rocked me as a baby.

This was the air I breathed as I grew up in my home and church. They are simple words and proved formative during those simpler times of life. I’m forever grateful for their meaning and how it was engrained in me.

Especially now, when things are not quite as simple. It’s a blessing to have that foundation–to navigate life as a grown-up knowing Jesus loves you. In fact, it’s essential.

But, as the sign suggested, it’s also wonderful to be known and understood. Psalm 139 says He is intimately acquainted with all of my ways. He sees my failures; He understands my limitations. He is deeply aware of everything I am–the good, the bad, the ugly. He knows. And yet, He loves me. What a Savior!

Faith step: Sing “Jesus Loves Me.” Now thank Him that He knows all about you–and loves you anyway.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)

Thinking of Jesus as Light is an image I can appreciate. I live way out in the country where I find myself in the dark a lot. There are no other houses around—my parents and brother live on either side of me but through the woods—and we are far from the road. No streetlights. No lights from businesses or cars. We’re pretty isolated.

Don’t get me wrong, I like it. I like to go outside at night and look up in the sky and see total blackness dotted by diamonds. I like to call my mom and tell her to turn on her porch light because I’m on the way down the path. I like to see the sun rise out of the darkness, competing with no other light. I like to watch fireflies sparkle on an otherwise dark landscape.

The thing about darkness is that it amplifies the light. Stars aren’t nearly as bright when you’re in a city surrounded by lights. And porch lights in a neighborhood, while friendly, don’t serve a serious purpose. Even the sunrise is anticlimactic in a place of artificial light.

American novelist Edith Wharton said, “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” In our relationship with Jesus, He’s the candle. We are the mirror that reflects His light to the world. The deeper the darkness, the brighter we shine.

FAITH STEP: Remember that song you learned as a child, “This Little Light of Mine”? Sing it. Go ahead, you know you want to. Sing it like you mean it.

[Jesus said], When evening comes, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,” and in the morning, “Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. Matthew 16:2–3 (NIV)

When I am in nature, I often hear Jesus reminding me: “The answers to your questions are right here. Open your eyes to the truth and beauty unfolding all around you. I’m communicating with you through all creation!” Just the other day, I was on a hike up a mountain, and I brought my troubles with me. In my mind, I was replaying an argument I had had with my husband and was feeling frustrated. The trail was surrounded by dense woods until, somewhere near the top of the mountain, I came to a clearing. Looking out, I could see a mountain range extending far into the distance, mountain after mountain, green, then blue, then smoky gray. The points of the farthest mountaintops faded into the horizon. White clouds floated rapidly in the sky, casting moving shadows over the landscape, which seemed to dance. As beautiful as the mountains were, it was the moving shadows animating the whole spectacular scene that made my heart leap.

I got what Jesus was telling me! The small arguments and ongoing frustrations are the clouds of our marriage, casting their shadows as they pass through. If I could take this time to find a clearing, and gaze upon my marriage at a distance instead of replaying a particular moment in my head to feed my annoyance, I would see that the bickering comes and goes, and the shadows it casts are part of the beauty that animates our marriage.

Faith Step: Take a problem you’ve been thinking a lot about with you as you spend an hour or two in a natural setting. Let nature tell its story and see if it speaks directly to your situation.

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens, and birds have nests. But the Son of Man doesn’t have a place to call his own.” Matthew 8:20 (CEV)

A woman I work with couldn’t give me her home address. I imagined the possibilities. Homeless? Evicted? Memory loss? Living out of her car? Sleeping on a friend’s couch? Witness protection program? The answer was much simpler—and more complicated—than that. She and her husband were in the process of moving. Their current address wouldn’t be viable for long and her new address wasn’t “hers” until they signed the final papers.

Jesus had a home with His earthly parents while growing up. But as an adult, after His ministry began, He had no home, according to Scripture. Not even a “tiny house” in a friend’s backyard. Have you wondered why?

In biblical times, a home was a cultural sign of manhood. Owning property indicated that one was established, successful, part of the community.

I believe Jesus didn’t have an earthly address because He didn’t fit in with this world. He was—as we are—a temporary sojourner. He couldn’t afford the upkeep—the time or attention—of a home on earth. It would’ve distracted from His primary purpose—to serve, speak God’s truths, and show God’s heart. He belonged to all people, not one community or one neighborhood. And He belonged on the throne. Jesus didn’t need a temporary earthly address during His ministry years. He stayed on the move. And He had a permanent address. We’ll share His zip code for eternity.

FAITH STEP: Are you fussing over upkeep when He’s calling you to open your home for outreach?