being known

I've been reading the Chronicles of Narnia lately, by C.S. Lewis. Oh yes, I'd read them as a child, and then again as a young adult. But it seems as though every time I read that series, I walk away with more meaning.

Things like sacrifice, sin, trust, faith. I suppose I must have caught some of this when I read it before. Certainly I understood that Aslan represented Christ, and his sacrifice paid for Edmund's sins. But the older I get, the longer I walk with God, the more detail I'm picking up on. These books are rich.

At present I'm finishing up "The Magician's Nephew." A little explanation of context is in order, I think. This book is the telling of the origin of Narnia: how it was created by Aslan, and how he gave the gift of speech to the animals there. The novel is told in the third person, but from the perspective of a two children named Digory and Polly. Before arriving in Narnia, these two found themselves in another world, a world which was dying, and while they were there Digory awakened a witch from a certain enchantment. The Witch, an evil creature, traveled back to London with them, and ultimately, to Narnia.

The thing that really struck me yesterday was a conversation between the boy, Digory, and the Lion, Aslan. The boy is explaining how the Witch came to be in Narnia. Aslan questions Digory... but Aslan knows. And as the boy tries to explain things, it becomes more and more clear that Aslan sees through his excuses, and his blaming of others, and the spin he tries to put on it. It is Digory's fault, and as he admits the truth, he is ashamed. The Lion already understood the situation completely: what happened as well as each individual's heart.

And it's so true. We are known, fully and completely. Beyond our rationalizations. Beyond our excuses. Beyond the blame we cast-- on others or on ourselves. God knows our motives, understands our history, and sees us, utterly. He sees our delusions, our pride, and the many emotions which can cast us adrift, tossed without an anchor.

³ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but the LORD tests the heart.

Proverbs 17:3

We can try to explain our actions. We can be fully convinced that we know why we do what we do. We can be certain that we are in the right.

But the Lord knows the heart.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

May my words, actions, and thoughts truly please the One who knows me completely, both inside and out. He understands me better than I understand myself.