“I know your works.”

(Rev. 2:2 NIV)

A small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness — a grandmotherly woman — to the stand. He asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?”  She replied, “Oh yes, Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a boy. You lie, cheat on your wife, gossip, and think you’re a big shot — you’ve really been a disappointment.”

The lawyer, flustered, pointed across the courtroom and asked, “Do you know the defense attorney?” She shot back, “Yes — Mr. Bradley’s been a disappointment too: lazy, has a drinking problem, poor relationships, and a shoddy practice.”

The judge banged his gavel and warned grimly, “If either of you asks if she knows me, you’ll be in jail for contempt within five minutes!”

The story is humorous, but it makes a sobering point. Imagine if someone really did know everything about us — our failures, sins, weaknesses, and secrets — and then announced them publicly for all to hear.  Most of us would shrink in embarrassment or shame.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ sends seven letters to seven churches in Asia Minor. Each letter begins with the same penetrating words: “I know your works” (Rev. 2:2). The Lord was not speaking from rumor or hearsay. He was saying, “I know you completely — your strengths, your struggles, your hidden sins, and your quiet acts of faithfulness.” Nothing escapes his gaze.

That thought can be frightening. After all, there are things about our lives we would rather no one else know. But it can also be reassuring. Jesus knows the struggles we face, the sacrifices we make in secret, and the efforts we give that others overlook. He sees not only our failures but also our faith.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 reminds us, “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Nothing is hidden from him. That reality should both warn and encourage us.  It warns us not to live carelessly, pretending our actions are unseen. But it also encourages us that every quiet act of faithfulness matters to God.

Prayer: Lord, you know me better than I know myself. Nothing in my life is hidden from your sight. Help me to live each day in honesty and integrity, remembering that I will stand before you. Strengthen me to live faithfully until the day I see you face to face.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day