I recently read an article about a sea otter pup that was separated from its mother in Morro Bay on the Central Coast of California. Animal rescuers found the pup and wanting to connect the pup with his family, got an ingenious idea.

They recorded a clip of the pup’s cries and then played it repeatedly on a Bluetooth speaker that was attached to a boat. They took the boat out and for over two hours they drove around the bay blasting the pup’s cries.

Eventually they noticed a female otter closely following the boat, so they put the pup in the water. And apparently within minutes that mama otter had the pup in her arms and swam happily away.

Consider the power of words spoken (in any language)! That pup’s cries were unique. Mama otter knew exactly who he was. And she came a running!

That great animal story made me think of the passage in John 10 where Jesus tells the story of the Good Shepherd. Twice He states that He is that shepherd. And He declares, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep…”

What an incredible thought. The Creator of the Universe is our personal shepherd, and He knows us, really knows us!

In Psalm 139, the psalmist writes, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” And the answer is- No Where. We cannot escape His gaze. He always has us in sight.

And in verse 17, the writer adds, “How amazing are your thoughts concerning me!”

He hears our feeble voices as we cry out in pain or grief. He delights in our joys and successes. He is present in our struggles. He listens to our whispered prayers. He pays attention to our shouted frustrations. He is there, at-all-times!

So, as we start this new year, let’s all take a few minutes to consider how wonderful it is that He knows us. Ponder this truth, the One who spoke the world into life, know us. The One who named each star, knows our name. The One who died for all mankind, had you and I in mind as He declared, “It is finished.”

He knows us and our unique voice.

And should we lose our way, we won’t need to blast our concerns through a loudspeaker. He will come find us!