You can know someone, even think you know them well, but there are times when something comes up and you discover you really didn’t know them like you thought you did.

You really know someone when you are intimate with them, when you know all of their ins and outs, their deepest needs and secrets.

Some people know about Jesus, but don’t care. They think He has no control or interest in their lives. They want nothing to do with Him. They want to live life in their own way.

Others know Him from a religious standpoint only. They know all the Bible stories, they can even quote Scripture, but they only know about Him. They don’t have a relationship with Him. Unfortunately, those are the ones to whom Jesus will say the words “I never knew you, depart from Me…” Matt 7:23.

There are also those who are believers, but are happy with only having a nominal relationship with God. They go to worship services, pray fairly often (sometimes even when things are going well), but don’t want their relationship with God to interfere too much in their lives.

Then there are those whom God knows and loves as the apple of His eye. In 1Corinthians 8:3, it says “but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him”. To those who trust in the Lord, who love Him and want to live their lives for Him, even with blunders and mistakes, those are the ones who are known by Him, because there is a deep relationship with Him.

Think about which type of person you are.

If you are intimate with the Father, be thankful for that intimate relationship.  If you need to spend more time with Him, then set aside the time to do so.

I am so thankful that He loves us so much that He wants an intimate relationship with us. He knows all of our ins and outs, our deepest needs and secrets and still wants a deep relationship with us, which by the way we don’t deserve, but are so blessed to have.

–by Pam Rehbein