We Are Known

Just recently, we were at a meet and greet at our church. The purpose of this event was for those coming into membership to get a chance to meet the Pastor, Elders, Deacons, and the staff. Every table I went to sit at and meet people, I heard how they came to the church, stories about their lives, and many other personal things about each one.

I left feeling like I knew each of those beautiful people better and in a more profound way.

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.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all. Psalm 139: 1-4

We have a Heavenly Father who knows us deeply. He knows everything about us, inside and out. He knows every thought in our minds and every word on our tongues, even before speaking them.

This truth amazes me. It also has been terrifying to me at moments in my life. There have been many times I have tried to hide things from God or deny I am feeling the way I do, thinking somehow He isn’t going to find out.

This time of remembrance brought me back to the Garden of Eden when Eve had been tempted by satan. Where Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit after God had forbidden it.

They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3: 8-14

God knew what had happened here. He wasn’t unaware or surprised. Yet, God calls out to Adam, asking him where he has gone. He asks questions and wants Adam to tell him what happened.

God knows us. He knows our thoughts, hearts, attitudes, and actions. I hear people say things about how God knows, so why do I need to say anything or pray to God. God wants us to tell him. He wants us to be honest with Him. It builds that relationship.

It is the same thing as when my children were young. When I caught them doing something or realized they had done something earlier in the day, it was important to us as parents that when we asked them about what happened, they would tell us and be honest.

God wants to be known by us too.

When I think back and remember why I wouldn’t have wanted to be honest about things I had done, I come to some conclusions. There were times I was afraid to be in trouble, I didn’t want to be a disappointment once again, or the person I was confessing this to wasn’t trustworthy to me.

That says something about that relationship.

God had walked in the garden with Adam and Eve. He had a relationship with them, an unbroken fellowship. He knew them, and they knew Him. When they chose to disobey, their relationship with God was broken, and they were separated from Him.

God is so fiercely passionate about His relationship with us. It is intensely vital to Him for us to know Him in that intimate way that Adam and Eve knew Him, that He purposely planned for a way to restore that relationship.

And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. Matthew 27:51

When Jesus was crucified, and He had just passed away. The veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. This was significant. Jesus had been obedient to the Father through it all, and He had paid the ultimate price. At that moment, all that had separated us from God became restored. We no longer needed to go through a priest or sacrifice animals to atone for our sins. We could now walk with God freely.

God desires for us to understand that He knows us intimately and deeply, and He wanted us to know Him, intimately and deeply. He was willing to sacrifice His one and only son to restore what the enemy had stolen in the Garden of Eden.

That is God’s heart for us.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

Will we receive this beautiful gift to us?

Last week, I shared how I knew God loved me, but it took me years to believe He loved me the way He said He loves me. I have known God knows me, but it has taken me years to understand and accept how intimately He knows me. It has taken me years to realize that He wants me to know Him intimately. God doesn’t just want me to know about Him, like some character in a book. He wants me to know His heart the way He knows mine.

I grew up memorizing scripture and hearing many do’s and don’ts, but I did not know God through His Word. I didn’t understand why God says what He says and what HIs heart is for me.

I am learning how to read and study His Word in a way that helps me know God and understand His heart. I am learning who He is and who I am to Him in a way I never have before. He is bringing light and life to me.

He wants this for you too!

Do you know our Heavenly Father knows you?

Do you know He desires for you to know His heart and to know Him intimately?

We have had examples in our lives that contradict this truth. Those experiences affect us more than we realize sometimes. I encourage you to bring those experiences to the Lord today.

Allow Him to examine your heart and reveal where those experiences have hindered you from growing in this intimate relationship with Him.

Let Him into those places to bring healing and restoration.

Keep friends around you who encourage you and spur you on towards that relationship with Him.

When this process has gotten uncomfortable and hard for me, my instinct has been to pull away from God and to put distance between us like Adam and Eve. God has gently reminded me those are the times to draw closer to Him, not pull away. I have been practicing this when I notice myself pulling away. My flesh wants to separate, but my spirit needs to draw close. I have to choose to be led by the spirit and not my flesh at that moment.

Satan wants to pull us away from God. We see that in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, which is still true for us today.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:8-10

I love this scripture. This is an invitation for us today. Draw near to God. He will draw near to you. That is a promise. As we draw near Him, we can bring our confessions and repentance. We can bring our doubts and our struggles. We can bring our sorrows and disappointments. As we do this, we will be filled with joy, and He will lift us up.

It is a beautiful promise.

This is the heart of our Heavenly Father!! Draw near to Him today, rejoice in the truth that you are known by Him, and praise Him for the provision we have to not just know about Him but to intimately know Him.

This relationship with God changes everything! I am living proof.