To know Him is to be known by Him

"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep." - John 10:14-15
"Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again...?" - Galatians 4:8-9
 

     What does it mean to know someone? We live in a world of acquaintances. We have more "connections" in this day and age than the average person ever had before. This is fueled by our online-world. The average number of "friends" that someone has one Facebook is in the hundreds, and often into the thousands. It is particularly easy to "connect" online, to "add a friend" takes nothing more than a click and a positive response. But what does that say about us? We are aware of a lot of facts about people, but are we really aware of them? How many of our connections do we really know? How many individuals that we are aware of, or familiar with, have we ever taken a genuine interest in?
   
    Take, for instance, birthday reminders. On my last birthday, I received hundreds of well-wishes and "happy birthday" notes online. It is enjoyable to get encouraging notes like that. But It makes one wonder, if there wasn't a birthday "reminder" on Facebook for all my contacts, how many people would have actually known (or cared) that it was my birthday? Perhaps 10 - and I would venture the same guess for most people. Now, this isn't intended to be a downer if you like online interactions, or birthday notes, or having lots of acquaintances. But it is meant to ask a question: who do you truly know, and who truly knows you?

     The words of Jesus in John 10 give us one profound answer to that question. If you are a believer in Christ, it can be said that you know Him, and perhaps more importantly, that He knows you. Relationships are built on knowledge. The more knowledge you have of a person, the deeper your relationship can be with them. The fact that Jesus "knows" His sheep indicates that He is not just aware of our existence, but He is interested and intimately concerned with it. Consider how David speaks of the Lord's knowledge of His own in Psalm 139.

      "O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
            You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
               you discern my thoughts from afar."

     He has "searched" and "known." His knowledge is backed by depth. In other words, the Lord doesn't just know it’s my birthday because Facebook told Him it was. The Lord doesn't just know I'm a pastor because "it's on my profile page." He doesn't just know who my children are, what my interests and dislikes are because He's been "Facebook stalking" me. He knows those things, and all the infinitely deeper and more critical portions of my soul because I am one of His own. And if you are one of His own, then He has taken that intimate, deep, and critical interest in you as well.

     And this is where knowledge, relational knowledge, being more than just "awareness of facts" comes in. You see, obviously the Lord knows the facts about each individual. The Lord knows the facts and details of every persons life in a very real sense. But in a deeper sense, a loving sense, an intimate sense, He cares for his own. Think of those you are closest to in life. Think of your children, your spouse, your dearest friends. When something traumatic happens in their lives, does it not affect you in a deep and cognitive way? Compare that to when you hear of a tragedy in the news. You may be saddened or affected by it slightly, but the impact isn't lasting. You know the facts of what happened to someone, but you don't know them.

     For God's children, that is not the case. He does know us. He does care. He is intimately aware and concerned. "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry." That's how Psalm 34:15 puts it. He doesn't hear about our struggles in the news, read about them on Facebook, or learn them through the grapevine. He knows us because we are His. He knows us because He chooses to know us, He wants to know us. Think of the sovereignty and power of the God who created the universe with the words of His mouth, and then think of Him focusing His attention on us, His children. To know Him is to be known by Him. He has set His eyes and affections upon us. May that fact drive us in our daily pursuit to know Him more. 
 

To know Him more,
Pastor Aaron Frost
April 9, 2021