Galatians 4:9. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
Think together: Do you have a favorite athlete? What do you know about him or her?
Read together: There’s a big difference between knowing about someone and being known by them. When I was young, my favorite athlete was Dr. J, a basketball player on the Philadelphia 76ers. I knew everything you could know about Dr. J. I watched all his games. I watched all the highlights. I knew how tall he was, where he grew up, what teams he played for, and even his kids’ names. But Dr. J—Julius Erving (that’s his real name)—didn’t know me. And he still doesn’t. We’ve never met, and likely never will.
Sometimes this is how a person’s relationship with God is. They might know a lot of things about God, but God doesn’t know them. Yes, God knows about them. He knows about everyone. In fact, God knows everything about everyone. But for us to know God and for God to know us means that we have a personal relationship with Him. And we can only have a personal relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ.
Do you have a relationship with God? Does God know you? Does He love you as His child? Has He adopted you into His family? I hope so. This happens when we have faith in Jesus. Do you have faith in Jesus as the one who can take away your sins and give you the gift of His very own life inside of you?
This is why God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us: so that He could know us. Not just know about us, but really know us as His child and friend. God wants to be so close to us that we think His own thoughts, say His own words, and do His own deeds. He really wants us to love what He loves. The more we know that God knows us, and that He still loves us anyway, the more we will think, talk, and act like Jesus. God wants to know us so deeply that He connected His life to ours—His Spirit to our spirit. By the indwelling life of Christ, we are not only saved, we are truly known. And still, we are loved. Don’t settle for anything less.
Do something together: Have your kids name a famous person that know a lot about. Have them list as many facts as they can about this person. Now have them list things they know about a family member—things that only someone in the family would know. Talk about the difference in knowing about, and being known.
Because of Jesus: We can know a lot about God.
With Jesus: We are known by God.
Pray: Father, You know me and love me anyway. Thank you! Amen.
