Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. (Deuteronomy 4:39)

Before we move on from this verse, let us again consider the importance of knowing God as opposed to knowing about Him. When the Almighty spoke to Moses in regard to His plan to bring His people out of Egypt, He said: “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians” (Exodus 6:7). In other words, it is implied here that the Hebrews in Egypt knew about their God but may not have truly known Him. If they had, He would not have been compelled to tell them to rid themselves of the false gods they were serving at the time (see Ezekiel 20).

But now let us look at another aspect of this issue: if it is extremely important that we know God, isn’t it just as important — maybe even more important — that He knows us. Of course, He knows about all of us, in fact, He knows more about us than we know about ourselves. But does He know us in the sense that we have an intimate relationship with Him? I ask this in acknowledgement of one of the most tragic verses in all of Scripture. In speaking of those who “cast out devils” and “prophesied” in His Name, thinking that this was sufficient to gain access to the Kingdom, the Messiah says: “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” I have no doubt He knew who these people were but it is very clear that He didn’t know them — because they didn’t really know Him. If they had known Him, He wouldn’t have addressed them as those who “practice lawlessness.”

In response to the question as to which side, North or South, God was on during the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln wisely said, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Similarly, though is very important that we know God, it is of the utmost importance that He knows us. Therefore, should we not continually interact with Him through prayer and consistently perform His Will in our life through obedience to His Word? We should never think that doing the work of the ministry can substitute for being in a close relationship with the Almighty whereby He calls us by our name. So then, let us do what must be done so that, at the appointed time He says to us, “Well done!”

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill 

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