IF YOU ONLY KNEW
Jesus knows the "all" and the "each.'
It is true that our Heavenly Father knows us and everything about us. He knows the “all” and he knows the “each.” He knows the number of hairs on our heads and each sparrow that falls. All things are naked and open before Him, and nothing is hidden from His sight. When He walked on this earth He knew all men and needed not that anyone should testify to Him about men. He knew to whom He could entrust Himself, and He knew with whom to be reserved. It is an amazing truth that in His almighty sovereignty He knows His own. He knows His sheep and He calls each one by name. This should comfort us, but also inspire us to hold a reverent fear of God.
Our conversation is in heaven. Our deeds are known. Our hearts are known. Our troubles. pains, and griefs are known. He sees us in the dark, in the hard place when we feel alone and forsaken. He also sees and will not forget our good deeds, our labors, and our love for Him.
"How Do You Know Me?"
Upon meeting Nathaniel, Jesus said to him, “Behold an Israelite in whom is no deceit.” Nathaniel answered, How do you know me?” Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree before Phillip called you.” Nathaniel then followed Jesus as one of His disciples.
The risen Lord Jesus appeared to the Apostle John and sent messages to the seven churches of Asia Minor. To each of these churches He began with “I know you,” and proceeded to describe their hearts’ conditions, their behavior, the things He was pleased with, and the things He was displeased with. His message included deserved compliments along with appropriate warnings, corrections, and commands. He also gave them great promises of wonderful rewards yet to come for their obedience and endurance. His message comforted them in that it showed His intimate knowledge, interest, and involvement in their lives. No matter what they were to go through, He was the glorious one walking in the midst of the candlesticks (the church).
A Lady on a Plane
On a flight to Raleigh, North Carolina, I was seated beside a lady who was flying into Columbia, South Carolina. As the plane was about to land in Columbia, I prayed quietly to myself, “Lord, this lady is about to get off the plane, and I have not said anything to her about You. Is there anything special I should say to her?”
Suddenly, the Holy Spirit gave me a name. (This is the only time this has ever happened to me.) I turned to her and said, “Who is Frank?”
Her expression froze, and she stared at me speechless with her mouth open.
I continued, “Sometimes, the Lord shows me things to pray for people, and I think the Lord has shown this to me for your sake. You can tell me. Who is Frank?”
She very sheepishly mumbled quietly, “Frank is a friend of mine who is having marriage problems.”
I responded, “And Frank is coming to you for comfort… Isn’t he?”
Still with her mouth open and staring at me in shock, she just shook her head and whispered, “Uh huh, yes, he is.”
I then told her that the Lord loved her, had a plan for her, and wanted to reveal Himself to her, but the enemy had placed this temptation and stumbling block in her path to distract and lead her away. I encouraged her to go home and find a quiet place to sit and talk to God, to seek Him, and get to know Him.
Immediately, the plane was at the gate, and this lady got up and walked away still in a daze. I thought to myself, “She will go home with a fresh realization that there is a God who knows her and cares about her. Maybe she will look to heaven in faith and know that He is there and that He is listening to her.”
A Gentleman in a Restaurant
I was having breakfast with a pastor friend of mine at a motel restaurant on Interstate 95 when I noticed a gentleman sitting alone at a table across the room. I turned to my friend and said, “Sam, you see that man over there? He is going through the pain of a divorce.”
When Sam and I finished our breakfast, I noticed the gentleman was still at his table and decided to go to him. We walked over to his table and said to him, “Sir, my friend and I are pastors. When I saw you sitting here, the Lord showed me that you are going through the pain of a divorce, and I would like to pray for you.”
The fellow stopped eating and looked up at me with sadness in his eyes. “I am in the middle of a divorce right now,” he said.
I told him that the Lord loved him and wanted to deliver him from the things in his life that helped to cause the divorce. He responded, “I am from New England, and I am on my way now to Florida to get help for these very things.”
I gave him my card and told him I would be praying for him.
About a week later, I received a letter from him in which he thanked me for reaching out to him. He shared how our meeting that morning had encouraged him. His faith was strengthened, and his hope was renewed because he was made aware that there is a God who knows and cares about him.
”If you only knew!”
We often complain that God does not know or care. But the problem is that WE do not know. When Jesus asked the woman at the well for a drink of water, He said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” This tells us that if the veil were lifted and we could really see Jesus and know Him, we would surrender to Him unreservedly. We would ask, we would ask in faith with a pure and obedient heart. Faith, hope, and perseverance will not disappoint.
It is true that our Heavenly Father knows us and everything about us. He knows the “all” and he knows the “each.” He knows the number of hairs on our heads and each sparrow that falls. All things are naked and open before Him, and nothing is hidden from His sight. When He walked on this earth He knew all men and needed not that anyone should testify to Him about men. He knew to whom He could entrust Himself, and He knew with whom to be reserved. It is an amazing truth that in His almighty sovereignty He knows His own. He knows His sheep and He calls each one by name. This should comfort us, but also inspire us to hold a reverent fear of God.
Our conversation is in heaven. Our deeds are known. Our hearts are known. Our troubles. pains, and griefs are known. He sees us in the dark, in the hard place when we feel alone and forsaken. He also sees and will not forget our good deeds, our labors, and our love for Him.
"How Do You Know Me?"
Upon meeting Nathaniel, Jesus said to him, “Behold an Israelite in whom is no deceit.” Nathaniel answered, How do you know me?” Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree before Phillip called you.” Nathaniel then followed Jesus as one of His disciples.
The risen Lord Jesus appeared to the Apostle John and sent messages to the seven churches of Asia Minor. To each of these churches He began with “I know you,” and proceeded to describe their hearts’ conditions, their behavior, the things He was pleased with, and the things He was displeased with. His message included deserved compliments along with appropriate warnings, corrections, and commands. He also gave them great promises of wonderful rewards yet to come for their obedience and endurance. His message comforted them in that it showed His intimate knowledge, interest, and involvement in their lives. No matter what they were to go through, He was the glorious one walking in the midst of the candlesticks (the church).
A Lady on a Plane
On a flight to Raleigh, North Carolina, I was seated beside a lady who was flying into Columbia, South Carolina. As the plane was about to land in Columbia, I prayed quietly to myself, “Lord, this lady is about to get off the plane, and I have not said anything to her about You. Is there anything special I should say to her?”
Suddenly, the Holy Spirit gave me a name. (This is the only time this has ever happened to me.) I turned to her and said, “Who is Frank?”
Her expression froze, and she stared at me speechless with her mouth open.
I continued, “Sometimes, the Lord shows me things to pray for people, and I think the Lord has shown this to me for your sake. You can tell me. Who is Frank?”
She very sheepishly mumbled quietly, “Frank is a friend of mine who is having marriage problems.”
I responded, “And Frank is coming to you for comfort… Isn’t he?”
Still with her mouth open and staring at me in shock, she just shook her head and whispered, “Uh huh, yes, he is.”
I then told her that the Lord loved her, had a plan for her, and wanted to reveal Himself to her, but the enemy had placed this temptation and stumbling block in her path to distract and lead her away. I encouraged her to go home and find a quiet place to sit and talk to God, to seek Him, and get to know Him.
Immediately, the plane was at the gate, and this lady got up and walked away still in a daze. I thought to myself, “She will go home with a fresh realization that there is a God who knows her and cares about her. Maybe she will look to heaven in faith and know that He is there and that He is listening to her.”
A Gentleman in a Restaurant
I was having breakfast with a pastor friend of mine at a motel restaurant on Interstate 95 when I noticed a gentleman sitting alone at a table across the room. I turned to my friend and said, “Sam, you see that man over there? He is going through the pain of a divorce.”
When Sam and I finished our breakfast, I noticed the gentleman was still at his table and decided to go to him. We walked over to his table and said to him, “Sir, my friend and I are pastors. When I saw you sitting here, the Lord showed me that you are going through the pain of a divorce, and I would like to pray for you.”
The fellow stopped eating and looked up at me with sadness in his eyes. “I am in the middle of a divorce right now,” he said.
I told him that the Lord loved him and wanted to deliver him from the things in his life that helped to cause the divorce. He responded, “I am from New England, and I am on my way now to Florida to get help for these very things.”
I gave him my card and told him I would be praying for him.
About a week later, I received a letter from him in which he thanked me for reaching out to him. He shared how our meeting that morning had encouraged him. His faith was strengthened, and his hope was renewed because he was made aware that there is a God who knows and cares about him.
”If you only knew!”
We often complain that God does not know or care. But the problem is that WE do not know. When Jesus asked the woman at the well for a drink of water, He said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” This tells us that if the veil were lifted and we could really see Jesus and know Him, we would surrender to Him unreservedly. We would ask, we would ask in faith with a pure and obedient heart. Faith, hope, and perseverance will not disappoint.
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