There is a difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing someone. Knowing about someone means that you know facts about that person. You may know the names of their family members or the name of the town they grew up in, but you wouldn’t be able to approach that person to ask a favour.

When you truly know someone, you know more than just facts. You may know their aspirations for the future. You may know about their struggles with a child. You have an understanding of their likes and dislikes and, if you need a hand, you have enough of a relationship with that person to be able to go and ask. And perhaps they know you well enough that you don’t even have to ask.

God wants us to truly know Him. He doesn’t want us to strive for head knowledge. He wants us to go straight to heart knowledge. Anyone can know about God. But it takes a little effort to actually know God in a more intimate sense.

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

John 17:3 (NLT)

Jesus talks about being in the Father and the Father being in him. That kind of relationship goes far beyond the superficial. Jesus adds that he wants us to join in that relationship.

My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.

John 17:21 (NLT)

Many may say that they just can’t get that close to Jesus. An intimate relationship with him is far too lofty a goal to attain. It’s not. It’s easy. Jesus wants us to know him. He wants a relationship with us. When someone wants a relationship, they make it easy to get to know them. Jesus’ desire is that we be one with him and the Father. It only takes a little effort on our part to insert ourselves into that relationship because they’ve already made room for us. Jesus and the Father want us to get to know them and will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you. I will do this so that your love for me may be in them and I in them.

John 17:26 (NLT)

Daily Bible reading: 2 Chronicles 26-28, John 17