A New Best Friend

When you think about what it means to “know God”, where does your mind go? What does it mean to you to “know God?” Does it mean knowing his names? Does it mean conversing with him? Does it mean know about him? Does it mean knowing all kinds of biblical and modern stories about what he has done? My first thoughts are something like this: To know God means to know who he is, to talk to him, to listen to him, to know about him, to know the great stories about his greatness and his power, etc. None of these are wrong by any means. In fact, talking to him, listening, knowing stories and all that are great things! But are they really at the core of what it means to truly know God on a deep and wonderful level?

Completely unrelated but hilarious picture.

Think about your closest friend. Think about that one person that you know better than anyone else and that knows you better than anyone else. What makes that friendship so special? What makes that relationship so deep? What about your relationship proves that you really, deeply, and truly know the other person? Is it that you know their full name? No, hundreds if not thousands of people know your friend’s name. Is it that you talk to them, listen to them, and vice versa? No, tons of people talk and listen to them. Is it the number of stories that you know about them and what they have done, or even the number of stories that you share together? We’re getting closer…Maybe it's the amount of time you spend with them? Yep…definitely getting closer. Is it knowing their desires? Their fears? Their guilt? Their pain? Their struggles? Their secrets? Maybe…

All of these show that you know someone and know them well; personally and intimately. But what is really the special factor that proves whether or not you know someone? Knowing their secret joys.

It is not in the grand stories, the elaborate names, or even the conversations with God that define the level of intimacy in our relationship with him - it is the small, intricate, and seemingly trivial that display a deep, authentic, loving relationship. Think about your best friend again – what do you know about them on a deep and personal level? You know their secrets and struggles yes, but do you know their secret joys? God has designed us to share one another’s burdens, but even more so, he has designed us to live life joyfully together with him and with each other. If you really want to truly know God, yes converse with him, spend time with him, listen to him, but even more importantly, know what gives him joy. Know the intricate details of God that only those closest to him can even begin to understand, and you will find unparalleled love, overwhelming joy, and a new best friend.