“Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’”
John 1:48-49
God knows us
Jesus called Philip to follow Him. Philip invited Nathanael to do the same. Skeptical at first, Nathanael recognized that Jesus was the Messiah when Jesus told him that He had seen him under the fig tree.
We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, knows us, and we follow Him.
The Lord knew us before He called us
We came to Jesus in different ways—some found Him on their own, others were invited, and many were born into a believing family. But He chose us (Jn 15:16). And He did it with full knowledge of the facts. He called you personally, because He wants you, precisely you, to be with Him.
God knows our needs and provides for us
God forgets no sparrow and counts all our hairs (Lk 12:6-7). He watches over each one of us and cares about all our concerns, even the smallest ones. He knows what we really need. This is not always the case with those around us. Sometimes they think they are doing us good by giving us a gift or offering us a solution. But what we really want from them is to listen, to care and to be compassionate. God knows all our needs and provides for them.
This does not exempt us from exposing our needs to Him in our prayers. By praying, we acknowledge our dependence on God and express our trust in Him. The content of our prayers reveals our priorities. If our priorities match God’s, we can be sure that He will give us what we ask for (Jn 16:23-24).
God knows our limitations
God knows that we are sinners, unable to live without sinning. He does not reproach us for this. On the other hand, He may reproach us for lacking faith (Mt 14:31) or love (Rev 2:4). When He does so, He tells us at the same time what we must do to correct ourselves. Let us take His warnings seriously!
God will never ask impossible things of us. When they left Egypt, He took a detour to Israel because He knew that the people were not ready to face the Philistines (Ex 13:17-18). He also knows our limitations. Let us trust Him. If He makes us take a detour at times, it is to keep us from a danger that would endanger our souls.
God knows exactly what we are capable of. Let us not procrastinate like Moses, who wanted to explain to God that He could not fulfill His mission (Ex 4:10-17). God gives us everything we need to do what He asks of us.
God knows our heart
God knows our works and motivation. He does not bless love without works, nor works without love. Certainly, the work we do without love can become a blessing to others. But it will not allow us to be blessed. The blessing that God places on our work is primarily spiritual. God fills our hearts with assurance, peace and joy. If we sometimes lack peace and joy, let us question our works and our love.
God knows our brother and sister
God knows that we are all different. He knows that these differences do not prevent us from becoming one in Christ—if we want to.
He knows the ordained ministers. He sanctifies them so that their imperfection does not prevent us from receiving what is essential for our salvation.
God called us personally to lead us into His kingdom. He cares about us and provides for our needs. He knows what we are capable of. He blesses the work of our love. He sanctifies His servants.