To Be Known
Growing up, my family attended a Presbyterian church within walking distance of our home. I have often shared that many of my fondest memories from that period of my life are centered around that church. From the people to special services at Christmas Eve and Easter stand out to me. I remember a relational warmth that was present both in the people but also in some tangible way, so was the love of God. There was one season in late elementary school that my parents enrolled me in catechism class. Catechism is a process of memorizing questions and answers to key theological and doctrinal questions of Christianity. And, being Presbyterian, we went through the lesser Westminster Catechism. That is the shorter version… which, I’m pretty sure, had over a million questions! Of those million or so questions, the very first one has always stuck out to me.
It asks, “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is, “To know God and enjoy him all of your days.”
The chief end of man is not to pursue his passions or desires with unabated fervency. It is to know God, be known by God, and enjoy His presence. There is in this truth a key assumption, God is knowable, and in that, God has made Himself knowable. This is something the Psalmist proclaims, and how beautiful a truth it is. Consider Psalm 145:14-19
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.
From the very beginning, God’s greatest desire was to be known. Why? Because He is good, trustworthy, is love, and is the fullness of life. We were created by Him, in His image, to know Him and to enjoy Him. And, through Jesus, He makes knowing Him possible even though we had previously rejected Him. The Lord is near to us, and He hears us when we call on Him. He is not some distant and cold divine power that is oriented toward retribution. He is our loving Father and desires all people to know Him and His love.
We were made to know God, be known by God, and enjoy Him.
PS. Would you join me and others for an hour of corporate prayer for our church, community, nation, and world? We will be meeting on Sunday, October 17th, from 6:30-7:30 pm for an hour of prayer. Prayer changes things because God can change things. Let’s join together with confident and expectant hearts.