Made to Know God

 By Billy Graham

God wants us to know Him—not just to know about Him, but to know Him in personal way.

Do you see the difference? I might know about you; I might have heard your name; I might have seen your picture; we might even have exchanged letters or e-mails. But I couldn’t really say that you and I were friends or that we had a personal relationship until we actually met and got acquainted with each other. Only then could I really know you.

The same is true with God. Although to all the latest polls, most people believe in God. They believe He exists, and they may even have some definite ideas about Him. But for most, God is distant and fuzzy, because they only know about Him. They have never met Him or come to know Him in a personal way, and they can’t honestly say they know He is the friend. And yet that is what He wants to be. He wants us to know Him.

This is a staggering truth. Think of it: The infinite, all-powerful, holy God of the universe wants to be your friend! He wants you to know Him personally and to discover what it means to walk with Him every day. He wants you to know He is with you, and He wants to have communication with you though His Word and through prayer. He wants to comfort you when you are upset or anxious and to encourage you when you are dejected or depressed. He wants to guide you when you face difficult decisions, and He even wants to correct you when you are about to do something foolish or wrong.

Human friends may fail us, but Gove never will. The Bible reminds us that “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). That friend is God. Jesus said to His followers, “I no longer call you servants…instead, I have called you friends” (John 15:15).

God wants to be our friend, and for us to be His friends as well. But what has gone wrong? And can it ever be made right again?