Know Jesus Well

My friend turned to me and jokingly said, “I refuse to give you a blanket during the movie. If you get too comfy, you’ll fall asleep and miss the movie.” I immediately started laughing. She knew me well. I’ve been known to fall asleep during movies and even comment on the movie while asleep. I love movies, but sitting still and watching a movie without falling asleep is often difficult, especially if I am already tired and have a cozy blanket.

While missing out on a movie is not the end of the world, missing out on knowing Jesus is. The Bible is clear that Jesus will return, and it tells us we must be ready for His return (Matthew 25:1-13). I don’t know about you, but I want to be ready for Him.

One way we can be ready for His return is to spend time with Him. Take the time to get to know who He is. The Word of God is our guidebook to knowing God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit well, but many of us neglect two important parts of getting to know God well—spending vital time reading and studying the Word and praying regularly or talking to God.

How can you get to know someone without spending time with them? We must know Jesus so we can recognize Him when He returns. If we don’t spend time reading the Word or praying, how will we recognize Him when He returns?

Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.”(Mark 13:5-8, NLT)

There is a big difference between knowing Jesus with your head and knowing Jesus with your heart. Matthew 7:21-23 says:

Not everyone who calls out to me, “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, “Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.” But I will reply, “I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.” (Matthew 7:21-23, NLT)

Knowing Jesus is far more than having a head knowledge of who He is. It’s knowing Him personally and allowing Him to shape you into who you were created to be. It’s prioritizing your relationship with Him, talking to Him through prayer, and spending time with Him daily through His Word. We all need Jesus, not as a passing thought or as “fire insurance,” but as our Savior and Lord. God desires close communion, relationship, intimacy, and oneness with us, and He wants us to know Him fully.

As believers in Christ, we must seriously consider if we want to hear, “Depart from me, I never knew you,” or “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Lord, I want to know You well. Help me fix my gaze on You and draw near to You daily. Help me get to know You through prayer and reading Your Word. I want You to be my priority. Help me lay aside the distractions that keep me from You and prepare my heart for Your return. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.