Knowing of Love

I have often run into someone whose face looks familiar, yet I can't remember their name, and it is very frustrating. At those times, I can recall where I know them from, and yet I can't remember their name. This, along with being frustrating to me, is also embarrassing, leading me to try to remember people's names better.

In John Chapter 1, there is a story about two men. One named Nathanael and his friend Philip. Phillip had just been in contact with Jesus, and Jesus had said to Philip, "Follow Me." After this meeting with Jesus, Phillip went to get his friend and tell him that they have found Him- the one that Moses in the law and prophets had written about, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

Nathaniel replies, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?' and Philip encourages Nathaniel to come and see for himself. As they were making their way there, Jesus sees them coming and says out loud for everyone to hear, including Nathanael, "Behold, and Israelite, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael then says to Jesus, "How do you know me?" Jesus' answer was, "Before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Jesus answered back, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." "Truly, truly I say to you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son on Man." From that point on, Nathanael does follow Jesus Christ and sees many amazing things because of following him.

This is an interesting story in that Nathanael was not convinced that what his friend Philip was saying was true. He basically went just to check it out, and here Jesus announces to all that He already knows him. That seems to be enough to convince Nathanael, and from that moment on, he was converted and followed Jesus, believing He was the Son of God, and it all started from Jesus saying that He knew him first. Jesus then tells him all the great things that he is going to be able to see. 

Wow, can you imagine what that day had to have been like? In a moment of going to see if something is true or not, it led to this man's conversion- all because Jesus let Nathanael know first that He knew him!

Jeremiah 1:5 tells us this: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and before you were born, I consecrated you." You see, God already knew us before anyone else did, and so to Him, we are no surprise. He knows everything about us, and His love for us is beyond measure. The great thing is He knew us before we were born, were made in His image, and because He loves us, we are drawn to Him. God draws us unto Himself by His love for us, not out of pressure or control.

Even like Nathanael, he went and was maybe thinking, "Yeah, I'll go with you, Philip, and we will just see." Yet it was Jesus who spoke first, telling everyone about his character and then told him all the greatness he would see in the future. Nathaniel's life was changed that day, and it was because Jesus said that He already knew him. For us, it is the same because, as Jeremiah said so plainly, "He knew us before we were born." God is so amazing and loving, and yet we sometimes think that we are the ones who found God, and yet He was never lost- He is the one who first found us. It is His love for us that draws unto Him and changes us from the inside out. To know that He knows everything about us, and has a plan, for our lives is amazing and comforting.

So, what about you- do you know Jesus? Are you unsure that He is who He says He is? Are you wondering if He really knows you and has a plan for your life? Do you wonder if Jesus loves you despite everything you have done in your life? All of these questions can be answered and resolved. However, you will never be able to fully experience the fullness of God's love for you until you are one with Him in eternity, but oh, what love you can experience now until He comes back. So come into this Garden of Love and see the goodness and love of God. Come and read the amazing things done by Jesus out of His love for mankind and know that He is there for you and will meet your every need out of His love for you. He will meet every need regardless of what it is, and most of all, He wants you to know and feel His presence and great love for you in this life. Maybe your like Nathanael and you’re not quite sure of Jesus and His love- let this journey into Garden of Love be the journey that changes your life and helps you to see the goodness of God and His Son Jesus Christ and the love that they have so freely bestowed upon each one of us- all you have to do now is come.

From Gardens of Splendor by Gina Burns