What if everything you’ve been doing in your quiet time has only scratched the surface of what God actually wants with you? And not because you’ve done anything wrong or because you’re not disciplined enough or don’t read your Bible enough. But because there is a vast, life-changing difference between knowing about God and actually knowing God.

And most of us have been living in the “about.”

There’s a Difference, and It Matters More Than We Think

To know about something means you are aware it exists. You have surface-level facts. You can speak to it in a conversation, pass a test on it, or even teach it to someone else.

To truly know something means you have a deep, personal understanding. A direct experience. It has moved from your head into your life.

Here’s the weight of that distinction. Jesus said:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

— Matthew 7:21-23 ESV

These are people who prophesied, cast out demons, and did mighty works all in the name of Jesus. By every outward measure, they looked like they knew God. And yet Jesus looked at them and said four words that’s like a punch to the throat…

I never knew you.

What Jesus Actually Meant by “I Never Knew You”

The word knew in this passage, according to Strong’s Concordance, means to allow, to be aware of, to feel, to perceive, to understand, to have been given access.

So when Jesus says I never knew you, He isn’t just saying I wasn’t familiar with you. He is saying, you never allowed me in. You never gave me access to your heart, you never came to encounter me, to feel my presence, to truly know me. You did things in my name, but I never had access to you.

That is serious and it is exactly why this transition matters.

We are in a season where we simply cannot afford a surface-level relationship with the Lord. And if we’re being honest, Scripture doesn’t even acknowledge that as a real category. Revelation 3:15-16 tells us we are either hot or cold. There is no comfortable middle ground.

God Wants to Be Known, By You

Here is what I need to remind you: God wants to be known, not just acknowledged or referenced.

He wants an intimate, close, real relationship with you specifically. Not a version of you that has all the right answers or has read all the right books. Just you open, available, and hungry.

Many know about the resurrection. They can explain it theologically, defend it historically, and preach it on a Sunday morning. But few have known, experienced, witnessed, or encountered the resurrection power of Jesus, alive and active in their own everyday lives.

That’s the gap. And the good news is it doesn’t have to stay that way.

How We Actually Make the Transition

So how do we move from knowing about God to genuinely knowing Him? It starts with how we come to the Word.

We can read a verse and gather information. We can learn something new, feel inspired, and move on with our day. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but there is more. God doesn’t just want to inform you through Scripture. He wants to meet you there.

Transition and transformation begins when we stop reading the Bible as a textbook and start approaching it as a place of encounter.

Here’s a practical place to start. The next time you sit with Scripture, try this:

Observe. Read slowly. What stands out? What catches your heart or makes it flicker even a little? That flicker is often the Holy Spirit getting your attention.

Ask. Reread the verse and invite the Holy Spirit in. Show me truth here. Point me to Jesus. What do you want me to see? Let Him be your teacher, not just your own understanding.

Dig. Do a word search on the words that stood out. Look at the original language. Pull every nutrient out of that text. You’d be surprised what opens up when you slow down and go deeper.

Apply. Ask: How does this verse relate to my life today? How can I actually live this? The goal isn’t just to understand the verse it’s to become an expression of it.

Real transition starts happening when you begin searching for the nature and character of God in the text. Not just what the verse says, but what it reveals about who God is. That is where head knowledge starts becoming heart knowledge.

Encounter Him, Not Just Have Information About Him

We begin to truly know God when we seek to see God. When we come to worship, not just to sing songs but to encounter the One the songs are about, when we become aware of His presence not just in our secret place but in the ordinary, everyday moments of our lives, in the car, in the kitchen, in the middle of a hard conversation.

God can speak to you in any way if you would just make yourself available to Him.

My encouragement today for you today is to surrender every old, familiar way of approaching the Word. Ask God to give you fresh eyes that aren’t just looking for information but are looking for Him. Dwell in the verse. Sit with it. Ring out everything in it. Let the Holy Spirit show you how to carry it into your day.

That is what it means to abide and dwell. Not to visit but to live there.

A Prayer to Close

Lord, I want to be known by You. I want to know You, not just know about You. Holy Spirit, give me fresh eyes to see Jesus in Scripture. Help me to perceive and understand Him. Point me to Jesus in every verse, every moment, every ordinary day. May You be my first priority, not as a discipline, but as a deep, genuine desire of my heart. Meet me here. Amen.

Table Talk Questions

• Be honest with yourself would you say you know God, or know about Him? What’s the difference in your own life?

• When you read Scripture, are you looking for information or are you looking for an encounter?

• Is there a verse you’ve read a hundred times that you’ve never actually sat with and dug into? What would happen if you did?

• What does it mean to you personally that God wants to be known, not just obeyed or acknowledged?

This Week’s Challenge:

Pick one verse this week just one. Read it slowly. Observe what catches your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you something new. Do a word search. Sit with it longer than you feels comfortable. Then write down how you can carry it into your day. Practice abiding, not just reading.

What stood out to you most in this post? Drop it in the comments I’d love to hear what God is speaking to you.

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Thank You

We hope you loved exploring this topic with us. We pray it blessed you to surrender, dwell, and abide in God’s Presence. Now, it’s your turn; which question stood out most to you? Which one will you ask someone today? Drop a comment below, and let’s keep the conversation going! We can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

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