Do You Know God?

<p>Editor’s note: Today’s reading discusses abuse.</p><p>.</p><p>Daniel. Esther. Peter. Paul. As a teenager, I knew them all. If there was a Bible trivia show, I could have been a champion. I went to church and knew Bible stories like the back of my hand.</p><p>.</p><p>I knew about God, but I did not know Him.</p><p>.</p><p>How about you? Do you know about God? Or do you know God? What’s the difference?</p><p>.</p><p>While I had accepted Jesus as my Savior, I didn’t understand what it meant to have a relationship with Him. I didn’t know His Word, I didn’t know my worth in Him, and I didn’t know His promises and how to hear His voice over lies.</p><p>.</p><p>In the midst of all of this, I had the good desires to be loved and to be a mom one day. So, when love came knocking, I opened my heart wide. This could have worked out well if my boyfriend had been a healthy individual, but he was not. Instead, he was abusive, emotionally manipulative, and a destroyer of my self-worth.</p><p>.</p><p>At the time, I didn’t know God well enough to know His love for me, my worth in Him, and the promises in His Word. I didn’t know He would fulfill the desires of my heart as I delight in Him (Psalm 37:4). I didn’t know I could trust Him for all the details of my life, including relationships.</p><p>.</p><p>When we know God and not just know about Him, it changes everything. His truths permeate our minds. His promises override our fears. His presence leads us through life’s big decisions. His Word becomes the lamp for our feet and the light for our paths (Psalm 119:105).</p><p>.</p><p>God loves us so deeply, reaching out to us before we could love Him, dying on the cross for us (1 John 4:19). Our trustworthy Savior invites us into relationship with Him, so that we may be ever deepening in our understanding of Him and the good news that He has come to save and restore us. No matter what we experience, Jesus is present with us, including giving us wisdom to find safe people—who reflect His love—to reach out to when we experience abuse