Being known

But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature… For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. — 1 Samuel 16:7

There is a kind of knowing that only God holds. The kind that reaches into every hidden corner of your heart. The thoughts you don’t say out loud, the emotions you don’t fully understand, the quiet ache you carry without explanation.

He doesn’t just see it… He understands it. Completely. God doesn’t look at what others see. He looks at the heart.

And that means there is not a single part of you that is overlooked by Him. Not one layer unseen. Not one feeling dismissed.

To be fully known and still fully loved…
there is nothing more intimate than that. But if I’m honest, there are moments when that truth feels a little lonely too. At least, it does for me.

Because no one else knows me like that. No one else can. And maybe they never will.

But I’m beginning to realize… maybe they’re not supposed to. Because people were never meant to replace the intimacy we have with God. They were meant to reflect it.

Not perfectly.
Not completely.
But intentionally.

A small, human reflection.

The way someone listens a little closer. The way they remember something you said days ago. The way they notice your silence and gently ask if you’re okay.

That’s not all-knowing love… but it’s pursuing love. And maybe that’s what human intimacy is meant to be.

Not complete understanding, but continual pursuit of the heart. A reflection of a God who already knows everything about us, yet still chooses to draw near. So no… no one will ever know me the way God does.

But through the people He places in my life,
I get to experience glimpses of that kind of love.

And maybe even more than that… I’m called to reflect it too. To look beyond the surface. To care about the heart. To love people in a way that points back to Him.

And somehow… that makes me feel a little less alone. I hope it does for you, too.

~~*~~

Lord,
Thank You for knowing me fully and loving me completely. Thank You that I don’t have to hide with You, that You see my heart and still choose me.
Help me not to look at others the way the world does, but the way You do.
Teach me to slow down, to notice, to listen. Give me a heart that seeks to understand, not just observe. A heart that reflects Your patience, Your gentleness, and Your intentional love.
Let the way I love others point back to You.
Even in small ways. Even in quiet moments.
And when I feel unseen, remind me that I never am. Because I am fully known by You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.