{"id":4426,"date":"2018-01-22T14:19:42","date_gmt":"2018-01-22T19:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/?p=4426"},"modified":"2018-01-22T14:19:42","modified_gmt":"2018-01-22T19:19:42","slug":"gods-red-carpet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/2018\/01\/gods-red-carpet.html","title":{"rendered":"God\u2019s Red Carpet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cNot everyone who says to me, \u2018Lord, Lord,\u2019 will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, \u2018Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?\u2019 Then I will tell them plainly, \u2018I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!\u2019\u201d (Matthew 7:21-23)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"stair-red-stairway-sky-heaven-building-up\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Does God know us? Doesn\u2019t He know everything? While He certainly does know everything\u2013He is omniscient, apparently He doesn\u2019t know everyone<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Scripture above is among the scariest of all. Jesus goes on from there to tell us that many who are presently famous in the Christian culture will not be the ones we see honored in heaven. In fact, they are the ones in danger of not even making it through the gates. They themselves will be as flabbergasted as the rest of us.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, those who are obscure in our Christian culture, those to whom fame has not been granted, are the ones more likely to be famous in Heaven. It doesn\u2019t mean, of course, that every person who enjoys fame in our society is disqualified from honor in Heaven. It just means that being known on earth doesn\u2019t necessarily mean we are known by the One who matters most. Being known by God is something altogether different.<\/p>\n

I think of my dear friend Diana, a retired special needs educator, who spends her entire morning everyday worshipping God and interceding for\u00a0those the Lord puts upon her heart. I daresay, God knows her well.<\/p>\n

I think of my beloved neighbor Patsy, who gets up long before dawn to pray. She\u2019s not a celebrity here, but in Heaven I imagine she is well-known, heeded, and honored. Currently short in stature both literally and figuratively, yet in Heaven, she will be head-and-shoulders taller than most of us.<\/p>\n

Who will be featured on God\u2019s Red Carpet?<\/p>\n

Only those whom He knows. Again, this begs the question: why doesn\u2019t God know everybody? Isn\u2019t He all-knowing?<\/p>\n

You have searched me, Lord,<\/strong><\/em>
\n and you know me\u2026<\/strong><\/em>
\nSearch me, God, and know my heart;<\/strong><\/em>
\n test me and know my anxious thoughts. (Psalm 139:1,23)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Perhaps allowing God to know us only happens when we give Him access. David\u2019s prayer is an invitation to be known by God. Just like reading Eric Metaxas doesn\u2019t make Eric Metaxas know me, studying the Bible helps me know God, but doesn\u2019t allow God know to me. For me to get to know Eric Metaxas would require spending time with Eric Metaxas. I would need to be granted access into His life, make an appointment with him, and persevere until enough time was spent\u00a0in order for him\u00a0to understand my character, temperament, dreams, hopes, and abilities.<\/p>\n

Thank the Lord, allowing God to know me isn\u2019t quite as difficult nor logistically challenging. The good news is, we have been granted access to God\u2019s presence, any time, any day. His calendar is wide open to us. All we have to do is take time\u00a0to be quiet before Him and share our heart with a plain and simple prayer, like\u00a0this one\u2026<\/p>\n

My Father,<\/em><\/p>\n

I feel like I know You because I am aware of Your Word. Though I can recite passages, I am fearfully aware that that doesn\u2019t presume intimacy with You.<\/em><\/p>\n

So I ask You today: please get to know me. I know You are willing, for You make that clear on every page of the Bible:<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCall to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know\u201d Jeremiah 33:3.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

You invitation stands open indefinitely. Today, I want to sit at Your feet and let You know me. I will share my heart with You and ask that You share Yours.<\/em><\/p>\n

I won\u2019t bring my list of things I need or want from You. I just want You to know me.<\/em><\/p>\n

Teach me to be known by You. As I grow in this understanding, I believe You will enrich my life in ways I never dreamed. Thank You in advance, dear Lord, dear friend.<\/em><\/p>\n

Amen<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photo on\u00a0Foter.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cNot everyone who says to me, \u2018Lord, Lord,\u2019 will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 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