Monday, 3 August 2026

If God Knew Us Before Time Itself, Shouldn't We Get To Know God A Little Better?

One of the greatest mysteries of our faith is that God has known us from all eternity. 

We are not simply the product of chance, nor a random accident in the universe. 

Long before the stars began to shine, long before time itself, God had us in His heart.

This profound truth should make us pause and reflect. If the Almighty has known us with such intimacy, shouldn't we in return make the effort to know Him a little better? 

So often, our days are filled with distractions — the demands of work, the noise of the world, the constant pull of technology and entertainment. 

We know the latest headlines, the songs on the radio, and the updates of friends we may hardly speak to — yet how deeply do we know our God?

To be known by God is the foundation of our existence, but to know God is the true purpose of our lives. Let us step into this reflection with humility, asking Him to lead us into deeper friendship with Himself.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you" (Jeremiah 1:5).

"Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether" (Psalm 139:4).

"Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:7).

"I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father" (John 10:14–15).

These verses reveal not only God's complete knowledge of us, but His invitation for us to enter into mutual relationship with Him.

Devotional Reflection
God's knowledge of us is not the distant awareness of a cosmic being. It is the tender gaze of a loving Father. Before we ever spoke His name, He spoke ours. Before we even recognised our need for Him, He had already prepared salvation for us through His Son.

This truth can either comfort us or challenge us. It comforts us because we are never invisible to God. Our joys, sorrows, and even our hidden struggles are seen and embraced by Him. It challenges us because it asks: If He knows me so well, do I strive to know Him in return?

To know God is more than knowing about Him. It is not the mere memorising of catechism answers or theological terms, though these have their place. To know God is to live in relationship with Him, to allow Him into our daily choices, and to let His love shape our identity.

Saint Paul prayed that the Ephesians might receive "a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him" (Ephesians 1:17). He understood that true knowledge of God comes not only from study, but from encounter.

Saint Augustine, whose restless heart finally found its rest in God, expressed it beautifully: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." If God has known us before time began, then our deepest fulfilment is found in knowing Him here and now.

Yet how easily we settle for less. We spend countless hours gaining knowledge of temporary things — news, sports, entertainment, financial strategies, or the latest fashions. None of these are wrong in themselves, but when they eclipse our hunger for God, we miss the very reason for which we were created.

Knowing God requires time, effort, and love. Just as in any friendship, we must speak and listen, share and receive, and commit ourselves to the relationship. God has already taken the first step by knowing us completely. Now He waits for us to respond.

A Deeper Look: The Church Fathers and the Catechism
The early Fathers of the Church often marvelled at God's eternal knowledge of His people. 

Origen spoke of the divine plan existing before the world's creation, emphasising that God's providence is eternal. 

Saint Irenaeus reminded us that God's glory is man fully alive, and man becomes fully alive when he knows God.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 27) tells us:
"The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for."

Here we see that God's eternal knowledge of us is matched by our eternal longing for Him. Though we may try to fill that longing with lesser things, it remains unquenched until we seek Him directly.

The Catechism also assures us (CCC 356):
"Of all visible creatures only man is 'able to know and love his creator.'"

Knowing God, then, is not just an option — it is our highest calling, our very dignity as human beings.

Poem

Before the stars began to shine,
You called me, Lord, and made me Thine.
Before the earth had drawn its breath,
You loved me more than life or death.

You knew my soul, my rise, my fall,
You numbered every tear and call.
How small my love, how weak my part,
Yet still You search and seek my heart.

So let me know You, Lord, this day,
Not from afar, but close — I pray.
To walk with You, to seek Your face,
And rest forever in Your grace.

Reflection / Application
Knowing that God has known us from eternity should give us both confidence and responsibility. Confidence, because our lives are not accidents. Each one of us is willed into existence by a loving Creator. Responsibility, because we are called to respond to this love by seeking to know Him more.

Here are some practical steps to grow in knowledge of God:
Daily Prayer: Begin each day by speaking to God. It can be as simple as offering your day to Him, asking for guidance, or thanking Him for His blessings.

Lectio Divina: Read Scripture slowly, prayerfully, and personally. Let the Word of God shape your heart.

Sacraments: In the Eucharist, we encounter Jesus truly present. In Reconciliation, we come to know His mercy intimately.

Silence: In a world full of noise, silence is where we hear God most clearly. Spend a few minutes each day in quiet before Him.

Service: We know God more deeply when we love our neighbour, for Christ Himself is hidden in the poor, the lonely, and the suffering.

We cannot expect to know God perfectly in this life, but every small step brings us closer to Him. Just as two friends grow in intimacy by spending time together, so too will we grow in knowledge of God by walking daily with Him.

Saint Teresa of Ávila once said: "We shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavouring to know God; for, beholding His greatness, we realise our own littleness." To know God is not only to know Him, but to discover who we are in His light.


Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, beloved Mother of God and our loving Mother, we come before thee with humble hearts, reflecting upon the wonderful truth that God knew us before time itself. Before the stars were set in the heavens, before the mountains were formed, before a single day of our lives had begun, we were already known and loved by our Creator.

Mary, thou who knew Jesus more intimately than any other human person, help us to grow in our knowledge and love of God. Teach us not to be content with merely knowing about Him, but to seek a deeper relationship with Him through prayer, the Scriptures, the sacraments, and the ordinary moments of daily life.

Our Lady of Lourdes, intercede for us in our daily lives. When we become distracted by the worries of the world, lead us back to thy Son. When we become lukewarm in faith, rekindle within us a desire to know God more deeply. When prayer feels difficult, help us to persevere. When we are tempted to rely solely on our own understanding, remind us to trust in God's wisdom and providence.

Help us to recognise the countless ways God reveals His love to us each day – in the beauty of creation, in the kindness of others, in the Holy Eucharist, in moments of silence, and in the gentle promptings of grace. Open our eyes to His presence and our hearts to His call.

Mother of Lourdes, guide us to spend time with thy Son each day. Help us to listen when He speaks through His Word, to encounter Him in the sacraments, and to recognise Him in those around us. May we never stop seeking to know Him better, love Him more faithfully, and serve Him more generously.

We entrust to thy care all who read this blog post and all who are searching for a deeper relationship with God. Obtain for us the grace to grow closer to Him each day, so that when our earthly journey is complete, we may rejoice forever in His presence.

Our Lady of Lourdes, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comforter of the Afflicted, and Mother of Divine Grace, pray for us and intercede for us in all the circumstances of our daily lives.

Amen.

Closing Prayer
Eternal Father,
From before time began You knew me.
You formed me, loved me, and called me to be Yours.

Teach me to know You more deeply,
to love You more faithfully,
and to follow You more wholeheartedly.

Lord Jesus, open my heart to Your Word,
strengthen me through Your Sacraments,
and guide me by Your Spirit each day.

May my life become a hymn of praise to You,
and may I never tire of seeking Your face.
For You alone are my beginning and my end,
my Creator, my Redeemer, my Friend.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 


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