There is a saying that goes, "It is not what you do but who you know." Growing up in Nigeria, I experienced this first-hand. I remember searching for a job after completing my secondary education, because university was simply beyond what my family could afford. I would carefully fill out applications, sit through tests and interviews, and walk away feeling that I had done well, only to find out that someone far less qualified had been given the position. It did not take long to understand why. Somewhere behind the scenes, a conversation had taken place. A name had been dropped. A favour had been called in.

I watched this play out in other areas of life as well. University admissions, hospital appointments, government documents, contracts, opportunities of every kind. The unspoken first question was rarely "Are you qualified?" It was almost always, "Who do you know that can open this door for you?"

It all seemed deeply unfair. But as I grew older and my world widened, I discovered that this was not a uniquely Nigerian problem. It is a human one. Across the world, there are exclusive clubs, professional societies, and inner circles where what matters most is not your CV, your talent, or even your wealth. It is your connections. The right relationship opens doors that nothing else can. This reality set me thinking about a far greater truth.

There is One who holds ultimate authority over the fate of all mankind. Scripture tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). This is not a connection based on who your family is, how much you earn, or what school you attended. It is a connection offered freely to anyone who will receive it.

Now, human connections vary enormously in their usefulness. We all know people who can help us in certain areas but are powerless in others. A contact in the banking sector may be of no help when you need a medical referral. A friend in government may have no sway in a corporate boardroom. Even the most well-connected person you know has limits to their reach and their influence. There are doors they cannot open, decisions they cannot overturn, and seasons they cannot change.

But God is not like that. His influence cuts across every domain. His authority knows no boundary. The prophet Isaiah captured this perfectly when he declared, "He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy... He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing" (Isaiah 40:22-23). When you know God, you have a connection that reaches into every room, every boardroom, every courtroom, and every situation that concerns you.

It is worth pausing here, because there is a difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing them. Many people know about God. They know the right words and have heard the right sermons. But Jesus himself drew a sharp distinction when He said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 7:21). The connection He is speaking of is not a casual, surface-level familiarity. It is a living, growing, personal knowledge.

The Apostle Paul, a man who had every reason to boast in human credentials, counted them all as worthless compared to "the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8). He was not speaking of knowing facts about Jesus. He was speaking of a relationship so real and so transformative that it shaped every part of his life.

The more I have come to know God, not just know of Him, the more I have discovered how vast His influence truly is. I personally have seen Him intervene in situations I have faced, where every human door had been shut. I have experienced Him overriding the decisions of people in positions of authority who had firmly said no to me, only for that decision to be reversed by someone placed higher. I have watched Him make a way where there was genuinely no way, just as He parted the Red Sea for a nation with nowhere to turn and an army at their backs (Exodus 14:21-22).

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this connection is how accessible it is. With human connections, access is often the problem. The person who could help you is unreachable, too busy, or simply uninterested in your situation. But Jesus extended an open invitation without condition or qualification when He said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). He is not difficult to approach. He is not available only to the well-connected or the well-behaved. He calls all who are weary. All who are burdened. All who have run out of options and connections and strength.

The writer of Hebrews adds this encouragement: "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). You do not need a referral. You do not need someone to make a call on your behalf. The throne of grace is already open to you.

I do not know what situation you are facing today. Perhaps you have been told no by people who had the power to say yes. Perhaps you are at the end of your resources and your connections, and you are asking yourself quietly, "Who do I know that can help me with this?"

May I introduce you to Jesus? Not as a last resort, but as the One who was always the best connection you could ever have. He knows you by name. He sees your situation in full. And unlike every human connection that has ever disappointed you, He has both the power and the love to do something about it. Knowing the right person truly does change everything. And there is no one better to know.