1 John 4:8, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
How well do you know the story of the life of the people you encounter most? Do you really know the stories of the people you work with or your classmates, or your neighbors? Our lives are made better when we know the stories of the people in our lives.
It truly is a difference in knowing someone and really knowing someone. Pick a celebrity and I could tell you all sorts of facts about them, but I probably couldn't tell you their favorite food or color. I couldn't tell you what makes them the happiest or their deepest fears. I can know this celebrity, but I don't have that one-on-one relationship to tell you I truly know them.
Now if you ask me about my husband or children, I could tell you basic facts, but I can also tell you what makes them tick, what brings laughter to their hearts and what makes them cry. I can tell you what they are thinking when they furrow the brow or have upturned lips in a smile.
You can know just about anybody by asking questions and memorizing facts, so you know them like your parent’s phone number. But to really know someone you need to spend time with them building that relationship. To know someone enough to know when they're bubbling over with excitement or shining brightly over accomplishments you know they've been working on. It's seeing their flaws. The surface ones, the silly ones, the painful ones, the permanent ones and respecting, loving and accepting them. What makes them irreplaceable, weird, and insightful. It's knowing which experiences have helped mold them into the people they are. What has smoothed their edges or toughened their skin.
To truly know someone is not just about facts obtained somewhere, and it is not a one-way street. It's a process and it takes time and purposeful effort to put oneself aside and really learn about someone else. Knowing someone is loving them at their worst and at their best.
So, I ask you. Do you truly know God? Not just the facts you've been raised with but truly know Him and have a relationship with Him? No, we will never fully know God but there are five ways we can get to know Him more and begin that loving relationship.
know God through His Wonders- Psalm 19:1
- I have said it before. All we need to do is step out in nature and we can see God. Look around you, you can see God in everything working in nature. Look at yourself and you can see God and how He created your body to work as a whole. Job 12:7 says, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.”
Know God through His Word- Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10-12
- The new covenant with God is all about knowing Him. God has put His law in our minds and hearts. Knowing God’s Word helps Christ live in us by bringing hope and glory.
John 5:39, “You carefully study the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. They do in fact tell about me.” The Bible is a love letter from God. We get to know God and His character and who He is when we know His word. The Bible is the essence of God’s heart. How much time do you spend in the scriptures? Luke 24:27, John 3:6
Know God through His Ways- The book of Esther, Genesis 25 and Joseph
- When you're in the middle of something you tend to ask why. Why is this happening, why me? It's usually not until you're through it that you can see God's providence through the entire time. Like Esther and Joseph, once things were done, they could see God's hand working in the background the entire time. Romans 8:28, “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan.”
Know God through His Witness- 2 Corinthians 4:6
- We can know God by sharing God with others. Jesus even says, don't shower Me with love, show Me to others and you will get to know Me.
I myself have learned more about God in my ministry of writing as I share Him to others.
When you say, ‘Here I am Lord, send me’, you are opening yourself to know God. When you share God, you are allowing Him to work through you to reach others and when He is working through you, you are getting to know Him. 1 John 4:20 tells us that our mission is to know God and make Him known. “If people say, “I love God,” but hate their brothers or sisters, they are liars. Those who do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have never seen.”
Know God through Worship- Ephesians 3:17
- Spending time in church is important. It is during those times we get to know God when talking about Him, praising Him, singing about His love. At church we can adore Him and learn of Him. Let's also remember we can know God during our private worship too. Steps to Christ page 98 tells us, “Pray in your closet as you go about your daily labor. Let your heart be lifted up to God… Satan cannot overcome him whose heart is thus stayed upon God.” Live in an attitude of worship with God and be safe.
When asked, do you know God is your Savior, we of course, say we do. Yet in your quiet times ask yourself, ‘do I really know Him?’
Do you walk and talk with Him? Do you run into situations and say, ‘Lord, I know what you want me to do?’ Do you face trials and know God is in control and trust, hands down, He will get you through? Do you really know God's character?
The Lord wants a relationship with you, and He loves you flaws and all. He knows your heart, your character, what makes you tick. He longs for you to know Him and wants the same relationship with Him that He has with you.
Beyond the facts we all know, do you truly know God and cry out glory to Him as all creation does? Do you know your Savior?
1 Peter 2:2-3 and 2 Peter 3:18, “As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure and simple teaching. By it you can mature in your salvation, 3 because you have already examined and seen how good the Lord is… 3:18, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him now and forever! Amen.”
Do you know God, or do you just know about Him? What does that mean? We get caught up in reading or hearing about God from others, and just know about Him. We sometimes never get to the purpose of Bible study, to engage in relationship with God, to know God personally. To engage in relationship with God, you must get to know Him. The advantage we have in developing our relationship with God is that He tells us about Himself in Scripture. Study God’s Word, engage in prayer and listen for His response by keeping your eyes open to see Him reveal Himself by what He does and says in His Word. Lastly, walk with Him. Daily. Trust Him in all circumstances, live according to His Word. Surrender to Him, choosing to allow our own personal will to be swallowed up in His. This is the key to knowing God deeply. Let's continue our study today with 2 Corinthians chapter 10.
Study 10, 2 Corinthians chapter 10- https://www.docdroid.net/NHswg3L/study-10-docx
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