#12 Getting to Know Him

Getting to Know Him
#12 September 20, 2005
Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me." Jeremiah 9:24

I can remember the days when I first met my husband. I can't say that it was love at first sight but there was certainly something about him that was drawing me, intriguing me, and beckoning me to get to know him. I wanted to spend more time with him. I wanted to find out who he was and what he was really like. As we grew closer it became important to me to find out his thoughts, his dreams, what he liked and what he didn't like. Whether we are meeting a future spouse or a future friend, we go through the process of getting to know them in the same way.

I have heard it said that we can never really know God. I don't believe that is true because God says in His word that He wants us to know Him. And His word is the truth! I believe we should go about knowing God in the same way that we get to know people in the natural world.

When we are getting to know someone we spend time with them and so it should be with God. The knowledge of God doesn't just come to us by osmosis the day we are saved. We have to make time with the Lord our number one priority. He should receive the "first fruits" of our day. We shouldn't squeeze Him in between our schedule or come to Him at the end of the day when we are spent and tired. Awake and alert we enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving and He meets us then, for "God inhabits the praises of His people." (Psalm 22:3) He will meet you in the midst of your praise. And through the reading of His word He will reveal Himself to you. Everything that you want to know about Him is there for you...in His word.

He will tell you who He is....the great I Am, El Shaddai (God Almighty), Jehovah Jireh (God is our provider), Jehovah Rophe (God is our healer), Jehovah Raah (our shepherd), Jehovah Nissi (our banner in battle). He will tell you that He is your creator, your father, your friend that sticketh closer than a brother. God will show you that He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He will reveal Himself as the Prince of Peace, Mighty Counselor, Holy One, Lamb of God, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is Love. He is Savior and Messiah. He will show you that He is your soon coming King. And that is just a glimpse of who He is! Do you really want to know God? Then spend time in His word.

We ask people questions when we are getting to know them. What do they like - what do they dislike? What makes them happy or sad? We need to ask those same questions of God. Lord, what do you love - what do you hate? What breaks your heart so that it will break mine too? He wants to tell us, among other things, that He loves the righteous (Psalm 146:8), He loves justice (Psalm 99:4), He loves a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). God even gives us a list of six things that he hates in Proverbs 6: 16-19. It's all there - again - in His word! You don't have to look far to find out who God is. He did not leave us to wonder or grope around in the dark. He left us His written word to search for who He is and He says, "Seek and you will find" (Matthew 7:7). He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Ask Him the questions - He will answer.

Besides finding out who He is, you will also find out what He is like. He will tell you that He is faithful, He is kind and compassionate. He longs to be gracious to you. He is merciful and forgiving. He is patient and full of loving kindness toward you. He protects, He shields you from harm, he answers your prayers, He has a great and glorious plan for your life. Through seeking Him and letting Him show you Himself, you can draw upon truth in the storms of life because you know God! The voice of the enemy of your soul will grow fainter and God's truth will guard your heart, your mind and your emotions. You will not fear - you know God!

A very important part of getting to know someone is listening to them. Besides reading your Bible, there should also be some time to just be quiet and listen. Be truly quiet because the Lord doesn't often come in the whirlwind and the earthquake. He most often comes in a gentle whisper (Read 1 Kings 19: 11-12). This is a time when we don't speak - He does. Through an inner voice, through leading you to a passage of Scripture, through a tender touch of peace that only He can give. Through a clear directive or a strong conviction of your sin.

Last we get to know someone by observing them. Be alert and in tune to God's hand in your life. Don't mistake anything for coincidence or happenstance. See His faithfulness to you when you have needed a miracle. See His healing in sickness. See His peace in the middle of a raging storm. Feel His strength when you were about to give up and He held you up. Don't ever give credit to yourself or other people - know that it was God, walking into your life saying, "I will show you who I am and what I am like and because of what I've shown you, you will be stronger next time because you know me!"

The way that I have it figured, the only way to know God is to spend time with Him and in His word. He loves spending time with you. I believe He gets excited when He sees you coming. He drops everything for you. He is honored when you let Him know that nothing is more important. Paul said in Philippians 3:8, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of KNOWING (emphasis mine) Christ Jesus my Lord." He considered everything else "rubbish".

The Bible says that God knows you. He knows everything about you. He knew your name and your days while you were still in your mother's womb (Read Psalm 139). He knows the number of hairs that are on your head (Matthew 10:30). Now He calls you to know Him. He longs to reveal Himself to you. He is waiting for you whether you have just accepted Christ or whether you have been a Christian for many years. There is always something new to learn, more to know about Him, more secrets to be revealed. No relationship is more important. No task is more pressing. Like Paul, consider everything else rubbish and a loss compared to knowing Christ Jesus, your Lord.

Until next week,

Donna Schultz
Savemom@aol.com