I do agree that we have to develop that so important personal relationship, or all the reading in the world will just be fruitless. You might even be getting Daily Bible Verses sent to your Email. Those who know God show great boldness for God. God's love for you is far greater than any earthly love you have … (Romans 11:33; 16:27) Being God Almighty, he has the power to do whatever he wants in order to accomplish his purposes. The Bible reveals God. 3:14-21 sometimes…. And then also Mary Magdelene, Lazarus, Martha and the other women disciples, the shepherds…one can go on and on! I asked Steve how he could have a relationship with God if he didn’t care what he knew about God. “I and the Father are one.” 6 Jesus said he could answer prayer, forgive sin, judge the world, give us … Would you like to read this article in %%? This is week 1 in reading J.I. Why Join a 40 Day Fast? I couldn’t agree with you more here Lisa. So “he did not leave himself without witness in that he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful  seasons, filling your hearts to the full with food and good cheer.” (Acts 14:17) In Africa and Asia, many worship their ancestors because of having received life from them. His love for you is unimaginable. For this reason, getting to know Jesus is extremely important because He reveals to us the character of God! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" That doesn’t come overnight, but is proof of your devotion to him over the long haul. How do you get to know a fellow human? Lavish love and care, and hold him until the tremors stop. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (John 17:3). This question gives me the mental image of the amoeba staring back up the microscope into the eye of the scientist. As we seek to know God, we learn that the fear of God is only the beginning of understanding. If the advice comes from a source you trust, you would be more inclined to follow it, whether you derive immediate benefits from it or not. But God’s personal name is used some 7,000 times in the Bible. The opposite of knowing God is not ignorance or a lack of knowledge, but is Rebellion. Yes, I want to feel him near me, that is the main thing. Knowing God If I were to ask a group of people what’s the greatest thing in life, I would probably get as many answers as there were people. Ceil. Why, you may even come to be considered his “friend”!—Isaiah 41:8. It is through reading His Word that we come to a knowledge of the righteousness of God and that which He requires of us. And loving God more, leads to loving others more, too. It’s something He’s dying to have…and it’s exactly what He did. To understand why this is so, we must go back to the beginning. 2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: Psalms 119:105 - NUN. An infinite-personal God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1) and a … What reasons do you have to praise Jehovah? I’d rather not see it as some kind of deficit on my part/church… I think we are all ‘ignorant’ of God in many ways, no matter how much we pray or study Him. You have probably noticed that I often talk about God. 2. Fellowship with other believers also encourages us in our walk with God. God asks us to seek Him. Jesus prayed (John 17:3), “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” If you have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, you have come to know God. But far too often my to-do list overwhelms my mind and I forgo sitting for striving. Thanks for sharing this. You see, when we get to know God—really know Him—it fills us with hope and confidence because we realize He’s greater than any situation we will ever encounter. Hi Lisa! And Gods invitation to you to enjoy intimate fellowship with him is that thing that is putting your faith to the test more than anything else (James 1:24). I prefer to think of continued studying God as a constant search to know His deeper and deeper. Man is able to know the true and living God through His Word, that is, the Bible. Packer immediately confronts us—and rightly so—with why do we want to study God? Jehovah is the “Hearer of prayer.” (Psalm 65:2) He can “do more than superabundantly beyond all the things we ask or conceive.” (Ephesians 3:20) Yet, what would you think of a “friend” who comes to you only when he wants a favor from you? God also lets us get to know Him and His way of thinking through loving correction, or “chastening.” It’s written that the Lord chastens those whom He loves. Getting to Know God, Publication download options To know him was to know God; to love him was to love God. 4. (Preaching to self.). Persistence and perseverance on our way is a good thing. I enjoyed the truths you highlighted. The Scriptures are the church's book. But of course intimacy is not spatial but relational. So, in order to truly know God, we must first receive Him into our lives. Get to Know God Through Reading the Word . It easier to get to know someone when they do not draw away every time I fail or get ugly. I’ve always run to Phil.3 where Paul says, “I want to know Him…” Not know about Him. We learn more about God through the preaching of God’s Word and the godly counsel of those who walk with Him. You will find your life’s fulfillment when you come to know … Jesus redeems God. It’s not too late to grab a copy of Knowing God and read along with us. It reveals that “God is love.” (1 John 4:16; Exodus 34:6, 7) As you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, you will find numerous accounts showing that he is indeed a loving God. He went on to say that it doesn’t matter what you know about God as long as you have a relationship with Him. 3. (Acts 8:26-35) Doing so, you will see that he is also a God of justice, who will not permit wickedness forever. “Seek the Savior’s company.” THAT’S how I want to know God more. In fact, it is the united testimony of the New Testament that no one can know God the Father except through the person of Jesus Christ. If you are really to benefit from the practical counsel found in the Bible, you must become acquainted with its Author. In chapter 2, “The People who Know Their God,” Packer summarizes these four benefits of knowing God: One way is, of course, through the Bible. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Lisa, And sometimes it’s suddenly gone. A Satisfying Life—How to Attain It, Audio download options We get to know God by listening to sound instruction from biblical teachers. Why are God’s name and its meaning significant? We are on the eve of Lent at the time of this writing. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. I love it that I can call God my best friend because He does know all about me and still wants to be with me. You would probably not think too highly of him. Study the Bible carefully with the help of those who are familiar with its contents. But suffice it to say, The Poem of the Man-God is a most extraordinary work. In Hebrew his name is in a grammatical form that denotes an action in the process of being accomplished. Jesus that is. Blessings, That, and the fact He’s our Judge and Savior, both at the same time. Today we discuss chapter 1, “The Study of God,” and chapter 2, “The People Who Know Their God.”. Sitting at His feet and seeking His company. The Bible reveals God's character and His plan for mankind. ( Acts 8:26-35 ) Doing so, you will see that he is also a God of justice, who will not permit wickedness forever. Intimacy with God is available to you. As we grow in our knowledge of God, we experience the amazing Love of God reflected through His Son, Jesus Christ. The more I talk with people the more I hear that their deepest desire is to know God more. Why not make it a habit to read God’s Word daily in order to get to know your Creator? I’m starting to feel him near me when I am with my wife. Your email address will not be published. If I hadn’t known who lived behind this door, I never would have knocked (not that I fit into any of the categories, mind you). WHEN you are seeking counsel, do you not go to someone who is trustworthy? To know God is simply the deep, inner feeling of inexplicable oneness with what is; a kind of wholeness and connectedness with life itself, with God. He longs to be found. It’s like a groove or a flow. 5 There is still another way to approach God. But because I did know the man—and knew him to be kind to me—I knew it was safe. Pingback: What’s On Your Nightstand: August 2015 | Stray Thoughts, Your email address will not be published. Why not make it a habit to read God’s Word daily in order to get to know your Creator? We can read about a person all day long in a book, but unless we’ve interacted with them, how much do we really know them? He Died in Our Place “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). TERMS OF USE What an extraordinary grace it is to get to know them! Those who know God have great thoughts of God. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. The Holocaust was God’s will. This book, like Christ himself, is called "The Word of God." You were created to know God in a personal way—to have a relationship with Him, through His Son, Jesus Christ. Should they not feel even more indebted to the Creator and Sustainer of life, the One who created the first couple and gave them procreative ability? Knowing Him is far more important that knowing about Him. Studying in groups is so effective too. Let’s talk in the comments. That name appears nearly 7,000 times in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Bible. The problem is we have lost the tools to get to grips with the book that offers a deep and profound insight into God's character and what he cares about. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12). (Hebrews 12:6) It doesn’t feel good when I hear that voice inside pointing out something that I didn’t do according to God’s will. Reminds me of Acts 4:13–>Now as they (the religious scribes and leaders) observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. It will make us proud and conceited.”. Next week:  |  Knowing God more, leads to loving God more. I always appreciate your book reviews and that quote…yes, to know God in an intimate way requires knowing and experiencing Him in our hearts and sharing all of ourselves with Him as well as seeking Him …the more I know of God, the more I love Him and the more I realize how little I know because He is so big…sorry if this doesn’t make sense…I like to pray Ephes. Today is a great day to Know God more. (Genesis 1:1) He is “the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them.” (Acts 14:15) Jehovah created everything, including the first human couple, Adam and Eve. 5. God Wants You to Know Him. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. But the Bible alone isn’t enough. When you get right down to it, there is nothing more important than our relationship with God—getting to know Him on a deep, personal level. His spirit assures me of His constant abiding in me. What are some of Jehovah’s predominant qualities? Required fields are marked *. Through Him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. And yet there is another sense in which we need to know God … No, I am not afraid of Jesus Christ, I know he loves me just as i am no matter what i may be doing, wrong or right, he still loves me and we build on that together. These words that all come out of the Hebrew word “yada” all hold important keys to getting to know God the way that He wants us to know Him. Chapter 3, “Knowing and Being Known” He is a living God, not an impersonal force! To be blunt, it's very hard to get to know God without getting to know the Bible. The you’ll know God, because He wants our love, which really costs us so little, in the most desperate way possible. It is as accessible to you as Gods promises. Copyright © 2021 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. And of course his devotion to you over a lifetime. Then we can “turn each truth that we learn ABOUT God into matter for meditation BEFORE God, leading to prayer and praise TO God.”. Strength of purpose to live a life of love. The divine name is understood to mean “He Causes to Become,” implying that Jehovah causes himself to become whatever he needs to be in order to accomplish his purposes or causes to happen with regard to his creation whatever is needed to accomplish his purpose. Study the Bible carefully with the help of those who are familiar with its contents. Does the God of the Bible have a name? So, if you truly want to know your Creator, search for Him. I also loved that sentence…seek the Savior’s company. 3 Jehovah became the Creator. Certainly many things contribute to a full and happy life, but I hope all believers would agree that knowing God … A group is gathering at Tim Challies’ blog for the next several Thursdays. Are we afraid of him because of what we don’t know. Since I’ve been working at this, I feel Jesus near me when I pray, especially at bedtime, and when I read the Bible. That’s the kind of strength I want. In chapter 2, “The People who Know Their God,” Packer summarizes these four benefits of knowing God: Those who know God have great energy for God. “All very fine—yet interest in theology, and knowledge about God, and the capacity to think clearly and talk well on Christian themes, is not at all the same thing as knowing Him.”, How we treat our families at home, or how we talk about our friends when they’re not around, or how we talk to God (or not) in private is often more revealing about our relationship with God than how many Bible verses we can quote. We all know what its like to be sitting right next to a person with whom we feel distant and we can feel close to a person who is four thousand miles awa… Instead, more knowledge about God is meant to turn into more knowledge of God (i.e., knowing God). Please, Don’t wait – Discover Getting to know God today! This is my first time reading through Knowing God and I’m loving it! This is the second time this week I’ve seen this book mentioned … maybe it’s a sign! God created us on this earth because He wants a family relationship with us. He created us to give us the awesome opportunity to become His own children. He declared: “I am Jehovah. We all have friends (or ourselves) who are overflowing with Bible facts and lofty academic explanations of theological doctrines. Of course, I want to be a student of His word but the main thing is building relationship, not being a fact-collector. I hope you continually enjoy exploring JollyNotes.com. That’s what I want…for others to know that I have been with Jesus. Do any of those strategies work with getting to know God? That is my name; and to no one else shall I give my own glory, neither my praise to graven images.” (Isaiah 42:8) “Jehovah,” which is written יהוה (read from right to left) in the Hebrew language, is his name. God promises us that if you seek Him, you will find Him. Make your heart and your home a place of safety. Do you fast during Lent? PRIVACY POLICY, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/1102000126/univ/art/1102000126_univ_sqr_xl.jpg, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/la/E/wpub/la_E_lg.jpg, Share A Satisfying Life—How to Attain It, Share Driven by our hunger for the life that is in God, we seek Him. We also get to know Him when we talk about Him with others. Packer suggests thus we recognize our lack of knowledge of God and ask the Lord to show us more. A Satisfying Life—How to Attain It. Packer’s classic book, Knowing God. And then, there is our Blessed Mother and St Joseph! 2 If you wish to befriend someone, you would no doubt want to know his name. Accordingly, you would no doubt want to use the privilege of prayer not only to ask God for what you need but also to thank and praise him.—Philippians 4:6, 7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18. 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