You might even be getting Daily Bible Verses sent to your Email. From childhood I’ve though of God as the Punisher and I still have a remnant of that feeling. Pingback: What’s On Your Nightstand: August 2015 | Stray Thoughts, Your email address will not be published. Today we discuss chapter 1, “The Study of God,” and chapter 2, “The People Who Know Their God.”. WHEN you are seeking counsel, do you not go to someone who is trustworthy? We Must Receive Christ through Faith “But 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). 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 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? How do you get to know a fellow human? Copyright © 2021 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. (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. 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. So, in order to truly know God, we must first receive Him into our lives. 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). We get to know God by listening to sound instruction from biblical teachers. But God’s personal name is used some 7,000 times in the Bible. (Genesis 17:1) Try to apply the wise counsel that you find in the Bible, and you will appreciate your Creator even more, realizing that his counsel always works to our benefit. God asks us to seek Him. 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. Why are God’s name and its meaning significant? The you’ll know God, because He wants our love, which really costs us so little, in the most desperate way possible. As we grow in our knowledge of God, we experience the amazing Love of God reflected through His Son, Jesus Christ. (Acts 8:26-35) Doing so, you will see that he is also a God of justice, who will not permit wickedness forever. God's love for you is far greater than any earthly love you have … That doesn’t come overnight, but is proof of your devotion to him over the long haul. Why, you may even come to be considered his “friend”!—Isaiah 41:8. This book, like Christ himself, is called "The Word of God." That, and the fact He’s our Judge and Savior, both at the same time. I’ve always run to Phil.3 where Paul says, “I want to know Him…” Not know about Him. In Hebrew his name is in a grammatical form that denotes an action in the process of being accomplished. A Satisfying Life—How to Attain It, Share But suffice it to say, The Poem of the Man-God is a most extraordinary work. I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. 3 Jehovah became the Creator. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. What reasons do you have to praise Jehovah? Next week: What an extraordinary grace it is to get to know them! We are on the eve of Lent at the time of this writing. His spirit assures me of His constant abiding in me. The divine name that appears in the Hebrew text of the book of Isaiah. 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. I also loved that sentence…seek the Savior’s company. Try me and know my thoughts! Studying in groups is so effective too. (Romans 11:33; 16:27) Being God Almighty, he has the power to do whatever he wants in order to accomplish his purposes. But far too often my to-do list overwhelms my mind and I forgo sitting for striving. I couldn’t agree with you more here Lisa. I asked Steve how he could have a relationship with God if he didn’t care what he knew about God. If you want to know God, go find a frightened and hurt stray dog, and bring him home. That’s what I want…for others to know that I have been with Jesus. How can you personally get to know God? (Preaching to self.). Moses had received many communications from God during the events of the Exodus, but he evidently felt that he did not yet know God as a Personality, so he makes a request: Get to Know God Through Reading the Word . To understand why this is so, we must go back to the beginning. A beautiful testimony of relationship, Beverley! We also get to know Him when we talk about Him with others. 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. (Deuteronomy 32:4) Maintaining a balance between love and justice is not easy for man, but in His wisdom, Jehovah keeps them in perfect balance. 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. He declared: “I am Jehovah. Jesus that is. Hi Lisa! You have probably noticed that I often talk about God. The opposite of knowing God is not ignorance or a lack of knowledge, but is Rebellion. 3:14-21 sometimes…. Why Join a 40 Day Fast? What … John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. God created us on this earth because He wants a family relationship with us. Yes, I want to feel him near me, that is the main thing. It tells us that Jehovah has caused and is still causing his purposes to be accomplished. (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. Sitting at His feet and seeking His company. "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). That’s the kind of strength I want. quite a hunger and yearning…. Packer says knowledge for its own sake “is bound to go bad on us. Lisa, And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and … 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… 5 There is still another way to approach God. We learn more about God through the preaching of God’s Word and the godly counsel of those who walk with Him. But the Bible alone isn’t enough. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Thanks for sharing this. Ceil. 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. Getting to Know God, Publication download options We know part of who God is, and that gives us a desire to know even more (1 Corinthians 13:12). The first explicit description of the character of God occurs in a revelation to Moses about 1400 B.C. Through Him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. This is the second time this week I’ve seen this book mentioned … maybe it’s a sign! NEW TESTAMENT. It’s like a groove or a flow. 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? The more I talk with people the more I hear that their deepest desire is to know God more.  |  I’m starting to feel him near me when I am with my wife. God has many titles, including Almighty, Creator, and Lord. Why not make it a habit to read God’s Word daily in order to get to know your Creator? Your email address will not be published. As we seek to know God, we learn that the fear of God is only the beginning of understanding. 2. But because I did know the man—and knew him to be kind to me—I knew it was safe. We can learn a lot from each other! Let’s talk in the comments. It is through reading His Word that we come to a knowledge of the righteousness of God and that which He requires of us. TERMS OF USE He created us to give us the awesome opportunity to become His own children. Today is a great day to Know God more. 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). Meditating on that fact may move you to exclaim: “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”—Revelation 4:11. And then also Mary Magdelene, Lazarus, Martha and the other women disciples, the shepherds…one can go on and on! This question gives me the mental image of the amoeba staring back up the microscope into the eye of the scientist. Study the Bible carefully with the help of those who are familiar with its contents. Of course, I want to be a student of His word but the main thing is building relationship, not being a fact-collector. 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. 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. Certainly many things contribute to a full and happy life, but I hope all believers would agree that knowing God … In the Foreword he writes: “Ignorance of God—ignorance both of his ways and of the practice of communion with him—lies at the root of much of the church’s weakness today.”. Happy New Year and the Grace & Truth Linkup, What’s On Your Nightstand: August 2015 | Stray Thoughts. 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. 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. 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. The Greek words “oida” and … I do agree that we have to develop that so important personal relationship, or all the reading in the world will just be fruitless. Driven by our hunger for the life that is in God, we seek Him. To know him was to know God; to love him was to love God. Many of the same stood out to me. The Christian life was not meant to be lived alone. 4 Through the pages of the Bible, you can come to know your Creator, Jehovah, and learn what kind of God he is. Packer suggests thus we recognize our lack of knowledge of God and ask the Lord to show us more. I hope you continually enjoy exploring JollyNotes.com. And loving God more, leads to loving others more, too. 3. 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. “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. Packer’s classic book, Knowing God. Those who know God show great boldness for God. ( Acts 8:26-35 ) Doing so, you will see that he is also a God of justice, who will not permit wickedness forever. I loved the first chapter for the admonition to study abut God as a means to getting to know about Him personally rather than just gathering facts. I enjoyed the truths you highlighted. His love for you is unimaginable. And because the Bible is the Word of God— because it reveals who God is—it is one of the most necessary ingredients for having fellowship with God. The Scriptures are the church's book. It’s not too late to grab a copy of Knowing God and read along with us. The Psalmist offers a simple starting point when he writes, "Search me, O God, and know my heart! I love the way Eckhart Tolle puts it: “The word ‘enlightenment’ conjures up the idea of some superhuman accomplishment... it is really just your natural state of felt oneness with Being.” 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. “Seek the Savior’s company.” THAT’S how I want to know God more. God is a living being. 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? Would you like to read this article in %%? To be blunt, it's very hard to get to know God without getting to know the Bible. It easier to get to know someone when they do not draw away every time I fail or get ugly. Why not make it a habit to read God’s Word daily in order to get to know your Creator? And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" Required fields are marked *. 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. 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). 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