10 Days of Encountering Jesus Everywhereনমুনা

Day 1: Knowing God

There’s a difference between knowing about God and knowing God. As someone raised in church, I’ve known about God for as long as I can remember. I’ve even known about Him well enough to use a series of actions I anticipated would bring Him to a reaction in my favor. I’m certainly not proud of that, and looking back at those times, I see self-centeredness—my will for my life, not His.

While using what I knew about God to get my way, I saw my prayers not being answered. I heard crickets from the Holy Spirit and often felt like I was at a spiritual dead end. Although I was saying and doing all the right things, my heart wasn’t centered on His will for my life. I believed I knew what I needed, and all He had to do was acquiesce! Getting nowhere in that logic, I looked to the source: God’s Word. There must be something I’m not doing right, I thought. As I read His Word and prayed, “Lord, what do You want from me?” the still small voice of His Holy Spirit whispered in reply, “A relationship.” I might have jumped from my seat!

When we as disciples of Christ transition from performing actions we know God is pleased with to knowing God for ourselves, our wills, wants, desires, requests, and disciplines turn upside down. Our minds are renewed from a personal encounter with who God is. Coming to know who God is for ourselves allows us to clearly see His heart and trust His better will. Romans 12:7 instructs us to “be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (ESV).

My grandfather, Dr. Tony Evans, preached once that we are to look to the Word of God searchingly. Just as a brass mirror must be moved, contorted, and stared at in order for a person to see their reflection, we also must study the Word of God with this kind of attentiveness in order to see ourselves in His Word. In seeking God and finding Him, He reveals us to ourselves with conviction and clarity. Any worldly and selfish imperfection is brought to light, and as we submit ourselves to Christ, He washes it away.

Revelation 2:3-4 says, “I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (ESV). God wants a relationship with us, one in which we seek Him, find Him, and are changed because of it. When you seek and find the Father, your life will never be the same (Matthew 22:37; Jeremiah 29:13).

Reflect

In your prayer life and in your quiet times with the Father, do you delight yourself in who He is? Or are you simply laying out a list of requests made up of your plans for your life, without a relationship with Him? Have you abandoned the love you had at first when you found your salvation in the Father? Or are you allowing Him to continuously renew your mind as you open your heart for His refinement?

Pray with Me

My ultimate desire is to know You and not just know about You, Father. You are the author and creator, and I desire to know who You are and experience You fully. Open my eyes so I can see You clearly as I seek You with all of my heart.