3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4
Do you know God?
Let me ask this seemingly simple question again, but this time consider what the word “know” means. We might know something about the topic of history but not know it enough to teach the subject or know the dates when monumental things took place…we simply know about history but not truly know history. There’s a great divide between knowing about something and truly KNOWING something.
The same thing can be applied to our knowledge of God. Even demons know about God don’t they? Many people in our world know something about God…but how many people truly KNOW God? This passage this morning reminds me that it isn’t enough to simply know something about God but it must become something much, much deeper. My heart, my soul longs for that communion with the One who created me. There is, in all of us, this innate essence to be known. We desire for others to know us. This isn’t some sort of narcissistic notion, but rather this essence inside all of us to be wanted, to be loved, to be known. It speaks of a very intimate kind of knowing.
GOD KNOWS YOU!
God knows you. This is a truth we all must come to terms with in our own spiritual development and formation of our faith. God knows you so intimately. Psalm 139 speaks of this. Before we were even created, God knew us. Before we had conscious thought – God knew us. He knows us better than our parents, spouses and kids know us. He peers into our hearts and knows us for who we are.
For some of us, this notion that God deeply knows us scares us to death. He knows me- He knows you.
DO YOU REALLY KNOW GOD?
If God knows us, and He does, then should the reciprocation of that knowing be evident in our study and worship of Him? He has “called us by His own glory and goodness” (v3)…that should be a relief for us. We didn’t have enough glory and goodness in our total depravity. God knew this lack of glory and goodness was evident within us and so He sends us His Son Jesus so that we might know Him truly! Total and utter redemption can come to us all by knowing Christ!
It is not good enough to know about religion, or about being kind to others or even knowing about God. It is never good enough. We have meditate on His words written for us in His scripture. We have to know Him in our prayer life, in our prayer closets. We have to know Him in our treatment of other people and our love for even our enemies. Every facet of our lives should be consumed with knowing God. This is the pathway of Holiness – knowing God, Surrendering Self, and through the Holy Spirit becoming like Christ.
Do you know God?
-Just a thought for today.
Pastor's Ponderings 