the pursuit of god
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death... (3:7-16 New King James Version).
Is it possible to assume you know someone only to find out you never really knew the person? In this age of technology and social networking, many believe they have made a friend by just clicking the "like" button or accepting a friend invitation based on what is put in cyberspace space. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.
Anyone can be anything from a distance but the closer you come, the clearer you see. In the story of the unfaithful servant, (Matthew 25:14-30, the servant actually said to the Master, I know you.... However the master's response was, "if you knew me you would have. . .”, proving the point that he had a distorted view of the master. Though he was serving, his heart was far from his master's heart. Knowing someone intimately requires a blending or the meeting of the hearts and minds.
No wonder David said, As the deer pants for the water brooks, my soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1-2). This implies a journey which starts with a desire and ends in His presence. It a journey we must take if we really want to know him. And know him we must, for it is those who know their God that can do exploits (or any thing of value for that matter).
Knowing God comes in different levels. What do I mean?
For instance, the Apostle Paul's heart cry, from our key verse, was to know God. Does it mean that at the point of that statement he did not know God? Oh no, he only wanted a deeper revelation of God. He desired an intimate relationship with God. This is because the closer you you come to Him, the more you realize the journey is just beginning and the more you desire to know Him.
Valuable treasures always require great effort to obtain. God is a hiding God, and wants us to seek Him. He said if you seek me, you will find me. So if one is satisfied with just a cursory knowledge of God, then there is no need to pursue God. But if you want all of Him, then you will dig deeper and climb higher and run faster and farther in pursuit of Him. This journey will certainly require the death of self and personal goals and aspirations if you want to reach the end.
The journey of a thousand miles is said to start with one step. The first step is a desire to know Him through his Word.
Why not take that step today and determine to go on a 'God hunt' to get more of Him. It promises to be a real adventure! And I can assure you will never remain the same again.
God bless you.
Is it possible to assume you know someone only to find out you never really knew the person? In this age of technology and social networking, many believe they have made a friend by just clicking the "like" button or accepting a friend invitation based on what is put in cyberspace space. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.
Anyone can be anything from a distance but the closer you come, the clearer you see. In the story of the unfaithful servant, (Matthew 25:14-30, the servant actually said to the Master, I know you.... However the master's response was, "if you knew me you would have. . .”, proving the point that he had a distorted view of the master. Though he was serving, his heart was far from his master's heart. Knowing someone intimately requires a blending or the meeting of the hearts and minds.
No wonder David said, As the deer pants for the water brooks, my soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1-2). This implies a journey which starts with a desire and ends in His presence. It a journey we must take if we really want to know him. And know him we must, for it is those who know their God that can do exploits (or any thing of value for that matter).
Knowing God comes in different levels. What do I mean?
For instance, the Apostle Paul's heart cry, from our key verse, was to know God. Does it mean that at the point of that statement he did not know God? Oh no, he only wanted a deeper revelation of God. He desired an intimate relationship with God. This is because the closer you you come to Him, the more you realize the journey is just beginning and the more you desire to know Him.
Valuable treasures always require great effort to obtain. God is a hiding God, and wants us to seek Him. He said if you seek me, you will find me. So if one is satisfied with just a cursory knowledge of God, then there is no need to pursue God. But if you want all of Him, then you will dig deeper and climb higher and run faster and farther in pursuit of Him. This journey will certainly require the death of self and personal goals and aspirations if you want to reach the end.
The journey of a thousand miles is said to start with one step. The first step is a desire to know Him through his Word.
Why not take that step today and determine to go on a 'God hunt' to get more of Him. It promises to be a real adventure! And I can assure you will never remain the same again.
God bless you.
