Can We Know God?

Can we as mere mortals, really have knowledge of God?  Back in ancient times the Children of Israel would not even say His name, Yahweh; they felt it an irreverence to be on such friendly terms as to call Him by name.

But Jesus changed all of that when He died on the Cross in our place, and rose from the grave so that we might have life everlasting.  He wants us to know God.  Here is what He told His disciples: “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

With the thought I am writing of today, I am not thinking of finding out what God is like.  My concern  is that we have some knowledge of thinking rightly about God in our personal association.  Jesus says that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father, and we are in Him.  If we are so close to God as being one with Him, we should not be afraid of Him.  In John 17 verses 20 through 26 Jesus is praying for each of us to know we are loved by God.

In I Corinthians 2 it is made clear that we have been given the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself (God) to us.  I like the way verse 10 is written in “The Message” translation: “But you’ve seen and heard it because God by His Spirit has brought it all out into the open for you.”

To get to know God, however, we must spend time with Him.  You don’t get to know someone if you never speak to him or her.  This only comes by being often and long with Him, reading the Word, praying.  By doing this we learn to trust His dealings with us.  Prayer is not coming to God to ask for favors, it is fellowship with Him until He actually has possession of us.  When we actually ‘know’ our God, we will not even ask why, or ask about dark days, or ask for petty material things.  We will just know God will bring all out according to His will.  In John 14:1 Jesus says “Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated).  You believe and adhere to and trust in and rely on God;”

My Prayer:  O Lord, I know of no greater pleasure than to be called Your friend, and to know that I have the Spirit within me to make known to me the things of the Father.  May I be open to the Spirit, eager to learn, ready to receive all there is for me.  With Paul, “I bow my knees”; yea, I even fall on my face before the Father, asking for an anointing of knowledge from the Spirit, and to know the love of Christ as a fire in my soul.  Amen

    “The Christian life is knowing God in a personal love-relationship”