Good day
As we enter the new year I'm sure there are some that will have new year's resolutions or goals for 2023. Whatever these may be, I'd like to encourage us to add our relationship with God to that list.
Many things in life go through stages of development (for example, seedlings grow into plants and babies grow into adults) and even though it takes time and doesn't just happen overnight, the point I want to make here is that this process doesn't remain stagnant or passive but rather that it evolves, it develops, it grows from one point to the next. In the same way, the progress of our personal relationship with God may take time, but the important part is that it doesn't remain stagnant - it's meant to grow and develop - and we should continually seek to pursue Him and grow in our intimacy with Him.
In the below Psalm, we see David describing his desire to be with God and how he lies awake thinking about Him.
Psalm 63:1-8
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!
I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
In Philippians 3:7-8, we find Paul making the following declaration about his desire to know God, "I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ."
In James 2:23, it says that Abraham was called a friend of God.
The above passages indicate a level of intimacy in their relationship with God. In today's terms, one could say that their personal relationship went from frequent church attendance, knowing some Christians, reading a few devotions from time to time (like these), from theory (where someone knows about God based on what others have said, maybe they have an understanding of the Bible - enough to have a discussion about Him - but in reality, they don't really desire or have any interest in pursuing more with God) - to a place where they realise that knowing "about" God isn't enough for them. They want to know Him, not just know about Him.
In the below passages, we see examples of God's love for Jesus; Jesus' knowledge of that love and that we would know that same love as well:
Matthew 3:17
And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
John 5:20
For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
John 17:22-26
And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
The above example is the best one because it moves way beyond just knowing about God. There's a major difference between knowing about someone (like reading up about someone and gaining an understanding of what they're about, etc.) and then knowing that someone loves you!
It now moves from gaining an understanding about someone to experiencing that someone. This level of intimacy (love) is more than "knowing about someone" - This love is real! You can experience it!
John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
The Greek word for "know" in the above passage means "to come to know, recognize, perceive, to become acquainted with, to know through personal experience". This means our relationship with God should develop into intimate, experiential knowledge, not just theoretical knowledge or knowing about God. We come to know Him as Sovereign Ruler, Lord, Saviour, Father, Friend. We would never know this mixture of admirable qualities and authority without getting close to Him.
The fruit of this intimacy includes love, reverence, obedience, honor, gratitude, and deep affection. They compel us to yield to Him while we strive to obey and glorify Him; to love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, which is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:35-38)
My desire for 2023 is to know God in this manner in a deeper and more intimate way and my prayer is that this will become a reality for you as well.
Amen
Happy new year my friend