Knowing God | Northstar Church

“This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!” – Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Of all the goals for the future, one of most important is knowing God. It is probably safe to say that all of us, at one time or another, have been so busy trying to “do” Christianity that we neglected the “know” part. We give our time, our money, and our resources to God’s work while forgetting the most critical connection with Christ.

No one ever disagrees that knowing God is central to the life of a Christian. We can know about God, but that is quite different from knowing God. What does it mean to know God? The idea of knowing God can seem abstract. It can seem like a pie-in-the-sky concept that most people can never attain. But you can know God. If you don’t know God as well as you like, five years is a sufficient amount of time to get better acquainted with our Savior and Lord.

Knowing God is not about joining a religion, following a set of rules, or even about being a “good person”. Knowing Him is about having your own personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe, discovering just how much He truly loves you, and embarking on the journey of loving Him in return. Too often we see truly knowing God as a chasm seldom crossed. We assume that “encountering or really knowing God” only happens in extreme miraculous or emotional experiences. There is nothing wrong with wanting and seeking those experiences, but we should not overlook the moment-by-moment encounters we have with God’s Spirit every day. Knowing God is more than an acquisition of knowledge or information. Nor is it just a fact finding mission.

Knowing God means encountering Him. Knowing God means communing with Him. It is getting to know Him as a loving Father. Knowing God means there is a relationship. Knowing God is the byproduct of regular, consistent time spent with Him, in His word and in prayer. Knowing Him is when we are no longer content with learning about Him but want to really know Him.

My prayer over the next five years is that each of us make knowing God a priority in our lives.

Discussion Questions:

What does it mean to you to “know” God?
What can we do in the short-term to better know God?