When we want to take a step toward knowing God more personally but don’t know where to start, here’s an idea to help us on our way.
If you and I were just getting to know each other, what would you most want me to know about you? You might start with little “factoids” like where you were born and grew up, your family and what you do for a living. You might tell me that you love eating chocolate but hate gummy bears (same!), that you play tennis and find gardening boring. But for you to feel known, like, really known in a way that felt personal, you would need to tell me about to what really makes you tick … What motivates you to do what you do? What do you value most about your spouse or children? What do you dream of for the future? You would eventually share about what makes you feel true joy, sorrow, grief, or hope. Feeling personally known (and loved) requires much more than a person understanding the facts of your life with dates and maps of your moves you’ve made or changes in your profession. It’s what is going on in the deepest parts of you–why you love what you love, why you do what you do, what is most on your mind when you are alone–these are the deep things that are the foundation of who you are.
Studying the Scripture is the foundation of knowing God more intimately, for sure. Growing up in church, I memorized verses and recited the books of the Bible in order, was a true contender in “Sword Drills” where you try to be the fastest to find a given scripture, and was useless in Bible trivia games (I mean, what 12-year-old cares to remember “random” dates and details? Not me!). These experiences all had value and I am grateful for the training. Without question, knowing and studying the Bible is incredibly important.
And … it is tempting to diligently learn “factoids” about God and never realize that He is constantly inviting us to go deeper, into personal conversations with Him about what He loves and why, what He dreams about, and what moves His heart. The Scriptures display the depth and width and breadth of God’s love for His creation, including every one of us. When we engage with the Scripture with the intent to engage with God’s heart, we can take a step toward recognizing and experiencing the things that shape Who He is. His desire has always been that we have a mutual relationship of being fully known and fully loved, where we seek to know and love Him more deeply and, in the process, experience His love for us in deeper measure.
Today, take a first step … when you read a passage of Scripture, ask God questions about His heart, intentions, motives, desires, and dreams, and lingering a little longer in quietness to listen.
For further reflection: Jeremiah 29:13-14; Psalm 25:14; 1 Corinthians 2:9-12
(For ideas and encouragement about connecting with God, download my free eBook here: Listening for God: Seven Days of Noticing His Whispers in Everyday Life!)
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