Can we think we know God because we read scripture and we listen to pastors and we read books about Him, absolutely. Do we know Him? Probably not as well as we should. We could talk all day long about God's attributes and His mannerisms towards His people. We could quote, surmise, extrapolate and explore all day long but when it comes right down to it, it's only going to skim the tiniest layers of who He is.
It's like someone trying to figure out someone else by only observing them from a distance through binoculars. You can see where they go, what they do and how they act and you could interview people that came in contact with them but without one on one time, you can only speculate what they are like.
For me, that's not enough. I want to know all three, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit intimately. I'm not satisfied by a "Cliffs Notes" or "God for Dummies" relationship. I've gone over this before but it bears repeating, my favorite book in the Bible has to be Esther. It's such a wonderfully laid out story of how God and Christ choose a bride. Like Esther, I'm not interested in being in the King's court amongst the many but I want to be invited into the King's chamber to stay and be placed with Christ at His right hand. I can't be satisfied with just a quick visit, I want to stay in His presence forever.
What does it take? For me so far, it has taken nearly twenty years of seeking, humbling myself, sacrifice and perseverance through every tough part. It's not been easy thus far. I look at those who preach and have a particularly close relationship with Him and I wonder why my relationship doesn't look the same. I'm coming to slowly realize that every relationship with Him is different. That's the beauty of it.
With people, each couple has a different experience than every other couple. They differ by personality, experiences and interactions. Because there are so many variables, two couples cannot have the exact same relationship. How then do we expect to have the same relationship with God as someone else has. It shouldn't be expected.
Yet, don't we get a bit jealous of how someone else talks about God sometimes? Don't we immediately say to ourselves, I wish I could hear Him like that person does or I wish I could feel His presence like they do.
Have you ever seen the movie Roxanne with Steve Martin. If not, it's a movie about one guy who has all the looks and no social skills, wanting to get to know a beautiful girl. He uses another guy who is sophisticated and charming to write letters to her and coach him. However, the handsome man loses the girl to the other guy because she fell in love with who he was in the letters. In other words, we cannot pursue God by imitating someone else's words or actions. We cannot look the part of another and say well if it worked for them it should work for me.
Knowing Him intimately takes more than observing or copying others. Just because you see a person in church raise their hands up doesn't mean you have to. Just because I say I get up in the middle of the night for one on one time doesn't mean you have to. It takes time to know God as He reveals His true self to you.
We cannot say we know Him until He reveals Himself to us. We cannot build our understanding of Him through long range observations.
Being familiar with Him on the surface doesn't get us true knowledge and understanding of Him. We must pursue Him where He is instead of where we've seen Him work in others or through His book. We must be invited by the King into His chambers.
To God be the Glory!
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