Knowing God - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 3
Knowing God
By Aaron D’Anthony Brown
Bible Reading:
“But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:30-31, CSB)
How well do you know God? Your immediate answer might be something approving, but contemplate the question. I know a young woman, a college student, who grew up in church. Her father was a preacher, and her mother was the church’s librarian. She read plenty and sang plenty. She would have told you she knew God if you had asked her then. Not only that, but her relationship with Him was also seemingly tight. Then time passed. She applied for college and did not get into the music school she wanted. Other things started to happen. Other bad things. Suddenly, she was on a path she never requested. Ever since, the woman who once knew God now often only mentions His name as an exclamation or joke.
Time after time, I’ve witnessed believers much like her who see themselves as having a profoundly deep relationship with God, and then something terrible happens, and that faith vanishes. I’ve noticed this trend even within myself. We claim we know God, but when crap hits the fan, we forget who He is. We stop trusting, praying, and hoping in the one who gives peace. From there, we turn to our vices, idols, and fellow sinners.
While we may like to say we know God well, a more apt answer would not be enough. If we knew God well, why wouldn’t we always trust Him? He’s always good, isn’t He?
Thankfully, there are sure ways to amend this flawed mindset.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Finding intimacy with God means knowing Him when life is great and when it feels terrible. Let’s devise some practical steps to put that idea into practice.
Pray Without Ceasing
Scripture tells us to pray always. If nothing can separate us from God’s love and He always wants a relationship with us, then there is no good reason to stop praying. Prayer is how we communicate, give thanks, make petitions, and, in essence, draw closer to Him. Think about your relationships with other people. When you stop talking to friends regularly, there’s a chance that you will grow apart and, at the very least, you won’t think about them as often. We’re not on this Earth to think about God a little or only when convenient. Knowing God is a full-time activity, and prayer helps establish the routine.
Read Scripture
Taking time to read your Bible will make you wiser and teach you God’s character. From the beginning of the book to the end, we are given insight into what God loves and hates, what He expects us to do, and what He wants us to avoid. What we also discover are truths about what knowing God means. Truths that help us commit to the act and remind us of the benefits.
Remind Yourself
If you’re a believer, then the idea of knowing God will seem appealing at face value, and most of the time, that may be the case. However, one way to prepare for those seasons of adversity is to have a game plan in place. During those times, knowing God won’t seem as appealing. Neither will prayer nor reading the Bible. That’s when we forget how good God is and stray away from our callings. While not good, that’s certainly normal. We’re humans and sinful. Yet, regardless of how or why we forget, the solution is the same. Remember. We can remember the truth by studying God’s Word and committing verses to memory. Write them down. Post them somewhere. Set alerts on your phone. Read the Bible with someone and quiz one another.
The more we consistently know, the less we will forget. Think back to being in school. The information is ingrained when you’re going through the motions of homework and quizzes. When education stops, and you’re no longer putting things into practice, concepts fade. Let’s not allow that to happen in our relationship with God. Instead, let’s strive to know Him daily and throughout every season. We won’t regret that decision.
Further Reading:
Psalm 27:4
Romans 5:8
Jeremiah 29:11
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/AndreyPopov
Get in touch with him at aarondanthony.com and check out his debut short story anthology Honey Dreams on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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Related Resource: 3 Simple Steps to Manage Your Emotions
Are you tired of up-and-down feelings stealing your peace, sabotaging your relationships, and filling your mind with self-defeating thoughts? What if you had a proven emotional management tool to biblically respond to your feelings with compassion and clarity? Join us for today’s episode to discover three simple steps to manage emotions, reduce stress, improve decision-making, and grow closer to God. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
