You Can Know God..Craig Denison Ministries

 You Can Know God

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

One of the greatest privileges as a child of God is that we can have the heart of our heavenly Father. We don’t have to wonder how he feels about us. We don’t have to wonder if he will guide us. We don’t have to question whether he loves us or cares about us. Through the Holy Spirit we have continual, free access to the heart of God. May your relationship with God go deeper and become freer as we learn how to have God’s heart this week.

Scripture:

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Devotional:    

God longs to be known by you. He longs for you to make time to simply seek his face and get to know his personality, the nature of his love, and the availability of his presence. You don’t have to live without a real, revelatory knowledge of God’s heart. You don’t have to live with the uncertainty of whether you are cared for, provided for, and loved.

In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God proved his longing to be known by us. Jesus took on flesh not just so he could save and redeem us, but so he could usher in a better, truer revelation of who the Father is. In John 17:3 Jesus says, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” And later in verse 26 Jesus prays to the Father, “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” Jesus came that we might know the love of the Father. He came that we might have communion—unhindered relationship with our Creator.

Through Jesus you’ve been granted eternal, real access to your heavenly Father. And in the Holy Spirit you can search the deep places of God’s heart and grow in restored relationship with him. 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 says:

For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

God has made the way for you to know his heart. You can know him in infinitely deeper and more transformative ways than you can know even your best friend or spouse. The Holy Spirit, God himself, dwells within you and longs to reveal the “deep things of God” to you.

All that’s left for you to do is have faith in God’s ability to reveal himself when you seek him and set aside time to know the heart of your heavenly Father. May you make time to do exactly that today as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on what Scripture says about the knowability of God’s heart. Let God’s word fill you with faith to seek deeper relationship with your Father.

“For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-12

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

“I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:26

2. Ask God to reveal an aspect of his heart that you need to know. Ask him how he feels about you in this moment. Ask him to reveal just how near and loving he is. Rest in his presence.

3. Thank God for how available he is to you. Worship him because he’s paid the ultimate price simply for you to know him. As you pour out thankfulness on him, watch as he pours his presence out over you.

What a tragedy it is to not take full advantage of what Jesus paid so high a price to accomplish. What a waste to live this life as if God isn’t fully with us, fully for us, and fully available to us. He couldn’t make the way to his heart any clearer. The Holy Spirit dwells within you as close to your heart as he could possibly be. Knowing God is as simple as acknowledging how close and available he already is. May your life be changed in light of the knowability of your perfect, loving heavenly Father. 

Extended Reading: John 17

How to Be Satisfied..Jessica Van Roekel

 How to Be Satisfied

By Jessica Van Roekel

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” - Matthew 5:6, ESV

I wandered around my kitchen, poking in this cupboard and that one, searching out the treats I hide here and there. I was so hungry, yet nothing satisfied me. I grazed on candy and cookies. Then I had an apple and some grapes because I felt guilty for eating the junky food. Pretty soon, my stomach felt too full, but I could not seem to satiate my desires. I needed something more but couldn’t figure out what it was. There are times when our hearts act like that too.

We chase after success by gathering a group of people who look up to us and desire our wisdom. Or we are the super parent and volunteer for every school committee, hoping that will fill our desire for being needed. Maybe we shop till we drop a little too often resulting in bulging closets, but an empty heart. Having people come to us for insight, volunteering at our children’s school, or shopping is not the problem. It’s when we pursue these to fill a hole in our hearts that we drift into deep waters, losing our way.

Before Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he traveled throughout Galilee proclaiming his kingdom and healing all kinds of diseases of body and soul. Great crowds followed him, and his popularity grew. They wanted more of what he could give them: healing. And he gave them an upside-down picture of his kingdom come. His sermon revealed the principles and standards by which God expects followers of Jesus to live by. Maybe we pursue distractions because we forget to cultivate a hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness. God, alone, satisfies.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness is one of the most important verses in the Sermon on the Mount. It’s from this hunger we grow a personal relationship with God. Without it, we chase after temporary satisfactions, struggling to develop the godly character traits Jesus teaches. We can cultivate a thirst for the things of God by studying the lives of Moses, Paul, and others, and praying the Holy Spirit would help us recognize our desire for God. So often we chase after temporary satisfaction because we fail to recognize we’re trying to fill a God-shaped hole in our hearts with other things.

We remember Moses as the deliverer of the Israelites from Egypt’s oppression. Through signs and wonders, he saved his people, but it was through his reliance and dependence on the Lord that this took place. In Exodus 33:12-14, we read about the exchange between Moses and God. Moses asked God to show him his ways so that he may know God.

I will be the first to admit, sometimes I want to show God my ways and expect him to give me his favor and blessing. Moses illustrates the importance of flipping the script. Knowing God and his ways brings his favor and blessing. Moses had a hunger for God and cultivated it by spending time with him, depending on him, and by looking to him for guidance.

The Apostle Paul writes about the righteousness that comes not through following rules, but through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul desired to know and experience companionship with Jesus and compels us to want the same. True knowledge of Christ comes through studying his Word and applying what the Word says to our lives. It’s letting go of slander, gossip, gluttony, and the immorality that stands in our way of knowing him. God calls us to his heart through the Word of God and then empowers us to walk by faith, trusting his guidance and direction for our spiritual growth.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Hunger and thirst for God’s idea of righteousness are vital to our spiritual growth. Worries of life can interfere with this hunger and we can spend more time trying to prevent the things that cause us to worry. This leads us to second-guess our choices, rely on our understanding, and attempt to control outcomes. When we cultivate a hunger and thirst for God’s presence, his Word, and the companionship and guidance of his Spirit, vibrant faith results in a heart that trusts God no matter what we face. It’s never too late to turn away from the temporary satisfaction of this world and turn back to the Lord. If you find yourself weary of what the world says will satisfy, turn away and fill yourself with God and his Word. In him, you can be satisfied. He is the Light of the World and your hope of glory.

Further Reading:
Matthew 5:2-6

What Does It Mean to Have Abundant Life?..Brenda Rodgers

 What Does It Mean to Have Abundant Life?

By Brenda Rodgers

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. – John 10:10

Around my daughter's first birthday, mealtimes became unbearable. She couldn't communicate with words yet, so she whined, grunted, and threw food. As a solution, I taught her a few words in sign language. The sign for "more" was one of them.

My daughter is now two-and-a-half and articulate for her age, especially with the word "more." If she begs for something she'll say the word "more" and sign it. I guess she thinks the sign gives her extra chances of getting what she's begging for.

As I've watched my daughter I've asked myself, "Are we much different from toddlers?" From our youngest ages, we desire more. We pine, crave, beg and covet for more. Typically we see this as negative - a part of our sin nature. But what we don't realize is that our desire for more is God's design, and He is happy to give it.

God created us to have an insatiable thirst as we live in this world. When sin entered the world, so did discontentment with life. God desires for us to seek more out of life. The problem is we displace our desire for more because of our discontentment.

The purpose of the tension we feel with what we want and what we have is to point us to God and to eternity. We're meant to desire more of God.

At first look, we might be tempted to say, "What? I rather have a life of abundance so I can have the stuff I want and be happy!" But when you're in a state of crisis, what's worth more - a life full of fear, anxiousness, and tension, or a life full of tranquility and the fruit of the spirit? I think we'd agree that you can't put a price tag on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.

An abundant life comes from following God's ways, pursuing holiness, and seeking to be more like Him. "This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him" (Psalm 18:30). As a result, others see the abundant life in you and are led to Jesus through your example: "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

God created us to want more. But which kind of "more" will we seek? Abundance in worldly pursuits or an abundant life? The more we desire God, the more abundant our life will be.

A Prayer for When the Path is Unknown..Kyle Norman

 A Prayer for When the Path is Unknown

By Kyle Norman

“The whole Israelite company set out from the Desert of sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.” - Exodus 17:1-2

I want my life to make sense and be ordered and arranged, with my day running according to my own plans. If there is to be a twist, hurdle, or anything unforeseen, I would like to see it coming a mile away to have adequate time to prepare myself. After all, complications are less frustrating or upsetting when we can manage them away. Am I alone in this? You may have noticed life doesn’t work this way. And more to the point, God rarely works this way. Throughout Scripture the people of God often find themselves engaging in the unexpected and the unplanned. God’s presence cannot be managed or controlled, and because of this, we sometimes find ourselves facing that which we would never have conceived. 

Israel’s exodus journey is a prime example of this. The Israelites had experienced a grand work of liberation with the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. This redemption was powerful, exciting, and vibrant. Underneath was a promise of new life. God was leading them to a land across the river, a land of promise and blessing, joy, and delight. There is no doubt Israel bubbled with excitement as they began their journey. But God did the unexpected. Israel traveled from place to place. Their pathway to the promised land seemed to turn this way and that way; it appeared the way to freedom was not as straightforward as they had imagined. And then, to top it all off, the Lord led them to Rephidim, where there was no water. Importantly, Rephidim was known as wadi, a watering whole. Rephidim was defined by the presence of life-giving water, and yet there was none. Before we think perhaps Israel had taken a wrong turn along the way, we must remember the Scripture declares Israel traveled “as the Lord commanded them.” This dried-up wadi was the exact place God brought them to.

When God leads us in unexpected ways or doesn’t do what we think he should do, our natural inclination is to believe there is something wrong. We either believe God is not present or that God is punishing us. Either way, we become mired in negativity and doubt, and that is what Israel did. Scripture says the lack of water led them to quarrel. The word for quarrel means to bring a legal case against someone. Israel didn’t just air their frustration or confusion, they charged Moses (and by extension the Lord) with not doing his job. God didn’t do what they thought he should have, which led them to anger and annoyance. Why? Because this whole liberation thing was not going according to their plan.

Do we ever conflate God’s will with our own ideas? It’s easy to do. Yet, if we are serious in our desire to follow God’s will, and honestly pray for God to take control of our lives, we must willfully accept that God sometimes leads us in ways we would not expect. Faith involves acknowledging that God may, in fact, guide us to places where we feel stretched, uncomfortable, or maybe even a bit frustrated. 

Ultimately, however, it is because our life isn’t always as we design it that we can know God does guide us. God is faithful. Whether we are wise or whiney God is faithfully present. In the unexpected place of Rephidim, God asked Moses to walk ahead of the people and strike the rock with his staff. Amid the confusion and complaining, and people questioning whether the Lord was amongst them, God declared “I will stand before you” (17:6). This unexpected place became one where Israel learned it is not out of luck, they received their life but by God’s merciful hand. And so, Moses struck the rock, water came gushing out, and the people drank life-giving water. We always have a choice over the questions we ask. We can either ask “Is the Lord among us or not?”, or we can ask “What is the Lord doing here?” We can ask “Why are you not giving us water?” or we can ask “How will the Lord provide?” One set of questions assumes God is passive and distant, the other recognizes that even during the unknowns of life, God is with us.

Let’s Pray:
Gracious and loving Father, I thank you that in you I live, move, and have my being. You know the number of my days and the course of my life. Thank you for holding, guiding, and providing for me. While I believe you are in control, I find I can so easily become frustrated or angry when my life doesn’t occur according to my own wishes or schedules. In those times when I feel anxious or afraid, I pray that you send your comforting Spirit upon me. Help me to see my life in the context of your will. When I find myself in an unexpected place, or facing an unexpected hurdle, help me see how you stand before me. Jesus, you are Lord of my life. Give me the strength I need to release my grip over my days and to release my life into your hands. May you stir within my heart so I might long for your will beyond my own. Open my eyes, O Lord, that I might see your glory lead me night and day. This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.