You Can Know God
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
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