Jesus defined eternal life in very easy terms: Know God. If you want to know how to start knowing God, observe Jesus. For three years, the disciples learned to know God through Jesus’ life on earth.
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” (John 14:7)
God knows that it takes time to get to know Him. The disciples demonstrated that reality for us in the gospels; they often found it difficult to “get” Jesus. But they stuck with Him, and over time they got to know Him.
Relationships Take More Than Time
Time isn’t the most essential element needed for a relationship to grow, though. We can spend years “following” Jesus, but if we don’t pay attention to Him, we’ll only have a superficial knowledge of Him.
ATTENTION. It’s how we make the most of the time we have with someone.
God pays attention to us. And He is constantly watching and listening for opportunities to catch our attention. Why? Because He longs to be known.
He doesn’t make it complicated. He uses the simplest things in life.
Personal Experience…
That tiny blue flower, the forget-me-not. God has spoken myriad wonders through it in every season for the past 15 years. All have brought utter delight to my soul because they’ve drawn me into direct personal contact with my Father, the God of the universe!
Do you ever take notice of the magnificent star-studded sky on a clear night? Have you ever considered how God might want to speak to you through it? For instance, He might be saying…
“Do you remember My conversation with Abraham about stars? I’ve kept My promises to him; I’ll keep My promises to you, too.” Or…
“I placed every one one of those stars right where they should be to do exactly what I created them to do. I will give that kind of order and beauty to your life, too.” Or…
“Thank you for noticing My creation and responding with such awe. That makes Me happy.”
RESPONDING. It’s how we nurture a real, growing relationship with someone.
Jesus’ disciples didn’t merely observe; they responded. Sometimes their responses were way off course and needed to be corrected. Often they came back with questions; they let Him know that He was difficult to understand. Real relationship, that’s how they grew to know God through Jesus being in their lives. (And it kept growing after He left them, but that’s another post.)
God spoke through an unassuming little blue flower to take me on a journey from knowing about Him to knowing Him. It brought complete unexpected joy and excitement to me along the way. And it didn’t stop with learning to know God, it grew into a true love relationship with Him.
How is He trying to catch your attention on this journey? Don’t Miss Him!
Look. Listen. Give Attention. Respond.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19:1-4
May God bless, guide and direct your hearts to His Mission. I am so blessed by your family by your obedience doing what God wants, when God wants it, and with the right heart attitude. My prayer continues to be that God will bless you with any financial need that Forget-Me-Not-Ministry has now, and in the future. Thank you for all you do! Thinking of Paul who tells me he prays in Colossians 1:9-14 since 2010 at Creation / your mission speaks to my heart and why I’m a Christian. God never forgets me. Your mission if focused on not forgetting what God has set upon your hearts… To do for Him for His good pleasure in the mission God has put on your hearts. Life has speed bumps and what Jeremiah 32:17 is mentoring, loving and supportive to anyone, mission, church, who is serving God in God’s narrow path, telling about the Gospel of Jesus Christ; also in Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Those are powerful reassuring thoughts! Thank you for all you do!
In His Service
chris