Welcome to the PoG Blog! Today's scripture reading is short - it is kind of a set up for the next several days readings.
Ephesians 1 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
Several years ago I was reading a book on prayer that since has become one of my all time favorites - Richard Fosters, Prayer:Finding the Heart's True Home! I was reading along and dropped down to a footnote that read something like this, "You may have noticed in this book I have included chapters on all kinds of ways to pray and yet not included a chapter on knowing the will of God for your life - even though that is one of the most often felt needs to go to God in prayer. I have done this because knowing God's will for your life is not a separate category of prayer. The key to knowing God's will is simply to get to know God better - then you will know His will!"
That statement strikes me as uniquely now as I repeat it to you as it did the day I read it. I think God was calling me on that day to begin a journey to seek to know Him not just His will. This scripture takes me back to that day! I am realizing that when I am seeking to know His will without just getting to know Him I am still in charge of the journey. Paul's is praying in this text that a guy like me would receive a wisdom and revelation so that I might know God - not just about God.
This scripture calls me back to relationship with Jesus! It calls me back to spending time with God in prayer, His word and just reflecting on His presence and my need for Him as I go about my day. God is calling me out in this verse to not look for short cuts to godliness or the good life - there is only one path - knowing God through Jesus by the power of His Spirit.
So today - I get to "know God better"! I get to access the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that I can know God better - for I have never lived this day with Him before and my hunch is He has got some stuff to show me this day through which I will know Him better!
It is going to be a good day - a "getting to know God better day!"
How does all this strike you?
What is your "knowing God" journey like? What has it been like? How do you deal with the "know God vs. know His will thing?
Let's talk!
Enjoy!
delton