New Year, New Rhythms, and the Gift of Revelation: Knowing God
Image by Ivan Bandura
Remarkably, God created us for the capacity to not just to know what we can learn about him on Instagram, in a textbook, or summarized by ChatGPT, but to really know him personally and at the deepest level. He goes to great lengths, in fact, to reveal himself to humankind and unlike any other living thing in all of creation, he creates humankind, each one of us, in his image. This ability to relationally and intimately know God is also reflected in the ways we, his imagers, get to know each other and our very own selves.
When we consider the topic of knowing God we draw insight from a branch of philosophy called epistemology. Epistemology studies the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge and asks questions like, what is knowledge? or how do we know what we know? And how is it possible to know God? “We can know God,” says theologian Lesslie Newbigin, “only in so far as God manifests himself in events which are accessible to our observation and which are interpreted as God’s doing.” God is the source of all knowledge.
God is the source of knowledge, and amazingly, introduces himself by describing aspects of his character that are inherent in his name. He comforts Abraham, “Do not be afraid Abram, I am your shield” (Gen 15:1). He is Immanuel–God with us, El Roi–the God who sees us, and El Shama—the God who hears and listens (Gen 16:11–13).
Jesus, we learn from John’s Gospel, finally explains this God whom no one has ever seen. He is the Word (John 1:1–4), the Savior (John 3:16–17), Water of Life (John 4:14), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25). Learning his names helps us to then to recognize him in our circumstances and little by little we get to know him better.
In a previous post, I described a point in time, when I stopped and received God’s love and expressed my need for forgiveness. I had nowhere else to turn. I felt betrayed, alone, and lost, but somehow, deep in my soul I knew that this God, whom I barely knew, was present with me even as my life spiraled out of control. I knew and still know today, that I belong to Jesus.
What I have discovered is that knowing God is deeply personal—he prompts us in the ebb and flow of life, the joyful and excruciating seasons of suffering to reach out to him for help, peace, guidance, food, finances, shelter …. These experiences enable us to recognize, then begin to know, and slowly come to trust God by faith. Newbigin continues:
The full richness of God’s being must far transcend all that we have grasped by grasping these events as the disclosure of his character. We must be ready for surprises, be constantly aware that the God who is so revealed is also hidden; that a lifetime is not enough to fathom the depths of his being.
I have also discovered that getting to know God takes place in the company of other believers whose experiences often stretch our understanding of God. During the earliest years of my newfound faith, I met a seminary professor, John G. Mitchell, a Scotsman, who had profoundly influenced Bob’s life as a new believer. Dr. Mitchell exuded a peaceful, steady, joy. He had a great sense of humor, a well-worn Bible, and a deep love for the Savior. He encouraged his students to “Sit at the feet of Jesus and tell people what you see.” I remember whispering to myself, “I want to know the Jesus that he sees.” I met Dr. Mitchell the year he turned 88—I was twenty-two. By the time he died at the age of 97, he had known and walked with Jesus for more than seventy years. Is there a “Dr. Mitchell” in your life, someone who compels you to know God better?
The Gift of Knowing Jesus
In the hours before the crucifixion, Jesus prays to the Father…
Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3)..
Lay hold of the fact that God makes it possible for you to know him—the only true God, sent by the Father, Jesus Christ. If you are new to the Bible and are not sure where to start, in this post, I suggest setting aside seven minutes a day to sit at the feet of Jesus and read or listen to the Bible—start by reading five psalms and one proverb each day and keep track of your discoveries and then, tell people what you see.
If you have walked with the Lord for a while and need a “Jesus Refresh,” I would suggest starting with a simple approach like the one I note above and then, once you have found your rhythm, begin reading through the Gospel of John.
Thank you Lord God for the gift and capacity to know you. Thank you for seeing us, for not just hearing, but for listening to our cries. As we sit at your feet today, speak to us, guide us, comfort, and help us to recognize you along the way.
