Monday: August 5, 2013

READ: Jeremiah 9-11

THINK: So, though it hasn’t really paid off for me since I was a couple years old, I am a huge fan of the Chicago Bears. And because I am a huge fan, I know a lot about a number of NFL players. I know their height and weight and where they went to college and how many touchdowns they’ve scored and a bunch of other fairly trivial information about them. But I actually know one NFL player. Billy Cundiff, a kicker and a veteran of 10 NFL seasons was my fraternity brother in college. I know his height, weight, alma mater, and field goal percentage, but I know more than that. Knowing about someone and knowing someone are two entirely different things.

The question for today is this: Do you actually know God personally, or do you just know about God? It makes a massive difference. It’s one thing to know that God is present everywhere. And it’s fairly amazing. But it’s another thing to be aware of his presence with you bringing you hope and comfort in desperate times. It’s one thing to know that God is all-powerful. And it’s astounding. But it’s another thing to understand that he is fighting for you and working all things out for your eternal good in the midst of this broken world.

Do you know him or do you know about him?

In Jeremiah 9:23-24 God says, “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.”

There are so many things in the world – in the midst of our pride and selfishness – that we’re tempted to be proud of and boast about. Many Christians even fall into the temptation of being filled with pride about their level of knowledge about God. But our greatest pursuit in this life – the one thing in which we ought to boast – is knowing God and what he has done for us.

Take some time and get to know him. It isn’t easy or fast – any more than getting to know another human being is. It means spending time, making him a priority, reading his word, conversing with him in prayer, and meeting with other believers to grow in community, among other things. I want to encourage you: it’s worth it!

PRAY: Confess the times when you’ve boasted about something other knowing God. Confess the times you’ve settled for knowing about God rather than pursuing knowing him personally. Commit today to make knowing God your first priority in life.