Knowing God
Psalm 19:14 ESV says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” This is the last verse of Psalm 19, so there is a context for this statement. To fully appreciate the meaning of this verse, I encourage you to go back and read the whole psalm. From the beginning, the writer paints an elegant picture of who God is. He is a God that all of creation glorifies every day. He is a God whose ways are perfect. It is a truly stunning and bold depiction of our God.
Yet I’m drawn to the humility of this final verse. After 13 verses outlining the majesty of God, the writer asks for help living in the truth. After a litany of praises, the author confesses that they need help walking on the path of righteousness. Rather than assuming that the prayer of praise was enough, the writer remembers that knowing the Lord is no small thing.
We need this prayer in our lives because connection with God gets deeper when we learn to ask the Holy Spirit for help. There is great power in simple prayers when they come from the heart. Sometimes something as plain as, “God, I want to know you more,” can do more for your faith than an hour of journaling.
Of course, all the spiritual disciplines we practice play a role in our spiritual development. We must learn to pray, study, fast, serve, worship, and more. But at the end of these practices, pure hunger for God is what moves us closer to his heart. We can easily fall into a pattern of checking tasks off the spiritual list and forget what these practices are unto.
We can read a devotional or let it grip our hearts to love God more. We can endure a fast or allow the pain of lack to increase our desire for God. We can sing a worship song or be drawn into a holy moment of encountering God. We can write a spectacular psalm or go on a journey of beholding God for who he is and ask him to show us more.
God is a relational God. If you want to be closer to him, you have to desire to know him. That is why scripture says that God is close to the brokenhearted. Jesus said he came for those who knew they were sinners. People in this state know they need God, and when they find God, they rejoice.
How ironic is it that we can know a lot about God and yet miss out on actually knowing God? I’m not pointing fingers at anyone, and you shouldn’t either. We never know what people’s life is like in private, and we can’t pretend to be the judge. No, this message is for you and for me to examine yourself. Where have we been retaining knowledge about God without moving into a desire to know God? Today I want to challenge you to move past completing a task and to pray this verse, seeking to know God more.
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Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired by the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
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