01.11.06

Revelations of a Relationship

Posted in Uncategorized at 9:12 am by Perry

I have been putting a lot of thought recently into what it means to truly know God and how having a relationship with Him manifests itself in ones life.  After much thought, prayer, and discussion with others, I have come to realize that such knowledge of God manifests itself in a person’s life in many ways.  A desire for ministry and spreading the gospel to others, a devotion for reading and studying the Bible and a wiliness to serve God in all aspects of ones life are all outward signs of having a relationship with God.

Recently, though, I have been reading Knowing God by J.I. Packer and in the book Packer makes an interesting distinction between knowledge of God and knowing about God compared to knowing God.  Packard goes on to elaborate in the introduction that many theologians and lay persons study doctrine and scripture vehemently and are very knowledgeable about God but yet do not know Him personally in their lives. 

Last year I went through a bible study with Matt Martin where he said something to me that really stuck.  He told me that all the knowledge of God is worthless if you do not actually know God in your life.  Matt stated, and Packer affirmed, that to know God brings about the ability to find joy in God; to not just enjoy the things of God such as his power, grace, mercy, wrath, etc. but to truly find joy in these things because you experience them daily in your life through a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

For a long time I have known much about God through church, Sunday school, spending time with my brother Chris and other Christians, and personal study of the Bible.  But it is only recently that I am beginning to undertand what it means to find joy in God through knowing him personally.  The lyrics to a song title You are my Joy by the David Crowder Band off their most recent CD express the what it means to find joy in God and his glory well:

And He set me on fire, and I am burning alive.
With His breath in my lungs I am coming undone.
And I cannot hold it in and remain composed.
Love’s taken over me and so I propose the letting myself go.
I am letting myself go.

You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.

And He set me on fire, and I am burning alive.
With His breath in my lungs I am coming undone.
And I cannot hold it in and remain composed.
Love’s taken over me and so I propose the letting myself go.
I am letting myself go.

You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.

I need to catch my breath, I need to.
I need to catch my breath, give me a moment now.

You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.

I’m laughing so hard…

Of course we must also look to the scriptures to affirm that we are to find joy in the glory of the almighty God:

Matthew 25:21
"His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

Luke 19:37
As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen,

John 15:11
" These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Acts 13:52
And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

 

 

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