KNOWING THE FATHER
I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
1 John 2:12-14 (NIV)
One of the great invitations of the Christian life is not simply to believe in God, learn about God or ask God to help us through life. It's to know Him. To walk with Him. To enjoy His presence. To increasingly discover who He is—and, as men and women of His Kingdom, to learn to live under His rule in the ordinary moments of our lives. Yet we can spend so much of our energy focused on our circumstances. When things are going well, we're happy. When plans fall apart, people disappoint us, or life takes an unexpected turn, we become discouraged, frustrated or anxious. Without realizing it, we can begin to believe that if we could get our circumstances right, we would be okay. But Scripture offers us something much deeper than better circumstances. It offers us God Himself.
And maybe one of the greatest things we can discover is this: God's not merely the One who helps us have a better life. Knowing God is the life we were made for. This is part of what it means to live as Kingdom men and women. We live under another King, with another source of peace, another definition of what matters and another confidence about where our lives are headed.
APPLICATION: Instead of measuring today by whether things go the way you hoped, measure it by whether you are learning to know God and follow Him more deeply. In whatever happens today—the good, the difficult and the unexpected—look for opportunities to trust Him, enjoy His presence and live as someone who belongs to the King.
PRAYER: Father, help me to want You more than I want comfortable circumstances. Teach me to know You, trust You, enjoy Your presence and live faithfully under Your rule in whatever today brings. Let knowing You become the deepest joy and greatest treasure of my life. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?