Know Him

#5 Ephesians 1:17

Know Him!

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. ~ The Apostle Paul, Eph. 1:17

What is the Lord after in our lives? As Christians, this is the first question we should ask ourselves – and we need an answer before we come into a circumstance that will cause us to ask more emotional questions such as:
• Why me? Why did God allow this to happen to me?
• Why does my loved one have to suffer like this?
• Why won’t God heal this person or help that person?
• Why did God allow my loved one to die so young?

The answer to the first question (What is God after in our lives?) will not only help us through life’s wrenching anguish and searing pain, but it will put us on the path to knowing God in a deeper, more fulfilling way as we trod through life in general. Paul’s prayer indicates what God is after: that you may know Him better. We are created to know Him. We are brought into His family, as His dear children, to know Him. This is His purpose for every believer.

There is only one way to ‘know Him better’ and that is through the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. We have the Word of God – His written revelation – but without the Spirit of revelation, all we have are interesting, uplifting, informative words on paper . . . and nothng more.

The Israelites of old had the prophets – but most of them didn’t hear the prophets’ words and take them to heart. The Pharisees had God’s holy law, but they transformed it into a burden for the people of God. The disciples lived and walked with Christ – who was the very face and voice of God – but before His resurrection, they didn’t see or hear God, they only saw and heard a great teacher.

In Saul of Tarsus, student of the eminent rabbi, Gamaliel, we get a God’s-eye view of the change that takes place when the Spirit of God brings the written word to life. This man knew the Scriptures as well as anyone could; still, He had it all wrong until God the Father gave him the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. The Spirit of the living God re-educated Saul and transformed him into Paul, the Apostle of the Church. Paul was given insight into the secrets of the Old Testament and the mysteries of Christ.

What is God after? It is that you should know Him deeply and personally. Everything else about your life will spring from that knowledge: your attitudes, your response to trials, your service and your testimony (whether by your walk or by your words). Let the Spirit of wisdom and revelation loose in your mind and heart – see where He takes you! Ask your Father in Heaven for His revelation! Don’t even open God’s Word without taking a moment to recognize your need for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation! Ask Him to take the Word of God and bring it to life for you! This is a prayer He delights to answer.

If you want to know where that will take you, read Paul’s letters and see where it took him. He experienced joy while he suffered brutal beatings and imprisonment. He suffered hunger, loneliness, loss of position and desertion by friends. Yet, as you read his letters, you will notice that he just can’t find enough words to express what Christ means to him. He layers words upon words as he tries to describe the depths of the riches of Christ – especially in the books of Philippians and Ephesians. He told his readers that he “keeps asking” the glorious Father to give them revelation. Continual, Spirit-generated revelation is necessary if we are to gain a heart-knowledge of the riches of Christ (described in Ephesians 1:3-14).

Why did God create mankind? Why did the Son “rise from His throne and plunge Himself into humanity?”* Why does He withhold judgment and continue to heap mercy, compassion and grace on us? Because He’s after our hearts and minds. He wants us to know, really know, the depths of His love and desire for us. He wants us to see, with the eyes of our hearts, who He really is. Seek this first of all:
TO KNOW HIM!

* I love this phrase; it’s a quote from Bruce Marchiano in his book, Jesus Wept. LJ