Knowing all of God By Dr. Charles Stanley Hosea 2:19-20 In order to know someone intimately, you can’t just know what they do—you must know their character and heart. You have to know what motivates them. The same is true for God. In Hosea 2:19-20, He says, “I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord.” He has “betrothed” (or engaged) His people to Himself for one reason: to let Himself be known. Unfortunately, sometimes we know about God, but we really don’t know Him. Yet God wants us to love Him in a deep, intimate relationship. Here are six reasons we should know God’s ways. 1. We should know the ways of God because they are essential in knowing Him. By learning the ways God works, we become acquainted with His heart—and life’s greatest joy is knowing Him personally and intimately (Ps. 25:4-5). 2. We should know the ways of God because He requires that we know them. The Lord desires for us to go beyond a surface relationship with Him, so He has given us commands to follow to facilitate it. We learn not merely to see Him as our Master, but as our Beloved (Deut. 10:12). 3. We should know the ways of God because it is the yearning of His heart for us to do so. The Lord desires our fellowship—for us to seek and worship Him wholeheartedly (Jer. 33:3). This fact alone should motivate us to pursue a deep, meaningful relationship with Him. 4. We should know the ways of God because He loves us. Our heavenly Father desires the very best for us, and He wants each of us to realize that His plans for us will always be above and beyond all we could ask or imagine (Jer. 31:3; 1 Cor. 2:9; Eph. 3:20). 5. We should know the ways of God because they are the best way. No matter what situation we must endure or how difficult a choice we have to make, we can be certain that God’s way is the best way to face it. He will guide us and give us the strength and wisdom to handle our circumstances in a godly manner (Jer. 29:11). 6. We should know the ways of God because they are the pathway to success. Although the world’s definition of achievement involves wealth and power, to the Lord true success lies in obedience to His will (1 John 2:17). Ultimately, no one can thwart the plans of God—He will succeed and achieve the victory (Job 42:2). And when we submit to Him, we share in His triumph. Therefore, set your heart to know all of God—His works, His ways, and His will for your life. Because He promises, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:55:36 +0000
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