Do You Have a Heart to Know God?

I’ve confessed many times that I’m a social animal. My friends and family would say that I ‘never meet a stranger.’ That has helped me get to know literally thousands of people. I don’t talk to people & get to know them just so I can say I know thousands of people. I simply have a heart to know & love people. Consequently, it is rare that I go somewhere without bumping into someone I know. Grand Canyon? Yep! Saw Big Jim Fowler. Guatemala? Yep! New York? Yep. Orlando…well, you get the picture. Just about everywhere we go I see someone. My wife has about broken me from the habit of saying, “don’t I know you from somewhere?” Usually I do & it results in a lengthy conversation.

As I know thousands of people, I know some famous & some semi-famous. Most folks I know, however, I just know a little. I really don’t know their heart & have a close relationship with them. But when it comes to knowing God, that kind of ‘kind of knowing’ someone doesn’t cut it. We need to know God in an intimate way.

God gave His laws & commandments to Moses while Moses was on Mount Sinai. When Moses got down from the mountain with tablets of God’s law in hand, his people were having a serious party. They had melted down their gold & made an idol & were worshipping it. Needless to say, God was not happy. He had delivered them from slavery & sudden death on multiple occasions but they seemed to have a short memory. Consequence…God withdrew from them.

Moses had to meet with God outside their encampment. God said if they really wanted to get ‘right’ with Him they would put off their worldly things & seek Him. They did, but God did not immediately grace them with His presence. They needed to REALLY want to know Him. That’s kind of one level of ‘knowing God.’ When we feel bad for what we’ve done & are willing to straighten up for a time.

Moses went on to the next level of chasing after God: He asked God to “Show me Your way.” He wanted to know right from wrong & how to follow God better. That’s another step in growing closer to God. God would speak to Moses through the tent down in the form of a cloud & the people could see that God’s presence was near Moses.

That wasn’t quite enough for Moses. God told Moses that He might not follow them as they traveled. Moses said, in essence, ‘if You don’t go with us we don’t go. He asked God to “show me Your presence.” He wanted to have a consistent walk with God daily. God was moved but his heart of humility.

That wasn’t quite enough for Moses either. “And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Exodus 33:18 NKJV. Again, God was moved by Moses’ heart but reminded him that no one can see the pure, white-hot Glory & perfection & God & live. While we are in this fallen world we are sinful at our best & can’t stand to see God ‘face to face.’ That’s the final level of intimacy with God, though. It’s wanting Him to strip away any sin & pretense until we can be as close as possible.

So here’s the million dollar question: “Do you have a heart to know God?” What level are you seeking after God? Sometimes I find myself at the first level & asking forgiveness for stupid stuff I’ve done. Sometimes I want to know the right way. At times I long for His presence & then there are times that I want Him to purify me of all the junk so I can really ‘see His Glory!” I encourage you to read the story in Exodus 33 for yourself.

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Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org cell 870-217-9376