Monday, May 4, 2009

Its not what you know

It’s not what we know! Nope its not!

Rather it is who we know that makes all the difference!

Please hear my heart today. I am not asking if we know about God. We have established some of those foundations in the past few days. We know He is the Creator. We also know that He created us to be in relationship with Him. Now I know this is truth that you need to know. But friends it goes so much deeper than knowing about God.

**Do you want to know God?

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

It’s not just believing that God exists. Many may know a lot about God, but may not know God. There is more than just studying religion, or the Bible.

The difference is not in what we know. The difference is in the relationship! A relationship that is so amazing, so dynamic it will transform your life. Now that’s something to be excited about!

I have been very blessed in my life to see, hear and experience people who are in a genuine intimate relationship with God. They are people who walk with God and talk with Him in their everyday moments. They have come to know God by simply spending time with Him.

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you look for him with all your heart and all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

We too can ‘get to know’ God by spending time with Him.

God wants to be known. He has revealed Himself to us two ways to us, through His word and through His creation.

"Ask and it will be give to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

True genuine relationships thrive when time is spent working on them and being in them.

**How do you spend time with God?

Talk with God. An important key to thriving relationships is communication. Talk to God, tell Him what is in your heart. Share with Him what you are thankful for. Talk to Him about your fears, worries. Oh and as I have to remind myself oh so often…spend time listening!

But Nichole I don’t know how to talk to God? What should I say? What if I don’t say the right things?

Friends please remember that a relationship with God is not about getting it right or ever achieving.

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you Jeremiah 29:12-14 (emphasis mine)

Our relationship with God is about committing to Him with all our heart. He will do the rest.

One way to hear God is by reading His word. Many times He speaks right to my heart so personally and so perfectly through the Bible. Now that is what I call an ‘active living word’!!
By reading His word you will learn about who God is. How much He loves His people. How He wants us to live. Friends don’t read the word without help. God tells us we need Him to help us read His word. I remember when I committed to reading the entire Bible and feeling frustrated many times. "What am I reading?" "Who are all these people with all these names I can’t pronounce?" I kept reading. I kept at it and one day I heard God whispering to my heart, ‘Just ask me for help and I will help you". So now when I read His precious word to me, I invite Him to come in and sit with me and help me understand His words to me. Sometimes I have to read it a couple of times. Many times I journal about what I just read. I write down questions that come to mind when I am reading a certain section. Remember He will reveal Himself to you through His word!

**How often am I spending time in relationship with God?

**How often according to Luke 11:3 do we need to be in contact with God?

Knowing God is having an intimate relationship with Him

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3

Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me," Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV) (emphasis mine)


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. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:17-18


**We will never know who we are until we gaze upon the face of God!

12 comments:

Krista said...

Awesome, awesome post today. So motivating. Yes, I want to know Him more and more intimately daily. I want Jesus to be most important friend.

Seeking Him,
Krista

Kimberly said...

Woo-hooo!!!! This gets me all excited! That He not only loves me, but He WANTS to be in relationship with me. Not out of obligation...out of LOVE. :)

Thank you for sharing your BEAUTIFUL heart for Him! And I love the verses you shared today. I am taking Hebrews 11:6 with me to chew on some more...I needed that reminder today. :)

Love you to pieces,
K :)

Nicole said...

Oh my beautiful friend, you have such a gift of teaching us what the Lord has shown you. It really helps me process where the Lord has taken me. Somtimes I feel as though I have a hard time explaining it all, but then I come here and it makes so much sense. I am praying that the Lord will make me more of a teacher.

Thank you for posting the verse Jeremiah 29:9-13. I needed to hear that today! I am feeling lead to tell the "readers" of my blog to come to yours as I heard this morning God tell me that yes it is all about the relationship. That is the best way to describe where He has taken me and is continuing to take me. Love you friend! Please keep seeking Him! I know you will cause after He has us He will never let go, and for sure once we have realized our depravity and how much we need Him there is no way we can ever let go!For it is truly for our good and His glory!!!

In Him,
Nicole

Nicole said...

Whoops...I meant Jeremiah 9:23-24

Leslie said...

I used to worry about praying "correctly", but now I just send up prayers throughout my day no matter where I am or what I'm doing. And I don't worry about doing it in a "proper" manner. I figure that God made me, He knows me inside and out and knows what I'm thinking anyway, so I just blurt out to Him what I'm thinking or feeling. Even when I'm angry. He knows the real me, so I need to be real with Him when I'm talking to Him. I feel that's how I need to be in order to have an authentic relationship with Him.

Thank you for your wonderful post!

Nicole said...

Okay yes, this is my third comment....but I just want to jump up and down at the last thing you wrote on this post. "We will never know who you are until you gaze upon His face". Triple quadruple amen to that!!!

From the Heart said...

A great post. You make it so easy to have a relationship with God. I do believe I have that but not as deep as I would like. I have been praying for Him to Open the Eyes of My Heart that I might see Him.
Thanks for sharing your heart,
AliceE.

Lori said...

Nichole,
I loved everything you wrote today. God is showing me bits and pieces everyday...just how to get closer to him and walk with him all day long. Enjoying his presence in everything I do. Knowing the truth; knowing the Word of God, the Bible. Daily, I ask him to show me the nuggets he wants me to know. I ask him to make my mind smart to comprehend his Words... Seeking him, through His Word. Praising and thanking him...making requests to him...listening for his whispers...and thanking him some more! I see more and more how after I've requested something, he will open my eyes while I'm reading my daily chapters. He will answer me! It's so exciting to me to be walking with him.

How do we get close to people? By communicating...That is how I get closer to God. By talking to him and listening to him. I'm blown away how he answers requests that I've made. Little old me, in AZ...he hears me! What an awesome God we have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He loves me and I love HIM!

Thank you, thank you sweet sister for your words, that are truly, Spirit-inspired!
Blessings,
Lori - AZ

Joy Junktion said...

So true, so true. It is about KNOWING Him - not just about Him!!!

This is a great word today (Smiles)

Praying God continues to speak to and through you!

Blessings, Cindy

achildoftheking said...

This was what my morning devotion has all been about Nichole... Praise God at how HE pulls it all together!

Thank You Father God for using Nichole to pull my morning devotion together. Praise be the YOU in all things in all ways Father God. In Jesus' name, amen.

LisaShaw said...

Powerfully put in reverence unto the Lord. Thank you for your sharing wih us. God bless you and your family.

Tea with Tiffany said...

Knowing God is the greatest JOY I know. I'm so thankful He has chased my rebellious body down until I said, "Yes, I want to know you. I need you. Nothing else will do."

Great truths here. Keep on writing His passions in YOU!