know......
You might think I'm talking about knowledge here, you know, book learning. Or possibly something deeper like wisdom, that treasure that comes at the knee of experience. But I want to go even deeper than that.
In the Bible, to 'know' someone is an intimate act. In fact, it is the verb which is often used to describe sexual intimacy. Knowing implies a deep relationship, the kind that is often found in a long marriage where one partner knows the other's likes and dislikes, foibles and fears, joys and dreams. Throughout the Old Testament, God is concerned that Israel know that God is God.
What does it mean 'to know God?' First, God is God and we are not. God is God and will power the entire universe, from this moment and into eternity. God is the creator, the claimer of Israel, the lover of all through Jesus, the faithful one. God is the one who comes to us, not in vengeance or fury, but in a desire for life for all. God is the one who is willing to release a portion of himself and take on human flesh and live among us. God is the one who doesn't rescue himself when faced with the worst this world has to offer....and therefore, we will always know that there is no place where God will not be. What would you add to this list?
It is a fearful and awesome thing to be in relationship with this God....to know this God.
This Advent, take time to know this God more deeply. Open yourself to a knowledge that goes beyond head to heart to your very soul. This Advent, embrace and be embraced.
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46.10
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