Just to Know Him
Scriptures referenced:
Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV, John 17:3 NKJV, Isaiah 6:1-2 NKJV, Psalm 93:1 NKJV, Luke 8:43-45 NKJV, Song of Solomon 5:2-16 TPT
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ “ - Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV
How can an all knowing God declare, “Depart from Me, I never knew you”?
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” - John 17:3 NKJV
There is no eternal life, if there is no knowledge of God.
The word “know” in this context refers to an intimate relationship between a man and his wife. The men and women who will stand before God one day, and hear the words “depart from me I never knew you”, will be men and women who sought what God could do over who God is. Seeking God for what He can do, and never coming to the place where we seek Him for who He is, is a form of immaturity.
My son at this point of our relationship only knows Micaela and I for what we can give him. Eventually he will mature in his relationship to actually know what we are like. True, mature relationship seeks to know, not just to be served. Seeing signs and wonders isn’t the End all, Be all of life.
“But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him,” - John 12:37 NKJV
It isn’t enough to seek what He can do for us!
I have lately begun asking myself:
What would it look like if we came to worship services, just to seek God?
What would happen if all of God walked into a room?
What if He did more than just fulfill a promise?
What if the whole personhood of God showed up today?
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!’ ” - Isaiah 6:1-3 NKJV
What do God’s robes represent?
“The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty...” - Psalms 93:1aNKJV
Majesty - The greatness of one’s attributes. The magnitude of who someone is.
God is clothed in the greatness of who He is. God is clothed in what He is like.
It wasn’t just God’s robe filling the temple as we think about it (human thoughts of clothing).
In this vision it was God’s character filling the room. His attributes were filling the room.
What happens when we go after God like that?
“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” - Luke 8:43-45 NKJV
When the woman touched Jesus, He didn’t ask, “who touched my robe?” Jesus asked, “Who touched Me?”
This woman sought healing her whole life. She wasted everything she had seeking healing. It wasn’t until she sought Jesus that she received what she had been looking for her whole life.
You can seek healing and never find it. You can seek God with your whole heart, and He will be found by you!
Where you find God, you find His healing. Where you find God, you find His provision. Where you find God, you find His joy. Where you find God, you find all of Him!
Not only will you find all of the promises of God in seeking God, but you also won’t suffer disappointment the same.
Many people fall away because they are disappointed in not receiving a promise from God. However, mature sons and daughters of God have such deep intimacy with The Father, that they handle disappointment differently than someone who only seeks God for what He can do.
“After this I let my devotion slumber, but my heart for him stayed awake. I had a dream. I dreamed of my beloved— he was coming to me in the darkness of night. The melody of the man I love awakened me. I heard his knock at my heart’s door as he pleaded with me: Arise, my love. Open your heart, my darling, deeper still to me. Will you receive me this dark night? There is no one else but you, my friend, my equal. I need you this night to arise and come be with me. You are my pure, loyal dove, a perfect partner for me. My flawless one, will you arise? For my heaviness and tears are more than I can bear. I have spent myself for you throughout the dark night. I have already laid aside my own garments for you. How could I take them up again since I’ve yielded my righteousness to yours? You have cleansed my life and taken me so far. Isn’t that enough? My beloved reached into me to unlock my heart. The core of my very being trembled at his touch. How my soul melted when he spoke to me! My spirit arose to open for more of his touch. As I surrendered to him, I began to sense his fragrance— the fragrance of his suffering love! It was the sense of myrrh flowing all through me! I opened my soul to my beloved, but suddenly he was gone! And my heart was torn out in longing for him. I sought his presence, his fragrance, but could not find him anywhere. I called out for him, yet he did not answer me. I will arise and search for him until I find him. As I walked throughout the city in search of him, the overseers stopped me as they made their rounds. They beat me and bruised me until I could take no more. They wounded me deeply and removed their covering from me. Nevertheless, make me this promise, you brides-to-be: if you find my beloved one, please tell him I endured all travails for him. I’ve been pierced through by love, and I will not be turned aside! What love is this? How could you continue to care so deeply for him? Isn’t there another who could steal away your heart? We see now your beauty, more beautiful than all the others. What makes your beloved better than any other? What is it about him that makes you ask us to promise you this? He alone is my beloved. He shines in dazzling splendor yet is still so approachable— without equal as he stands above all others, outstanding among ten thousand! The way he leads me is divine. His leadership—so pure and dignified as he wears his crown of gold. Upon this crown are letters of black written on a background of glory. He sees everything with pure understanding. How beautiful his insights—without distortion. His eyes rest upon the fullness of the river of revelation, flowing so clean and pure. Looking at his gentle face I see such fullness of emotion. Like a lovely garden where fragrant spices grow— what a man! No one speaks words so anointed as this one— words that both pierce and heal, words like lilies dripping with myrrh. See how his hands hold unlimited power! But he never uses it in anger, for he is always holy, displaying his glory. His innermost place is a work of art— so beautiful and bright. How magnificent and noble is this one— covered in majesty! He’s steadfast in all he does. His ways are the ways of righteousness, based on truth and holiness. None can rival him, but all will be amazed by him. Most sweet are his kisses, even his whispers of love. He is delightful in every way and perfect from every viewpoint. If you ask me why I love him so, O brides-to-be, it’s because there is none like him to me. Everything about him fills me with holy desire! And now he is my beloved—my friend forever.” - Song of Songs 5:2-16 TPT