Knowing Him
by Ruth Croft 2 September 2022
A few days ago my seventeen month old granddaughter arrived in the UK for the very first time. She was born in Dubai last Easter. Although I was fortunate to travel to meet her last summer, the worldwide travel restrictions have meant that my son and daughter in law have been unable to introduce her to most of her family in person until now. However, since she was born and thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we have been able to see her regularly via video chat and our video messages, photos and recorded stories, which her parents have shown to her often, have made us familiar and she knows our faces and recognises our voices. This meant that when she finally met us, there were wide smiles and an excited eagerness to be with us.
All this set me thinking about how we build our relationship with God and this verse from 1 John 2:24, here from The Message.
Stay with what you heard from the beginning, the original message. Let it sink into your life. If what you heard from the beginning lives deeply in you, you will live deeply in both Son and Father. This is exactly what Christ promised: eternal life, real life!
It is only by spending regular time in the Father's company, reading His word, meeting with Him in prayer and listening for His voice that our Lord becomes familiar to us. When we know Him better, our understanding of all He has done and continues to do for us increases. For my granddaughter, meeting her family in person has expanded her world beyond recognition. For us, developing a personal relationship with our Saviour has a profound effect which reaches beyond the individual, into every aspect of our life, for the whole of our life.
The worship song “All I Once Held Dear” by Graham Kendrick sums it up perfectly
Knowing you, Jesus knowing you
There is no greater thing
You're my all, you're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord.
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Prayer
You are the God who formed us,
You are the God who knows us
You are the God who loves us,
You are the God who forgives us,
You are the God who saves us,
You are the God who calls us,
You are the God who empowers us,
You are the God who sends us,
We praise your glorious name. Amen
adapted from a prayer by John Birch