John the Baptist told the Pharisees, “There stands one among you that you don’t even know.” (John 1:26) Jesus even said to His own disciples, “Have I been with you so long and yet you still don’t know me?” (John 14:9)

 

I believe it is very possible to know all the Word and all the doctrine there is to know about Jesus and yet not know Him. I also believe you can be saved and be around Him all your life and still never really know Him. If you were to ask almost anyone if they know Jesus, they would tell you, “Oh, yes, I know Jesus.” But may I ask you a real personal question? Do you know Him? I mean do you really, really know Him? There is a vast difference between knowing about someone and knowing them intimately. You can never really get know someone without spending time in their presence. The proof of our passion is our pursuit. Oh that I may know Him!

 

From the very beginning of creation, God has sought to establish relationship with man.  He came to the garden every day for the sole purpose of spending intimate time with Adam and Eve so they could come to know Him. Have you ever tried to cultivate a relationship with someone whom you admired greatly, only to find out that they were totally unimpressed with your presence? God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt, destroyed their enemies, showed them His presence daily by the glory cloud and pillar of fire, fed them miraculously each day with manna from heaven, but when He approached they ran away  from His presence and said, “Speak to Moses, not to us.” In fact, they were like many Christians are today. If God doesn’t continually pull a rabbit out of the hat they quickly loose interest. In fact, they were so unimpressed with His presence that while Moses was up on the mountain in His manifest presence, they took up an offering of their own personal gold and had Aaron fashion it into a golden calf so they could worship it instead. They were more impressed with worshiping their own wealth, which was provided by God when they left Egypt, than they were with the God who had provided it. Sound familiar? They only knew God’s acts, but Moses knew Him and His ways.

 

Just like the children of Israel, people today are simply unimpressed by God and His presence - and that amazes me! One quick way to tell when someone is unimpressed with His presence is to note the gross lack value they place upon it and the dangerous lack of time they spend in it. I heard Dr. Mike Brown state recently that the quickest way to become a casualty is to treat His presence and your relationship with Him casually.

 

While society may still look like the majority of the wanderers in the wilderness, the true seekers of God will still look like Moses. In Exodus 33:13, Moses told God, “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people." In the years that follow, Moses experiences first hand what we all must strive for - to know God and His passion for a relationship with us. God passionately wants to have a loving and intimate relationship with us. He desires for us to know Him like we never have before. We are His bride; He is the groom. Do you not think that we should be in the process of knowing Him, passionately pursuing Him, spending time in His presence and falling totally and completely in love with Him?

 

How impressed and thrilled with His presence are you? Are you spending

quality time there daily, coming to truly know Him? We must pursue Him

and draw close to Him. We must come to know Him like we never have before. We must fall deeper in love with Him than we ever dreamed possible.

 

In the words of a song I remember singing when I was a young boy.

    ”All that thrills my soul is Jesus,

     He means more than life to me.

     And the fairest of ten thousand,

     In His blessed face I see.”

 

May I encourage you today to come and know Him. His love is like no other.

 

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

~ 1 John 5:20