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 Knowing God Personally (March 11, 2024)

“…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

What do you value most in life? Too often, I’m afraid that we fail to give Almighty God His rightful place at the top of our list of priorities. I am not one for making empty resolutions that tend to quickly fall by the wayside, but as this year quickly unfolds, I am earnestly seeking to get to know my God better and to enter into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him as my first love. Many people and all of Satan’s demons know about Jesus Christ, but sadly they neither know Him personally nor recognize Him as LORD and Savior of their lives.

Some folks are so caught up in worldly pursuits and focused on forging bonds of friendship and fellowship with other people that they neglect to develop the personal relationship with Jesus that Scripture says is essential for salvation and the only way to heaven. When we put God at the center of our lives and our interactions with others and make Him our highest priority, however, we grow in His grace and knowledge, and our earthly human relationships flourish rather than flounder or fall apart.

Just as time spent with family and friends allows us to know them on a personal level, time devoted to fervent prayer and diligent study of God’s Word are keys to cultivating an everlasting relationship with Jesus and enjoying intimate communion and fellowship with Him, here and hereafter. As we get to know the Son of God better and mature spiritually, divinely-imparted wisdom allows us to understand through faith the great sacrifice Christ has made for our sins and prompts us to fully appreciate and joyfully receive His offer of grace, forgiveness, and salvation.

To know God personally is to invest not in the fickle things of this world that quickly pass away but to receive the imperishable return of an eternal inheritance and a heavenly reward that comes by knowing Christ in your heart as well as in your head. This personal heartfelt knowledge of God gives meaning and purpose to life and is the source and substance of everlasting peace and security.




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