Know the true God!

Today’s scripture:

Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. (Acts 17:29)

The Lord is constantly pursuing our hearts! He is in so much more in pursuit of us than we are of Him. I mean take a look at how He knows us so intimately. He knows every hair we have on our body (Luke 12:7). He designed our DNA. He knows everything there is to know about you.

God is not limited to any one place or any one time. He cannot be contained to any specific thing or thought of our own. He is not known by a physical appearance. There is no direction you can look and not find Him. He is mysterious yet simple. He is present in other galaxies yet He sits right next to you.

“Am I only a God nearby, ”
declares the Lord,
 “and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places
 so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
 “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24) Have you ever considered why God does not want us to make carved images even if they are an image of Him?

Lets look at the second of the ten commandments in Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” – Every human being has at his heart an altar. This means we are designed to worship. That is what we are meant to do. The question is what is at the altar of our heart.

I grew up going to a catholic church and Sunday after Sunday when we did go, I would always look at the statue of Jesus hanging on the cross (the crucifix) way up high at the front of the sanctuary. I remember thinking it was a picture of Jesus that brought a depressing and a grievance upon myself. I think that was one reason I had a hard time thinking that Jesus was happy to die for me. I also think that making carved images limits how much we will let God into our hearts because we tend to see Him in a way that wasn’t meant for us to see Him. I believe God wants us to know Him just like Jesus knew Him. In fact that is the whole reason Jesus died for us, so we can be near to God and spend eternity with Him.

Reflection:

The mercy in this commandment is more about us receiving the true nature of God and to know Him apart from any limitations we put before us. How can He work in our lives if we limit Him consciously or subconsciously? This is mercy for our need to be protected from that and to receive ALL of Him. Please refer to the mercy tab found at the top of this blog for a special definition of mercy.

I Challenge you:

This command is to keep us on the right path with God. Cry out to God and ask Him to give you mercy. Ask Him to give you ALL of Himself. He wants to, just ask.

-Doug McGowan