Getting to Know God

Author: Kim Proffer

Proverbs 8:17—I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently find Me.

My grandparents had a picture of Jesus on their living room wall. I stared at that artwork often. At one point, I wondered if it was a picture of a relative I had never met. When I got older, I realized it was a painting of Jesus looking out over the city. He loved saying, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,…How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Fewer mothers in the animal kingdom are more protective than a mother hen. Stories abound of hens caught in wildfires found burned to death with live chicks protected under their wings. Likewise, some hens have frozen to death while chicks remain alive and warm under her. What more intimate place can there be than in the shelter of one who loves so fiercely? At its most vulnerable, a baby puts its complete trust in its mother’s protection.

This is the kind of relationship God longs to have with you. He aches to see you overwhelmed by circumstances that leave you helpless. He longs to shelter you in times of despair. If you want to get to know someone at their core, learn what makes them cry. The Bible tells us that Jesus mourned over the fact that people were oblivious to the depth of His love for them.

Want to get to know God better? Learn to practice intimacy with Him. In your most difficult times, learn to give all your fears over to Him. Understand what it means to be completely satisfied in God, no matter what is happening all around you. The Bible tells us it breaks His heart when we try to do things without Him.

Maybe you have not known a place of safety or someone who could love you so much. God wants to be that person for you. So how do you get to know Him?

Begin with prayer. Honestly, express your fears and emotions. Leave religious chatter behind and talk to Him as your best friend.

Read your Bible. Even if you can only read a short portion, read anyway. Don’t understand what you read? Seek it out. Ask someone you trust to explain it or join a study group.

Study God’s character. Look for God’s character traits—compassion, mercy, never changing, all-powerful, all-knowing, jealous, etc. Ask yourself what those traits say about how God sees you.

Allow God to take care of you. He longs to protect and guide you. Don’t pull away when things get rough; run to Him. Search for Him. He has promised you will find Him.

In the Old Testament, David understood there was a secret place of intimate relationship God has for those who run to Him.

Psalm 91:1-4—The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust: He Himself will rescue you from the bird trap, from the destructive plague. He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.

When a hen signals to her chicks that she wants them to gather under her protection, she will increase her size and fluff her wings out. When she does this, her children know where to run for safety.

The walls of my parent’s house are covered with pictures of our family. The refrigerator is decorated with pictures drawn by the great-grandkids and paper clippings of their accomplishments. It reminds me that here, in this place, I am safe—I’m covered with love and prayer. Likewise, God has a place on His wall for your portrait. Come get to know Him better.

Reflection

O Lord, our Shelter, thank you for loving us so much! You have promised to be found when we diligently seek You. Teach us to immerse ourselves in You. Reveal Your extraordinary character to us in the ordinary activities of our day. Help us understand who You are and Your plan for us. In You, we put all our trust. AMEN.