God Speaking

“will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”

(Jeremiah 24:7)

One of my favourite musicals was, The King and I, and one of my favourite songs in this spectacular production was, “Getting to know you”. Its lyrics are timeless and when check on the exact words, I’m struck again by the incredible meaning behind that word, knowing, especially when it is used regarding knowing a person. As I read the words I felt many of the lines could be fitting in describing how we learn to know who our Heavenly Father is and the wonderful joy it brings as we explore our relationship with him.

Getting to know anybody always takes some effort on our part and as well, time spent with that special person. It can only develop when we feel free to be ourselves. This is also true with our relationship with the Lord, we need to spend lots of time with him so we know how to converse with him and to be confident that we no longer must prove who we are, or to pretend we are anybody except our true selves. These words in the song sum it up

Getting to know you

Getting to feel free and easy

When I am with you

Getting to know what to say

Somebody was describing how well they knew a friend and put it this way. “I know her in my heart” This is exactly how our Heavenly Father wants us to know him and promises to help us to achieve this 

“I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord…” (Jeremiah 24: 7)

The psalmists also knew that once we became completely comfortable with the fact that the Lord knows us through and through, our meeting with him becomes so much more relaxed, as the words in the song say, “free and easy”.

“O, Lord you have searched me and you know me. You know me when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” (Psalm 139: 1 – 3)

I find it very liberating that the Lord knows everything about me, good and bad, and still loves me and wants me to feel totally at ease in his presence with no need to pretend to be anything else!

The Father certainly knows us, but if we want to have a true relationship with him we must spend lots of time, getting to know him. Jesus Christ has provided the way to do just that.

“Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17: 3)

So, whenever that lovely song starts running through my mind, I smile and think of it as an invitation to go and spend some more time getting to know my Heavenly Father