To Know My Lord

Let me see Your complexion,
Every freckle, every hair of Your face,
Every curl of Your head if it is curled,
Every twinkle from the deep eyes of grace.
Let me remember the curve of Your chin,
Your nose, Your cheeks when they frown or smile,
The warmth of Your skin emanating life
To him it will touch. I sit at Your feet while
I gaze on all Your features You allow
Visible to me. Let me learn
All the sad wrinkles this world has brought upon Your face,
But not their stories, should they all but burn
Me with grief, burdens too great for my frame.
But grant me the heart and mind to know You,
What makes You smile or what Your eyes
Desire to look upon. Make my eyes new.
Then as surely as I know Your face
I will recognize You in any place.

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father (Jn. 14:8-9).

Day 3

The contemporary worship song “In the Secret” begins,

In the secret
In the quiet place
In the stillness you are there
In the secret, in the quiet hour
I wait, only for you
Because I want to know you more.

In Elijah’s story on Mount Sinai, God was not in the storm or the fire or the earthquake, but the still small voice that came afterward (1 Kings 19:11-12).

But God is also in turbulent times too. He rained fire from heaven on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:38). He was with the Israelites in their many battles, and Jesus left people screaming when He cast out demons. One of Daniel’s visions from God left him depressed and sick for days (Daniel 8:27). King David wrote many of his Spirit-inspired songs and poems while he was fleeing for his life. So do we know where He is and where He is not?

As I write this, I struggle about God’s will in a big upcoming decision. I’m not sure God really cares whether I choose peanut butter and jelly or turkey for lunch, but in issues of choosing long-term community and ministry, He does. And here I am, a believer for many years, who has heard and known God’s will so many times, now in this struggle, and I imagine Jesus asking me, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me?”

When the disciples were empowered with the Holy Spirit, they became leaders and they had incredible discernment. God entrusted His Church to them. And God gives contemporary believers the same Holy Spirit. Our faith in God is the difference between hearing God’s voice from heaven and just hearing thunder (John 12:29). Our reliance on the Holy Spirit is the difference between seeing the throne room of heaven and gnashing our teeth in angry frustration (Acts 7:54-56).

May we passionately pursue knowing our God more each day, and may He give us grace when we doubt His presence.

If you enjoyed this material, please leave a like or comment on my blog and you can purchase my book, Learning to Love: A Collection of Poetry and Devotionals, on Amazon. Until next time, God bless.