Monday.  So, I know a lot of people don’t love Mondays, but I actually anticipate them!  Crazy, right?  Why in the world would someone love Mondays?  Well, I love them because they offer me the time to hit the refresh button on existing goals + start with fresh energy . . . and maybe throw in some new ones.

That means, of course, that I’m going to have to be intentional.  One area that I’ve desired to be more intentional in this year is my relationship with God.  Psalm 46:10 commands us to “be still, and know that I am God,” and that is what we have the fresh opportunity to do every single month, week, and day.    

Hey!  Wanna join me in that intentional pursuit to know our God more? I certainly hope that we take this journey together, for it’s a life-changing journey we don’t want to miss. 

The first way that we can intentionally know Him more is through His Word.  

As we read His Word, we can come to know Him through studying + claiming His promises:

~ In Psalm 23, we see how our God lovingly fulfills His promises to His children through guidance, sustenance, rest, protection, comfort, blessing, His goodness, and an eternal home. 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

~Promises of His goodness, strength, and fortitude are on display in Psalm 27:13, 14.    

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.   Wait on the Lord:  be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart:  wait, I say, on the Lord.

~Isaiah 40:31reminds us of the strength and victory He promises those who trust in Him. It remains one of my mom’s favorite verses.  

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

~Promises of hope, compassion, new mercies, and His faithfulness encourage our hearts in Lamentations 3:21-23.   This passage is a personal favorite in our home.  J

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.  It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

His Word is truly brimming with examples of His promises to us, reminding us of His love + tender care over every aspect of our lives.  His promises are true, but are we claiming them?  

If we’ve not been claiming the promises of God, we can choose to intentionally pursue our God today, focusing on His promises + knowing Him more every day.  But wait . . . there’s more!!!! 

Not only can we know Him more as we study His promises in His Word, but we can also know Him more as we see His working in others’ lives.

~Remember Job?  Job is one of my favorite books of the Bible – so much to learn about our God as we thumb those pages!  In Job 38:1-6, God shows Himself as Sovereign and as Creator in Job’s life.         

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof.

~What about Moses? As we read Exodus 13:20-22, we see how God shows Himself as Guide and Protector in his life.  God desires to work in our lives in the same way, providing guidance and protection for us in our moments of need.  

And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

~And then there’s Rahab   How faithful He was to show Rahab His goodness and redemptive power in Hebrews 11:30-31.  

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.  By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

~And we can’t forget Noah!  Hebrews 11:7 reminds us how God showed His power and protection on a number of occasions in Noah’s life. 

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Once again, God’s Word is truly brimming with examples  – examples this time of His working in others’ lives!  

You know what?  We don’t have to be Job, Moses, or Rahab to experience God’s working in our lives.  All we must do is rest in His promises and trust that He is good + that He desires to work in our lives to accomplish great things for His honor and glory. 

Each day you + I can thirst to know our God more.  It’s an intentional pursuit. It’s a life-changing pursuit.  I anticipate making this journey together!   

We’ll look at the second way we can intentionally know Him more in my next post!  Until then, I pray both you + I set aside the time to build our relationship with our Lord, for it’s the dearest of relationships.