KNOWING GOD …

“The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli […] Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord.” – 1 Samuel 3: 1a, 7a

I have come to realize that a person can try or pretend to serve the Lord without really knowing Him. Samuel was in the house of the Lord and even the passage says that he ministered before the Lord, but surprisingly enough, he had not yet known the Lord. God deemed it important to let Himself known to Samuel because He knew that the boy could not serve Him acceptably without knowing Him.  Many are those who minister before the Lord in a specific way. Some are regular in their church services, others are faithful with their tithes and offerings and even others do evangelism; but still don’t know God.

Knowing God goes far beyond the human endeavor to please God and men. Knowing God means seeing as God sees and doing things as God does them. Jesus knew the Father that is why he was ready to give everything it takes to have God’s will done. “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them” (Matthew 9: 36). How do we see those who are needy and vulnerable today? If everybody can reach the level of knowing God, the ministry will be done differently. Many people are not ready to go an extra mile to have God’s work done because they don’t know God.

Every Christian should question himself/herself to know if he/she really knows God. The answer to this question will determine the level of our commitment to the ministry God has called us for. Knowing God will help each one to serve without constraints and give the best of himself/herself. We need to know God in order to serve Him acceptably.

Lord, thank you for loving us even if we don’t really know you. We need more of your grace to be able to know you as you are and serve you as you want.