The obedience of Moses, the boldness of Elijah, the heartbeat of David, and the faith of Abraham came as a result of their intimate relationship and knowledge of God.
Without question you must purpose in your heart to know God, not with a "puppy-love" mentality that looks merely for benefits, but with a knowledge of God that brings Him into the supreme and rightful place of Lord over your life.
Both God and mankind long for an intimate relationship together. God reaches out, and we must reach up. Rediscovering the majesty of God will be the inspiration for you to seek to know Him.
The prophet Hosea spoke out to Israel and said: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land" (Hos. 4:1).
Let's Not Be Lukewarm Toward God
God clearly states the cause of His covenant people's falling away. They had allowed the important issues of life to go by the wayside. God wanted them restored. He was reaching out to them as He reaches out to you. His objective is to create in your relationship a sense of confidence and joyful stability.
There is a need to be aware of what brings growth to a person's life. One of the most damaging wedges between two people is a sense of insecurity because of a lack of commitment toward each other. God wants you to be aware of His continued commitment to lift your life.
He longs for the commitment of your heart to know Him with an increasing depth. Three areas promote growth: truth, mercy, and the knowledge of God. Where these are lacking there exists a cold or lukewarm religious form.
Notice in verse 6 what happens when you lack the knowledge of God: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…. The same point is emphasized again in Isaiah 5:13: "Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge…."
People are destroyed and taken captive because of a failure to deeply know God and what He will respond to. The people of Israel had turned away from their knowledge of God and they were reaping calamities, a harvest of their disobedience. Many Christians today have failed to understand that their own problems largely are the consequences of the same cause - lack of a true knowledge of God.
It is not the desire of God for people to live under the fear and pressure of financial and economic crisis. The fear of what the future holds has turned many from experiencing joy to fatalistic depression. The fear of failing health, the dread of divorce, or the mental torment of dreams crumbling can be an emotional prison.
God has given specific instructions in order to prevent His people from remaining in bondage:
Acquaint now yourself with Him, and enjoy peace, by which great gain will come to you. Accept the instruction from His mouth, and treasure His words in your mind.He said, "Acquaint now yourself with Him." That is the key to peace in your mind and body. Becoming familiar with Him is the way in which great gain will come to you in every area of life.
If you will return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you will put away unfairness from your tents, throw your precious treasure to the dust, regard your gold of Ophir as valueless as the stones of the brook, and make the Almighty your gold nuggets and your silver ore, then you will delight in the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God.
You will pray to Him; He will hear you, and you will pay your vows to Him. When you come to a decision, it will be established, and light will shine upon you all the way.
(Job 22:21-28 MLB)
He is the most precious part of life - a treasure beyond value. When we look to Him, we have an assurance that He is ever present and willing to reveal His goodness to us and surround us with His favor.
Faith in God becomes as common as your breath. The Bible teaches in Romans 10:17, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Why is it that the Word of God creates faith?
It is because every word in the Bible brings a revelation of who God is: His nature, His power, His desires. The words are energized with spiritual power that shows God to the reader or the listener.
The deeper you know God, the stronger your faith. The struggle for faith is replaced by the realization that God is faithful and trustworthy; then your faith develops without a struggle.
Hosea 6:3 says, "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning…." I don't know anyone who loses sleep wondering if the sun will rise in the morning.
When you "press in" to truly know God's character, you discover that He can be relied on and trusted. He is more faithful and unchangeable than the rising of the sun each morning.
Excerpt permission granted by Dennis Burke Ministries