KP: Real Knowing Takes Purposeful Time

KP Writes:

My mind rarely finds rest from from a restless swirling of thoughts: tasks to be done, blog articles to be written, newsletters to create, home school to be taught, children's cares, the demands of days, finances, future...you know the story. But in a moment, if I purpose to set my mind on the Lord, a scripture verse or thought from Him often pops into my head. Reflecting now, I am reminded of a hymn that says, "There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God".

Which, brings me to my next thought. We have realized that people suppose that they know our family from reading our blogs, newsletters, hearing about us and what we 'do', seeing us around, knowing our extended family members, etc...Yes, words do help and provide some truth as do pictures. But without spending time in our presence, people can only suppose that they know us.

Often people fill in the gaps of what they do not know about us using their imagination and ascribing to us their own values and and tastes. But most of the time, what they have supposed about us is not really true. To know us truly, they must spend time with us over a period of time in the real moments of our lives with us.

So, still pondering the line, 'There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God' - it struck me that the principle is the profoundly the same with Him. You cannot just read words on a page, or sit in a pew once a week thinking of what you will have for lunch, or read a 5 minute blog post and really know Him.

A real relationship is built over time through every moment of sharing life.

You cannot just read God's Facebook profile and suppose you can be close to His heart. To be near to His heart-understanding His heart, believing He really loves you, experiencing His personality, requires hours and hours of real life in His presence-knowing His words through the voice of scripture and then talking to Him-pouring out your heart in prayer that is engaging with Him in the privacy of your own room, all alone, believing-living through years of seeing His faithfulness.

God is grand, beyond our imagination, everywhere, powerful, gentle. We may never know Him fully. But acknowledging His presence in the reality of a quiet snow storm, the painted evening sunset, the comforting embrace of a friend or lover, the grace of forgiving, gentle words from a loved one, in the flesh real live person who is being God to us, laughing or crying or having a warm, intimate embrace, and actively loving Him through each moment, we understand that He was the designer of these gracious moments of life.

It can't be found from saying, "Tomorrow, I will do better." Or "Tomorrow I will make myself have a devotional," with guilt in my heart.

It is found in a heart fully alive to Him-through my messing up and my being a child in my faith-but loving, loving and seeking Him while He may be found. It is not virtual-imagined by reading one more book, but it is days upon days of just being, walking with, talking to, resting in-His presence, in His word, contemplating Him, complaining to Him, doubting Him, knowing His patient grace and love when most undeserved-just like a real relationship. If I invest my time and my heart, I will indeed end up with a real relationship.

And so if I am to find that place of quiet rest-it must be as a result of being with Him, day in day out and then coming to know. Knowing and understanding Him through all the moments of my life, through what He has made, what He has said, what He has taught me through His Holy Spirit, what I have learned from being with other godly people who are filled with His attributes. It is a real live relationship-exciting, always mysterious, an adventure. Being close to His heart-will always, always bring confidence, peace, security.

If I engage my worship of Him through all the moments of walking life with Him as my closest companion, then a natural result will be that I will be and feel near to His heart and then I will find that being there, it is a place of quiet rest. But, this is a life intentionally lived and pursued. Without the investment of heart, time, mind and soul (loving Him with our heart, soul, mind, strength), there can be no rest. If I invest my whole being in Him, with all honesty as I am with Him, getting to know Him, then I will come to find more than I ever hoped for.

Kristian