If you’re a believer, you’ve probably already defined God for yourself. You’re comfortable with what you know and may not even wonder if there’s anything more to learn. When J.B. Phillips wrote the book, Your God Is Too Small, he gave us a picture of putting God in a box. We define God, set our comfort zones, and then put Him in a box that we can open as needed. It works for a while, but does it really fulfill the soul?
The psalmist declares that his spirit thirsts for God. Thirst is a driving force. It seeks to be satisfied and doesn’t give up. Our need for water keeps most of us engaged, sipping from our favorite container, keeping it close, so we don’t have to look very far for it. If God is our Living Water, then why don’t we keep Him just as close, if not closer? Why don’t we yearn to know more of Him and fulfill the longing of our hearts and souls?
It may be that like Jacob, we still struggle with God. We aren’t sure how far to go with Him? After all, people might look at us as somehow losing a grip on reality or moving away from a more polite faith. We want some of God, but do we want all of God? It’s a question worth perusing because God is big. God is so big that He knows everything about you. He knows your motivations and temptations. He knows your hopes to be a better person. He knows every breath you take. He is a God of details. Well, if He knows all that about you, doesn’t it stand to reason that you really want to know more about Him, about the God Who Is?
Trust me, this is a question I ask myself often. I wonder if I’m ready to know more, or if I’m equipped to know more, or even if God wants me to know more. The thing is, I believe He’s ready any time to share more of Himself with me, if I just get Him out of the box and let Him reveal His truths to me. I don’t have to worry about what the world calls reality. I don’t have to wonder what is happening outside that seems crazy, because I have enough to do to look inside and figure out how God and I are going to get to know one another better, that is, how I am going to get to know Him better. If you ever wonder that, then here’s a place to start:
- Ask God to reveal more of Himself to you right now.
- Search for God through Scripture, Faithful followers, and the Holy Spirit.
- Thirst for God, never stopping until you feel satisfied.
- Allow God to be big, bigger than you ever imagined.
- Know that God wants a relationship with you that equips, comforts, and shines a light on your life.
Like Jacob, you may struggle to know God, but once you do, the God who is will bless you beyond measure.