To Know the Lord! – Jeremiah 31:34a

Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.

Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV)

“No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 31:34 (MSG)

“They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They’ll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow.”

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“And each man will no longer teach his neighbor and his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me [through personal experience], from the least of them to the greatest,” says the Lord.” -AMPLIFIED

“The new covenant brings new relationship with God. Those connected to God by the new covenant have personal, close relationship with God that they did not have before: they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.“ ~David Guzik

The Lord has declared that part of this New Covenant will be that He will write His Laws on the hearts and minds of His people. God’s Message:

“Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” -Jeremiah 31:33 (CSB)

And because God’s Laws will be written on the hearts and minds of every one of His children, there will no longer be a need to teach or admonish one another in the ways of the Lord, because each person will know Him personally, and will know what His expectations are. God’s Message to Israel:

“No longer will people have to teach each other or encourage their family members and say, “You must know the Eternal.” For all of them will know Me intimately themselves—from the least to the greatest of society.” -(VOICE)

“In that day”…we can look back to verse 31, the beginning of this section, and find this reminder of when these things will take place. These things will happen during the Messianic Age.

During this time, there will no longer be a need to teach others about the ways of the Lord. Why? Because each person will “know” the Lord personally. (Remember, this Message is directed towards the houses of Israel and Judah.) The VOICE translation conveys this “knowing” of the Lord wonderfully, “For all of them will know Me intimately themselves…” The children of Israel will finally “know” their Lord fully. Not just a few of them, like priests and prophets, but everyone great and small.

“’All of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” declares Yahweh.” -(NOG)

“At that time it will no longer be necessary to admonish one another to know the Lord. For everyone, both great and small, shall really know me then, says the Lord…” -(TLB)

“To know God is to be transformed, and thus to be introduced to a life that could not otherwise be experienced.” ~D. A. Carson 

Once the Lord has written His Laws on the heart of a person, then there comes about a transformation in their life, a change of heart. That person will then desire to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

“Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.” -Romans 12:1-2 (VOICE)

If we have been transformed and truly want to know the Lord, then we will be obedient to Him. John tells us this is a sure sign of an intimate relationship with the Lord:

“We know we have joined Him in an intimate relationship because we live out His commands. If someone claims, “I am in an intimate relationship with Him,” but this big talker doesn’t live out His commands, then this individual is a liar and a stranger to the truth.” -1 John 2:3-4 (VOICE)

David had the right attitude when he came humbly to the Lord asking Him to teach him to understand and know Him:

“DEMONSTRATE Your ways, O Eternal One. Teach me to understand so I can follow. EASE me down the path of Your truth. FEED me Your word because You are the True God who has saved me. I wait all day long, hoping, trusting in You.” -Psalm 25:4-5 (VOICE)

Solomon instructs us that the fear of the Lord, or reverence for Him, is the beginning of our true knowledge of Him:

“Reverence for the Eternal, the one True God, is the beginning of wisdom; true knowledge of the Holy One is the start of understanding.” -Proverbs 9:10 (VOICE)

Paul encourages us to have minds that are ready to know and receive more of the Lord:

“God of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, Father of Glory: I call out to You on behalf of Your people. Give them minds ready to receive wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe, and may it be done according to Your might and power.” -Ephesians 1:17-19 (VOICE)

“Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord.” ~J. I. Packer

My friend, do you know God, truly know Him? Or do you know about God? He wants us each to have a personal relationship with Him, to know Him intimately. The thing about a relationship is if we are trying to get to know someone, we need to spend time with them. We need to not just talk “at” that person, but “with” that person. I pray that you will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior.

“So hear my final words, my friends. Now that I have warned you about what’s ahead, keep up your guard and don’t let unprincipled people pull you away from the sure ground of the truth with their lies and misunderstandings. Instead, grow in grace and in the true knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Anointed, to whom be glory, now and until the coming of the new age. Amen.” -2 Peter 3:17-18 (VOICE)

“One of the most wonderful things about knowing God is that there’s always so much more to know, so much more to discover. Just when we least expect it, He intrudes into our neat and tidy notions about who He is and how He works.” ~Joni Eareckson Tada

My Prayer:

Adonai Elohim, my Great Lord, I want to know you, not just about you, but you, personally and intimately. I want be known as a friend of God. I desire to know you more and more, to grow in my wisdom of who you are and my knowledge and understanding of you. Lord, I ask that you reveal yourself to me in a deeper way. I hunger and thirst for more of you. Help me to have a hunger so deep for more of you that it is never satisfied, a thirst that is never quenched. More of you, Lord, that is what I need. Please, meet me here as I still myself and sit at your feet. Thank you, Lord.

Seek Him, Find Him and Know Him – Song of Solomon 3:3-4

Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.

Song of Solomon 3:3-4 (NIV)
“The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. “Have you seen the one my heart loves?” Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother’s house, to the room of the one who conceived me.”

Song of Solomon 3:3-4 (MSG)
“And then the night watchmen found me as they patrolled the darkened city. “Have you seen my dear lost love?” I asked. No sooner had I left them than I found him, found my dear lost love. I threw my arms around him and held him tight, wouldn’t let him go until I had him home again, safe at home beside the fire.
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“The watchmen who go around the city found me, and I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’ “Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held on to him and would not let him go until I had brought him to my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me.” -AMPLIFIED

“But to enjoy him we must know him. Seeing is savoring. If he remains a blurry, vague fog, we may be intrigued for a season. But we will not be stunned with joy, as when the fog clears and you find yourself on the brink of some vast precipice.” ~John Piper, Desiring God

Note: Let us remember that most translations interpret this passage to be a dream; a very real dream for our young Bride.

“The watchmen found me as they kept watch on the silent city. “Have you seen my soul’s true love?” I asked. Not long after I left them, I found him—I found my soul’s true love. I pulled him to me and would not let him go until I brought him to my mother’s house, to the very room where she conceived me.” -(VOICE)

We find our young Beloved out in the night seeking for her Lover whom has not returned. In her wandering, the watchmen, or police if you will, found her. They were watching for any enemies that might have been looking for a way to sneak into the city and destroy it. It was their job to keep the city safe. They stopped our young Bride, but it was she who questioned them, “Have you seen my soul-mate, my one true love?”

We are not told if they answered, only that our Beloved moves on, once again looking for her Lover. Thankfully, not long after her conversation with the watchmen, she finds him. We are not told where, when or how; we are only given her response in finding him, joy, overwhelming joy! The way our young Bride grabbed hold of her True Love conveys to us the idea that she was determined to never lose him again; so she leads him home, to her Mother’s house.

“The police stopped me, and I said to them, ‘Have you seen him anywhere, this one I love so much?’ It was only a little while afterwards that I found him and held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my childhood home, into my mother’s old bedroom.” -(TLB)

What should we be learning from this passage? How can we apply the actions of the young Bride to ourselves? What we can take away is her need to find her Groom. She was willing to do whatever it took to seek him, searching in the night, wandering in the darkness, talking to the authorities; she did not give up until she found him.

The Bible teaches us that we should seek for God and He will be found. We are all born with a deep longing to know and understand our Creator. Some of us choose to seek for Him, many do not; a few of us actually find Him because we are willing to seek for Him with our whole heart. The invitation has been given to every man, woman and child, but not everyone accepts the invitation:

“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”—God’s Decree—“bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.” -Jeremiah 29:13-14 (MSG)

Time after time, throughout Scripture we find God promising us that if we will seek after Him we will find Him. Take note:

* “But when you’re there, you’ll look for the Eternal your God. If every part of you is invested in the search, heart and soul, then you’ll find Him.” – Deuteronomy 4:29 (VOICE)

* “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually [longing to be in His presence].” -1 Chronicles 16:11 (AMP)

* “Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.” -Isaiah 55:6-7 (MSG)

* “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” -Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)

* “You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him.” -Hebrews 11:6 (TLB)

“I challenge you to tirelessly seek the Lord with ALL your heart, faith, and meekness and watch Him reveal His glory to you. Never put a time limit on Him. You will know you have found Him when He awakens your spirit and consumes you with His fire.” ~Mercy Abraham

My friend, are you seeking after God? Is it your heart’s desire to know Him more deeply? If you are a child of the Most High, are you continuing to seek Him and to know Him more? Never lose your hunger for more of Him.

“Just because you find God does not mean that you should stop seeking Him.” ~UNKNOWN

My Prayer:
Heavenly Father, may I never lose my hunger for more of you. Just as the dear pants for water, may my heart and soul pant for more and more of you. May I never reach the place where I am satisfied with things as they are in our relationship. I know I need to be hungering and thirsting for more of you. Help me to keep my priorities in their proper places. Remind me that GROWING in you and with you is my top priority; for if I am not growing, then I am dying. I am seeking after you, Lord, with my whole heart. I love you and need more of you!