All my life I have had an appetite for learning. From my earliest years I possessed a library card and every Saturday morning I would attend the local library, return the books I borrowed last week, and borrow some more to read the following week.

I earned two university degrees and one Seminary degree and as a senior citizen for 16 years I still seek knowledge. My recreational reading is Astronomy and Scientific American magazines. However, over the years, I have invested thousands of dollars each year in Biblical commentaries. There the power and wisdom of the Creator is displayed.

One of our verses for today was written by a Hebrew man named Paul. Hence, we need to refer to commentaries and good evangelical scholars’ books to understand what Paul means by the word “know”. It might surprise you to learn that Paul’s definition of knowing a person was not a simple awareness of someone. What Paul meant when he referred to “knowing God” was to be actively involved with Him.

The first example in the Old Testament of what knowing someone means is in Genesis 4:1 where the literal translation is, “…the man knew his wife Eve and she became pregnant…”. So, to know someone means to Hebrew people to be intimately involved with them one way or another.

Paul speaks of his insatiable appetite to go on knowing (experiencing) his Creator. Speaking reverently, Paul has an insatiable appetite to continue tasting and seeing the goodness of his Maker.

Whether in the pages of Holy Scripture, or studying the Creator’s works in creation, or observing a godly believer who imitates the Good Shepherd closely, there are lots of ways to “know” the Lord our Creator and Redeemer.

Each day seek to drink deep in the glorious wisdom and knowledge of our wonderful Maker stored up for us in the Bible. On a clear night go outside and look up into the heavens and consider how vast the universe is and then think that our God is infinitely greater and more glorious. For that matter look at a beautiful garden flower and enjoy the amazing artistry of the greatest Artist in history. Play Handel’s incomparable composition Messiah and consider it is nothing like the music of heaven.

Then, above all other testimonies to our great God is the story of redemption through the life, death, and resurrection of the Good Shepherd. That time in history outshines all other works of our Father in heaven. May you go on thirsting for the knowledge of your Lord and your great God today and every day until you see Him in glory.

Great God of wonders! all thy ways
are matchless, godlike and divine;
but the fair glories of thy grace
more godlike and unrivaled shine,
more godlike and unrivaled shine.

Refrain:

Who is a pard'ning God like thee?
Or who has grace so rich and free?
Or who has grace so rich and free?

In wonder lost, with trembling joy
we take the pardon of our God;
pardon for crimes of deepest dye,
a pardon bought with Jesus' blood,
a pardon bought with Jesus' blood. [Refrain]

O may this strange, this matchless grace,
this God-like miracle of love,
fill the whole earth with grateful praise,
and all th'angelic choirs above,
and all th'angelic choirs above. [Refrain]

- Samuel Davies