It pleases God when we grow in knowledge of him. Our understanding of growing in knowledge of anyone is based on our concept of acquiring information of a person. As true as that is and necessary to aquire information about someone to get to know them, That is only a starting point. The apostle Paul had a different concept in mind when he said “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Take a look about a couple of examples of the way God looks at things. He says he has chosen the foolish and weak things of this world to confound the wise and strong. Our concept the opposite position. “Only the strong survive, there is power in knowledge.” These things are true but they refer to a life dependent on who we are and what we can accomplish, instead of a life of dependence on God alone. God also says “the last shall be first’ and ‘to be great you must become a servant.” Again this sounds opposite to what we were told when we were growing up.
I’m not advocating living a life shrouded in ignorance nor living an unhealthy life style or avoiding strengthening our bodies. That would be ridiculous.
If we grow in the academic aspect regarding our knowledge of God alone we create in ourselves the distinct possibility of self pride, arrogance and religious piety that will equal that of the Pharisees and Sadducees that Jesus spoke so strongly against during the first century when he said “beware of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.”
When we are taught to grow in the knowledge of God it's not an academic by itself but relational through experience. This idea makes me think of a time when I was chasing my wife. Yes I said chasing. I wanted to learn everything about her so I could impress her and learn to please her. I wanted to spend time with her. I wanted her to want to spend time with me. I figured if I knew what made her happy, figuring out what made her smile and laugh she would do everything she could to get more time with me. Soon I wanted to know how she thought and what motivated her to act the way she did. I wanted to avoid what made her mad or fearful. I wanted to know what her dreams and aspirations were. I wanted to know what made her who she is.
This kind of knowledge is both academic and relational. The relational knowledge was and still is only found out by experiencing her, by spending time with her and studying her. After 32 years of being married to my wife, the same holds true today as it did 32 years ago. As we both change through the years it requires me paying close attention to her and her needs, desires and dreams.
In Mark 4:35-41. Jesus had the disciples get in a boat with him to set sail across the Sea of Galilee. As we pick up the story Jesus is sleeping and there is a squall that forms as they are in the middle of the sea. The wind is blowing and the waves were big enough to sink the boat. The disciples panic, consider that these guys were seasoned fishermen. Some small amount of wind and waves wouldn’t have frightened them, Mark records that these fearless young men were afraid for their lives. They wake Jesus out of a dead sleep, he immediately takes action and calms the storm, the waves subside and all is calm. He says to them “why are so afraid, do still have no faith?” Growing in the knowledge of God will cause us to call out to him first instead of panic first. Spending time with him in prayer and in his words, the Bible, we learn how he actually feels about us. We learn we can trust him to keep us safe in all things.
God’s desire is always relational. He wants us to know everything there is about him. That’s why he put his Spirit in us. John 16:13-14 says: “But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak from his own thoughts or intentions, but whatever he hears he will speak; and he will reveal to you what is to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is from me and will place it in your hearts making it known to you.”
God wants us to learn about him and experience him through an ongoing daily relationship. Growing in knowledge of God will be very shallow if all we do is acquire information about him and don’t know how he feels and thinks about us and everything around us. The depth of God is way too great for us to limit our knowledge of him to simply an academic study of the Bible and not delve into the depths of who he is personally. The written words he left for us will always keep us from getting off track with him because of our emotions. Our emotions are a gift from him so we can experience intimacy with him. He is very balanced and will always keep us balanced if we stay consistent in our full knowledge of him and always gaining more knowledge of who he is. Growing in relationship with him daily the way he intended with us the way he always desired from his early walks in the cool of the garden with Adam and Eve.
Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your paths straight.
