Knowing and Enjoying God 7

As we’ve observed, God encourages us to know Him. Add to this the challenge of the Westminister Catechism which asks: “What is the chief end of man?” Answer. “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.” Know God. Glorify God. Emjoy God.

Let’s examine the glorifying of God. 1 Peter 4:11 tells us: Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever!

What does it mean to “glorify God?”A simple answer is found in l Corinthians 10:31. So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Instead. our natural tendency is to “do it” for the glory of self. Examine this with me, allowing the following adaptation of Thomas Watson’s writings to enlighten us.

Glorifying God consists in four things: 1. Appreciation, 2. Adoration, 3. Affection, 4. Subjection. Watson says, “This is the yearly rent we pay to the crown of heaven.”

1. Appreciation. To glorify God is to set God highest in our thoughts and to have a venerable esteem of him. Psalm 92:8. "Thou, Lord, art most high for evermore." Psalm 97:9, "Thou art exalted far above all gods." We glorify God when we are God-admirers; admire his attributes, which are the glistening beams by which the divine nature shines forth. To glorify God is to have God-admiring thoughts; to esteem him most excellent.

2. Glorifying God consists in adoration, or worship. Psalm 29:2. "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." Worship Him formally in church gatherings. Worship Him spontaneously throughout the day.

3. Affection. This is part of the glory we give to God, who counts himself glorified when he is loved. Deut. 6:5, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul." A love of delight, as a man takes delight in a friend. This is to love God indeed; the heart is set upon God, as a man's heart is set upon his treasure. This love is exuberant, not a few drops, but a stream. To love God is to glorify him. He who is the chief of our happiness has the chief of our affections.

4. Subjection. This is when we dedicate ourselves to God, and stand ready dressed for his service. “Here am I Lord, send me.”
Glorify God “TO” enjoy Him forever.

Have a great weekend of glorifying and enjoying God more profusely.

Knowing and Enjoying God - 6

Let’s continue our quest in knowing God. What is your “feltness" picture of God? Not what you know about God but how you feel about Him. At times feelings can be stronger and make a deeper impression than thoughts.

Is your view of God like a Santa God: “making a list and checking it twice…” Like He keeps tab of your good and “bad” activity?

Or, is it one of a Corporate CEO: climb the ladder, but always one more rung to climb – never quite good enough?

Scrooge: “all I've done for you - you owe me.”

Grandfather: “Do what you like, be happy, no consequences, ask for anything, I'll give it to you."

Uncaring stepdad: uninterested, uninvolved.

General Patton: “I don’t care how you feel, just do as I say”

Consider praying and writing with me about how we’d like to see our perception of God change, asking Him to show us misperceptions and to give us a clearer vision of who He really is.

Think spring!

I’m wanting to know and enjoy God better, because the more I know Him, the more I want. The appeite is insatiable. Along with this hunger, the Bible challenges us to know God.

2 Peter 1:2LB Do you want more and more of God’s kindness and peace? Then learn to know him better and better. For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life; he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us. And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character.

Proverbs 9:10 LB For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding.

Hosea 6:6,3LB I don’t want your sacrifices, I want your love; I don’t want your offerings, I want you to know me. Oh, that we might know the Lord. Let us press on to know him, and he will respond to us as surely as the coming of dawn or the rain of early spring.

Jeremiah 9: 23-24 This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.

1 Timothy 6:21 LB They missed the most important thing – they didn’t know God.

A little girl drawing a picture was observed by her mother, who asked her what she was doing. “I’m drawing a picture of God,” the little girl said. Her mom replied, “No one knows what God looks like.” To which her daughter exclaimed, “they’ll know when I’m finished drawing.”

The Bible challenges us to know God and J.I. Packer in his book, Knowing God, concurs: “We are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing the God whose world it is and who runs it. The world becomes a strange and painful place, and life in it is a disappointing and unpleasant business for those who do not know God. Disregard the study of God and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.”

And yet, Thomas Aquinas claims God is utterly unknowable." No thoughts can contain him, no words express him. He is beyond anything we can intellectualize or imagine."

Oswald Chambers adds to this thought: "What is God like? God is not like anything; that is, He is not exactly like anything or anybody. We learn by using what we already know as a bridge over which we pass to the unknown. It is not possible for the mind to crash suddenly past the familiar into the totally unfamiliar. When the prophet Ezekiel saw heaven opened and beheld visions of God, he found himself looking at that which he had no language to describe.

If, dear reader, you have any thoughts on this apparent dilemma, please email me at rburwick@mindspring.com.

Knowing and Enjoying God - 4

Rich words from others continue to add to the study of Enjoying and Knowing God. Here is a peak into Barb’s kitchen window.

I was raised in a dysfunctional home where I didn't know I was loveable or likeable or worthy of love, time, and attention. I was deeply wounded by the time I accepted Christ in college. I applied my wounded perspective of love to the Father and lived a great deal of my Christian life feeling that I was on the group plan of being loved...For God so loved The World. I didn't know how much He loved me personally.

When I started exposing my true feelings and wounds to the Father, He healed me....it felt good to feel good. The black clouds of dysfunction were dissipated by the gentle rain of his love. So seeing the Lord as my healer, the lover of my soul draws me to Him....at times I just run to Him, because I ache to feel his love, His healing touch.

The darkness of my soul returned this past summer when I could not sense Him due to the drugs and their effects. But he came to me in His people....He told me that later when I could hear Him again. His Scriptures speak deeply to my soul of his love and his purposes for me. I hear Him in his Word...I feel Him when I pray...or when I take the sacred moments of my life to just be aware of Him. My pain shows me how powerful He is....He is bigger that it. So the natural everyday occurrences of pain, dysfunction and grief in this life are just tools in His hands to show me Himself. He is too big to use just one thing.

All of life's experiences are ordained to show me Him. Each moment is a direct encounter with Him. I like Kipling's poem "If".....If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same. Everything leads back to Him. Nothing is to be our master, but our servants.
Thanks Barb, for your words of encouragement and instruction.

Knowing and Enjoying God - 3

Barron's sister, Kendall, lives out the Burwick BB DNA

Continued thoughts on “knowing and enjoying God.” Jim writes sharing one of the blessings of knowing and enjoying God more deeply.
“I have literally awakened in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning praying and communicating with Abba Papa. I am stricken with awe as I sense his closeness in those special times.” Thanks Jim, for the encouragement.

I’m impressed with Gary’s authentic and astute observations on this topic. Gary wrote, saying: "I may be less esoteric than your higher plane. I seek to know God and interact with God:
1. I need to know appropriate things; I am curious and given my own way, I, like Eve, would eat from Knowledge of Good and Evil. I do not have godly judgment of what is appropriate for me without first knowing PaPa. Knowing Him is not only His ways but also His heart. He created with design, not only the whole of creation but also me. Despite the Age of Enlightenment and the paradigm of Reason, I am not aware enough of His design of me to journey only in that purpose--I want to discover myself. Knowing Him and His heart puts me back in touch with His desires, His intent for me.

"2. Knowing Him intimately is the only way to give reason to an otherwise chaotic, fallen world. I cannot discern enough of the true character of God by my own perception. Without His revealing Himself in relationship to Me, I cannot relate to the world around me. It is too damaged a place and unless I see His revealed purpose in and for it, I know not how to relate to what is around me. I cannot make sense out of the senseless without divine perspective.

"3. I need Someone higher than myself to reference. The "lead me to a Rock higher than I" is not just an interesting word picture but also an imperative. I cannot see beyond myself unless I am lifted up to Him; I must be above the world, not in an ego trip but in a separation that sees from God's perspective. And I must love One who can do that, who can change my fallenness and elevate my perspective of reality to match His. This One is worthy of worship, of devotion, of my love, much more than the things around me that grasp for a hold on me."
Wow, Gary! What depth of riches are mined by your words. Thanks for the insight and the challenge. I’ve reread this a few times and get something new out of it each time.

Barb shares with us in tomorrow's post.

Knowing and Enjoying God - 2

Barron Olaf, ready for battle!

Three wonderful responses came to my query of yesterday - why and how do you know and enjoy God? Thanks Dan, Barb and Gary. These next posts will communicate the nuggests of truth they shared.

From Dan: I think there may be even another perspective. What has been presented so far seems to imply that knowing God better is something I personally initiate.

I think that God is at work at all times drawing me into a closer relationship with Himself. He will use whatever means He deems best based upon what it is in my life that is a barrier.
Sometimes adversity and sometimes enjoyment or exhilaration is His tool.

My challenge is to be prepared to recognize His outstretched hand and respond in faith. Scripture, prayer, praise, and all the spiritual disciplines can help prepare me to better perceive His hand at work.

I can hardly wait to share the other two nuggets with you in the next posts.

Knowing and Enjoying God

Barron Olaf Burwick and mother in baptism suit. Had a great trip to Kentucky where my first Burwick grandson was baptised. Check out that spiked hair at 7 weeks old!

Knowing and Enjoying God
My favorite dessert is Mississippi Mud Pie. The more I eat the more I desire – up to a point! This is a poor analogy for why I desire greater intimacy with God. But it is true, the closer the fellowship with Him, the more I desire – except there is no limit.

How do you and I enjoy deeper closeness with Abba PaPa? How is that accomplished? I’d be interested in your thoughts regarding the following. My Wednesday morning men’s group enlightened me this morning – helping me create a better balanced approach.

My view. I believe we learn ABOUT God through study of Scripture and books. Learning ABOUT God is enhanced by memorizing Scripture. However, I think the real KNOWING of God comes through adversity of some type. Pain. Loss. Confusion. Relational challenges. It is through those times that we take what we’ve learned about God, apply it to the adverse situation and a deeper connection with God ensues. Thus it seems that “NEED” is the prerequisite for knowing God more intimately.

My group concurred to a point. They said, “You’re missing something. That sounds like God is looking for ways to inflict pain to draw you closer.” The implication being that God is a sadist and I am a masochist. As Norweigans would say, “OOPHDA!” That’s not appropriate. They suggested that pleasure can be a motivation to know God more deeply. One referred to being on a mountain top during elk season and watching the splendor of a sunrise. “That creates in me a ‘want to’ rather than a ‘need to’ desire for God.”

As I revisit this study of “Knowing and Enjoying God”, I’d be interested in your feedback on these two questions: 1. Why pursue knowing and enjoying God; and, 2. How do you pursue knowing and enjoying God. Please send your thoughts, today if possible to rburwick@mindspring.com.

Olympics

The Special Olympics are being held in our area. Athletes from all over the world are here competing for the gold. Reminds me of one of the most famous olympic athletes ever. I'll let Os Hillman remind us of Liddel's story.

Eric Liddell was an Olympic runner from Britain who won a gold medal in the 1924 Paris Olympics. He was a man who had a deep commitment to the Lord and had future plans of being a missionary. In the meantime, he knew God had given him a special gift to run, and he often said, "I feel God's pleasure when I run."

He spent years training for the Olympics. He passed each hurdle and qualified for the Olympics. Finally, the day came for him to run in the games that were held in Paris. There was only one problem. One of his running events was held on Sunday. Liddell refused to run on Sunday, believing it dishonored the Lord's Sabbath. He held to his convictions and brought great persecution on himself. He made a decision that even if it meant losing his opportunity to compete, he would not run.

God's laws were greater than man's applause. Just when the circumstances seemed hopeless, another situation arose that allowed Liddell to run on a different day. So often this is the case in the spiritual realm. God tests our hearts to see if we will remain faithful to Him at the cost of something important to us. Once He knows where our loyalty lies, He opens a new door that meets the desires of our hearts. God takes pleasure in seeing His creation used for His glory.

Liddell understood why he was made to run; he used his gift of running to bring pleasure to his Creator. Later, Eric Liddell went on to serve God on the mission field.
Does your life work bring pleasure to the Lord? Do you understand that God instilled certain gifts and talents in you so that He might find pleasure in His creation of you? Take pleasure in the gifts God has given to you this day. And let His glory shine through you.

Uzziah - 3

In our previous post on King Uzziah of Judah we observed: “Power led to Pride, which led to disobedience, when confronted led to fury and subsequent punishment by God.”

Just a quick peak at Uzziah’s son and the fourth generation in this story. 2 Chron.27 tells us that Uzziah’s son Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king and the chapter lists his accomplishments. Verse 6: King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God. He was not a butthead! He broke the generational “but sin.”

Back to Uzziah. He pleased God. God made him very successful. He became proud, then rebellious resulting in leporsy. A number of passages speak to the destructiveness of pride. Let me ask you a question: why is God so against pride? Allow me to give you some Scripture that may help you with your answr.

Psalm 10:4 4 The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead.
Psalm 73:6 6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty.
Prov. 2:14 Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin.
1 Jn 2:16 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

Why does God hate pride so much? It is destructive to our dependency upon God to do “greater things through us” than what we can do ourselves. Pride tends to make us self-dependent instead of a healthy dependency on God. It also can cause us to forget our relationship with God, best described in Deut.8:11-14: Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, by forgetting to keep the laws and decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied;when you build fine homes and settle down; when your flocks and herds multiply and your silver and gold increases; then you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out of slavery, out of the land of Egypt.

Possibly you and I don’t see ourselves as cocky or prideful. But let’s check out Nancy Demoss’s list of proud peoples’ subtle characteristics and see if we have any Uzziah potential.
A proud person is quick to blame others.

Finds it difficult to share their spiritual needs with others.

Has a hard time saying, “I was wrong. Will you forgive me?”

Tends to deal in generalities when confessing their sin.

Don’t think they have anything to repent of.

Don’t think they need revival but that everyone else does.

Do any of these apply to you and me?

Key points to remember from the study of Uzziah:
God would like to give us Success (Joshua 1:8)
Pride can cause a great fall
Influence of a dad both positively and negatively
The Importance of Total Commitment to God - no butts

Uzziah part 2

Pray for our military personnel.
Uzziah’s father and grandfather set the example: “They did what was pleasing to the Lord, BUT…” Between 2 Chronicles 27 and 2 Kings 15, we observe this about Uzziah: powerful warrior whose fame spread; built fortified cities; dug water cisterns; managed a vast cattle herd; was a farmer; had 307,500 elite troops; produced new weapns that flung arrows and stones from towers.


2 Chronicles 26:15b tells us, "His fame spread far and wide, for the Lord gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful." Verse 16 and on describes the results.



16 But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar. 17 Azariah the high priest went in after him with eighty other priests of the Lord, all brave men. 18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is the work of the priests alone, the descendants of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The Lord God will not honor you for this!”



19 Uzziah, who was holding an incense burner, became furious. But as he was standing there raging at the priests before the incense altar in the Lord’s Temple, leprosy suddenly broke out on his forehead. 20 When Azariah the high priest and all the other priests saw the leprosy, they rushed him out. And the king himself was eager to get out because the Lord had struck him. 21 So King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house, for he was excluded from the Temple of the Lord. His son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land.



Power led to Pride, which led to disobedience, when confronted led to fury and subsequent punishment by God.





We'll follow Uzziah's footsteps in our next post. Have a great weekend.

A Generational “”But-Head”

Pray for John's protection in Afghan warfare

Uzziah has been the focus of my Bible study lately. Some intersting lessons can be learned from the old king. May I share them with you?

Uzziah, also known as Azariah was king of Judah. For a little background: 2 Chronicles 25 tells us that He was the son of Amaziah, who became king at the age of 25 and, “Did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight – BUT, not wholeheartedly.” For one thing, he didn’t destroy the pagan shrines.

Amaziah followed the example of his father, Joash, who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord as long as he had Johoida the priest working with him. He also didn’t destroy pagan shrines. After the death of Johoida, Joash went downhill fast, even killing Jehoida’s son. Joash was assasinated.

Amaziah, Joash's son, could be described as grudgingly compliant instead of truly obedient. He became a successful warrior, got prideful, over-confident, cocky and took on Isreal. He was blown away and later killed by assassins.

We could summarize the model Joash and Amaziah’s lives set for Uzziah thusly: 1.pleasing to God; 2. but only halfheartedly; 3.success brought pride; 4. destroyed.

Uzziah enters the scene with this kind of DNA. At the age of 16, he is crowned king and reigned 52 years. 2 Kings 15:3-4 tells us, He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. But he did not destroy the pagan shrines.

So, in this short time frame we observe three generations of men – pleasing to God, BUT. So what do you suppose the first question is? Are you and I doing any "but work" with God?

There are three things about butts 1. Everyone has one; 2.most are bigger than yours; 3. to get ahead you gotta put it behind you.

I wonder if they had slang terms back then – like you butthead! Could you call me a butthead if I’m pleasing to the Lord in all areas but the Biblical command: “husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and died for her?” Am I a butthead if I’m being insenstive to my wife’s needs and desires? (We might get an answer if we ask our wives that question.!!!)

A question for you: Why didn’t those three generations destroy pagan shrines? More on Uzziah in the next post.

Mental Transformation

Sunset in Nampa, Idaho

We're finishing up the posts on memorizing Scripture today. A final Scriptural challenge:
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

"Transformed" is from the Greek "metamorphosis": from ugly crawling worm into a cocoon out of which comes a beautiful butterfly. Be metamorphosed (be butterflied) HOW? By the renewing of the mind (memorize Scripture :-)

Aids to Memorization
It must be understood that memorization of scripture is not an easy task. Those who think it should be simple give up quickly, deciding they can't memorize. Instead, it requires diligence. If hearing about the power of God's Word has encouraged you to memorize, but you don't know how, here are some helpful ideas.

It takes time. Set aside time to memorize, 10 to 15 minutes, at least five times a week which will give you a strong position. Along with that formal time I suggest cards with the verses written on them be carried and looked at periodically. Write the passage and read it aloud several times. Then try reciting it aloud without looking at it, until you get it right. Do it from memory several times, checking your performance against what you have written down after each time. Then, as you have opportunity, test your memory of the verse over the next several days and continue to test it periodically.

Choose a version. Choose one Bible from which to memorize. You can use any version with which you are comfortable. I like the NLT because it has a nice flow, but I still have many verses in my brain in KJV and Living Bible from my childhood. Always using the same Bible helps you become familiar with where the verses are on the page.

Choose longer passages/I would encourage you to try a longer passage rather than just one or two verses. Not only does it broaden your understanding by giving you the context of the verses, but it is also easier to remember an entire chapter, than many individual references.

Begin by reading. One person suggests, “Before starting to memorize, I like to spend a week just reading over the passage. Read it out loud three times each day. This helps you remember because both your ears and eyes are taking in the information. Next is memorizing. When you are ready to memorize read the whole chapter. Next review a smaller section again and again, until you can say it without looking. Then, finish off by reading the whole thing through again. Hopefully, you will find that by the time you near the end of the chapter, the flow of the words will be so familiar that it is easier to remember. “

Keep on repeating. To retain a passage once it is memorized, say it often. Use quiet times of highway driving, shoveling snow, or before you drift off to sleep at night, to say the verses quietly in your head. I also like to type all my memory passages on a document according to topic, so that I can refresh my mind topically; i.e. praise passages, love, identity, etc.

In closing these posts on memorizing Scripture, allow me to share other dimensions. As we get older, our memory , especially short term memory, begins to fade. Being 70 years old, I need that mental exercise. The old saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” certainly applies to mental work out. Coupled with aging is the challenge of Parkinson’s Disease which also robs my memory. There are many reasons I need to discipline myself to memorize, not the least of these being exercise of the mind.

I hope you’ll find a partner to join with you as Theresa and I are doing and enjoy the results of “hiding God’s Word in your heart and in your relationship.” (We’ve just finished Psalm 16:7-11.) Not sure what is next.

Memorize Scripture – A Biblical Challenge

Theresa's Bible Study women

I keep an ear tuned to Joshua 1:8 which challenges us to meditate on the Word, do what it says and the results will be success. So, what does the Bible say about the significance of Scripture?

Memorize Scripture – A Biblical Challenge
2 Timothy 3: 16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Hebrews 4: 12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Josh.1: 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Matthew 24: 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Jeremiah 15: 16 When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.
1 Peter 1:25; 2:2-3 but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you… Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Colossians 3: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
John 17: 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Psalms 19: 7-11 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Psalms 119: 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
24 Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

Hopefully these words from the Creator of the Universe give us encouragement and shows us the significance of “hiding God’s Word in our hearts.”