A Man Who Knows God

Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Exodus 33:11

He walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own. The joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.  – In the Garden

In the Garden, is an old hymn that I’ve not heard for years, but it still pops into my head occasionally, making me think of my dad. He’s a “retired pastor” who still preaches regularly at the age of 82 (yesterday was his birthday) and I clearly remember him leading this song from the pulpit many times. It’s a hymn that celebrates walking in a deeply personal relationship with God, which is why it makes me think of him. For as long as I can remember, my father has practiced his daily time with God, investing deeply in the most important relationship of his life. Though the picture included in today’s blog – of my dad reading his bible in the quiet of the morning – was taken quite recently, that picture has been a constant fixture my entire life. My father taught me that a personal relationship with the heavenly father is the most important thing about me, and that I must invest in that relationship every day. That is the foundation of my faith, my recovery, and this blog. For my dad and for that lesson, I’m profoundly grateful.

Likewise, my father-in-law, a pastor who passed away in 2015, often said this – The first thing you must understand about God is that he is a person, and as a person, we can know him and be known by him. Both he and my father impressed this truth upon me – It’s my highest purpose in life to know a loving relationship with God and daily, I must invest in that relationship.

This is the lesson of today’s passage. In it, Moses described his own intensely personal relationship with God. The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Moses was so close to God, that they just sat and talked, like two people in an everyday conversation.

That’s hard for us to comprehend, but it would be a mistake to think that it’s just an Old Testament tale that has no application for us today. God’s purpose in creating us was to live in a loving relationship with us. Jesus died for our sins, forgiving us and restoring us to a right relationship with the father. It is God’s intense desire that we live in a profoundly real relationship with him. That relationship is the most important thing about us, defining our eternity. We don’t naturally know how to talk with God though, so it’s something we must practice – every day.

I want to know God as my father knows him. So, every day, I get up early, reading, praying, meditating, and listening to God – like my dad does. Just like any young boy, I look at my dad and I still want to be just like him, so, I will daily continue to do as he does.

Thanks, dad, for the best life lesson of all! Happy Birthday!