God's Invitation to Know Him
One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 19, and I thought it would be good to reflect on this amazing chapter in Scripture for the next few weeks. This poem describes three ways that humans can know God, using some amazing imagery and word craft. The verses about God's word serve as a shorter version of Psalm 119, the longest psalm (and chapter) in the Bible; that psalm is a magnum opus to the wonder and power of God's word. Psalm 19 has its own ode to Scripture, and the psalm pulls together multiple ways that humans can know God.
God is revealed in three ways: in creation, in His word, and in our experience. Everything we can know about God has been revealed by Him. The Lord has revealed Himself in so many ways. This revelation is an invitation to know God. This invitation is not forced upon us, but it does require work. Those who do the work not only understand life, wisdom, and themselves better - they also know God, which is the greatest knowledge of all.
Are you willing to do the work to know God more? It takes time and reflection. We can observe creation through art, science, philosophy, or poetry. All of these take time to understand, and all can be done to understand the Creator more. It takes time and work to study God's word. This means that you can't just read the words, you need to study them and reflect on them. It even takes work to understand experience. History has incredible lessons that are usually ignored or forgotten. Our own lives can teach us about God if we would take the time to reflect - God has revealed Himself in our memories, our thoughts, and our emotions.
One of the reasons I love to hike is that it gives me time to reflect. I don't reflect as often as I want to - life is busy with work, family, and fitness. I also waste too much time on entertainment! When I get out and hike, I allow myself to think, and these reflection times are so refreshing. What I have discovered is that there is a whole world inside my mind; God is inviting me to explore this world and know myself deeper.
Knowing God more is the pursuit of life. If you are doing it right, it won't lead to arrogance but wonder and praise - which is exactly what Psalm 19 is about.