Knowing God

"And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house,
because he also is a son of Abraham."

Luke 19:9

A nine-year old boy had heard the word divorce. He asked his dad what it meant. His dad explained to him in terms that a child could understand. The child had a friend whose parents divorced. Then, he asked another question, "How do I know that you and mom are really married?" His dad smiled and said, "Well, you can take my word for it. You can look at the ring on my finger, that your mother gave me when we married. I can show you a marriage license that proves it." Then the child replied, "That's all I needed to know dad. I'm going out to play now."

Knowing God in a personal relationship is like being married. This analogy is used in both the Old and New Testaments. God's love pursues us. We trust in Him and commit our lives to Him by faith. We enter into a covenant relationship with God. We take Him at His word of covenant promise in the Bible. He is the LORD our God. We are His people. He becomes our Savior, provider, protector and our all in all. Like the ring in marriage, baptism becomes our public confession of faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. God has promised to fulfill His covenant in our hearts, working in us that which is well-pleasing in His sight (Hebrews 13:20-21). Our covenant guarantee is the death and resurrection of Christ.

Salvation means we come into a covenant relationship with God. It happened to Zacchaeus, and it happens to everyone who has faith in our LORD Jesus Christ. In the covenant, God "blessed Abraham in all things" (Genesis 24:1). God does the same for every believer today. God has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).

Prayer: Father, we receive all of Your covenant promises and blessings by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.