Grace for the Day – The ‘Knowledge of God’

“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,

the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

~Hosea 6:6 (NRSV).

We’re so apt at thinking on the first part of this verse we often forget the second clause.

The ‘knowledge of God’ is fundamental to our right walk with the Divine Being, for if we don’t truly know God—a momentary knowledge of his Presence with us toward his will for us, now—we’ll flounder to truly understand the simplest of God-measures in terms of how they pertain to our personal lives and the lives of others in our midst.

Knowledge of God – That’s Grace

To know God is to know what the Spirit came (and comes) for—to create, fellowship with, and ultimately, redeem us. Ever reaching, ever contending, the God of all creation seeks you and me—with more fervour than we can readily run away from; but, alas, many still do get away and this breaks God’s heart.

The presently-placed knowledge of God is the abiding peace that comes from alliance and fellowship with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is a deep study all its own!

Knowledge of God in this way is also abiding to the grace of repentance—even that we have a way back when we’ve transgressed, which we so often do. How marvellous a thought!

How awesome that God is accepting us back even as we turn back to him, never condemning us, withholding grace not a millisecond longer than we can receive his forgiveness.

Grace, so far as the knowledge of God is concerned, is what we need to truly exist in this life—by way of its original design. Until we know this grace firsthand we’re forever confused as to the actual meaning of life.

Grace for This Day

Most of all I think God wants every last person to know of his graciousness, in and through the Person of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

This historical event—the Christ on the cross—might’ve happened 1,980 years ago now, but the resurrection power of the concept of the cross is as real this very moment as ever.

And it is experienced personally; God’s power effused through us, via his Word, even cutting and dividing, always in good ways as we look back (see Hebrews 4:12-13).

Grace is the fact of momentary resurrection: from reconciled sin; by revelation; in miraculous providence; and, by view of life... to name just a few.

This is True Love

Even if we’ve never known true love, as contained in a human being’s care of us, we can relate with the love of God, the One who can never hurt or harm us.

If we ask, seek and knock at heaven’s door—a heart to receive—heaven itself will not fail to answer us by the love of God.

To invest in the reading of one gospel—the Messianic path of Jesus in Matthew; the story of Jesus in Mark; Jesus’ compassion and historically-traced record in Luke; or, the Christological mystery unravelled in John—we cannot help but ‘see’ this love of God manifest in Jesus; a love redeeming us, even—and especially—now.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.