Growth Track Devotional - Know God - Week 1

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL - WEEK 1

KNOW GOD

“GOD DESIGNED US FOR RELATIONSHIP FIRST WITH HIM, AND THEN WITH OTHERS.”

DAY ONE How can we know we’re blessed? How do we know we can even trust God? The answer is in the verse: “taste and see.” When we experience the goodness of God, we begin to know who He is and what He’s about. We learn to trust.

We become vulnerable because we know it’s safe to do so. The more our trust grows stronger by opening up and becoming vulnerable--as does our understanding of blessing--the closer we grow to Him.

To truly know something, you need to experience it. Consider a grandmother’s award-winning recipe, such as a sweet apple pie, a savory roast chicken, or a classic “dish from the home country.” Close your eyes and picture your own grandmother’s recipes; the unique tastes and smells of those special dishes.

Now, for a moment, try to imagine a world where those meals were unknown to you. They would still exist, but you wouldn’t know the incredible flavors, textures, smells, and recipe nuances. You couldn’t possibly understand exact-

taste what you haven’t seen, and you can’t honestly know what you’ve never experienced.

KNOWING GOD IS AS NATURAL AND REGULAR OF A THING TO

all of our days AS THE FOOD THAT WE EAT.

Tasting and seeing God is as simple as looking at Jesus. He defines knowing God and experiencing eternal life as: “that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3 NIV) Knowing about God could never be enough, so God came down to us through Christ that we might genuinely know Him--to taste, see, and be filled.

Ephesians 3:17b-19 (NIV) says, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, would have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

“That they know You, the only True

God and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” John 17:3

As you begin this week thinking about what it means to know God, meditate on the verse above and consider the following:

1. What is God trying to tell you through this verse?

2. Reread the verse slowly out loud.

What word or phrase stood out to you?

Ask God why it caught your eye.

3. Ask God to show you how to apply this revealed truth in your life.

GOD IS LIKE AN EGG, IN THAT HE PRODUCES LIFE, GIVES MEANING, AND PRECISELY FILLS THE present need.

DAY TWO Consider an egg. If fertilized and cared for properly under its mother’s wing, the egg hatches into new life. For a hungry person with the same level of care, an egg provides things like structural support in cinnamon rolls, texture to the pasta in lasagna, and incredible balance to dishes and meals of all kinds. The attributes and benefits of an egg are vast. Sometimes it’s as though the egg gives perfect meaning to what it produces, filling the exact need in just the right way. Acts 17:25 (NLT) says, “He Himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need.”

God is like an egg in that He produces life, gives meaning, and precisely fills the present need. Sure, a recipe might be edible without an egg but forgetting it sends the dish into a downward spiral in a flash. On the other hand, we know the incredible benefit of including an egg in your dish. The attributes of an egg operate regardless of the baker, chef, or home cook. It will provide ent, as that is simply what an egg does.

Acts 1 7:25 says, “He himself

gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.”

We would never crack an egg open expecting it to be empty or give you an orange instead of a yoke. When you crack an egg open, you can expect the white and the yolk to be there, and they’ll do what they’re supposed to do.

Similarly, we know what happens when we engage with God and realize how integral He is to our lives. We will understand, experience, and embrace Him because of His goodness. When we do, we can receive His gifts and walk in His will for our lives. When we understand His heart, we can genuinely see the part we play in His plan for the world. It’s both necessary and fulfilling to know God and partner with what He’s doing. It’s only through Him that we receive life, breath, and have our needs met.

Take some time to focus again on acts 17:25 and consider the following:

1. What part of your life does god want you to give to him right now?

2. Reread the verse slowly out loud. What word or phrase stood out to you? Ask god why it caught your eye.

3. Ask God to show you how he’s been in your life and how He’s met your needs.

DAY THREE Think of one of your favorite dishes from your childhood. Have you ever tried to recreate it? It’s important not to overlook the cooking process’s finer details because it’s easy to miss something necessary. Maybe you can identify an ingredient by tasting it or seeing it in the recipe. Perhaps you know the technical process of stirring, mixing, baking, or roasting the separate components in just the right way. Yet, you still struggle to reproduce a dish spelled out plainly on the recipe card. The answer is nuance, which must be learned.

recipe. It requires more than just the ingredients on the table. Close your eyes and picture yourself at the stove or prepping station where a loved one is cooking. What do you smell, taste, see, and hear? What can you learn from them working on the food? Love and experience are being poured into every step of the process. Maybe an extra pinch of sugar is added “to taste” at just the right time, but that component is taken for granted and wasn’t written down.

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH His Word,

OTHER PEOPLE, OR THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Often, it’s the unwritten and unexpected things that make or break the outnary nuance is learned, and so there must be a teacher.

There are many ways we can engage with our life’s Teacher. God speaks to us through His Word, other people, or the Holy Spirit. He also speaks to us through internal impressions, pictures, dreams, and visions. We need to learn His voice, so we can recognize Him speaking to us and teaching us the nuances of living our lives. Jesus tells us in John 10:27 (NLT), “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” We can recognize His voice and trust that what God reveals will match His loving nature, unshakeable character, and His faithful Word. Knowing our Creator and Teacher will help us understand the nuances and finer details of life in a way we couldn’t possibly learn without Him.

Jesus tells us in John 10:27 (NLT), “My sheep listen to my voice;

I know them, and they follow me.”

Reflect for a moment and consider the following:

1. What nuance of truly knowing God do you want to learn?

2. Has your communication with God been put in a box? Maybe there’s a new way God is trying to reach you.

3. What do you want to say to God right now?

BUT DON’T JUST LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD, YOU MUST do what it says.

OTHERWISE, YOU ARE ONLY FOOLING YOURSELVES.

DAY FOUR When your passion is involved, the process of creating something beautiful with food can be incredibly exciting and rewarding. You can step up to the

some undesirable results. It’s important to have a recipe or standard to follow to make the most out of the meal. Achieving certain results in the kitchen requires specific conditions, timing, and chemical reactions to take place. The same goes for knowing our Father God and growing into something beautiful ourselves, achieving all that God has planned for us.

The French kitchen term “mise en place” means having everything in its necessary place. Doing the prep work ahead of time and having all the ingredients ready helps avoid floundering through the kitchen, making a mess, burning the food, and ruining the dish. If we follow a recipe and set ourselves up for success, we will experience a great meal, but neglecting that care and commitment will produce horrible food that nobody wants to eat. For us to fully walk in our relationship with God--knowing, growing, and maturing--there are some specific conditions, timing, and responses that need to take place in us.

Consistently hearing His Word develops faith inside us, and turning to scripture to gain direction for our lives will strengthen us.

Meditation and application are two actions we can take as we hear from God. Meditating on scripture is simply repeating it to yourself, focusing intently on it to let the truth be planted deep inside you. Joshua 1:8 (NKJV) says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

James 1:22 (NLT) tells us, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Applying the truth we receive through meditation and action is the same as successfully following the recipe to make our lives pleasing. It’s like grilling the ideal lines on a juicy steak, perfectly toasting the surface of a crème brûlée, or achieving flawless combinations of flavor that elevate our meal to the highest quality.

Knowing God isn’t about a set of rules or regulations. He isn’t an oppressive head chef in the kitchen screaming at you to get it right. But we need to engage with our Father to grow in our relationship with Him. When we do, life becomes something beautiful. We can’t fulfill God’s purpose for our lives while living on empty, but simply receiving God’s truth isn’t enough to transform us. Action, based on what we hear, is required for growth and maturity to occur.

Take a look at your surroundings wherever you are right now. Where is the best place to quiet yourself and talk with God? Go there and consider the following:

1. Are there any necessary components to a healthy relationship with God that are no receiving the dedicated time form you?

Meditation, scripture reading, applying that scripture in daily life, prayer, etc.

2. What truth does God want to reveal to you by participating in that component in more dedicated way? Ask Him to show you.

3. Commit to God the necessary time to participate in that relationship component, and thank Him for the life that you will experience because of the deeper relationship that you’re going after with Him.

DAY FIVE Mealtime is always the end result of cooking. It’s a time to gather, share food, and fellowship. We can engage one another through our stories at the table, learning more profound things about ourselves and others. It’s essential to connect with the people we love and those we long to grow closer to. As we rub elbows with family, friends, or strangers, we tend to take on similar characteristics as one another. The dinner table can be a unique place of vulnerability as many conversations happen there that wouldn’t occur anywhere else. It’s an important place of engagement to bond, grow, and fill up. In our relationship with God, it’s important to remember that just as people learn and grow together at the dinner table, we can’t forsake engaging with Him. Talking, listening, and sharing vulnerable moments with our Father God, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit develops three things in us: devotion, direction, and growth.

Devotion is integral to the process of growing in relationship with God, but it isn’t something achievable through our own willpower. Rather, it comes as a natural result of being vulnerable with each distinct person of the Trinity. The Triune God already knows our innermost thoughts and being, so we might as well start interacting with them on that level.

DEVOTION IS INTEGRAL TO THE PROCESS OF GROWING IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, BUT IT ISN’T SOMETHING ACHIEVABLE THROUGH OUR own willpower.

From an honest and open-book perspective, we can allow them to work in us and cause growth. When we remain open, we’ll begin to know God’s heart for us, and we can get direction for our lives. We can feel confident in the way we’re going because we’re being led by someone who knows the direction we need to take. Then, as we move, we’re equipped by the Holy Spirit with spiritual gifts. We’re given these gifts so we can be witnesses to God’s love and power, bringing glory to Him. Acts 1:8 (NIV) says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” In 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV), the Apostle Peter encourages us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!

Amen.” As we rely on the strength and direction provided by the Holy Spirit, we’ll grow and walk in the right direction, bringing glory to God and making

comes from an intimate relationship with God, created through engagement with Him openly, honestly, and regularly.

“Grow in the grace & knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ .” 2 Peter 3:18 (NLT)

Take a moment to ask God if there’s a place He wants to take you to talk. Maybe that place is a walk in the park, a favorite chair in the room you’re sitting in, or some other special place. When you’re there, look at your life for a moment and consider the following:

1. Is there an area in your relationship with God that you’d like to be more vulnerable in?

2. How can you develop more honesty and regularity in your relationship with God? 3. What can you expect as a result of this developing relationship with God?

WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, AND AS SUCH, THERE ARE PROMISES made available to us.

DAY SIX We don’t need to settle for poorly processed TV dinners if we have fresh meals prepped and ready to go. Yet, if we haven’t realized the benefit of that style of living, we’re not inclined to eat or live that way. The task of making food for an entire week sometimes seems so large in our minds that it’s hard to imagine the advantages without experiencing them. We can save time and money, eat quality food, and round out our culinary skills by committing to that lifestyle. All of those things are realizations of the sacrifice it takes to prep meals, but we won’t see that truth if we’ve never done it. If we never see how beneficial it is to alter our lifestyle, we’ll never do it.

In the same way, if we don’t realize the life available to us through Jesus’ sacrifice and truly understand who we are as the children of God, we’ll have the mindset of orphans. God wants us to have the mindset of a son or daughter who knows and receives their birthright. 2 Corinthians 6:18 (NIV) says, “‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.” We are His children, and as such, there are promises made available to us.

If we spend our life with an orphan mindset of just getting by, we’ll experience things like insecurity, jealousy, and lack. But there is love, acceptance, and provision readily available if we see life from the perspective of being His

instead of having to look for it in material goods, appearances, abilities, or from other people. We’ll begin blessing others in our attitudes and serve from our love of God instead of competing with people and working to earn God’s love. An orphan mindset has us seeing God, life, and other people around us

thinking has people simply existing; empty, unfulfilled, and looking for identity in things that could never define them. The other mindset recognizes a better way to live; strive for it, operate in it, and receive everything God has already made available through His sacrifice.

“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons & daughters , says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18

Spend some time with your Father. Reflect on truly knowing Him and your identity because of who He is, then consider the following:

1. Ask God to show you what you look like as His son or daughter.

2. Is there a lens that you’ve been looking through that has kept you from seeing things as God sees them?

3. What perspective does God want to give you in replacement of that old lens?