Young People's Group

Let Us Pursue the Knowledge of the Lord

by Mitchell Tan
January 01, 2016

POWERFUL REASONS FOR PURSUING THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

What is one New Year resolution that we all can have for 2016? It is having a fervent pursuit of the knowledge of God. This is not just about gaining more knowledge from the Bible. It is about knowing the Lord in a personal and deep way. This was something that Hosea challenged the people of Israel and Judah as they continued in their sinful ways. There are two powerful reasons why we should pursue the knowledge of God.

1. BECAUSE THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE BRINGS ABOUT HORRIBLY DIRE CONSEQUENCES

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
Hosea 4:6

The people of Israel and Judah had rejected God and the knowledge of Him. They had forgotten His laws and His ways. They were more caught up with sinning without any restraint against God (Hosea 4:2). They set their heart on sinning and perpetuated this grave problem. The Lord would bring about judgment upon Israel and Judah like a lion that tears them apart. When we have lack of knowledge, we can end up destroying our life.

2. BECAUSE IT IS WHAT REALLY MATTERS TO GOD WHEN WE RETURN TO HIM

“Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days, He will revive us”
Hosea 6:1-2

Pursuing the knowledge of God is part of the process of returning to God. The Lord God stated that He will remain silent until there is the acknowledgement of sin and there is earnest repentance by seeking Him and returning to Him. The person who returns should seek the Lord until there is revival and restoration of relationship with Him. There would be the pursuit of the knowledge of God because that is what really matters to the Lord. True repentance should lead us to wanting to know Him in a deeper way and not go back to our sins. The person who knows the Lord and loves Him should not return to his old sins.

THE CHALLENGE OF PURSUING THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

“Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.
His going forth is established as the morning;
He will come to us like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth.”
Hosea 6:3

Hosea urgently challenged the people of Israel to pursue the knowledge of God. The people were meant to recognise Him as their Lord first. Then, there must come that resolute pursuit of gaining more and deeper knowledge of Him. The word “pursue” in Hebrew has the idea of “chasing after something”. This attainment of a deep and intimate knowledge of God is to be chased after with all of our heart. We are to put in every effort to make this happen. As we do this, we would be able to ascertain a close and personal knowledge of the Lord. We can know Him as we know and are certain that the sun would rise each day. As the way of the sun is established daily, even so the ways of the Lord are also established. We can have absolute trust in Him. God can also be known as the former and latter rain that would fall on the crops of Israel. Pastor was explaining in one of ICARE devotions that the rain falling represents the faithfulness of God. The farmers in Israel would sow their seed in the spring. They know when the former rain was expected so that the seed would have water to germinate and grow. The latter rain would come during fall so that the crops would be greatly enhanced just before harvest time. God’s faithfulness is like the former and latter rain. Such knowledge of God is meant to encourage us. We are meant to respond by knowing Him and being faithful to the Lord too. Young people, let’s make the pursuit of the knowledge of God an important priority for 2016. Let’s cultivate our relationship with Him till it is deep and personal.

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