I wrote her a letter, she responded, and we traded a few notes and pictures back and forth. Then phone calls started, and we spoke on the phone and started getting to understand a little more about each other.
I knew at that point that she seemed really great, and I definitely wanted to learn more about her. So I forgot about her and went on with my useless, lonely life.
The End
Can you imagine a love story ending like that? Of course, that would be ridiculous (and would not make for a very good Hallmark movie)!
No, if you find someone that is amazing, and loving… someone that your heart tells you is good for you…someone that can change your life for the better…. You pursue them, with the hope and aim of creating a real and lasting relationship, don’t you?
So it should be with God!
Let us acknowledge the Lord. Let us press on to know the Lord. As surely as the sun rises, the Lord will appear. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth. (Hosea 6:3)
Step 1 – “Acknowledge the Lord” – accept that He is, and that He is God, and that He is Holy. However, just believing He exists is not enough!
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! (James 2:19)
Step 2 – “Press on to know the Lord” – it is one thing to say there is a God, or that Jesus is God… it is another thing altogether to say you know Him – and more importantly, that He knows you. This is called a relationship…
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21 – 23)
I could see the same person every day and say “Good morning” to them, but not know them at all. In the same way, a lot of people seem to wake up, say “Good morning” to God, and then go through the rest of their day as if they don't know Him at all. This is not a relationship – it’s a vague acquaintance…
To build a relationship you have to speak, and you have to listen. To build a close relationship, you must experience life events together. To build a life-changing and lifelong relationship, the two must fully commit themselves to each other, no matter what happens. To build a loving, eternal marriage, it is not always easy…but the rewards for struggling through life together far outweigh the challenges.
Jesus has already fully committed Himself to this kind of relationship with you – will you reciprocate and commit yourself to love, honor, and cherish Him?