Someone somewhere along the way came up with this, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." (Westminster Shorter Catechism)
Dr. Henry Blackaby explained that glorify means to "give a correct interpretation of". I never really knew that. Thankfully that's pretty simple for me.
To glorify means to give a correct interpretation of- do I give a correct interpretation of God? To do that, I have to KNOW Him. And to go a bit further, you can't enjoy Him for one second, much less forever, if you don't KNOW Him.
This word- KNOW is, to me, a spiritual word. A word that God had to reveal to me the true, deeper meaning. In Greek there is KNOW (eido 1492, physical seeing to mental and spiritual seeing) and KNOWLEDGE (1922 epignósis, first-hand experiential knowing). These words denote more than HEAD knowledge. It's heart knowledge. Truth spoken by God, Himself, to our innermost being.
We come to KNOW Him, by getting to know Him, through time with Him. Yes, that can be through reading Scripture. Yes, that can be from teachers and preachers. Yes, that can be through song. Yes, that can be through- well for me personally- just laying outside in the dandelion and clover and watching the clouds roll by. How? That's when we talk to each other.
He speaks. I listen. I speak. He listens. Nobody really listens to us like God does, because He searches and knows our heart- even the secrets of our heart for He is greater than our heart. And...as we experience and live in union with Him- He gives us the desires from His heart, to ours. (Psalm 44:21, Luke 16:15, Acts 15:8, Romans 8:27, 1 John 3:20, Psalm 37:4). I listen as He anoints me (my whole man) with Himself, His truth.
1 John 2:20, 27
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One
27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One
27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
When you come to really KNOW Him through 'first-hand experience' (aka intimacy with Him) then you KNOW you can enjoy Him- ah, for He is our joy! And then, as you abide in Him and you allow Him to live in and through you- you give a correct interpretation of Who He is- glorify Him.
You can't give a correct interpretation of Him, if you don't know Him and you can't enjoy Him if you don't know Him.
Do you KNOW Him?
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