I’m convinced, the reason we don’t desire God the way we should is because we don’t know God the way we should; We don’t know how He desires us. If we did, we would have such a strong desire, it would be unquenchable.
How well do you know Him? Think about that for a minute… How well do you REALLY know Him? If we really knew Him we would hunger and thirst after righteousness. He would always be our first thought in the morning and our last in the evening (and should be). If we knew Him like we should, we would wanna draw so close
In John chapter 14, Jesus is talking about going away. He says, you know where I’m going, you know the way. But Thomas steps up and says, we don’t know where you’re going, and how can we know the way?

You may know your friend, ‘Bob’. His cars, and all his collectibles, etc. .
What’s his favorite color, hobby, birthday? Do you know him intimately?
How well do you know God? Really? Can you describe Him to your friends? Can you convince them that you really do know Him? What’s He like? His ways? His attributes? Do you know Him intimately?
Jesus said in that day – meaning at the end. Many will come to Him saying, “Lord didn’t we do this and didn’t we do that?” And He will say, “Depart from Me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you.”
‘Wow’, is the word I think of, when I read that. Because, wouldn’t it be a horrible thing to hear. Horrible to think you know God? Only to hear Him say, depart?
We hear of young people at 7-years-old, 10-years-old, 12-years-old. etc going to the front of the church and saying they want to accept Jesus as Lord. Perhaps they think that’s all there is to it, that they never need to do another thing. Never attend another worship service. Never read a Bible. Never say a prayer. Never do anything for anyone.
Don’t misunderstand me. I believe it’s possible for a young child to accept Jesus as his personal Savior, but, and I stress the word but, it is only found by that child. And it can only be found by that child, if the Spirit of God is truly working on the behalf of that young person.
Nor is it any different for an adult. For the Bible is very plain, when Jesus said, “No man can come to me except the spirit of God draw him.” (John 6:44)
He makes it plain in another passage, when approached by those around Him, and they said Your mother and Your brother desire to see you. He says then, “Who is my mother and who is my brother, but he that does the will of My Father.” This shows friend, that not even biology can get you there.
You cannot be saved because your brother got saved. You cannot be saved because your sister got saved. And so on. Salvation only comes to those when God draws upon the heart of a man and reaches into his life to bring him to the point of the decision. When he makes that decision and God does the work upon his heart. Removing the old stony heart, the Bible says. And replacing it with a heart of flesh.
When His Spirit comes in and mingles with the spirit of a person and they are renewed and have a new birth experience. When it happens this way I firmly believe that a person will follow Him all the days of their life because of this experience.
What about backsliding? Does that guarantee the loss of salvation? Absolutely not. We are not perfect as human beings. We are not flawless. However that is not what gets us salvation. Nor does that keep us from getting salvation. I firmly believe that is in Jesus and by faith in Him alone that a man can be saved.
That it is the grace of God and it is a gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast. Thus proving it is nothing more and nothing less than a work of God… Going and sitting on a pew each Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, can no more guarantee that you’re a Christian. No more than going to a McDonald’s restaurant and sitting on the bench there every week could convert you to be a hamburger!
Now, I also firmly believe, IF you’re a Christian, you will want to go to church. And, then, why wouldn’t you? It’s a place where people of God gather, to worship Him. Where we learn to worship together. Can we not worship Him, without going to church? Absolutely, we can, and should. But it is His instruction given to us in scripture, to go to church.
It’s also where we come, to hear from the Lord. Can we hear from Him without coming?. Again, absolutely, and again, we should. Yet, when we Hear from God in church, we receive a word concerning us, as the Church.
It’s not only that, in and of itself. This builds us up, as a body. It’s where we draw close, and get to know our Heavenly Father, more and more.
How are you, when it comes to knowing God? He will allow you to come as close as you want? How well do you WANT to know Him? Draw close to Him today. Let Him come close. Let Him touch you, let Him love you, like only the one who created you can. Take that time. You’ll be so glad you did!
This article was written by Mel Taylor of New Covenant Ministries.