One day, the Apostle Paul stumbled across an altar while strolling through Athens. In a culture immersed in mass idolatry, this single altar stood bearing a simple inscription that read: “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”. Ironically, it was this God that “they worshipped ignorantly” (Acts 17:23), which Paul would proclaim clearly.

Perhaps, one of the greatest revelations in Scripture is that God is knowable. He is not an aloof, disconnected, “Unknown God”. He is a nearby Father. Yes, His depth guarantees certain mysteries, but His character welcomes questions and intimacy with paternal tenderness. God used Paul to show the men of Athens (and today) that He is near and desires to be known. Paul stood in their midst on Mars’ Hill and declared: “From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'” (Acts 17:26-28, NIV)

As children of God, we are invited -even urged- to know our knowable Father; a Father, who has always hoped and moved with the intention that we would “seek Him, reach out for Him and find Him”. Since the beginning, God has demonstrated a desire to be in relationship with us. In the Garden, He walked with His son, Adam. (Luke 3:30) The fellowship was beautiful and unbroken. It was perfection. Imagine the love on that first Sabbath – the day “God rested from all His work”. (Genesis 2:2) It was man’s first full day in creation and God “took the day off” to be with him. He spent the first six days preparing a universe with the attention and love of an eager mother preparing a nursery for her long-awaited child. Then, on the seventh day, came the sweet fellowship. Throughout the generations, God continued to place importance on the Sabbath – a day of rest and fellowship between God and man.

As every good Sunday School student knows, the bliss of Eden didn’t last forever. Sin abolished perfection. But, God had a plan for that, too. The plan was a Man. Jesus Christ. His plan was the life of His Son in exchange for man’s reconciliation. In Him, we re-unite with our Father – barriers no more, fellowship restored. Free, in pursuit, to seek Him and know Him and find him.

Seek Him, God the Person – not answers, not blessings, not warm fuzzies or miraculous interventions - seek Him to know Him. He is not merely the means to an end; He is the goal. “The mighty God, the maker of heaven and earth, will not be one of many treasures, not even the chief of all treasures. He will be all in all or He will be nothing. God will not be used.” (A.W. Tozier) He is our “great and exceeding reward”. By His grace, all that other stuff does come and will come, but they are not the ‘thing’. It is Him. If we attempt our pursuit of God in any other way, we may find ourselves severely disappointed. But, those who genuinely seek to know Him and the wonders of His Person are never disappointed. Take God at His promise: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV)

Liz Miller lives in Daphne with her husband Matt and son, Logan. She looks forward to responding to your thoughts, prayer requests and guest speaker invitations, please write to millerfam3@hotmail.com.