INTIMACY WITH GOD: THE KEY OF KNOWING HIM MORE

Psalm 27:1–3 (ESV)

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

Psalm 27:4–6 (ESV)

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

INTIMACY WITH GOD: THE KEY OF KNOWING HIM MORE

I. By Seeing Things from a Godly Perspective

Psalm 27:1 (ESV)

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV)

13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Psalm 27:1 (ESV)

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

1. As Light, God delivers His people from Darkness

Colossians 1:13 (ESV)

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

As Light God guides our Steps.

Psalm 37:23 (ESV)

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;

2. As Salvation God delivers His people from Damnation.

John 5:24 ESV

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

As Salvation God secures our Souls.

John 10:28 (ESV)

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

3. As Stronghold God delivers His people from Defeat.

1 Corinthians 15:57 (ESV)

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

As Stronghold God guarantees our Success.

Romans 8:37 (ESV)

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 (ESV)

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Psalm 34:8 (ESV)

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

II. By Engaging to Appreciate God’s Presence.

Psalm 27:4 (ESV)

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

“Worship is quickening the conscience by the holiness of God, feeding the mind with the truth of God, purging the imagination by the beauty of God, opening the heart to the love of God, and devoting the will to the purpose of God.”-William Temple

John 17:3 (ESV)

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

As we yield to the Spirit of God and worship God for Who He is as He is revealed in the Word of God, we will be engaged in the business of loving Him.

III. By Knowing the Blessing of God’s Protection.

Psalm 27:5–6 (ESV)

5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

The assurance of His sheltering place allows us to weather the storms of life with hope.

Psalm 40:1–2 (ESV)

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

We are promised that we have a place of refuge that will lift us far above the stormy seas that would threaten to drown us.

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Hebrews 13:15 (ESV)

15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

We put God first, and sincerely surrender, trust, and wait on the LORD to come through for us in our impossible situations.

Psalm 27:14 (ESV)

14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

What do you think has affected your “appetite” for God?

How was your intimacy with God this week?

I. By Seeing things from a Godly perspective

II. By Engaging to appreciate God’s presence

III. By Knowing the blessing of God’s protection