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The Knowledge of God

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Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 25, 1883

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 9, No. 4.

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The Knowledge of God.

By Evangelical Messenger

The knowledge of God is gained by living much with him. If we only come across a man occasionally, and in public, and see nothing of him in his private and domestic life, we cannot be said to know him. All the knowledge of God which many professed Christians have, is derived from a formal salute which they make him in their prayers, when they rise up in the morning, and lie down at night. While this state of things lasts, no great progress in Christian life can possibly be made. No progress would be made even if they were to offer formal prayers seven times a day, instead of twice. But to try to draw God into your daily work, consult him about it; offer it to him as a contribution to his service; ask him to help you in it; do it as to the Lord and not unto men; refer to him in your temptations; seek a refuge under the shadow of his wings until the tyranny of temptation be overpast; go back at once to his bosom, when you are conscious of a departure from him, not waiting till night to confess it, lest meanwhile the night of death should overtake you, or you should lose time in your spiritual course; in short, walk hand in hand with God through life (as a little child walks hand in hand with its father over some dangerous and thorny road), dreading above all things to quit his side, and assured that, as you do so, you will fall into mischief and trouble.
Seek not so much to pray as to live in an atmosphere of prayer, lifting up your heart momentarily to him in varied expressions of devotions, as the various occasions of life may prompt, adoring him, thanking him, resigning your will to him many times a day and more or less all the day; and you shall thus, as you advance in this practice, and it becomes more and more habitual in you, increase in that knowledge of God, which fully contents and satisfies the soul.—Evangelical Messenger.