To Know and Be Known...

Today as I sat at Donkey Hill, I pondered about the creation of man with God. I thought to myself - how much I wanted to establish His Kingdom on the Earth... not just see souls being saved but to prepare the Bride for the King... but... how? How would I accomplish that? How would I find the purpose and meaning in my life and live it to the fullest of what He has called me to be??

And then He lead me to think further... Genesis 1:26 "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." How are we created in the image of God? In what ways are we like Him? Our personalities, character, physical attributes, thought patterns are so diverse amongst each other... How are we like Him?

I really think it is in our being. The way He fashioned us, the way He breathed into our nostrils, the way He thinks about us... That is how we live in His image. But... why are we not? Why is that not reflecting in who we are at the moment? And then He brought me back to Adam and Eve once more. When they chose to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil rather than living from the tree of life. The choice that we have as humans to override relationship with intellect and knowledge. Adam and Eve both walked with God in the days of Eden. They ruled with God, not just for Him. They weren't apart from Him, they were one with Him. They learned His ways and bore His heart. Just like a Father He raised them up and taught them His ways. When they chose to eat of the 'knowledge' to 'instantly' be like God, they made the decision to let go of the journey with Him. For that reason, all men sinned and fell short of the Glory of God. And for THAT reason, He sent us Jesus! To restore and redeem the ancient ways - to restore us to that place where we can walk with Him and learn of His ways in this life that we are living. And that begins the journey and the process...

We are here with a desire and longing created by God seated deeply in our hearts to know and to be known. To know - that is to understand the divine purpose, to have understanding beyond reasoning, to know who He is. To be known - that we are loved, desired, cared for, that we are understood and that we belong. I love how God loves process and journey.. It is so amazing!!! I remember when He told me to start painting because He wanted to show me something. When I started I found myself losing patience quickly and wanting to erase the painting because it looked horrible. But then He said - why are you afraid of the ugly, the imperfect? Embrace the times and seasons of God and know that sometimes you just have to wait and you won't have an answer to everything! Then I realized I've got an issue with that. I like 'instant'... but God likes process. He enjoys being. He enjoys the present, the steps we take. That is what bolts us down... when we think we have to resolve everything instantly. No doubt to do good in the land of the living, however what difference is that from a monk if we do not take time to relate to God, and allow Him to relate to us? From this as we know Him and get to be known by Him... that is how we reflect His image and to truly live as sons and daughters created in His image - not by knowledge, not by might... but by the Spirit. We cannot mirror Him if we don't know Him, neither can we if He doesn't know us. Relationship is exchange... becoming One... to know... and to be known... Here comes our true purpose - to rule and reign WITH Him... what a delight!