Familiar Father – July 31, 2024 (210/365)

It’s the end of the month, and, well, compared to June, things have eased out – I mean, there’s been less tension this month. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, considering it may just be the calm before another storm, and/or the lack of tension was due to what I’ve been or what I haven’t been doing.

Nevertheless, in spite of this, and in spite of all that’s happening within me and around me and around the world, I thank God. I thank God for His faithfulness, and His presence.

After watching a quick clip featuring Jordan Peterson and Russell Brand, I’m also inclined to thank God for something I haven’t really thought about previously – and that is, His… familiarity?

As far as I know, the latter is a comedian who I believe was pretty open with his anti-Christian, or maybe just anti-religious tirades, much like Ricky Gervais. He’s then become something like a conspiracy theorist, and just recently (1-2 months ago recently) believed in Jesus Christ as His Savior and Lord – I see he went as far as getting baptized, and therefore making his faith and belief in Christ public, for the entire world to see.

In his conversation with (legend) Jordan Peterson, he talked about how he came to believe in Christ, in spite of all he’s heard and said in the past, and he described the experience as ‘coming home’, or going back to Someone he’s known all his life. And now that I write about it, I’m realizing that these details (forming his testimony) have vibes similar to the Prodigal Son.

So when I say I’m thankful to God for His familiarity, I suppose I’m saying I’m thankful for His familiarity – or, another aspect to His closeness to me, and my closeness to Him.

As the father saw his son coming from far off, so my God knew who I was from a distance.

As the father ran to his son, so my God think twice about coming to me when He saw me.

Feels like He did exactly that for humanity as a whole when Christ gave up His Spirit at the cross. When the veil separating the temple’s Holy of Holies from the world was torn from top to bottom, we oft appreciate how we’ve been given access.

May we remember and consider another perspective to that – The veil was torn, and God now had as much access to us as we had to Him, but He saw us through the torn veil, and as the father saw his wretched son from a distance, He ran to us.

Moving on.

As the father cut off his son in the middle of his rehearsed speech to take him as a servant instead of his son, so my God knew exactly what I wanted, beneath my words, and cut me off.

As the father called for his servants to bring a robe, a ring, and sandals for his son, so my God understands how shallow or how deep my heart is in any matter, but prioritizes what He knew I needed.

And look, I know I could keep going here but I realize I may be a little counterproductive in itemizing all of it. When I say I thank God for His ‘familiarity’ to me, I’m not only thanking Him for everything He knows about me (which is everything), but I am also indirectly thanking God for the Holy Spirit, who has reminded me of my ‘familiarity’ to Him – that is, just as Russell Brand says, He’s been someone who’s been there before and through all my life; Someone whom I’ve known all this time.

I’m reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:11, which reads: He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

Now most other translations (that was the KJV, by the way) say that God ‘has set eternity in (our) hearts’, but just so we’re clear, the Hebrew for the word world/eternity is ‛ôlâm / o-lawm’, o-lawm’ From H5956; properly concealed, that is, the vanishing point; generally time out of mind (past or future), that is, (practically) eternity; frequentative adverbially (especially with prepositional prefix) always: – always (-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, [n-]) ever (-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+ without end). Compare H5331, H5703.

See how it means ‘continuance, eternal/eternity, perpetual/perpetuity’; but also, how it mentioned ‘time out of mind’. To me, this just reinforces something I’ve believed all this time. This… familiarity I’m mentioning here is not and will never be knowing all there is to know about God, but a connection. Like, the difference between knowing about God, and knowing Him, like how we’d say of our parents, ‘I know Dad, he’s like that’.

I’m not only thanking Him for everything He knows about me, but I’m also thanking Him for setting eternity in my heart – so I would seek Christ, and thank Him because through His finished work, I’ve learned He was eternity with me all along.

I’m not sure if I’m making any sense here but I hope you get my point. This familiarity does not breed contempt, but provokes awe.

Personally, I’m struck by how this concept transforms my understanding of faith – I mean, I thought I had a good grasp of it, but this certainly opens my eyes to entire chapters of things I have yet to learn, receive and appreciate.

The familiarity I’m trying my darndest to describe isn’t about knowing God in a distant, academic sense, but rather experiencing a deep, personal connection; a connection – and this is important – a connection that’s been there all along, waiting to be recognized.

This familiarity with God doesn’t diminish His majesty; instead, it ought to enhance our awe of Him. It’s the profound realization that the Creator of the universe is also intimately acquainted with every aspect of my being. He’s not just a God of history or of future judgment, but a Father for us here and now in this present reality, as close and familiar as a heartbeat.

Moving forward, I want to lean into this familiarity; To recognize God’s presence in the everyday moments, to listen for His voice in the quiet, and to trust in His guidance as I would a lifelong friend. This perspective challenges me to live with greater authenticity and purpose, knowing that I’m walking alongside a God who knows me completely and loves me unconditionally.

I believe this is the faith which Christ authored into us — one that has us not just believing in God, but knowing Him and being known by Him. It’s coming home to a love that’s always been there, a familiarity that breeds not contempt, but wonder and gratitude.

Let’s keep seeking Him, and in our seeking, may we be naturally brought to worship Him.

Until the next post, God bless us all.

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