When I reflect on my own life of devotion, I recognise that I’ve always been on a quest to know God more. That doesn’t mean that I know God better than others do, but rather that I have always heard God whispering that there was more for me to explore. So, I’ve always been intrigued by that whisper.
I believe Nicodemus was also intrigued by God’s whisper and it led him to seek out and speak with Jesus privately and personally. We use the passage in John chapter 3 to explain ‘crossing into salvation,’ or making the choice to follow Jesus. Nicodemus is told, ‘God loves the whole world. He sent his only son so everyone could know of God’s love. So believe, accept, and be transformed.’ But we also need to remember who Nicodemus was.
Nicodemus was, “a Pharisee and a leader.” This means he was a spiritual leader, functioning to guide others in the Jewish traditions and the law of Moses. My point here is that he already knew an awful lot about God. Yet, even with all that head knowledge, he sneaks around in darkness because he’s curious about Jesus. He’s stirred in his heart, unsettled maybe in his mind and hungry for answers that all his head knowledge isn’t giving him.
Our devotional lives, the time we give privately to God, away from the evaluating gaze of other people, is a place to explore God’s loving whisper to know him more. This is about head knowledge, yes, but it’s also about our heart, our emotions, and the way we listen. I remember as a young adult having an epiphany about loving God. I thought I knew what the love of family meant. And, I had experienced what falling in love felt like. I had good friends, so that too, I understood. But God said his love surpassed all of these and I knew as I compared these other loving experiences side by side that they had more depth, breadth, and expression than my relationship with God. Once again, God was whispering — Laurel, there’s more, there always more.
I came across a quote by A.W. Tozer once that encapsulates for me Jesus’ desire for Nicodemus to follow his heart: “You can have as much of God as you want, or as little as you’re satisfied with.”
So, my Saturday School class is about — God’s whisper of love for us. Have you heard it? Are you wanting to answer it, engage it, and explore where it leads by Walking and Talking with God for a few hours? Let’s retreat and explore some fresh ways to express our devotion and love for God so we can know him more intimately.
Find out more about Saturday School and the speakers here!
