ACQUAINTANCE WITH GOD

ACQUAINTANCE WITH GOD

In this season, God sought for men who will seek Him intimately and passionately. God desires acquaintance, friendship and companionship with us; but this He cannot and will not do outside our volition and consent. From generation to generation, God seek fellowship with men. One of the reasons God created man is for Him to have contact with man through fellowship (acquaintance). This we can see evidently in the Garden of Eden when He (God) used to visit our then parents (Adam and Eve) at the cool of the day for fellowship. The bible says that, “And the heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” (Genesis 3:8, KJV). Even after God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, His agenda to fellowshipping with man was not scuttled. For we see God having habitual fellowship with Enoch years later such that through that communion, he (Enoch) was taken to heaven. The bible confirms this when it says, “And Enoch walked (in habitual fellowship) with God; and he was not, for God took him (home with Him)” (Genesis 5:24, AMP). Indeed, God calls us into deep acquaintance with Him.

The ‘goodies’ of this life are only accessible by acquaintance. Who you acquaint yourself with in this life will determine what becomes of your life. Your association determines your acceleration. We live in a dispensation where many of us are drawn into acquaintance with things or people that don’t matter to our destiny. Also, many people have acquainted themselves with a mindset and disposition that ‘rules out’ the faithfulness, love, mercy and grace of God in their lives, all because of the present trials and predicaments they seem to be passing through. What a terrible and wrong disposition to have on God during the times to trial and testing!!! The irony of it all is this: the FARTHER you are from AGREEING with God, the FARTHER you will be from LIVING a life of PEACE, JOY and COMFORT. Not only that, the FARTHER you will be from ENTERING the ‘GOOD PACKAGES’ that are available in Christ Jesus. Wait a moment!!! Are you giving up on what God has promised you? Are you seeing your eyes shifting from waiting on the LORD for help? Are you already contemplating whether the sure words of prophecies upon your life will never come to limelight? Have doubts beginning to settle in your heart concerning the credibility of God? Are you seeing yourself getting tired of studying God’s Word and praying? Are you seeing yourself yanking-off from both personal and corporate fellowship because the ‘good’ you envisaged to come your way hasn’t come yet? Have you noticed that the life of compromise is now gaining control of your life, because of a little shift in your focus from God? Are you seeing yourself always acting based on the opinions and voices of friends or people around, as against the voice of God? Can you see how yoked you are with sin and sinful habits just because to you God has not showed up? Can you see how you are silently in the heart doubting God’s plans and purposes He has promised to bring you into? All of these show how not acquainted you are with God.

Many years ago, a man was in a great dilemma because of the trials and troubles that suddenly befell him, but one of his friends cautioned him seriously to acquaint now himself with God. The man’s named was JOB, and his friend’s name was Eliphaz the Temanite. The counsel of Eliphaz to Job during the moment of his trials was this: “ACQUAINT now thyself with HIM (agree with God and show yourself to be conformed to His will) and be at PEACE; by that (you shall prosper and great) good shall come to you” (Job 22:21, AMP).  You see!!! You can’t really be at peace when you don’t acquaint yourself with God. Anything or anyone that you draw into acquaintance with other than to God Almighty has the possibility of making you living in quarrel with God. The Living Bible renditions says, “Quit quarrelling with God! Agree with him and you will have peace at last! His favor with surround you if you will only admit that you were wrong” (Job 22:21). When your position about a matter conflicts with the position of God, it is deemed necessary for you to acquaint (Submit, subject, yield) with God’s position. The question therefore is this; what is this acquaintance with God?

Acquaintance with God simply means agreeing with God, especially to His will and position at all times and in all places. It entails conforming to God’s will through daily and unbroken fellowship with Him. It suggests total submission to the Lordship of Christ. To acquaint with God has to do with me putting myself on daily basis in a right relation and standing with God; not arguing with Him in any way but yielding myself to Him. It connotes knowing God intimately and deeper. It also means not having quarrels with God. Indeed, I am in a serious quarrel with God if I am not at a disposition of acquaintance with Him. Realistically, whatever a man achieves in life; be it in wealth, riches, houses, assets, cars, etc., outside acquaintance with God CANNOT be counted as blessings in the sight of God. Abram (Abraham) the son of Terah in the bible was such a man who went outside acquaintance (alignment) with God to give birth to Ishmael despite the fact God said unto him that his heir will come forth out of his own bowels. But, when the time for God’s promises concerning the seed to come was passing away, he (Abram) acquainted with the voice of his wife Sarai (Sarah) to sleep with Hagar, the Egyptian maid of Sarai (Sarah). After the birth of Ishmael, came the birth of Isaac thirteen (13) years later. Yet, when God was to tempt Abraham in sacrificing one of his sons, it was Isaac that God happened to recognize as his true son (heir) to establish the covenant. Though Ishmael was Abraham’s son, he wasn’t counted as the promised son in the sight of God. The bible says, “... take now thy son, THINE ONLY SON ISAAC, whom thou LOVEST, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him here for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Genesis 22:2, KJV). The question to ponder upon is this: Was Isaac the only son of Abraham when God gave him this instruction? Nothing achieved outside the government and will of God is counted as a blessing in His sight. If so, are there blessings associated with being in acquaintance with God? The answer is yes.  

God ORDAINS both TANGIBLE and INTANGIBLE BLESSINGS when we acquaint ourselves with Him. Firstly, there is an overflowing and overwhelming joy, peace and happiness in the bowels of our spirit (Intangible blessings). The bible says, “ACQUAINT now thyself with HIM and BE AT PEACE” (Job 22:21a). Peace can only be enjoyed in this life when I agree to the terms and conditions of God. To be at peace with God is practically impossible when I do my own will all the time as against God’s will and leadership. I am suffering from lack of acquaintance with God whenever I do my own will as against His will. Whenever my action leads to the cessation of peace in my heart, it is possible that I have gone out of alignment with God Almighty. I can hardly walk harmoniously with God if I don’t agree with Him. No wonder the bible says, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed” (Amos 3:3, KJV). The second benefit would be that there is an overflow of the tangible blessings of life. The bible says, “ACQUAINT now thyself with HIM…by that (you SHALL PROSPER AND GREAT) GOOD shall come to you” (Job 22:21). True acquaintance with God attracts God’s prosperity, greatness, riches and goodness. The favours of God rest upon a man who acquaints himself with God. To do well in my undertakings is necessitated by my acquaintance with God. Jacob the son of Isaac was a man who missed encounter at Bethel when God seeks to acquaint Himself with Him. He refused to succumb to calls for acquaintance because of temporal needs such as bread to eat, raiment to put on, and safety to his uncle’s house Laban. He gave God condition. The bible says, “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God” (Genesis 28:20-21). His refusal to agree with God made him wasted over 20 years in the house of his uncle (Laban). On his way back to meet with his brother Esau unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom, he was greatly afraid and distressed. He thought sending message to Esau about his wealth and blessings he has outside acquaintance with God will solve the problem of his life. He strategized by “…dividing the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two bands,” (Genesis 32:7b) thinking that could solve the problem of fear. It came to a point that after they had passed over the ford of Jabbok one night with his two wives, two womenservants, and his eleven sons, he sent them over the brook but for him, he was left alone. Another opportunity availed itself for Jacob to acquaint with God as it was in Bethel over 20 years ago, but through out the whole night until morning, Jacob refused acquaintance. After a wrestle with Jacob to agree with God, the man (angel of God) felt he should touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh as a memorial of disobedience to acquaint with God, for he couldn’t prevail against Jacob. It was after the dislocation that Jacob finally stood stanched not to let the man (angel of God) go except he blessed him (Jacob). The question at this point to unearth is this: If Jacob was already blessed, what sort of blessing does he need again from God at this point? All the blessings that Jacob accumulated were counted as nothing until God changed his named to Israel and blessed him there at Peniel. The bible says, “And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince has thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.… And he blessed him there.” (Genesis 32:26-28,29b). It was until Jacob acquaints himself with God at Peniel through a genuine encounter that he became blessed, and was at peace in heart to meet with his brother Esau. Your peace and blessings is reliance on your acquaintance with God. In real sense, our CONFORMITY into the person of Christ is dependent on our acquaintance with HIM. The MORE we acquaint WITH GOD, the SOONEST we acquaint TO HIM. Acquaintance with God brings us into acquaintance to Him. It is in agreeing to the dealings of God over our lives that the possibility of becoming like Jesus Christ would become possible. We CANNOT be disagreeing with God always in the way we do things and still expect that we be at peace with Him. We cannot be quarreling with God always on what he wants us to do and still expect His good and blessings. We cannot be living outside the will of God and still expect Him to bless our wrong ways. We cannot be operating outside the government of God and still desires His hand over our lives and endeavours. Yield to God wholly, and you will see yourself yielding increase in life.   

Truthfully, no matter how fanciful your opinions, positions and dispositions are for living and doing the wrong things you do, it is inconsequential, especially when God’s position correctly and firmly stands. The reason for going contrary to the will and counsel of God for your life is inconsequential for as long as God has given you a promise to hold on to. In fact, God calls you to ACQUAINT NOW with Him in all matters of your LIFE so that the good things He has in store and stock for you will not ELUDE YOU. You can’t alpha (begin) something and expect God to Omega (end) it well for you. God does not omega (finish) what He did not alpha (started) with you, especially when you didn’t even invite Him in. You don’t begin a relationship, friendship, courtship, mentorship, etc., outside acquaintance with God and expect that it end well in God. Don’t assume that God has agreed with every step you confidently are threading upon, seek to know if He is involved. Realistically, acquaintance with God entails knowing God INTIMATELY and EXPERIENTIALLY. Knowing about God (Learning about God) and Knowing from God (Learning from God) is far different from knowing of God (Learning of God). It is in acquaintance with God that these three realities are experienced concurrently. This is actually possible when we cherish the SECRET PLACE (Studying God’s word daily and having an intense personal Prayer life), CORPORATE FELLOWSHIP and YIELDING TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HOLY GHOST. You will attract God’s blessings when you stop quarreling (disagreeing) with God, and starts acquainting (agreeing) with Him (God) in all things. Acquaintance with God does not only afford you the opportunity to conform to His patterned son (Jesus Christ), but causes you to attract His peace, joy, rest, goods, favours and blessings.

God Bless You!!!

(Written and Edited by Samson Okpanachi Daniel)