The world tells us that there are many ways to get to God. We can see this in the diverse religions and the different denominations around us. No two groups seem to have the same beliefs or interpretation of the doctrine of the Scriptures. There are many voices, and many choices, all purporting to lead their followers to the same destination. But still the question persists, “Where can you find God?”
What You'll Learn Today
How do I find God?
Everyone first decides where they want to go before planning a trip. Not knowing the right way to your destination is an obstacle to taking the right route to get there. One may take many routes to get to a particular destination, but for others we have to be more specific or you will get lost or off track.
The first step in finding God is recognizing that we need Him. We must understand that somewhere along our journey through life we have lost our way. Romans 3:23 states,
” For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.”
We have missed the mark! Through sin we all come short, we fail to retain the glory of God. God’s favor and approval is not upon us when we continue to live in sin.
In order to obtain the glory or the favor and approval of God, we must first acknowledge that we are sinners and we need a Savior. That Savior is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Upon recognizing our need, we need to make a decision to search for Him. Deuteronomy 4: 29 tells us,
“You will seek the Lord Your God and you will find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart” (see also Jeremiah 29:13).
To search for God with all our heart means to give Him first place in our lives (Matthew 6:33). With all diligence, we must make our pursuit of Him our highest goal. Once we make Him the priority, not an option, He promised that we will find Him.
The second step to finding God is recognizing that there is only one way to Him. The world may tell you that there are many ways to God but Solomon, the wisest man, tells us;
“There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end is a way of death” Proverbs 14:12.
Sinful as we are, we are not in a position to know the way or to choose the right path by ourselves. We can only do so with the help of the Holy Spirit, and that only after we have acknowledged and received Jesus Christ as Savior.
Jesus is the right way and the only way to reach the destination that God intended for us. In John 14:6 Jesus tells us,
“I AM the WAY and the truth and the life: no one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Contrary to what various religions teach, there is but one way to God the Father, and that is through the Son.
Anything else is of the devil and is a lie which, if we hold to, it will cause us to be lost. Jesus further said,
“I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9a).
Some may say that believing there is only one way to God may be biased and narrow-minded, but the truth is, the Way is narrow.
“The gateway to eternal life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
This is a sobering observation! spoken by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. If He said the gateway to life is narrow then we must believe Him. He knows the way. He is the way. So, in order to find God, we must grasp the hard truth that Jesus is the only way.
How do I know that God lives within me?
Once we have acknowledged and received Christ as Savior, we become a part of God’s family.
John 1:12 states
“But to all who receive Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
We have the right to call God, ‘Father’, because we have accepted the finished work of His Son on the cross, for our atonement.
Having been justified through the blood of Christ, we are no more children of darkness. We are now born anew into the kingdom of God.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ [that is grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
As God’s rightful children, we are partakers of His divine nature and so He gives us the Holy Spirit who is our guarantor of eternal life.
“He knows we are His since He has also stamped His seal of love over our hearts and has given us the Holy Spirit like an engagement ring is given to a bride-a down payment of the blessings to come! ” (2 Corinthians 1:22).
We know that God is within us because the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, now resides in our hearts. It is His Presence at work in us that will enable us to daily put off the old way of life and to make godly choices.
The Holy Spirit makes us holy. He is the One who enables the believer to produce the results that He desires: a fruitful life that brings glory to God.
Because of the Holy Spirit, we no longer operate in the same manner or according to the world’s value system. Our values are different because our focus is different.
Whatever happens, we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27). Knowing that our love and good works must bring glory to God, our Father (Matthew 5:16).
Finding God in Everything
God can be found in many places and many things. We can see the expression of Him in all of nature. The Passion Translation renders Psalm 19:1-6 beautifully:
“God’s splendor is a tale that is told; His testament is written in the stars. Space itself speaks His story every day through the marvels of the heavens. His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky, showing His skill in creation’s craftsmanship.”
“Each day gushes out its message to the next, night with night whispering its knowledge to all. Without a sound, without a word, without a voice being heard, yet all the world can see its story. Everywhere its gospel is clearly read so all may know.”
“What a heavenly home God has set for the sun, shining in the perdome of the sky! See how he leaves his celestial chamber each morning, radiant as a bridegroom ready for his wedding, like a day-breaking champion eager to run his course. He rises on one horizon, completing his circuit on the other, warming lives and lands with his heat.”
Yes, we can see His heart in everything He has made, including you and I. We are the masterpiece of His creation. In Genesis 1:26a, God said, “Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness.” Man was created to be God’s image-bearer, to display His glory and to demonstrate His power over all the earth.
God’s intention was clearly expressed in His command; “Be fruitful and multiply, subdue the earth” (Genesis 1:28). However, man’s fall from grace robbed him of the ability to walk in that dominion and bring glory to His Creator. Sin separates man from the glory of God, which reveals the presence of God.
God did not leave man to reclaim what was lost on his own
“But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son into the world, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons “ (Galatians 4:4-5).
He declares,
“I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer wander in the darkness” (John 12:46).
The Apostle Paul has this to say about Christ:
“For through Him, God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see- such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together” (Colossians 1:16-17)
It is difficult for us to understand that God can be found in everything, especially when we live in a world that is prone to sickness and death, natural and man-made disasters.
But the invisible God can be found even in things we sometimes call “bad or evil.” For the believer, we have the assurance that all things, not some things, but all things; the “good” and the “bad” are intended for our good.
According to Jeremiah 29:11, God’s intention and purpose for us is ALWAYS for good.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.”
God’s thoughts for us is always and forever good, irrespective of the sorrows that surround us.
“For in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called According to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
All things- suffering or prosperity; good or evil. All contribute, all are cooperating towards the future and hope, the “good,” that God has laid up for us.
What does it mean to Find God?
To find God does not mean that life always flows smoothly, but finding God means that in the midst of chaos and pain, we find peace because our confidence is in One who not only has the integrity but also the ability to do far more than we can ask, think or imagine.
“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you” (Ephesians 3:20).
Finding God does not mean difficulties are kept from us, nor does it mean that there is an absence of danger. But though our circumstances may change, and although danger arises at times, we know that our position in God remains the same.
Although we are living in a world that is experiencing the effect of sin; one where bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people, our placement in Christ is one of stability.
When we receive Jesus Christ as Savior the Bible says,
“And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus, [and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [by providing for our redemption] Ephesians 2:6-7.
To find God means that we are redeemed from the curse of the law. We are saved from the wrath which is to come. We are reconciled to God. Jesus made peace with God on our behalf, through His blood on the cross.
We are no more enemies, separated from God by our evil thoughts and actions. As a result of what Christ did, we are brought into God’s presence, and we are holy and blameless in His sight.
To find God means we believe and continue to stand firm on the gospel of salvation knowing that Christ lives in us and we have the assurance of one day sharing in His glory.
How do others find God through my life?
As children of God, it is our duty to demonstrate to the world who God is. We have a responsibility to warn and to teach others, with all the wisdom God has given us. Our life must be a reflection of His nature and character.
The world sees us and knows us, but the world has not seen God. Even though Jesus Christ came, the world did not receive Him but those who have, those who are His followers, they are given the rights to become God’s children.
How we live, how we operate, how we conduct ourselves, daily, is an indicator of who we are. Our walk must be in alignment with our talk. We cannot say we are God’s children yet live like devils.
We are not called to be role players but to be role models. The world does not need more ‘players’ but more stayers: authentic people who will stay the course, being true to who we are in Christ, whether or not anyone is watching.
Christ is the Light of the world, and those who follow Him are to be a reflector of the light that is emanating from Him. The Light, reflecting through the believer, will shine in the darkness of sin and reveal its true nature.
As we reflect the Light, it will reach its target and cause those who are stumbling in the darkness to see the Way. The Light will direct them to the Truth, and the Truth will set them free (John 8:32).
We are not only sons and daughters; joint-heirs with Christ, but we are called to be God’s witnesses. God is depending on us to validate the claims that Jesus made. We must provide evidence of His power at work in our lives.
“I have revealed and saved and proclaimed -I, and not some foreign god among you. You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I Am God” (Isaiah 43:12).
We are His witnesses that He is God. The importance of that should weigh heavily on our hearts. Everything we do, every moment of our lives, should be synergized to being an effective witness for Him.
We must defend God’s interests; we must validate His claims. May those who see us, find the God who saves and delivers, the God who rescues and restores, the God who makes all things new.
