“My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.”

Proverbs 2:1-5

Picture a young lad, say about seven, who had spent his entire life in an orphanage growing up among similar children who were parentless.  He lives his life in quiet desperation of being loved by someone other than his unknown biological parents.  Then one day he receives word that he is being adopted, not by a couple, but by a single man who he hopes to build a lifelong relationship with and one day call “Father.”  The days leading up to the signing of the official papers seems like years.  When the day finally comes to meet his newfound father he has mixed emotions.  He is overjoyed that someone would voluntarily choose to love him without even knowing him.  Yet, on the other hand, he is apprehensive and withdrawn because he doesn’t know this person. 

Stop here and put yourself in the shoes of this young lad.  What type of questions would you be ready and eager to ask this man whom you will call your father?  I bet the list is endless!  Where did you grow up?  Do you have siblings?  Where do you work? 

This same thought process can be applied to the verse above.  Giving our lives over to God and accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior makes us adopted sons and daughters of God.  What a feeling of joy and uncontainable exhortation!  But let us not stop at the footsteps of security and comfort.  We should all have a burning desire from within to get to know this new Father of ours.  As mentioned in the verse above, we should have the same desire to know God as if we were panning for gold and silver. 

Not only should we possess the desire to know God more, but we should also enjoy the process along the way of discovering the awesome character of God.  We should be thankful for His never-ending grace, His unconditional love and His free offer of undeserved mercy.  We should stand in absolute awe knowing God is a God who demands justice and that without the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ we would all stand condemned to eternal separation. 

I can’t say I know the feeling of being adopted in this world for I was fortunate to have two loving parents in my childhood.  But I can express my gratefulness and exultation of knowing that the Creator of the universe loved me enough to adopt me as His own. 

Hallelujah!  Praise God forever!  What joy!

For more on God’s love read Behold, I am With You and Our Heavenly Father. For further reading on desiring to know more about God see Like Newborn Babies.