Intertribal Life Newspaper -

Last year, I was asked to write a song about a man I didn't know. The friend who requested it sort of figured it wouldn't be hard to figure out something to write about the guy, but I was at a total loss for words, not knowing anything about him!

So I made a bunch of phone calls, sent a few emails and fired off a myriad of texts in my quest to find out all I could about this unintroduced stranger.

My hunt was successful!! I found out he was 87 years old, a USMC veteran (Vietnam), a commercial fisherman, a husband, a dad, an uncle, and a grandfather (with lots of grandkids!). The more I found out about him, the more I felt like I knew him & could write the song about him. It took a couple weeks but I got the song done.

Without being very intentional in my search, I would've been stuck!

God's Word says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart"(Jeremiah 29:13, NIV).

When it comes to knowing God, we usually start out with a general, but hazy concept of whom He is. We really don't know much about Him or His ways. Creation speaks to the knowledge of His power as the Creator, but can't tell us about God's love, mercy, forgiveness, holiness, patience or justice. Those are things we have to discover through His Word and through the ways He works with us.

The more we study God's Word, the better we understand what God is like. I know some people who read through the Bible once a year or dedicate several years to attending Bible college in their search to know God better. I admire that mindset!

The other way we get more familiar with the Lord is by getting to know the way He works in our everyday lives. The situations that He puts us in and the experiences He pulls us through all shape our concept of who He is and how He works.

Of course, that's not of much interest to someone who has no interest in knowing Him. God will remain the hazy, unidentified figure of "the man upstairs" until one gets serious about really knowing Him.

Just like I had to dig in to find out who I was writing a song about, we need to seek God, accept His way, learn about Him, talk to Him in prayer and grow in our knowledge of Him and His ways.

HAGD!