It is Good to Know God.

September 11, 2024

I haven’t taken a lot of photos this year, but I did take one of this guy on one of our camping trips this spring. We arrived, and as usual, I had the windows down in the truck as we rolled through the campground. The sound throughout the campground, especially out in the wooded area around the lake, was so loud.

I’d been hearing about the cicada emergence for several months, but the thought of experiencing anything out of the ordinary had left my mind. As I pulled up to our campsite, I was sure there was some type of large machinery across the way making all the noise. Was the campground doing some type of clearing? Did they have machines in the bath house doing a deep clean?

I even let my imagination run for a few seconds. Is there an alien spaceship somewhere deep in the woods that I can’t see?

Of course it was none of those things. Cicadas had pretty much taken over the campground. The noise wasn’t annoying as we soon got used to the hum.  We’d see one or two occasionally, like the one in the photo that landed in front of me the morning we were preparing to leave. They didn’t bother us, and we didn’t bother them.

As I got closer to the little guy I wondered what he was thinking as I knelt in front of him with my camera. As he looked at me, did he wonder what I was doing? Did he wonder if I was friend or foe?  Was there any comprehension at all about what I was?

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A cicadas relationship with me is nothing like my relationship with God.

I towered over this small insect. I could choose to do whatever I wanted with it. Spray it with water, pick it up, flick it away, kill it, or as I chose, observe it for a bit and let it go about his business.

God, too, towers over me. But in His infiniteness, I know some things about our relationship. Instead of putting what I know in my own words, I’ll let Him tell us Himself.

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17, NASB)

 “For I, the Lord, do not change;” (Malachi 3:6)

“For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,” (Isaiah 46:9)

“Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Romans 11:33)

“Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His faithfulness to a thousand generations for those who love Him and keep His commandments;” (Deuteronomy 7:9)

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;” (Psalm 34:8)

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate; Slow to anger and great in mercy.” (Psalm 145:8)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

I have no idea what the cicada thought as he looked at me. I know he had no way of learning about me. He couldn’t read a book. He couldn’t communicate with me. He had no way of being prepared for what I might do as I loomed in front of him.

On the other hand, God wants us to know Him. He provided His Word so we can read about Him. He instituted prayer so we could communicate with Him. He gave us Scripture like John 3:16 so that we can be prepared to be with Him.

It is good to know God.