LET US PRESS ON TO KNOW

"And here among the bracken the thought came back to me;

that it was the greatest good fortune not only to be fascinated by animals but to know about them.

Suddenly the knowing became a precious thing."

James Herriot, All Things Bright and Beautiful.

Fascination is a wonderful word.

It means there's interest, passion, bright-eyed wonder.

But 'know'?

Here's a different level of meaning: it implies commitment, going further and deeper, asking questions, probing, chasing after the passion, taking the road less traveled perhaps.

Lately I've been studying the book of Isaiah and it seems that repeatedly, God's key charge against His people is they did not know Him.

Isa 5:13 "Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge - of Him, His ways, His plans, His justice and righteousness."

Sure they were offering their sacrifices and paid their dues. But it was lip-service and practice of 'tradition learned by rote' (Isa 29:13).

You could say they had some kind of fascination with God.

But they did not know Him.

For this Christmas season, "let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn;And He will come to us like the rain,Like the spring rain watering the earth" (Hos 6:3).