Sabbath: To Know God
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 4th of April 2026
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study:
Genesis 3:1-5, Leviticus 20:26, 1 Samuel 2:2, 1 John 4:7-19, Genesis 1:1, Genesis 2:7, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 28:20.
Memory Text:
“ ‘And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent’ ” (John 17:3, NKJV).
Having a clear understanding of God’s character is foundational to having a strong relationship with Him. That is why, this week, we will look carefully at what the Bible says about the character of God, keeping in mind that it “is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth. . . . The last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 415.
It seems impossible to describe God adequately, and so the most we can do is point to what the Bible says about Him. Although we will never know, especially now, everything there is to know about God’s wonderful character, let’s pray that as we learn more about Him, our understanding of and love for Him will deepen, so that, ultimately, we will want to grow closer to Him in order to reflect His love and character to others.
Let’s get one thing straight about “Knowing God”! It is not a destination.
I married Carmel over fifty years ago; and do you think I knew all about Carmel when I married her? I have to say, that getting married to Carmel was really scary. I have told you before that we were in separate countries for the 12 months before we got married. We had gone together in the College environment for about 18 months, become engaged and almost immediately we were separated; I had to continue my studies in Australia, while she was a primary teacher in New Zealand. And the only communication was letter writing. So, when I married Carmel 8 days after she returned to Australia, it was like marrying a stranger. To be honest it was both exciting and scary. I have to add that is was also dramatic. We had a huge summer thunderstorm, and Carmel was an hour late getting to the church. Almost immediately after getting married we drove to Perth in western Australia in a 1947 FX Holden – a journey of 4500 km with about 600 km of gravel road across the Nullarbor Desert. It took a week and we slept in the car most nights. We learned a lot about one another in that week. 58 years later, we are still learning and growing our relationship. And, important to the story, the relationship has included family, friends, and colleagues along the way. A marriage is not the wedding ceremony; it’s the journey of a lifetime together.
If we are to “know God” is has to be a long-term thing, not just a euphoric conversion, or an epiphanic moment. It is not just something you read about and exclaim. “I’ve got it!” It is a shared journey through the good and the bad, and especially with others.
Jesus said:
Jesus did not want us to stop at head knowledge; he wanted us to experience the relationship. That is the work of a lifetime.
Understand this: Knowing God is not the same thing as knowing a lot about God!
This is edifying
“I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” (John 10:14)
Before we know God, He knows us first and He invites into a personal relationship. God is the one who wants us to know Him. Human being will never know God by their own efforts. God reveals Himself to us. “They will all know me… from the least to the greatest.” (Jeremiah 31:33–34). This relationship of knowing God has got eternal consequences. “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3). Not knowing God, the stakes are extremely high. Knowing God has to start now, and it has to be continuous (abiding with the vine). What does knowing God possibly mean?
To know somebody, requires having a close relationship and having an experience with the person. This is not any much difference with knowing God. Any human relationship requires love, commitment, sacrifice and understanding. The same virtues must be exercised in knowing God, even in greater intensity. Knowing God is over and above knowing about God. This is a heart-to-heart relationship. This is a relationship of the highest value in the life of a believer. “Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me…” (Jeremiah 9:23–24). As we invest so much in human relationships, knowing God should be our top priority. We must genuinely seek to know Him. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13).
As we endeavour to know God better, may we genuinely commit ourselves to prayer, Bible study, obedience to His commandments, and total surrender to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks onwenga mwambiI always like your comment and find bless in it 🇵🇬🙏
Amidst the chaos and conflicts of our present age, Jesus calls us to lift our gaze heavenward and anchor our faith in God. The problem affecting us more than anything is not the political, societal, or economic situation—it is not knowing God. The pursuit of knowing Him is more than seeking information through a search engine or studying a course in college. It has everything to do with abiding in Christ, and this is the most authentic pursuit we can engage in. Jesus said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:1–3).
Knowing God is more than merly having a religious experience; it is not about what we feel about Him. It is entering into a relationship with Him so that He dominates, influences, and guides our thoughts and actions. “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me” (Jeremiah 9:23–24). To truly know God is to allow Him to shape our priorities, transform our character, and direct our lives, making our faith not just something we profess, but something we live each day.
Yes, yes, Brother Montanya! “Knowing” God spiritually, as Adam “knew” Eve, our God is married to us-Isaiah 54:5. He is, always has been, and ever will be, our spouse, and faithful to us!
Seek God in everything we do!
Ask him and he will guide you.
He is a loving father that wants us near him constantly.
Faith and trust in God and his guidance will get us through anything!🙏🏻
‘Character’ is the collective set of mental and moral qualities, values, and principles that define how an individual thinks, feels, and acts, especially in challenging situations. Derived from the Greek word charassein, meaning “to engrave” or “stamp,” it represents the lasting “mark” left on a person by their experiences and choices. [Merriam-Webster Dictionary]
Character is build over a lifetime through effort and choices. Why is developing a ‘good Christian character’ so important? Character differs from personality – ‘personality’ is mostly inherited, whereas ‘character’ develops over our lifetime. What do we allow to influence our choices that form our character?
If anyone askes us why we believe in the Christian God, we can point to 1 John 4:7-19. It perfectly describes the Way of – ‘Knowing God through Love’ – ‘Seeing God through Love’ and the ‘Consummation of Love’. [Biblia Paragraph headings for 1 John 4:7-19 NKV]
Everyone needs guidance in life. The faithful Christian chooses to accept to receive guidance from Jesus Christ by God’s Holy Spirit in order to form his/her ‘character’. God gave us His Son for this purpose – to again learn to ‘reflect ‘ our Maker with our life. He made us in His Image – He exemplifies Love – gave us His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – for the purpose of leading us back to knowing how to love the Father and our fellow man – 1 John 4:16.
“But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now of any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His.” Romans 8:9
We must answer the door and invite Christ’s Spirit in each day and moment by moment.
“And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” Romans 8:10
Knowing God is a process. Searching for Him every day is essential, and He will always be available to those who search with all their hearts. God is LOVE!
Knowing God is challenging process. You have worldly ambitions and plans in life, you read the scriptures, apply faith in the promises of his word, Apply scripture to help in your context to pursue whatever you have to do because God promises guidance, blessings and protection. Now your prayer life is at it speak and you are confident that whatever you think you deserve to have God will bring you there to fulfill your dreams and purpose on Earth. You engage in ministry serving God and others graced with love and distinction. You knew you had it all and thats what God wanted you to do. But suddenly things did not work out the way you think. You failed, your ambitions were not fulfilled, your dreams and plans didn’t eventuate and you fell dejected and like a loser. Stopped praying, going to church became a status quo, your prayer life and bible study slumped and disbelief crept in slowly and took its toll. You replaced God with other distractions and addictive behaviors, Where is the God/Jesus you presumed you knew?
This comment is personal
Our God is loving and generous; righteous (1Sam 2:2), … while being trustworthy and omnipotent. He bears a name that is pure and holy. His love for His children, evidenced by His spilt blood:
“Reaches to the highest mountain,
And it flows to the lowest valley;
… It will never lose its power.”
God Incarnate came to serve without pause. (Col 1:15, 16, John 1:14; Mark 10:45; Rev 21:3). His mission on Earth has been one of selflessness.
Praise Him for the priceless opportunity to know Him more … to the point of reflecting His character and spending eternity with Him!