“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” This is a classic line from The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer.
Do you agree?
Is a growing knowledge of God truly the most important pursuit for a Christian?
I believe it is. There is no subject more transformative, more life-shaping, than God Himself. The fact that the infinite, almighty God makes Himself knowable to finite, limited humans is nothing short of astonishing. If God were fully knowable, He would cease to be God. And yet, in His kindness, He invites us to know Him—truly and deeply.
How God Makes Himself Known
God reveals Himself in breathtaking ways.
Through creation, we catch glimpses of His divine nature. As Psalm 19:1 declares, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” His eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen in what He has made (Romans 1:20). It’s no wonder that when images of the crescent moon and Earth were transmitted from the Artemis II spacecraft, someone in Mission Control responded with the words, “How Great Thou Art.”
But creation is only the beginning.
God reveals Himself more fully in His Word. In Scripture, we discover His Triune nature, His character, His works in history, His purposes for humanity, and His eternal promises. The Bible is not merely a book of principles and promises for us—it is a book about God. And as we explore it, not just for answers but for Him, our lives are transformed.
Yet the clearest and most beautiful revelation of God is found in Jesus Christ.
John’s Gospel tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…. No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:1, 14, 18, emphasis mine).
In Jesus, we see the glory of God in human form. As Paul writes, we behold “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). There is no more magnificent life to study, no better person to emulate, no greater example to follow.
The Journey of Knowing God
So how do we grow in knowing God?
In his classic book, Knowing God, J.I. Packer offers a compelling picture. He compares the pursuit of knowing God to travelers approaching a mountain. From a distance, they admire its beauty. As they draw nearer, they see how it shapes the entire landscape. But then comes the invitation—to climb and experience it in detail, to traverse its valleys, and to stand in awe on its summits.
To know God is not just to observe Him intellectually from afar, but to draw near and explore the depths of His character. From every ridge and elevation, there is more beauty to discover, more wonder to take in.
A Guide for the Climb
If you’re looking for a faithful guide on this journey, Jen Wilkin’s books None Like Him and In His Image are a wonderful place to begin. Recently released together in a beautifully designed gift edition, these two works invite readers to behold God deeply and slowly, and be transformed into his image.
- None Like Him explores ten ways God is utterly unlike us—and why that’s very good news.
- In His Image highlights ten ways we are able to reflect God’s character because humans are created in His image.
Each chapter is like a carefully crafted pearl—meant to be lingered over and treasured. Strung together on fine silk, these pearls display facets of God’s timeless character, and evoke awe and worship. Wilkin gently redirects the way we read Scripture from self-discovery to God-discovery, a shift that can fuel how we grow in faith and obedience, and understand our purpose in life.
In the introduction, she writes:
“There is nothing more soul-satisfying than knowing God–truly, deeply knowing him–and there is nothing more life-altering than allowing that knowledge to transform us into his likeness. I pray that your heart will be filled with awe at the greatness of God, and that you will be moved to greater faithfulness in reflecting his character to the world around you. … Spend your life gaining knowledge of the Holy One. Our glorious God has condescended to make himself knowable and to make himself known. What an inexpressible gift it is to plumb the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!”
An Invitation
What if A.W. Tozer is right? What if the most important thing about you really is what comes into your mind when you think about God?
Then few pursuits could matter more.
I invite you to take up this journey—to meditate deeply, carefully, and joyfully about who God is. Let Jen Wilkin’s work serve as a companion as you seek to know Him better. Because the God of the universe is not distant or hidden. God has made Himself known—and He invites you to keep discovering more of Him until the day you see Him face to face. And then, the discovery will have only started! As the hymn Amazing Grace says, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.”
About the Author
Kate Sunday serves at Haven Ministries as Assistant to David Wollen. She has been a pastor’s wife and women’s Bible study leader in the western suburbs of Chicago for over thirty years. Her husband, David, is a teaching pastor at New Covenant Bible Church and President of WordPartners. Kate has three adult children and one sweet granddaughter. She has a Master of Arts in Ministry and Leadership from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.
None Like Him and In His Image Gift Edition: Beholding the Character of God
A. W. Tozer famously said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” In this beautiful gift edition of None Like Him and In His Image–two beloved books in one–Jen Wilkin explores ten ways God is unlike humans, and ten attributes of God that Christians are called to reflect. As you behold the character of God, you’ll be transformed into more of his likeness and discover who you were created to be.