Do You Even Know?

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     Something that I used to struggle with is whether I really knew God. It’s part of what pulled me toward other belief systems and kept me from being rooted in Jesus. That did not go away entirely when I first got saved, either. To be completely honest, there were times when I still struggled. I had thoughts like: how do I know that I really know God? Do I even know God the way I am supposed to know Him? Are there some sort of spiritual fireworks in that moment of truly knowing Him where the Holy Spirit pours confetti down from the sky? Perhaps a neon sign of confirmation and answered prayer?
      
     I am probably the only person who has ever wrestled with that, too. Nobody that reads this blog has ever wondered how they could be sure that they know God, right? We all just accepted Jesus as our Lord and personal Savior and just knew that we knew God, right!? But, do we really know Him? Some of us might need to ask ourselves a very serious question, right this very minute, how well do you really know God?
     
     The uncertainty of whether we really know God has been a thing for quite a long time. The Apostle John addresses it in 1 John 2:3-6, and it’s kind of terrifying: “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” Reading these verses cuts through all the wonder of whether or not we know God. John is pretty specific and cut and dry. We either keep His commandments which shows we know Him, or the terrifying part: we are lying…to ourselves, our families, and everyone around us because we aren’t keeping His commandments.
     
     It’s clear that you can know of God, without actually knowing Him. Knowing of God seems a lot like how you might know of a celebrity. You can even name drop like your knowing of them and having some loose connection to them gives you an air of status. Which, if you think about it, that is a lie. Because, knowing of someone does not mean that you know them and it does not mean that they know you, either. I mean, Jesus even said in Matthew 7:21-23 that many will say “Lord, Lord” and He will look at them and tell them that He does not know them! Yet, the truth is you can know if you know God. If you do, you’ll be following what His word says.  Both the Word of God that became flesh and the written word of God that our Father has blessed us with!
     
     So, can we know God? And can we know if we do? YES!!  As a matter of fact, my best friend and mentor, David Bryan, shared God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:13 this past week as we went back and forth on this very topic: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” And again, in Romans 1:19-20, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse.”
    
     Now, where does that leave us? Well, there are several ways that we can truly get to know Him. First, we can study the Scripture to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15). This is one of the best ways to get to know Him. Just as important as reading His word, we need to follow what we read so that we are growing to be more like Him. Second, we can meditate on His word. As we read, just sit and consider all that His word has to tell us. This might seem like some eastern philosophical exercise, but I believe that this practice is sorely underutilized in believers today. Third, spend time with Him in prayer. By that I don’t mean giving Him a list of demands, either. I mean taking time to be quiet enough to listen to Him!  The more that we do these things, the more we can be assured that when we cry out, “Lord, Lord!” He will turn to see us, and recognition will ignite in His eyes because we will not just know Him, we will have had a from-now until-then relationship with Him.
     
     So, do you really know Him?

     Until Next Time
     God Bless
 


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