Knowing God is not the same as knowing of Him

Psalms 119:73  Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

Psalms 139:14-16    I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Psalms 138:8    The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Psalms 92:4-5     For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.  How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!

Isaiah 64:8     But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Psalms 100:3     Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psalms 111:2    Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.

Ecclesiastes 7:29     See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

2 Corinthians 4:4     In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The workings of the human body are stunning in their design and execution. We know far more than David ever did about how we are made, and it should make us full of more awe and praise than David ever had.”

If we are marvelously wrought upon even before we are born, what shall we say of the Lord’s dealings with us after we quit his secret workshop, and he directs our pathway through the pilgrimage of life? What shall we not say of that new birth which is even more mysterious than the first, and exhibits even more the love and wisdom of the Lord.” (Spurgeon)

Knowing of God and knowing God is very different.  Knowing of Him gives no personal relationship.  It gives no understanding of His steadfast mercy, grace and love.  It gives no secure place of refuge, hope, peace, joy, or rest.  It keeps God at arms distance.  It falsely allows us to form our own thoughts on what is right, wrong, good, bad, and possibly thinking we can do something to earn His favor. Knowing of God keeps a void filled with uncertainty and no fulfilling meaning or purpose in life .

Knowing of God keeps a void.Know God gives hope, peace, holy desire, joy, refuge, healing, forgiveness, love, kindness, gentleness, strength, encouragement, power, patience, growing faith, desire to know and understand Him and His plans and purposes in life, and desire to hear His quiet whispers of leading.  Knowing God fills the void with absolute assurance and, through faith, a much deeper and fulfilling purpose in life.

He has given us His word so that by it and through it we gain a basic understanding of how awesome, glorious, majestic, merciful, gracious, loving, and all knowing His is.  It gives us wisdom into the work of His hands.

Choose to know Him.  Desire and seek to know Him.  Commit to know Him.  He stands at the door of our heart, mind, and soul wanting for us to open it and ask Him in.  Your life will never be the same.

Let me hear in the morning

“True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.”

“I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth,”

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,”

Psalms 86:11  Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

Psalms 5:8     Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.

Psalms 25:4     Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.

Psalms 25:12     Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.

Psalms 27:11     Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path

Psalms 119:33    Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.

Psalms 119:73    Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

Psalms 143:8    Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.  Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge.  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

Job 34:32     teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?

John 6:45-46     It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—

Psalms 119:30     I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.

Jeremiah 32:38     And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.  I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.

Matthew 6:23     “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

2 Corinthians 11:3    But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Colossians 3:17     And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The call to us is to have a heart, mind, and soul that desire God and to serve Him in a way that honors and glorifies Him.  Notice the heart of the men in scripture who comment on their want to be led by God.  Teach me, show me, lead me, guide me, deliver me, show me, and instruct me.  How are they different than the way we are looking at God.  It appears they had a deeper desire and longing to honor and glorify Him.  Our lives seem to be so much easier than theirs.  Technology allows us many benefits that were not part of their daily lives.  The ease in our life made by travel, communication, medicine, heating, cooling, freezing, computers, clothing……. should make us more thankful and grateful for God allowing industrialization and technology to flourish.  We seem to think this is all done with the hands and mind of man.  All of this seems to have moved us further and further away from God to the point He is a second thought in times of trouble rather than the first thought.  There is so much in our culture that says “you don’t need God” but the fact remains we do.  What does it mean to have a  heart, mind, and soul desiring Him?  Read these scriptures again and see where others before us have put God in their lives.  The importance of this should not go unnoticed.  Seek Him, Desire Him, Honor Him, Worship Him, Listen to Him, Follow Him, and Obey Him.

Teach me

“True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.”

Psalms 86:11  Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

Psalms 5:8     Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.

Psalms 25:4    Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.

Psalms 25:12     Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.

Psalms 27:11    Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Psalms 119:33      Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.

Psalms 119:73   Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

Psalms 143:8     Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.  Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge.  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

Job 34:32     teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?

Jeremiah 32:38     And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.  I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.

Colossians 3:17     And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Having the right mindset is key to fearing God and seeking His way for your life.  How many times can you give stories on people who have the mindset they can figure it out themselves and do not ask to be taught?  It is easy to fall into the trap believing the current amount of biblical knowledge and understanding is all that is needed when things seem to be going fine and without many issues.  This easily leads down a path of complacency and neglect.  Note these scripture references;  “Teach” me – let me “Hear” – make me “Know” – give me “Understanding”“lead” me – He will “Instruct”.  The heart, mind and soul of these people were humbly seeking God.  They did not necessarily set time aside to give thought to God and about God, but rather this was their mindset foundation and permeated every second of their life.    With this foundation their mind, heart, eyes, and ears were open and actively seeking to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God’s purpose in and through their life.  Trying to please God with our own purposes on our own path takes us further away from God rather than closer.  Desire, seek, and choose to be led by Him.