Do you know, like know know? Or do you just, head know.
There's book smart and then there's street smart.
As you may have guessed, I sit in the street smart camp. Getting into the mix is what I'm all about. Getting down and dirty, yes please! Reading about it? No thanks.
You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you fear. Such good words, right? I mean, Jesus said them so they are pretty quote worthy.
That word know, it means to experience know, not read it in a book know.
My oldest son use to go on and on about dolphins, the ocean and life there. He'd tell me all the facts that he read in his book and ask "momma did you know this and such about feeding a frenzy?"
"Yes son, remember, swam with sharks in Tahiti?"
"Momma did you also know that sea cucumbers live in the dark zone?"
"No son, they also live in the sunlit zone, oh and they throw up if you play underwater football with them..."
I had the knowing experience of swimming in the ocean, with dolphins, seals and seeing sharks out in their natural environment. I felt every word he shared because I have seen it, I remember what it sounds like at a 100 foot dive, how void and frightening the ocean is at night and how exhilarating it is each time you jump in the water and having bat rays fly right by.
He can read about it and know about the ocean, but I know the ocean.
When people share truths about God, miracles, healings, shoot- the supernatural, folks who study a lot get a little twitchy. Study is fabulous, in fact it's hard for me to take my nose out of the Word of God because it is an insanely supernatural book.
It's supernatural to me because I have studied AND experienced the truths I have read. I see in scripture Jesus saying, "hey listen. That's nothing! Stick with Me and you'll do greater works than this!"
So I position myself in order to require some crazy miraculous things to occur. I will say in can get a little frightening and exhilarating, just like deep dive scuba diving...
When we study the truths God has for us through the lens of pain and experience, we think we know the truth, but we only know how that truth seems to have played out from our experiences. Sometimes people teach others from that pain and, well, they get it wrong.
Maybe yo udon't know my Jesus because someone called you out and told you this or that was wrong- but what if they were the ones wrong.
If nothing else, God is never wrong. His word, also not wrong. It says what is says.
So my same son, has been to the beach, he's swam in the ocean, both Pacific and Atlantic. He's even dunk under a handful of times and had fish swim across his feet. But it was all scary and foreign because he has read the scary stories of sharks etc. Other people's experiences expressed out as this is 'always' what happens. I mean, how many folks go splash in Cape Cod each year yet virtually no one gets a bite? vs how many folks get laid out by vending machines... I mean, now that is a scary machine...
And those little fish swimming across your toes? When you see them face to face, and try to swim to catch them, they make you laugh so hard you about spit the regulator out your mouth!
Have you experienced the Lord through someone else? Through their words and pain? Or have you experienced Him for yourself?
Because I can assure you, if you know know Him, then you will be set free and the word says.
If you need to know Him, it is simple and all you must do is ask Him. Tell Him you've gone your own way and you are desperate for Jesus. The Word of God says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that He is Lord, you're saved. You're in. Don't wait another day to experience Him in a profound and incredible way.
And if you're someone who does know Him, are committed to Him, yet you don't feel free- then dear one, you have yet to know know Him. What are you waiting for? Tell Him to rewrite the words spoken over you, the lies you have believed- ask him to remove those. Start seeing the scriptures through the eyes of someone who wrote it from the most astounding Love ever experienced.