Personal Notes: Reality of God & Manifesting Him in our Life

Have you ever noticed the interweavings between “knowing of God” and “knowing God” in one’s life of faith.  How they are like this growing organism.

How the “knowing of God” ushers the believer to pursue God while the “knowing God” brings about confidence in God over one’s life.  And yet while there is an ever- growing confidence in God, the “knowing of God” is never depleted nor does it cease because God and the things of God are far greater.  

Longing... I guess that would be a better word for the phrase "knowing of God".  A person has a longing for God.   Just as one longs for the one we love.  We long to know that person we love.  We long to know to that special person more intimately.   

So we long after God to know Him more.

Now there is another aspect of "knowing of God" but no longing or pursing of God takes place in that person's life.   They have intentionally or unintentionally set themselves on a massive divide- estranging themselves to the empowering reality of God's love in their life.
 
“Yes they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks.  And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.  The result was that their minds became dark and confused.  Claiming to be wise they became utter fools instead.” Romans 1:21-22

One must seek God not just know “of” Him.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

The Jews who were rescued from Egypt had this same problem.  They knew “of” God, they were taught about God and heard about God but when God revealed His Presence and power they shuttered with fear and told Moses to go speak to God alone.

Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die." Exodus 20:19

The difference was Moses knew God and was empowered by his relationship with God (faith) but the people struck by the sudden realities of God were terrified.  They witnessed the miracles God did on their behalf but they wanted to settle for “knowing of God” and because they settled for just “knowing of God” they did some pretty foolish things and were not empowered in God's love. 

Note: Anyone who just settles for just "knowing of God" will think and do some pretty foolish things.
    

I would imagine this would be no different today …  if we placed a person who did not pursue God and took another person who knows God and had them stand before God… I am certain their reactions would be very different.  The reality of God would be overwhelming, I would even say terrifying, to the one who didn’t know God but the one who knew God would have peace.

 “Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Romans 5:1

We must not confuse faith as religion but faith as relationship which we know becomes a reality through Jesus Christ's Lordship over our life. 
  

Jesus came to save human souls but he also came that we might come to know God and know Him personally as our Heavenly Father.  And through this relationship have LIFE.
 

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“And this is the way to have eternal life- to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” John 17:3

The reality of God in our lives changes us, transforms us, liberates us, and empowers us.  He satisfies and refreshes the soul for He made the soul.  Man is lost for lack of knowledge of God.

 The book of Hosea 4:6 says:

"My people are being destroyed because they don't know me..."
 

Knowing I have tendency to feel burdened by life from time to time, I asked the LORD how do we stay there in this wonderful place…. where You continually manifest Your presence in our lives?

And almost as if I asked a silly question He said to me…. 

“Stay in my love.”

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. John 15:9

I suppose it was a silly question.   But in my congested state of a head cold I was trying to figure it out,  “How in world can I make this occur in my life more persistently?”  The point is “I” cannot make this occur- for in order for me to have what God wants for me, if that be salvation, wisdom, peace, patience, hope, joy, faith, courage, purpose, etc I have to surrender in humble obedience to God’s love.  He is the source.  We would think from the moment of our salvation in Jesus Christ we would see and remember it is God who transforms a life- He is one who does the work in us but sometimes we don’t.  He created life, he transforms a life and makes a LIFE for a person.

Perhaps I need God to shorten the chain to He who is my anchor so my thinking doesn't drift so far from this truth. (wink)
 

And in sharing all this God showed me something else... We were created to do things…. We see this from the Garden of Eden to now.  So by nature we like to do things.   We like to figure things out, name things, create things, grow things, cook things, learn things and teach things and so on.   God designed us this way.  And we see many positive and awful outcomes come from this.  Our design to want to do however was created for something much more wonderful.

We were designed to be partnered with God’s Holy Spirit.  We are a created creation that when surrendered to the will of God, God manifests in us and through us.  We not only learn the reality of who God is and the comforts of knowing Him and His love for us but we “do” and "do"supernaturally as we were created in Him.  His love takes us beyond ourselves.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Without God’s love, allowed to work in our life, we are incomplete…

 "...God is love, and all who live in love live in God and God lives in them. And as we live in God our love grows more perfect.  So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world."  1 John 4:16-17

Think about... Nothing is greater then God!  I am astounded when I read such statements because the Holy Spirit cheers them on in my soul.

"In it's place you have clothed yourselves with a brand new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you." Colossians 3:10 

This new nature not manifested by ourselves but by God's transforming love enables and allows us to see and walk through this life differently.  Again this is only through Jesus Christ- the securing cornerstone of our life.

 "The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone.  This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous to see.  This is the day the LORD has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:22-24

We who are renewed daily in God's love are inspired, strengthened, encouraged, comforted.   I know  I could never contain God in so many words.... the only way one will know... is to taste and see the Lord is good.  And sometimes that is tasting and seeing in our lives and/or other people's lives as well.

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
  

Without God's love to have access into our life, we are simply missing out on the fullness of LIFE that His love brings which not only enriches our lives but touches other people’s lives as well.
 

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Perhaps you want to know this love for yourself.  This love we can only know through Jesus Christ.  This love that saves us from hell.  This love that delivers us from ourselves.  This love that helps us overcome circumstances in our lives.  This love that cannot be bought or earned.  This love that is a gift to all who want to accept it.  This love that is often beyond our understanding.

If you want Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life and know God's love pray with me now.

Lord Jesus forgive me of my sins I have committed in my life.   Lord Jesus come and be my Lord and Savior of my life.  Put a new heart and your Spirit in me that I may know you as a child of God.  I want to know your mighty and freeing love in my life.  Teach and show me I pray, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just have prayed this prayer,  I encourage you to read the bible (https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/)  and get God's word down into your heart so God can draw those verses to your mind when you need them.  You may not have been able to read and understand the bible before but since God's Spirit is now in you, you will be able to understand it now.  And if you are not clear on a scripture verse ask God to help you understand it.  If you are able, I encourage you to find a Holy Spirit filled bible believing teaching church to encourage you in your growth in Christ.  You have encouraged me by allowing me to pray with you.  Thank you!  May God Bless you.

   
ADDITIONS:

A.W. Tozer wrote: "God is love, and is for that reason the source of all the love there is.  He has set as the first of commandments that we love Him with all our hearts, but He knows that the desired love can never originate with us.  We love him, because he first loved us, is the scriptural and psychological pattern.  We can love Him as we ought only as He inflames our minds with holy desire.  Yet there is also a love of willing as well as of feeling.  Though we may not be conscious of any great degree of inward sensation, we may set our wills to love God and the feeling will come of itself.  Let us bring ourselves under obedience to His revealed Word and our love for Him will grow.  Obedience will strength faith and faith will increase knowledge.  And it a well-known law of the spiritual life that our love for God will spring up and flourish just as our knowledge of Him increases.  To know Him is to love Him, and to know Him better is to love Him more."