Knowing HIM is…OVERWHELMING! (to say the least)
This is a good “overwhelming”, of course, but nonetheless,
overwhelming!
After writing my usual Monday post this week, I couldn’t
help but revisit the song over and over that day. (Distorted Vision) The name
of the song: Be Thou My Vision. Most have heard this old hymn, but on Monday it
became most special to me, because of the scripture it was based on:
Philippians 3: 7-11
"7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
It was a scripture that the Lord had placed on my heart
since Sunday. I had read it over and over that day, because I’m just at a place
in life that I could care less about “things”. I just want to KNOW Him! Truth be
told, I’ve finally made it to the place in life where I’m not basing my
decisions, reactions, etc. on what it would profit me; but how they would honor
the Lord. FULLY. I know, I know…it’s taken me awhile to get to that place in
life, and sadly it’s had to come through more and more “things” being stripped
away. I can’t remember where I’ve heard this quote before, but it has rang
truth to the Evatt household for months now: “You can never quite realize that
God is ALL you need, until He’s all you have.” We haven’t suffered any huge
losses by any means, but we feel like as if God has awakened us spiritually, by
stripping away “things”.
It’s through this process that God began to question me on “knowing
Him”. I read these verses in Philippians,
and it is a heart cry of mine to KNOW Him, but what does it mean to TRULY KNOW
HIM?
I have to say a big, “Thank You” to those of you that
submitted answers yesterday on this subject. It’s not a light one, but I am
pleased to have friends that not only answered it, but answered it with such
clarity, that it helped me gain further understanding. These are just a few of the key words and
phrases that I picked up on from your answers; seek, relationship, cultivate,
personal, our heart’s deepest desire, always more, Love, receiving revelation
of who I am, listening for His voice, a
full heart, His presence, giving up yourself completely, learning, seeking Him
out of love instead of responsibility.
I love these thoughts. I’ve found that
through asking others, how we “know” God is in direct correlation with how much
we have sought after Him, and how much we seek Him is USUALLY in direct
correlation with our circumstances, or the circumstances of others that we have
learned from. However, there comes that
time, I think in everyone’s life, that we simply begin seeking Him out of pure
passion and love.
Let me give you my down to earth example. Y’all know that I
usually gain insight from the beautiful scripture through the messes of my
life, and let’s face it, my kids are great at making messes! However, today I
want to acknowledge how I have gained beauty of the Word through something
beautiful; my marriage. My husband and I have known each other since the ages
of 5 and 7. (I’ll let you guess who is oldest! )We entered in our dating
relationship at the ages of 15 and 17, and then we were married seven years
later. I had plenty of time to get to know him before we sealed the deal. I knew just about everything there was to know
about this fella long before we entered marriage, and I absolutely adored
everything about Him! However, once married, I realized that knowing all these
things about him, pale in comparison to “knowing” him. I will keep the
conversation light for my young readers, but think of “knowing” in the biblical
sense. When “knowing” becomes intimate,
you lose self, and only want to focus on pleasing the other! This comes in the
everyday, as well. I know enough facts about him, that I want to incorporate
them in to doing nice things for him. For example, one of his favorite candy
bars is a Butterfinger. I’m not going to JUST buy him one from the store! I’m
going to write some gushy poem, plan a special date night, and incorporate
giving it to him then. I just love
bringing a smile to his face! You get the
point, I hope. I like to go above and beyond for him in every detail, not
because I know all these little facts about him, but because I “know” him
intimately, and my marriage is not just about what I can get out of it! I want
to put a smile on his face by my words, and actions for him each day!
When I think about the beautiful example God gave us through
marriage, I can’t help but think He was giving us just a glimpse of what it
means to “know” HIM. When you are first saved, you want to know all the things
about the Lord. You spend time focusing on the Word, studying about Him, and
learning how to worship Him, but one day you come to that point where “things
get serious” between the two of you!
Things get intimate.
The knowledge you have of who He is in your head,
meets the tangible presence He dwells within in your heart, and BAM…you begin
to KNOW Him!
The “things” of the flesh about YOU, begin to vanish, because when
you begin to “KNOW” Him, you just want to please Him, and live every bit of your
life surrendered to Him! What a great fellowship to arrive to!
Another scripture the Lord has been screaming at me over the
past couple of weeks, is found in Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:17-19
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you
may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his
glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength"
After personal study, seeing Beth Moore pray the same
scripture in my regular devotion time, and reading it in my daughter’s devotion
book(all in a matter of 4 days), I knew this was a passage to Lord would have
me put in my memory bank! I desire THAT wisdom and revelation! Not so that I
can boast to others of my knowledge, but JUST so I can KNOW HIM more!
And that’s
just what I’ve been “up to” over the past few days; trying to KNOW HIM more!
I’ve
been in hot pursuit of HIM!
I want to KNOW Him by living by His commands,
obeying His Word, and allowing His love to be complete in me (1 John 2:3). However, like I said from the beginning, it’s OVERWHELMING! I’m so “in
love” with Him and wanting to bring a smile to His face, that I have found this
to be an endless feat! I’m simply…OVERWHELMED by Him and “knowing” Him!
For type A people, this is generally frustrating, at first
glace! Because according to 1 Corinthians 13:12,
" For now we see only a
reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know
in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.",
I will
only “know” Him in part, until the day I meet Him face to face! Can you
imagine? If this experience here on earth is only “in part”, then I am SO ready
to “know Him” fully! Come on, Lord! My heart cries, “Maranatha!”
So, in those overwhelming moments, when I am tempted to become
frustrated in not being able to “know” Him fully while on this earth, I have
to find rest and peace in Psalm 46:10
"He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;"
At the end of the day, God IS God! I may not know all of the
mysteries of who HE is, but I do know that HE IS GOD! And boy, am I glad to
rest in that peace, and just be content with the overwhelming moments of when I
get to “know” Him in part! I don’t know that
my human mind could handle “knowing” Him fully here on earth, mainly because I
would be so busy soaking up His presence, that I wouldn’t be about His work
here on earth, and I’m pretty sure He wants me to get to work!
When words or thoughts just can’t fathom “knowing
Him”, I have to BE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD!
I’ve enjoyed the peace this song has brought to my spirit
these past few days. ENJOY!
I love how you describe this, Lindsay. I want to know (yada) God more everyday. This song is so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLove this Lindsay. I love knowing Him and want to know Him more and more each day. Beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteLOVE this song!! I my hearts desire is to know Him more and more each day!
ReplyDeleteLike the way you string your thoughts together.
ReplyDeleteYou quoted what I was thinking of after you got me thinking.
That green scripture, nothing by my effort or even desire, no space for humanism. GOD is everything! Even knowing comes because of the Spirit.
"... give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."