A Vast Difference

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." 

It is possible to grow up in a church, learn the catechism and have everything done to us that they do to us, within reason. But after we have done all that, we may not know God at all, because God isn't known by those external things. We are blind and can't see, because the things of God no man knows but by the Spirit of God.

We imagine that we can handle it by the flesh, and we do handle it by the flesh - the Lord lets us do it! We can hold the creed and not know God in His person at all. We can know the doctrine and not know spiritual things at all. The fearful consequence is that many people know about God but don't know God Himself. There is a vast difference between knowing about God and knowing God - a vast difference!

So it is that the human being can know about God, can know about Christ's dying for him, can even write songs and books, can be the head of religious organizations and hold important church offices - and still never have come to the vital, personal knowledge of God at all. Only by the Spirit can he know God.

Lord, it is humbling to consider the possibility that I could know all about You, and yet not know You personally. Impart Your Spirit, Lord, that I may truly know You. Amen

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God Is A Person

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night." (Psalm 1:2)

We have almost forgotten that God is a person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can. It is inherent in personality to be able to know other personalities, but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter. It is only after long and loving mental intercourse that the full possibilities of both can be explored.

God is a person, and in the deep of His mighty nature He thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires and suffers as any other person may. In making Himself known to us He stays by the familiar pattern of personality. He communicates with us through the avenues of our minds, our wills and our emotions. The continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and the soul of the redeemed man or woman is the throbbing heart of New Testament religion.

Lord, how careless I am with the privilege of deep and intimate interaction with You! May I learn to delight in constant, loving communication with You, that I may more fully know You. Amen

~A. W. Tozer~