Experiencing God Is Not the Same As Knowing God

Experiencing God

Our generation stresses the experience of God. That is important. But it is possible to experience God without understanding or knowing God.

The ancient Israelites experienced God.

And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: "You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders." (Deuteronomy 29:2-3)

They saw the ten plagues. They saw how God destroyed the Egyptian army. They saw water spring forth out in the desert. They saw food appear from heaven every morning. They saw God as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire by night. They heard his voice! They experienced much of God and his power.

Yet the Israelites did not comprehend or know God.

But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. (Deuteronomy 29:4)

Moses rightly saw the reason for the Israelites lack of understanding. They had no eyes to see or ears to hear. Their experiences meant nothing because God had not given them a heart to understand.

Jesus

Jesus echoed the same words.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 11:15)

And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:9)

Jesus preached and taught the crowds. But he rightly understood that the teaching would bear no fruit unless God caused and granted understanding (Mark 4:11-12).

What Do We Do?

What if you examine your heart and realize that you do not truly believe in God? What if you realize that you have only experienced his power without truly comprehending his heart? What if he is not really your Father but just your Creator? Beg God for help! Beg him to help you to believe. God sees your struggle and is eager to help.

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

What if you read the Bible and it is just a series of boring words chained together that mean nothing to you? Beg God to open your eyes to see and taste beauty in his Word!

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. (Psalm 119:18)