Experiencing God: Beyond Theology to Encounter
In our journey of faith, it's easy to fall into the trap of knowing about God without truly experiencing Him. We may find ourselves settling for a theology we can explain, yet never fully encounter. But the kingdom of God was never meant to be something we merely read about in the Bible—it was designed for us to experience firsthand.
Consider the woman with the issue of blood. For twelve years she suffered. She had heard that Jesus was a healer. She could have remained content with this knowledge, staying at home and hoping that if God wanted to heal her, He would find her. Instead, she took action. Breaking cultural norms, she ventured into a crowd—something forbidden for someone in her condition. Her faith drove her to believe that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus' garment, she would be made whole.
This woman's determination led her to press through the crowd, perhaps crawling on her knees to remain hidden. When she finally reached Jesus and touched His garment, something remarkable happened. Jesus felt power leave His body—He was so attuned to the anointing flowing through Him that He sensed when someone made a withdrawal of faith.
This story illustrates a profound truth: we are hardwired to experience and encounter the Lord. God honors our pursuit of Him. Just as Moses turned aside to investigate the burning bush in the wilderness, God puts out "breadcrumbs" for us to follow. These might be moments in worship where we feel the Holy Spirit's presence, or a fellow believer checking in on us. These are invitations from God, saying, "Come encounter Me. Come experience Me."
The Psalmist David understood this when he wrote, "One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life" (Psalm 27:4). This wasn't about merely attending church on Sundays; it was about making his home in God's presence, being part of God's people, finding his tribe.
Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of this singular focus when He commended Mary for choosing "the best part" by sitting at His feet. In the busyness of life, we must remember that "one thing is needed"—to position ourselves at the feet of Jesus, soaking in His presence and His words.
The Apostle Paul echoed this sentiment when he wrote, "One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). There's power in letting go of the past and pressing forward in our pursuit of God.
But what does it mean to truly encounter God? It's more than just knowing about Him or even knowing Him intellectually. God wants us to experience Him, to touch Him, as it were. When God revealed Himself to Moses, He didn't give a simple name. He said, "I AM WHO I AM." This profound statement speaks to the multifaceted nature of God—He cannot be summarized in a single name because He has so many aspects to His being.
Throughout Scripture, we see God revealing different facets of His character:
To Abraham, He was El Shaddai, God Almighty, demonstrating His power to do the impossible.
To Hagar, the mistreated maidservant, He was El Roi, the God who sees, showing His intimate care for the outcast.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus revealed Himself as the great I AM, causing those who came to arrest Him to fall to the ground at the mere utterance of His self-identification.
Yet, amidst all His power and majesty, God makes Himself relatable to us. As Jeremiah 31:3 beautifully puts it, "The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'" This all-powerful God thinks about us, knows our rising up and sitting down, and is intimately acquainted with all our ways.
It's crucial that we don't settle for mere theology. While studying the Word is vital, we must push beyond to experience the God of the Word. This experience is what transforms us and enables us to be "salt and light" in the world. When we truly encounter God, it changes how we live, think, talk, and act. People around us should see something radically different in our lives—whether it's how we handle loss, navigate marriage, or simply conduct ourselves day to day.
As we pursue these encounters with God, we must also remain aware of the opportunities He gives us to share His love with others. Sometimes, these opportunities come at inconvenient moments, like Jesus stopping to heal a blind man while fleeing from those who sought to stone Him. But these moments of reaching out to the "one" can be precious and transformative, both for us and for those we touch.
In the end, our goal should be to have such a vibrant relationship with God that, like the man healed of blindness in John 9, we can confidently say, "One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." This kind of personal experience with God is something that no argument can shake.
As we navigate our faith journey, let's challenge ourselves to go beyond just knowing about God. Let's seek to encounter Him daily, to experience His presence, His power, and His love in tangible ways. Let's make our spiritual lives a priority, spending time in prayer and in the Word, not out of religious duty, but out of a desire to know God more intimately.
Remember, God is thinking about you. He sees you. He loves you with an everlasting love. Don't settle for less than a full, experiential relationship with Him. Press in, reach out, and prepare to be transformed by the God who is always more than we can imagine.
Consider the woman with the issue of blood. For twelve years she suffered. She had heard that Jesus was a healer. She could have remained content with this knowledge, staying at home and hoping that if God wanted to heal her, He would find her. Instead, she took action. Breaking cultural norms, she ventured into a crowd—something forbidden for someone in her condition. Her faith drove her to believe that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus' garment, she would be made whole.
This woman's determination led her to press through the crowd, perhaps crawling on her knees to remain hidden. When she finally reached Jesus and touched His garment, something remarkable happened. Jesus felt power leave His body—He was so attuned to the anointing flowing through Him that He sensed when someone made a withdrawal of faith.
This story illustrates a profound truth: we are hardwired to experience and encounter the Lord. God honors our pursuit of Him. Just as Moses turned aside to investigate the burning bush in the wilderness, God puts out "breadcrumbs" for us to follow. These might be moments in worship where we feel the Holy Spirit's presence, or a fellow believer checking in on us. These are invitations from God, saying, "Come encounter Me. Come experience Me."
The Psalmist David understood this when he wrote, "One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life" (Psalm 27:4). This wasn't about merely attending church on Sundays; it was about making his home in God's presence, being part of God's people, finding his tribe.
Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of this singular focus when He commended Mary for choosing "the best part" by sitting at His feet. In the busyness of life, we must remember that "one thing is needed"—to position ourselves at the feet of Jesus, soaking in His presence and His words.
The Apostle Paul echoed this sentiment when he wrote, "One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). There's power in letting go of the past and pressing forward in our pursuit of God.
But what does it mean to truly encounter God? It's more than just knowing about Him or even knowing Him intellectually. God wants us to experience Him, to touch Him, as it were. When God revealed Himself to Moses, He didn't give a simple name. He said, "I AM WHO I AM." This profound statement speaks to the multifaceted nature of God—He cannot be summarized in a single name because He has so many aspects to His being.
Throughout Scripture, we see God revealing different facets of His character:
To Abraham, He was El Shaddai, God Almighty, demonstrating His power to do the impossible.
To Hagar, the mistreated maidservant, He was El Roi, the God who sees, showing His intimate care for the outcast.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus revealed Himself as the great I AM, causing those who came to arrest Him to fall to the ground at the mere utterance of His self-identification.
Yet, amidst all His power and majesty, God makes Himself relatable to us. As Jeremiah 31:3 beautifully puts it, "The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'" This all-powerful God thinks about us, knows our rising up and sitting down, and is intimately acquainted with all our ways.
It's crucial that we don't settle for mere theology. While studying the Word is vital, we must push beyond to experience the God of the Word. This experience is what transforms us and enables us to be "salt and light" in the world. When we truly encounter God, it changes how we live, think, talk, and act. People around us should see something radically different in our lives—whether it's how we handle loss, navigate marriage, or simply conduct ourselves day to day.
As we pursue these encounters with God, we must also remain aware of the opportunities He gives us to share His love with others. Sometimes, these opportunities come at inconvenient moments, like Jesus stopping to heal a blind man while fleeing from those who sought to stone Him. But these moments of reaching out to the "one" can be precious and transformative, both for us and for those we touch.
In the end, our goal should be to have such a vibrant relationship with God that, like the man healed of blindness in John 9, we can confidently say, "One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." This kind of personal experience with God is something that no argument can shake.
As we navigate our faith journey, let's challenge ourselves to go beyond just knowing about God. Let's seek to encounter Him daily, to experience His presence, His power, and His love in tangible ways. Let's make our spiritual lives a priority, spending time in prayer and in the Word, not out of religious duty, but out of a desire to know God more intimately.
Remember, God is thinking about you. He sees you. He loves you with an everlasting love. Don't settle for less than a full, experiential relationship with Him. Press in, reach out, and prepare to be transformed by the God who is always more than we can imagine.
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