Knowing God vs Knowing Of God

Dear diary,

Let's jump straight into it. Do you know God, or do you know of God? Ok, I'll ask it a different way. Do you read his scriptures, or live by them? Do you pray with your head, or do you worship in spirit and in truth? Do you run to God when it's convenient for you, or are you already in his presence? Knowing God and knowing of God may look similar, but they produce different fruit. We're going to dive deep into this conversation because this is a revelation that God graced me with, and I can't keep it to myself. Don't just know of God but know God.

What Is The Difference?

I mean it's a fair question. Knowing God and knowing of God sound pretty much identical, yet the consequences of one are more dire than the other. Knowing of God means that you understand who God is. You know, the God that everyone (I mean the world) seems to acknowledge only sparingly. The God you pray to when you got a big test coming up, when you need your bills paid, or when you're hoping your car doesn't get towed. Prayer is good, but when the conversation is one-sided, you know that God is big enough to come in and fix a current situation, but you don't know him well enough to know that he can fix everything else in your life. When you know of God, he becomes just a convenient thing for you, so there is no change or repentance.

When you know of God, you resist letting him in to change you. I can tell you one thing: I truly believe that if you know God, you won't stay the same. Why? Because God is so great, the more and more you grow in him, you can't help but to change. He is holy, so as you approach him, you shift towards holiness in order to stand deeper in his presence. You realize that he made mankind to be made in his likeness. To know more of you, you must know the character of God that he wants you to have. In order to know those characteristics, you have to get to know God. Knowing God means understanding who he is and who he has revealed himself to be.

"And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you."

Exodus 3:14

What Do These Two Look Like In The World?

Knowing of God in the world can look like not having or following the holy spirit, thinking you're right, refusing to repent, and chasing the world and not God. When you know of God, you don't really understand the perfect balance of God's wrath and his love. So you don't follow the leading of the Holy Spirit because you rely on your own understanding. You do not repent (or turn away) from your sin because you believe you are not doing anything wrong. You spend more time chasing after worldly things (which, let me remind you, do not last) than chasing after God. You do all these things because you 'Know of God'.

Whereas, when you know God, you acknowledge Jesus. You acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, and you let him take over your life. This leads to an understanding of his Holy Spirit-led leading, correction, and the will on which you rely. You are focused on the kingdom of heaven and it shows in how you walk on this earth. You rest in God's secret place in Christ rather than restlessly strive in the world.

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

John 14:6-7

What Does This Look Like In The Bible?

Did you know that you can be so close to the church or your ministry and still not know God? Having the title of a minister does nothing for your spirit if you do not know who you are serving. The enemies that killed Jesus were not some violent atheists that had some evil back story. They were teachers, scribes, and leaders of the people of God. Yet, when God was among them, they failed to recognize him. How can the people who supposedly devoted their lives to God not recognize him?

They thought they knew how the messiah would come. They put God in a box, failing to realize that if they looked at the patterns, history, and behaviors of God, it had been him all along. They knew of him. They knew the coming of the messiah. They knew the rules of the law. But they did not know that the same freedom that God granted the children of Israel from Egypt was the same God that set the captives free, healed the sick, and saved the world through his son Jesus. Not getting to know God can make you miss Jesus.

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."

Matthew 7:21-23

How Do I Get To Know God?

How do you know your friends, kids, or spouses? You spend time with them. You are constantly in their presence. You learn about their demeanor, how they speak, and how they act. You will never really get to know somebody by hearing about them only from other people. Deep connections are made through building relationships and spending time with him. Remove the distractions that get in the way of your quality time with God. Talk and pray to God the same way you would with someone that you are absolutely fond of. Don't think for one second that God doesn't want to draw near to you. He wouldn't send his one and only son to give up his life on a cross as a sacrifice for our sins if he didn't care for you. You just have to be willing to let him in.

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

James 4:8

Take this time to really assess what this means in your life. If you realize that you don't really know God, use this as an opportunity to grow closer in your relationship. Ask him who he is. Seek his face. When we know God, we know our father, savior, healer, shepherd, and so much more.

If you know God, then you know that Jesus is Lord over your life. Don't spend your whole life wishing you knew someone who was right there the whole time.

"Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him"

1 John 2:4

Lord, I want to know you more. Let there be a hunger and a thirst for you. May I always put you first. I pray that my pursuit of you draws others to know you more. I give you all the glory and honor. Amen.

- xoxo God's Girl