Knowing Jesus Deeply and Hearing Him Daily
When I was in college, I came to understand the relationship aspect of faith. This was more than simply knowing facts about God and the crucifixion of Jesus, as I did growing up. The relationship with God is truly understanding who God is (his character), and what He did for me. That new found understanding transformed my view of faith from religious rules I had to follow, and prayers I had to memorize, to deeply wanting to know Him more. And it all started with a sermon about hard candy (yep, seriously! Hard candy).
Let me explain…
Think of your favorite candy. It could be a Jolly Rancher, maybe it’s Twix, or Reese’s… you got it? Why do you like this particular candy? Is it because it has a cool wrapper? A sweet logo? Did somebody tell you about it and the mere thought of it made you put it at the top of your list without question? Did you read the back of the package and see the ingredients: Sugar, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, more Sugar… and know that it would be your favorite?
Probably not.
The reason you like it is because you have experienced it, and enjoyed it. You went beyond the ingredients telling you that it is sweet, opened the packaging, and tried it for yourself. You have tasted it and all of its sugary goodness, and Know it is good. You may even have a fun memory tying that sweetness to a particular day or experience that gives it sentimental value as your favorite. Once you experienced how good it was for yourself, it made you want to toss it in the cart at every grocery store check out and share it with others!
You can “know” something is sweet because you read the ingredients, or you can Know something is sweet because you have experienced how good it is.
The same concept goes for our faith and our relationship with Jesus.
We can “know” Jesus by a photo we have seen that depicts Him. We can “know” who Jesus is because somebody tells us. We can even read the bible, or theology books, and be able to answer questions about Him with facts off the top of our head… But those facts don’t often mean we truly Know Him. We simply “know” about Him. This is surface level knowledge at best (like the ingredients list or the logo).
But, if we experience Jesus, it makes us want more. It makes us want to share Him with others. When we read His word, and hear His word, we can choose to dive deeper than the words to understand their meaning. The more we do this, the more we can recognize and see His character. The more we recognize His character, the more we trust Him and see Him in our day to day lives. These deeper things make us want more. This is heart-level, experiential knowledge (like opening the packaging and tasting the candy). A real and vulnerable relationship.
It’s there, in that open-hearted space, that we develop a true relationship with Him. Not simply “knowing” facts, but Knowing who He is and what He has done for you, and for me: on that level we experience Him. We Know Him, and continue to get to Know Him as we invite Him to walk out every day with us. As we experience the depth of how truly Good He is: that He took our shortcomings, our sins, our failures, and He bore them on a cross for you and for me. In return, we get to let go of those things that weigh us down and keep us feeling far from God, and exchange them for His peace, His joy, and His love. We can live in freedom to walk out every day with God, because Jesus defeated Satan, Sin, and Death.
What an awesome Savior!
As I reflected on the conversation I had with Rebecca in our podcast episode on prayer, I was reminded of this concept. So often, it can feel frustrating when we feel as though we do not hear God’s voice. Maybe we get swept up in the busy-ness of life and feel like we can’t hear Him. Or, maybe, we haven’t quite figured out how to hear God’s answers as we have begun to grow in our faith.
I can honestly say I have carried the weight of doubting I can hear Him or that He speaks to me at all. I have also felt distracted and deafened by the busyness of my own schedule. In both scenarios, it can feel like we aren’t good enough, that we aren’t Holy enough, that we aren’t doing enough, and that we are forgotten or unforgiven.
This isn’t true in the slightest (see the Gospel for proof).
Rest assured, dear friend, that when you feel as though you cannot hear God’s voice, it just means that it’s time to pause and get closer to Him for a moment. Jesus had to do the same thing (Mark 1:35, Luke 4:42, Luke 5:16)!
This may feel counterproductive, or awkward at first. But, I promise you the sweetness is worth it! Here’s some practical things for you to try::
Read His word and meditate on it. Don’t just read the words to read them: read them and inquire about what they say about His character, about who He calls us to be, what revelation He is showing those in the pages, and how it relates to you. His word is Truth in a confusing world (Psalm 33:4). A light on our path when things feel difficult and dark (Psalm 119:105).
Once you read it, APPLY it to your day (James 1:22). See where God shows up!
Pray about the things that you are reading. Pray about the things (good and bad) going on in your life. Just talk to God as if you were talking to a friend. Hold nothing back. He does listen and wants to hear from us (Jeremiah 29:12, Ephesians 3:12).
Surround yourself with Godly community! Talk to others about God. Ask questions! Pray together out loud. Share what God has been teaching you in your day to day. Hear how He has shown up for others and be encouraged. (Hebrews 10:24-25).
It’s a daily choice to walk with Him. And it’s in these places of truth and vulnerability, when we make the choice to go deeper than reading the label (the facts, the lyrics on the screen, the words on the page), that you will become more in tune with His voice. In that heart-deep space, you get to experience Him deeper than before!
