Knowing God?
We (some of the guys in Messengers) are going to start reading Packer's Knowing God and then gathering to discuss it and pray. I am excited, because I know there are two kinds of knowing, and both are necessary when we are talking about God. I am most certainly lacking in both. I have great expectations that He will be faithful.
The two kinds of knowing are, to know information/data, and to know by experience. The spanish language has two words for these, conocer and saber. Perhaps the best way to explain is like this; I know my address (that would the data knowing). I also know my wife. Not just her name and what she looks like and what size she wheres, or even how she thinks. I know her by experience. I have enjoyed her. She affects my mood, my heart, my thinking. Some used to say, I know her in a biblical way.
Another way to look at it is, the old banana test. Most anyone knows what a banana tastes like. But, the only way to know that, is to experience it. You could try to explain that. But I doubt that anyone who has never tasted a banana before will come even close to knowing what a banana tastes like without tasting one. The only way to know what a banana tastes like is to experience the tasting of a banana.
I hope it doesn't sound like I am comparing knowing God, to knowing a banana.
I think both kinds of knowing are very important when it comes to God. We must know about Him to even begin to understand what we have experienced of and from Him. We must experience Him to appreciate all that He is and does. Would it be fair to say, our praises eminate from our experience of Him and they are guided by our intellectual knowledge of Him.
For example, to know (experience) the fullness of His mercy towards us, we must first begin to understand what it means for Him to be Holy. If we do not know that He is holy, then we will not appreciate the depth and mystery of the mercy. Our praises would be less than they ought to be.
I am painfully aware of my lack of knowing Him. Oh, how much more I want to know. I want to know with David, that "...a day in Your courts are better than a thousand elsewhere..." I want to know with the saints of old who endured tribulations with joy, because they knew (in their head and their heart) there was greater joy set before them. I want to know Him so well that I can say with Paul, that all things in this world as to be counted as rubbish when compared with the joy of knowing Him. Then my joy will be complete, and my walk holy, and my life worthy of the one who has called me.
Oh Lord, help me. I feel His help even now!
The two kinds of knowing are, to know information/data, and to know by experience. The spanish language has two words for these, conocer and saber. Perhaps the best way to explain is like this; I know my address (that would the data knowing). I also know my wife. Not just her name and what she looks like and what size she wheres, or even how she thinks. I know her by experience. I have enjoyed her. She affects my mood, my heart, my thinking. Some used to say, I know her in a biblical way.
Another way to look at it is, the old banana test. Most anyone knows what a banana tastes like. But, the only way to know that, is to experience it. You could try to explain that. But I doubt that anyone who has never tasted a banana before will come even close to knowing what a banana tastes like without tasting one. The only way to know what a banana tastes like is to experience the tasting of a banana.
I hope it doesn't sound like I am comparing knowing God, to knowing a banana.
I think both kinds of knowing are very important when it comes to God. We must know about Him to even begin to understand what we have experienced of and from Him. We must experience Him to appreciate all that He is and does. Would it be fair to say, our praises eminate from our experience of Him and they are guided by our intellectual knowledge of Him.
For example, to know (experience) the fullness of His mercy towards us, we must first begin to understand what it means for Him to be Holy. If we do not know that He is holy, then we will not appreciate the depth and mystery of the mercy. Our praises would be less than they ought to be.
I am painfully aware of my lack of knowing Him. Oh, how much more I want to know. I want to know with David, that "...a day in Your courts are better than a thousand elsewhere..." I want to know with the saints of old who endured tribulations with joy, because they knew (in their head and their heart) there was greater joy set before them. I want to know Him so well that I can say with Paul, that all things in this world as to be counted as rubbish when compared with the joy of knowing Him. Then my joy will be complete, and my walk holy, and my life worthy of the one who has called me.
Oh Lord, help me. I feel His help even now!
posted by Whodat at 11:45 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home