To Know Him

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

Not long after getting my driver’s license, I decided I desperately needed a car (didn’t we all?). When I had finally worked up the courage, I brought my carefully crafted case before my mom: I was a rule-following, good-grade-getting, job-having, babysitting-on-the-weekends kind of teenager with a crazy busy schedule. I confidently piled high all of the evidence and reason before her. 

My mom said no. (Don’t worry – I eventually cashed my chips in for a far-away college where I met the nicely bearded man I love so much; definitely a better investment.)

When trials come - whether it’s top shelf adversity (serious illness, financial distress, etc.)  or garden variety struggles (derailed plans, unfulfilled longings, etc.) – and I know only God can provide what I need, I’m tempted to try the same bargaining with Him. In difficult times I want to earn God’s favor with my pile of religious behaviors and attempts at righteousness.

This approach always fails. I forget that God knows what I need far more than I do, and that my “needs” for success, comfort, ease and material things are far secondary to my need for Him. And I forget that I cannot put God in my debt; He never “owes me one.”

I forget that God is not my genie; He is the holy Sovereign King of the universe. 

Pastor Dirk shared the story of Naaman this week from 2 Kings 5, who tried to approach God this way. Naaman was a man of power, wealth and privilege; when he contracted leprosy, he heard that there was a prophet in Israel who might be able to help. Naaman wanted to bring all of his power and money and leverage it for what he wanted from God. However, God knew that far more than any earthly thing, Naaman needed to encounter Him. Naaman had heard about God’s power, but he almost missed knowing God because he wanted to seek God on his own terms.

Naaman needed not just to hear of God, Naaman needed to know Him.

If you grew up in church like I did, or you’ve been around for a while, you might know a lot about God. We can list off miracles, quote some of His words, maybe describe His character. We can talk about God like we know Him, when we only know of Him. If knowing of Him and knowing Him sound the same, consider the following: I’m a fan of Alton Brown – a celebrity chef. I can tell you where he lives (generally; I’m not a stalker), how he got started in television cooking, I can quote some favorite lines and even some favorite dishes. I know a lot about Alton Brown. Then there’s my friend Brianna. I know a lot about her, and I regularly talk with her and spend time with her. Saying, “I know Alton Brown” the way I might say, “I know Brianna,” would be a complete lie. In the same way, we can know a lot about God, without encountering Him and knowing Him.

God asked Naaman to give up what seemed practical and normal; He invited Naaman to relinquish control, and to hope and trust that He just might be the God Naaman had heard that He was. There, in the unlikely place, when he had no other options, Naaman experienced God; it made him desperate to give up everything in order to glorify and worship Him. (2 Kings 5:15-17)

In the New Testament, Paul had a similar encounter with God. In Philippians 3, he lists off all of his religious accomplishments, his attempted pile of righteousness. He was as Jewish as could be, from the tribe of Benjamin, educated as a Pharisee in the law and religious rituals; he even describes himself as “faultless” with regard to righteousness – he didn’t break the rules! Paul has checked every box of drawing close to God, of religious obligation and commitment. Then he encountered Jesus (see Acts 9-10). He says:

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” (Philippians 3:7-8a)

The whole list of accomplishments and righteous acts that Paul would have placed before God was worth nothing; the only thing of worth was knowing God; encountering Him in a way that changed his life forever.

Maybe these stories seem too big to relate to. Experiencing God doesn’t have to be a miraculous intervention of His healing power, as it was for Naaman and Paul. He meets us in our sorrow; He comforts us in our longings; He fills us when we are empty. In every place that the world fails us, we find the opportunity to encounter the God who redeems us.

When we find ourselves hungry, hurting, lost and broken, seeking what we think we need, tired of empty rituals, formulas and checklists that attempt to put God in our debt, will we be ready to humbly trust God?

My prayer as I write is that we would encounter and know God in a way that changes our hearts desires forever.

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6 (ESV) 

[Robin Bupp is married to Caleb, and they are from many places east of the Mississippi (but are calling Michigan home for the foreseeable future). A former high school science teacher, Robin is slowly turning the two Bupp kiddos into tiny nerds while they teach her lots of things, especially humility and patience.]