I wonder why we tell God things He already
knows? In church we often sing songs
telling God just how worthy He is as God or how holy He is. Do we not think God already knows this? My friend telling God things He already knows does not impress Him
one bit, but now moving in obedience, greater commitment, and dedication to Him
and His word now that impresses God greatly.
We sing these songs telling God how wonderful He is (and He is
wonderful) trying to establish a belief in us that we think will allow us to
see God in a greater way when all He wants is for us to come to a place of
knowing Him by spending time with Him and submitting to His dealings and
judgments. But spending time with God
takes too much of our daily time and submitting who wants to submit and endure
God’s dealing and judgments in their lives?
Oh no it is easier singing about God’s holiness and worthiness than
coming to knowing about God’s worthiness or holiness. We lack this
understanding (so we sing and do other things instead) because of the lack of
our heart being established in God. Bill
Pepper (a wonderful friend who often ministers China) tells the story of a Chinese
pastor and his family who was captured by Chinese authorities and at the trial
the Chinese pastor was told unless he confessed to some lies about him and God
the authorities would kill him and his entire family starting with his children. With tears in his eyes and in a calm and
collected voice he replied to family and the Chinese authorities, “my family I
will see you in the morning.” And with
that the Chinese authorities did as they said they killed him and his family
beginning with his children. One by one they were executed his children, next
his wife, and lastly himself. Now the
Chinese pastor could only do this if his heart was established in God and he
really knew he would see his family again in their next life. Today very few people come to this knowing
because they have been deceived by “divers
and strange doctrines” like the prosperity teachings of today and word of
faith folks that teach another Christ and another Gospel that is not the
message of the cross. They have come to
know God only in song or through a mental approach blindly going to conference
after conference or worse yet hoping what they are doing is correct, but never
coming to an experiential knowledge of knowing God out from an established
heart. I wonder why we sing songs about
things we do not know about? The Writer to the Hebrews shares with us, “Jesus Christ
the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 9Be not carried about
with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace;
not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”
(Hebrews 13:8-9) In the Psalms David takes it much further, “Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the
righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7He shall not be
afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. 8His
heart is established, he shall
not be afraid, until he see his desire
upon his enemies.” (Psalms 12:6-8)
My
friend this is to be the depth of our relationship with God not in song singing
about God’s greatness, his holiness or his worthiness, but it is in experienced
knowledge where we come to know Him and the power of His resurrection. Paul told the Church at Philippi, “That I may know him, and the
power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;” (Philippians 3:10) Not just to “know
Him,” but also to come to know “the
power of his resurrection” and “the
fellowship of his suffering.”Not too many people want to know God if they
have to suffer and die, but to know God’s resurrection power we must be
dead. The purpose of resurrection is to
bring us back from the dead. We must die to be resurrected and along that way
of death is suffering, persecution, and tribulations as Jesus promised. In John
we read Jesus’ words, “These things I
have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Now why and how can we be of
good cheer while going though tribulation?
Because our heart has been established in God and we have come to place
of knowing God. The Scriptures have much
to say about this established heart.
Peter tells us, “Wherefore I will
not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye
know them, and be
established in the present truth. 13Yea, I think it meet, as
long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14Knowing
that shortly I must put off this
my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 15Moreover
I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things
always in remembrance.” (2 Peter 1:12-15)
Can you hear Peter’s heart here? Peter knew his physical death was at
hand his desire for the people was that they not mourn his death, but that the
people would be established in the truth.
When we are established in the truth of the word of God and our heart is
established in God to endure whatsoever God brings our way we will truly have
life eternal. It is nice to know we do
not have to wait to die to have eternal life.
Jesus, in the real LORD’s prayer, tells us, “Father,
the hour is come; glorify thy Son (Jesus was to be crucified in days), that thy
Son also may glorify thee: 2As thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3And
this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
(John 17:1-3) Eternal life is
not just living forever in which we will if our heart is established in God,
but Jesus told us eternal life is, “that
they might know thee the only true God.” Who cares about tomorrow when we really come
to know the only true God? Who cares
what we have or do not have what food we eat or do not eat when we come to know
the only true God? All of this life’s many trials and tribulations all pale in
compassion to knowing the only true God.
This is the reason we have been created not to glorify God, but to come
to know Him. Many Christians try to glorify God in song, talent, and deeds, but
God is not after that He is after our established heart. Paul tells the Church at Ephesus “In whom all
the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In
whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the
Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:21-2) We are to have
an established heart so that we can be that eternal “habitation of God through the Spirit.” God desires we be His eternal abode, His
eternal place of habitation not Heaven or the heavens, but our established
heart. Now I do not understand why God
would chose our hearts I cannot explain it no one can.
It is easy to see and hear who has an established heart
and who does not. Did you know there is a huge difference between professing
something we know about God and really coming to knowing God? The difference is always seen in our words
(what we profess) or our character and conduct what we have come to know. It is one thing to profess we know Jesus, but
it is something all together different when our character and conduct reflects
the character and conduct of Christ. Remember our testimony is not what we say about
ourselves, but what people see and yes even hear about us. I can profess to you how much I love God, how
much He has done for me, how much He is using me, but if my character does not
reflect my words I am a liar and the truth is not in me. We must be careful here in this area. We often take people in our circle of trust and friendship based not on
a time of observation, but usually based on their profession. In God time will bear things out to be true
or not. Time always marks commitment and
dedication in lives. We sadly see this
in the increasing number of Christian divorces and Christians living together
outside of marriage. Most main-stream denominations will allow you to move your
Church Membership (I cannot find this concept in the Bible) from church to
church based on a letter of introduction or on their profession of their faith. No wonder there are so many church splits and
such great division in most churches today there was no observation of their
character or life-style the desire to add to the rolls of the church, get their
tithes and offerings, and get more helping hands to fulfill the mission vision
and statement of the church seems to override the caution and attention to detail
to the spiritual things of God. There is wonderful story in the Bible that
reflects an established heart in God and ones character and conduct truly being
what God is looking for. In 2 Samuel we
find God lining up David (and the people) for punishment for his disobedience. I wonder why we think God is only a loving
God and would not punish or disciple us? Here we read of David’s sin, “And David’s heart smote him after that
he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned
greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the
iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.” (2 Samuel 24:10) David numbered the
people of which God told him not to, so the Holy Spirit convicted David of this
sin. What a wonderful blessing to have a
soft heart (an established heart) where the Holy Spirit can convict us of our
sin a most precious promise from God. So
God answered David’s (not a prayer) beseeching by Gad the Prophet, “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three
choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will do it.” 13 So
Gad came to David and asked him, “Will you choose three years of famine
throughout the land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days
of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and let me know what
answer to give the Lord.” 14
“This is a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let us fall into
the hands of the Lord, for his
mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.” (2 Samuel 24:12-14) David knew it is far better to fall into the
hands of an angry merciful God than to be at the angry, merciless hands of
man. Please notice David’s words here, “But let us . . .” David was the one who sinned, but all of the
people will pay, it matters who your leaders are. But because of David’s established heart he
had the ability in God to choose righteous judgment. In the end, “And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy
it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed
the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD
was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. 17And David spake unto the LORD
when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I
have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I
pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.” (2 Samuel 24:16-17) Yes
God sent the pestilence as promised and
yes 70,000 men died (God means what He says),
but in the end God’s anger was satisfied and why? Because of David’s established heart, he knew
of God’s wrath he has experienced it first hand and David knew of God’s mercy
he too has experienced this first hand.
An established heart knows God. Written by David Stahl
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