Knowing God
By Tomeco Woods

When we encounter things that seem to be unbearable, we ask, "Why ?"

When we encounter things that seem to be unbearable, we want to know, "Why Lord?"

I am reminded of my 8-year-old daughter who asks a lot of questions. I am almost positive her first complete sentence was a question, and they haven’t stopped coming since. Her favorite inquisition is "Why?" "Mommy, why are zebras called zebras?" and "Mommy, why does gravity make things fall down instead of up?" Once, when I didn’t have an answer to one of her many questions, I heard, "Why don’t you know?" At times it can be frustrating to say the least, but I must admit she inherited her inquisitive nature from me.

A few months ago when I entered into one of those testing phases all believers must periodically endure, I stayed true to form. I fell on bended knee, raised my arms toward heaven, and with tear-stained eyes I cried out to God, "How could you let this happen to me?"

Rather than strike me down immediately, which He had every right to do, I heard God sigh to Himself and say, "Don’t you get it yet?" He led me to read the book of Job, which I had read more than once in the past. I shamefully admit that even then I questioned why God would direct me to it once again. What could He possibly reveal to me that He had not already revealed? Regardless, after a couple of days of shuffling my feet, I yielded and began to read.

We all know Job’s story. We know all that he went through in his life. We know his honorable beginning. We know his prosperity. We know Satan’s conversation with God, and we know what resulted from that conversation. God allowed Job to be tested. He asked, "Why?" We tend to do the same when we go through things that seem to be "one thing after another." Do you want to know why?

"Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee" (Job 42: 1-5, KJV).

I believe verse 5 tells us why: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee."

We go through trials so our knowledge of Christ will continue to grow from what we have heard into what we KNOW. I’m sure Job heard God was a healer, but until he was sick he didn’t KNOW. Job probably heard God was a comforter, but until he lost his loved ones he didn’t KNOW. He probably heard that God was a friend to the friendless, but he didn’t KNOW until his friends had betrayed him. He probably heard God was a provider, but how could he have KNOWN until he was broke?

I did not experience the trials that I faced because God hated me. I did not face them because I had done some wrong to deserve them. On the contrary, God loved me so much that He wanted to show me more of Himself. He wanted me to KNOW Him to be all that I have heard and read He was. God loved me so much that He wanted me to have an Old Testament knowledge of who He is.

In Genesis 4:1, 4:17 and 38:9, as well as 1 Samuel 1:19, we read of husbands "knowing" their wives and the wives then conceiving children. It is this same sense of knowledge that Christ desires for His bride, the Church. It is after we have achieved this new level of intimacy that the ministries and visions of God for our lives are conceived within us. It is only after we have moved from an intellectual understanding of God into a true knowledge of His majesty that we will begin to grow into the men and women of God that He desires us to be.

Everything we experience serves this one purpose -- that we may know more of God. I say to you today, use this time of testing to get to know Him, and by all means ENDURE!

cbn