“Intimacy and dependence come only through personal knowledge and encounter. . . . Knowing God’s name means knowing Him personally and knowing His nature.”- Banning Liebscher
“And those who know your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”- Psalm 9:10
Banning Liebscher continues Chapter 3 of Rooted as he notes many of the truest tests we face in life involve a game of inches. In other words, these tests reveal our response to the little things that hurt, disappoint, or scare us. However, Pastor Liebscher cautions, Satan loves to sow doubt in our little cracks of vulnerability. Just as grass seeds find their way into sidewalk cracks, Satan’s seeds put down roots that chew away at our foundation. Also, they compromise our ability to withstand bigger tests.
Thus, to build an unshakable trust in God and pass your truest tests, you must allow Him to teach you intimacy and dependence. Only personal knowledge and encounter assist this process. Yet, Banning notes, God doesn’t expect us to build trust in Him:
- blindly, without knowing His character
- based solely on what we’ve heard about Him
Hence, through the power of the Holy Spirit, trust gets built with personal knowledge.
In conclusion, Pastor Liebscher stresses we must follow God’s lead to a place where we come to know His voice. Banning explains:
“Hearing His voice is what brings us life. When we don’t hear His voice, our hearts and spirits starve to death. We must set up our lives so we are always tuning to His voice. He wants to give us strength and assurance. . . . to know that He is with us and that we’re going to be okay. His voice is going to get us through the process.”
Today’s question: What Scriptures, hymns, or Christian songs deepen your knowing God’s name? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Where w confront our deepest fears and longings”
