THURSDAY October 18, 2018
Knowing the Lord
Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.)
1 Samuel 3:6-7
Eli was frustrated with Samuel; he had woken him from sleep twice. Eli told him again, “Go back to sleep.” Samuel was a godly child serving the Lord in the tabernacle, but he did not know God in an intimate way.
It is kind of like the sinful woman of Samaria had knowledge of God, but did she really know Him personally? As Jesus engaged in a conversation with her, He revealed that He knew how she was living a sinful life:
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly” (John 4:16-18).
Although she spoke religiously and talked about worshipping the Lord, slowly she perceived who He was––the Christ, the One who knows all things. Her eyes were opened, and she shared the good news with all the people in the city (John 4:19-26, 28).
Many people come to church and say they know God, but do they really? Do they only have knowledge about Him, or do they really know Him personally? Being religious is very different from having a personal relationship with the Lord. God loves people, He knows all about their lives, and He desires a personal relationship with them.
What about you individually, have you become a true Christian? Ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins, and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, so that you can have a personal relationship with Him.
We aren’t only called to become Christians; we are called to be Christians. Most of us know about God, but that is
quite different from knowing God.
~Billy Graham~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!