To KNOW Him

And God spoke to Moses and said to him:
Therefore say to the children of Israel:
‘I am the Lord;
I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians,
I will rescue you from their bondage, and
I will redeem you with an outstretched arm
and with great judgments. 
I will take you as My people, and
I will be your God.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God...'
Exodus 6:6-7

And today, just as long ago,
we can be certain that our God is for us!

No matter where we find ourselves,
He will bring us out from under our burdens,
rescue us from the bondage of sin... and this world,
redeem us and give us purpose,
and He will take us as His own.

And He will be our God...
if only we will turn to Him.

Oh, that we would turn to Him...
humble ourselves and turn to Him.

But so often we become blinded by the busyness and immediate trappings of this temporary world, that we lose sight of the eternal perspective that He longs to give us.  We get so overwhelmed in our own problems, pride and achievements that we forget that God is meant to be the center of it all... as He deserves.  For that's how we truly come to know Him.

Even in the hard times... even in the places we become stuck... enslaved.
For sometimes, He actually allows it, so that He can deliver us, as He did the Israelites. I know that sounds harsh, but He tells us that He did so, in order that they would KNOW He was the Lord... their God.

And this is not the casual... "Oh, I know this guy,"... kind of KNOW.
This is a different word in Hebrew.  It is not passive, nor casual.

To KNOW... yada... pronounced: yaw-dah'...
is to know by experience, by revelation, discovery, even by chastisement and instruction. This is to have spent time with God, to have been delivered, rescued... even healed and changed by Him.

To KNOW... yada.
To have experience with God that causes us to trust Him more fully and understand His character... to KNOW Him.
What a beautiful word... yada!

One that offers depth of relationship with God.
One that forms unbroken relationship... that forges greater purpose, peace and hope... one that includes us in His kingdom with angel warriors who fight for us, and realizes the necessity of His Spirit fully dwelling within us... an ever present help... changing us to be more like Him.

Word of God... train me, today...
to KNOW God in the truest sense,
to experience God through rescue, redemption and relationship.

In You, O Lord, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.

​For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.
Psalm 31:1-3 (NKJV)