“Philip said to Him,
“Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
Jesus said to him,
“Have I been with you so long,
and yet you have not known Me, Philip?”
(John 14:8 – 9)
Jesus gives us some insight into
What is involved in KNOWING someone
The length of time we SPEND with them
Time spent with someone speaks of commitment
For many this is a problem
Especially when we are talking about God
Simply because it requires FAITH on our part
To believe in the first place that He even exists
And YES you did hear me right
Most of our knowledge of God
Is from what the Bible tells us
A BOOK, written by many people
Over a fifteen hundred (1,500) year period of time
BUT I said “Most” of our knowledge
As there also is experiential knowledge
Personal encounters with God
And these perhaps are what best lead us
To KNOW God in truth
Then when we read the Bible
God Himself, by His Holy Spirit,
Brings the words ALIVE to our hearts
And this will come by being committed
To a relationship with God
Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit
Through talking to Him (Prayer)
And reading the Bible
As well as fellowship, praise and worship
With other believers
What amazes us is that Philip
And the other Disciples were
Actually WITH Jesus (in the flesh)
They lived with Him and spent
Three and a half years with Him
And yet it seems that they
Did not KNOW Him
The truth of the matter is that
It is actually easier for us to KNOW
Him by FAITH through the Bible
And experientially by means of the Holy Spirit
Our EYES deceive us as they deceived
The first Disciples
They were looking at “flesh and blood”
And trying to believe that He WAS God
We need to be more forgiving
Toward those first Disciples
And realise how difficult it was
For them to BELIEVE