Know what you Believe, Believe what you Know

Here in the Bible-belted south, we grow up knowing a lot about Christianity. Phrases like "I'll pray for you" or "God loves you" or "Jesus died for my sins" are just part of our cultural lingo down here. We just know these things from youth...the same way we grow up knowing that the sky is blue and the grass is green.

But, is knowing enough?

Take the 23rd Psalm, for example.I'm sure many of us can recite this familiar chapter by heart. It begins...The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want....

But, the harder question is, do you and Ibelieve the first verse of the 23rd Psalm, and the ones that follow?  

Is the Lord my Shepherd? In other words, is Hethe one I am following? Or am I listening to another voice (possibly my own)? And,am I so satisfied with what He gives me that I want nothing else that the world has to offer?

God is not impressed with our knowledge of Him if it is not accompanied by our faith in Him.

The bible says,Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrew11:6

So instead of merely knowing God is with me, I believe God is with me, right here, right now....speaking, guiding, teaching me to do His will. Yes, the Lord is my Shepherd.

And instead of simply knowing of God's many titles: refuge, rock, salvation, shield, provider, comforter... I willbelieve every deep meaning of every high name that is given to Him in the vast pages of His book. And then, I will stand and live and breathe all of who He is into my soul. As a result, I shall not want.

Know what you believe, my friends; know who God is, and what His word says. But don't stop there. True (and eternal) life begins when you believe what you know.