Do you Know God? by Brandi J. Wardlow

Do you Know God?

Have you ever had this moment where you needed to ask God, “Where are you?” Somehow, you feel that He’s absent. You think He’s left you all alone. You’re ready for Him to show up AND show out. I can’t speak for everyone else but, I know that there have been many times that I’ve hit God with the “where you at?”

Then one day I read His word and meditated on a principal and straightforward fact about Him: God is always with you, with us.

So, if Psalms 139:7 says I cannot escape God’s presence; Deuteronomy 31:6 says, He will NOT fail or leave me; Romans 8:38-39 tells me that nothing can separate me; and, Matthew 28:20 says that He will be with me until the end of time - Why do I have these moments where I feel absent from God?

I was 17 when I left the church. I was born and raised Christian and even had the hopes and wishes of becoming a preacher. But, at 17, I told God that if He wanted me back in His good graces, then He would have to prove Himself to me (that’s ego talking, of course). I went to Catholic and Christian school my whole life. Sang on the choir. Sat in the pulpit a few times. But, I turned my back on my faith and my God because I was tired of hypocrisy. I faulted God for the likes of man and most of us do. It’s easier to blame, curse, leave and disprove God than it is to stay committed under pressure. However, my walk in God is a different story for a different day. Five years following my departure and my sudden return to the church, I came back asking myself one question, “Do you know God?”

So, today, I speak directly to that person asking God, “Where are you?” My question for you is, “Do you know God?”

My mistakes at 17 were as followed:

·         First, I thought of God as a magician. I know Matthew 7:7-8 says, “Ask, and you shall receive” but that doesn’t mean that when I ask for a new car on Monday at 5:00 pm that I will wake up on Tuesday at 5:00 am with a car. Woe is me. I can’t tell you the many times I made those type of prayers.

·         Secondly, as Proverbs 19:3 writes, “People ruin their lives with the foolish things they do, and then they blame the Lord for it.” I, too, was one of those people that let “hypocrisy” keep me away from the church. I would say, “I’m not going to live right. I’m a sinner. I rather do what I want than follow God’s word.” But, 25-year-old-me has concluded that there isn’t a Christian alive that doesn’t need saving. We are all in need of His correction. Like, 2 Corinthian 12:9 says, His grace is sufficient for us. His power is made perfect in our weakness.

·         Third, have you ever heard the expression – “You don't know someone until you live with them?” The same applies here. You won’t know God until you live with God. Thus, it does not matter if you were born and raised Christian. It does not matter if you sang on the choir and had hopes of being a preacher. Nor does it matter if you went to Catholic and Christian school your whole life. We like to ‘one-up’ and boast about our relationship status with the church, Christianity and God. However, if you do not know Him and know, meaning to develop a relationship, then you’re going to skip over that one principal and straightforward fact about God: He is always with us.

So, again, to that person asking God, “Where are you at?” It’s not because God is absent. By knowing Him, His word says, He is always with us. Thus, if you feel that He is missing then we must settle on Acts 17:27 – seek God and perhaps, feel your way towards Him and find Him although, He is not actually far from us.

I recall all of those times I’ve asked God “Where are you?” I never ask God that question when I am filled with joy or even happy and at peace. It always seems that I ask God that question when: I place fear over faith; stress over salvation; guilt over grace; frustration over forgiveness; and, persecution over promise. So, I want to leave you with this cheat sheet the next time you too, may reach those moments and may forget who God is.

Fear v. Faith:

God’s take on faith: We must ask all things in faith which the AMP version amplifies by saying “without doubting God’s willingness to help.” The problem with asking then doubting is that we become like the sea, easily tossed by the wind and therefore, unstable in all that we do. Thus, if we properly apply James 1:5-8, when in fear, we can practice Isaiah 41:10 which warns us not to fear anything because He is with us. He will strengthen and take hold of us with his right hand which is a hand of justice, power, victory, and salvation.

Stress v. Salvation

We’re urged to come to Him to find rest when we’re weary and heavily burdened. He promises us a renewal and blessed quiet for our souls because His yoke is easy to bear and His burden is light, and His burden is light because of His Salvation. Per 2 Timothy 1:9, unlike anything else this world offers, we are saved “not because of our works or because of any personal merit – [we could do nothing to earn this] but because of God’s purpose and grace which was granted to us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”

Guilt v. Grace

Romans 3:23-34 reminds us that we all fall short of the glory of God and are justified by His grace as a gift. Thus, referring back to an earlier point – there is not a Christian that doesn’t need saving. We are imperfect y’all. We make mistakes. We sin, periodt. However, God’s take on our sinning is best described in Corinthian 12:9. His grace is sufficient for us. His power is made perfect in our weakness. The best way to watch God work is to see Him transform us.

Frustration v. Forgiveness

I’m coming back to James (please visit the book). But God’s take on this battle is quite simple and can be found in James 1:19-20. Be a careful and thoughtful listener; a speaker of carefully chosen words; and patient, reflective and forgiving. Any action outside of that does not produce the righteousness of God and is not reflective of the behavior which He requires of us. The easiest way I can say it is this – God loves you and if God can love you, we can extend that type of love too. Imagine the moment He starts keeping records of your faults.

Persecution v. Promise

God’s take on persecution is quite an interesting one. John 15:18 says it clear “If the world hates you [and it does], know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” The world hated Him so much that they even crucified Him, and I can’t be mad at them for that because with His crucifixion came the fulfillment of His purpose. God promises us many things and like Isaiah 54:47 totes, no weapon against us will succeed to the very point that because of our position in God we will receive an inheritance of peace and triumph over the opposition.

I want to close with this:

I wrote this poem years ago that said, “I found God when I left the Church.” This personal walk allowed me to find God differently and more effectively than the previous attempts (church-going, church membership, etc.) because there was a clear need to learn Him for myself. It wasn’t until I learned Him for myself (and when I say for myself, I mean not because it was routine, or I didn’t have another choice, or I was raised into it, but because I recognized that membership and confessing don’t mean relationship) that I really had a relationship with Him. Relationship refers to two or more concepts connecting, and many of us forget to connect with God. We have to meditate on His word. We have to communicate with Him – not just speak and ask, but, hear and listen. We must practice that same love that we receive from Him, with Him, and most importantly, we must live both in and with Him. I pray that you remember that knowing God isn’t a one-size fit all process. In relationships, you have to relearn your significant other daily. You will have to relearn God daily. So, I encourage that the next time you question “God, where you are you?” to remember that He’s already with you and to pick up the cross of Acts 17:27 and to seek Him with a heart that’s willing to relearn him even in fear, stress, guilt, frustration or persecution.