hitting me over the head

Okay, I’ve been hit over the head with this little truth over and over in sermons, blog posts, chatting with God, and talking with others. God sure seems to want to embed it deep in my heart:

Know Me.

Don’t just talk about me or talk at me or do things for me or sing songs about me. Know Me. Believe in Me. Trust Me. Rely on Me. Cling to Me. Invite Me into the situation, the circumstances, everything. Behold My face. I am who I say I am.

In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Proverbs 3:6

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you: Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:23 (told you, I’m loving on Matthew already!)

In running it out and chatting with God, He gave me a real-life picture of a path and how that relates to knowing Him.  I found myself on the path. Going in the right direction.  Looking ahead at my destination rather than my shuffling feet. Seeing the beauty around me and soaking up time with Him.

All is going along swimmingly, right? Well, that is until the creepy, slithering snake goes right in front of me ON the path.  My reaction: a gasp, a jump, and running faster! Pretty much like the last time I ran into a pretty little snake…

Though, what God spoke to me this made me take a heart step back. Wait…the snake, the temptation, the suffering…you mean, they come along right in the middle of the path that He’s calling me to walk.  Sometimes I too often throw it all into a nice little box of if I’m going the right way then all of that would go aside.  But, no, that’s not how it works.

It’s in knowing Him and following Him that I can trust that He’ll get me through it. He’ll make sure that I can keep running toward Him, that I can finish the race. No weapon formed against me shall prosper.  Sure, I may run into things ON the path, but God is with Me. I can rejoice, I can find the joy. So, I’m stepping out boldly and confidently with the assurance that God is with me.