Are you like me? Do you get confused that seeking God is seeking knowledge about Him?  Join me as I talk about this struggle and the reminder that knowing God is about relationship with Him and knowing His heart. The rules and the attributes, they flow from the heart of a living God who wants us to know Him.  I am thankful that God says “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

See below for a full transcript of the show. 

Journaling Questions:

·      What is the difference between reading the Bible for knowledge or getting to know God’s heart?  Have you experienced both?

·      Do you have a personal relationship with God? 

·      What verses encourage you about God’s character?

·      What are the places in your life you see trust for God increasing?

·      What are the places in your life you see a need for trust to be increased?

If you are interested in more journaling questions sign up here to receive a journaling tool to help explore your next step to trusting God more fully.

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Verses mentioned in the episode:

·      James 1:17

Ephesians 2:10

Special thanks to Jim Dougherty for creating the music for the show! Check out his Album City of God on Spotify or Apple Music.

Transcript:

Erin: Hi, I’m Erin. Welcome to steps to trusting at steps to trusting. It’s my goal to meet you where you are in your faith journey and to encourage you to continue to take steps, to trusting the Lord more fully. Thanks for joining me today. I know I shared a little bit last week, about a time frame, where I was really questioning the Lord.

[00:00:18] You’ve probably heard , part of my story about this before.

[00:00:21] And it’s easy to look back on places. We used to have big questions where God has helped us heal in those places. It’s easier to talk about those places, but I want to talk about the reality that We’re all faced with questions and doubts or places where. We’re faced with a decision. And our decision shows that our trust is not fully in God, places where we might know in our heads who God is, but they’re not living out in a way of trust. And so I wanted to share one of those experiences that happened more recently and it starts by revealing some pride in my heart. I’ve gone through periods of time where there’s been big growth in my life. one of them is my sisters encouraged me to read through the Bible with them several years ago. And at that point, one of my sisters said, I can’t wait to see how different we are at the end of this year.

[00:01:17] And. My pride was revealed as I look back, maybe I didn’t really say it or express it at the time, but I remember feeling, I know the Bible, how different am I really going to be?

[00:01:30] As I did read through the Bible, it was revealed to me how I had so much to learn about who God is and as a did so I think the pride remained the pride of look at all that I know, and almost looking down on myself before. I knew that looking back and thinking was I really a good Christian then? Was I a strong Christian? Was, was I a Christian at all? And I I’ve processed through that a lot.

[00:02:04] I’ve processed through thinking and almost use words of, I hit a point going through Isaiah that time going through the Bible where I felt was it felt was a recommitment to the Lord. For me, It was a time when a bunch of doubts and questions that I had were answered and a time where I could more strongly cling to the Lord after a period of time where it felt like he was silent.

[00:02:31] And I tell you this story, because even though I knew, that knowledge doesn’t make me a better Christian. I find myself even recently in places where I learned something new and I see the importance of living that out in faith, but I look back and think, how could I be a strong Christian?

[00:02:54] Without this knowledge or this information or this thing that I now can take an obedient step towards God through this knowledge.

[00:03:03] I know in my head that knowledge doesn’t make me closer to God. And yet I felt closer to him because I knew this knowledge.

[00:03:12] I was in a talk recently. Where the man was asked how his faith changed because of the knowledge that he had. And he was a scientist who uses his research and his faith and lets them overlap. as he was asked this question about how his knowledge has changed his faith, he paused took a deep breath I don’t remember specifically what he said, but what spoke to my heart was relationship with God is not about having all the answers.

[00:03:51] And I had felt the pride and the pressure, having this knowledge about God, this knowledge about who he is and coming to the realization that knowing about God, having knowledge about God is not what is important. It’s about relationship and it’s exciting that God actually allows us to learn and understand him greater.

[00:04:17] It’s not a stagnant relationship where we can stop only knowing this much and he won’t let us any closer. Yes, there are things unsearchable about God, but we can know him more. We can grow in our knowledge and understanding of who he is and it doesn’t just have to be for knowledge. We can know him in an intimate way of understanding

[00:04:42] the creator, the Redeemer and friend.

[00:04:46] So friends, I share that story with you because sometimes I find myself on the other side of podcasts, listening, thinking. I have to remember that I have to apply that. And I’m being reminded over and over. It’s not about knowledge.

[00:05:02] My brain has a capacity for knowledge. That is way smaller than the vastness of our God. even for the things that I have been able to understand and have once learned, my brain cannot hold that in a place where it is accessible for everyday life. Some things, yes,

[00:05:23] God doesn’t expect us to know everything about him. He doesn’t expect us

[00:05:29] to have all the right answers are all the right steps. All the obedient.

[00:05:35] He desires us to seek him to actively seek him to actively step towards him and faith

[00:05:44] knowledge in our heads.

[00:05:46] It’s not the same as relationship. It’s not the same as stepping towards him in faith and knowledge could look a couple different ways.

[00:05:55] And so when we talk about knowledge and think about even, okay, how do we get to know God The Bible is the best place for you. To do that, to try and learn about who God is, but even in the Bible, we can approach that in a couple of different ways. One of which is just something that we have to do to check it off the list.

[00:06:15] Another is that we could approach it in the way of knowledge, wanting to be smarter and know more, or we could approach it in the way of spending time with God and getting to know him. I was at a prayer experience recently where we had a guide to go through, to lead us in prayer, to go through what they called pray.

[00:06:39] So P R a Y pray, pray, repent, ask, and yield, and at different points in this guided prayer time. There was verses to help us to refocus our mind on who God is and what we were doing in that process of connecting with him. And I remember sitting there and looking at the guide and thinking, this is not time to study.

[00:07:05] This is time to talk to God. This is time to understand and to connect with him and to listen to what’s on his heart.

[00:07:13] That’s what God is impressing on my heart right now.

[00:07:17] Friends when I think of doubt and questions and heartache and pain

[00:07:22] knowledge of who God is,

[00:07:25] isn’t going to change us, but sitting in his presence and listening and knowing that he’s there with us, knowing that it’s not about knowing about him, but getting to know his heart.

[00:07:40] that’s something that can change us friends. I want to close this in prayer, dear God, I thank you that you know us and we are invited to be known by you

[00:07:51] and Lord that you also invite us to know you, you give us your word at so that we can know about you, but that we can hear your heart, that we could know. Would you desire what you’ve done for us that we can relate to you because of that? Not just hold knowledge of you in our head or expectations. Or to help us to be reminded that learning about you is about relationship but the Bible invites us to relationship. It’s your word? What would help us to come to you? Not in a way of seeking out knowledge and not go and seek the knowledge before we feel we can come to you. Lord help us to come to you and honesty in need and weakness and hurt and pain. And remember Lord that you, I can handle these emotions

[00:08:49] and that you are with us. Through all of them. give us eyes to see that you’re with us. That’s in Jesus’ name. I pray. Amen.

[00:08:57] Friends, this is a struggle for him. It’s a struggle to not slip into pride because they know something, but instead stand that place of being reminded that every good and perfect gift is from God and that knowledge of him can lead to intimacy with him.

[00:09:14] I would love to connect with you. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook and also over@Erinmichelle.net.

[00:09:22] If you find yourself with questions of faith and you don’t know what your next step is, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter there@Erinmichelle.net, where you’ll receive a steps to trusting guide journaling resource that puts journaling questions alongside of scripture.

[00:09:38] To help us Look at the truth and engage with God. While we look at that.

[00:09:44] You can find that at Erin, michelle.net, and you’ll receive that in your inbox. When you sign up for the newsletter, for those of you who have done that or about to do that, Don’t forget to look for it in your inbox. I’ve heard that it’s gone to junk mail for some people. And so if you search it and mark it as mail that you’d to see, you’ll continue to receive new news from me news and announcements for me when they come out,

[00:10:13] Friends, thank you again for joining me. I help you join us back here next time, until then.

[00:10:20] I wanted to leave you with this reminder from Ephesians two 10 for we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Friends. I’m praying for you. As you keep on stepping