There is a safety in being around the things of God. There’s also the assumption or deception that being around these things means one is deeply acquainted with or knows these things at a deeper personal level. But this is usually not the case.
We are told to read alot because knowledge is power. I totally agree. Information brings power while ignorance does the opposite. But hearing something is not synonymous with knowing it. Knowing something is in having a personal experience with it so that when I’m dealing with it, I’m beyond head knowledge. I know about the leaning tower of Pisa, but I have no experience of it. I know it’s in Italy but for sure visiting it and touching it will give me a whole lot more information and experience that mere head knowledge can never bring me.
[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! AMPC Eph 3:19
So there’s that..
Which leads to the next question, what’s our level of experience with the things of God that we think we know? And by level of experience, prayer is not included. To pray a scripture and to have experience of the same is not the same thing. Jesus categorically stated that “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”- NKJV Joh 8:31-32. Being free was not predicated on just hearing the word! If you abide!! Abiding is the prerequisite of knowing this truth. Hearing or familiarity with the scriptures doesn’t automatically bring truth. Abiding then is the platform for building experience that brings truth! Selah.
David writes in Ps 20.7 –Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
It’s something I’ve quoted and I’ve also heard being quoted. The Lord is hosts is our God!! Yeah!!!
Ok let’s say David is my king. In those days, soldiers went to war in the name of the king. So that means I’d be going to war in the name of king David. But who was this David? I’ll let you research that.
In the meantime here are the exploits of some of his men:
“These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder. And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.” NKJV 2Sa 23:8-12. Keep reading to the end of chapter 23.
Imagine leading such a caliber of men. One can’t be flimsy. By any estimate David was like these men (or more) because we know he was a man of war. Such loyalty with this skill cannot be procured nor can it follow blindly. David was not a normal guy. So I’m going to war in the name and reputation of such a king! That must be awesome. Yet the reality is that my victory will solely be determined by my personal experience with the sword. No amount of yelling the king’s name is gonna get me safe. Even with such a name behind me, I can die due to incompetence with the tools of war. Selah!!
So when a man like David writes Ps 20.7, we need to rethink it. Here’s an experienced man of war talking about not trusting in a chariot. An inexperienced man making the same claim cannot have the same results. If David had one guy who could take down 300 men, that means the threshold of victory in David’s camp was quite high. So a mere single kill in battle was not reason to hold a party.
We have a higher name- Jesus! That means the expectations are even higher. But are our exploits higher? Have we seen results that match up his name? Or are we simply dancing around the name but not building experience with it? Are simply remaining in the perceived safety of the scriptures but denying ourselves the opportunity to test and build experience with the scriptures we know! Either way, war is at our doorstep and the results will speak for themselves. Experience not the mere calling of a name will make the difference.
Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash
Random Thoughts 