Know, See, and Hear

"One Year Bible" New Testament Passage
Acts 21:37-22:16
¹⁴ Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. ¹⁵ For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. Acts 22:14-15 (NKJV)

There is nothing that takes the place of a personal encounter with the Living God.  Such an encounter will change your life forever.  We are transformed by our personal, face-to-face meeting with the Lord.

This is the birthright of all who know the Lord.  We do not follow a set of rules or practices.  We have not simply taken hold of a profound philosophy.  We have entered into a powerful partnership with God Almighty.

How does this happen and what are the results?  The Bible says that first off, HE HAS CHOSEN YOU.  I will be the first to tell you that I do not understand the depth of this truth.  I do not know WHY He chose me or HOW He chose me.  I only know that somehow HE CHOSE ME!  This is wonderful to consider.

But what has He chose me FOR?  He has chosen me to KNOW HIS WILL, to SEE HIS FACE, and to HEAR HIS VOICE.  This may sound like some kind of far-out mystical experience, but it is not.  This is the territory of all who know their God.  The will of God does not have to be a great mystery.  If you commit your life to Him, He will take over and guide you.  He is well able to take you where you need to be -- even if you don't understand the path.  Being in the will of God is a FAITH matter.  So, trust that He has led you to His perfect placement.

We can SEE the Lord.  This is not, obviously, with our outward eyes, but rather with the eyes of faith.  We behold Him as we worship and as we pray.  We behold Him in the truth of His Word.

Lastly, we can HEAR His voice.  People often ask how it is possible to hear the voice of the Lord.  Rarely is His voice a booming blast in my head.  Rarely is it so tangible or objective that I can take it in by my physical senses.  Often it is the voice of my heart speaking to me as I consider God's ways.  God's voice comes with comfort and authority confirming to Me that which leaps out to my from His Word.

It is this kind of relationship that speaks most clearly to our world.  We are witnesses not of a teaching that we were taught.  We are witnesse of that which we have seen and heard.  Such a testimony is used by God to change our world.  May it happen through each of us today!