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Friday, Jan 6
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DEVOTIONAL: “GROWTH THROUGH EXPERIENCE”
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Years ago, I was teaching one of my children the piano. On this one particular day, we were reviewing the names of the keys, and the associated note indicated on paper. I would press a note on the keyboard, or point at a notation on the sheet music, and ask my child, “What note is this?”
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This particular child (who I will allow to remain nameless) rolled their eyes one time and said, “Dad, I know what it is.”
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“Great!” I replied. “So what is it?”
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I then sensed the brain of my child spinning rapidly as they tried to remember, and after about a 3-5 second delay, my kid would blurt out the correct answer. After watching this, I had to let my piano student know that while they got the answer, they didn’t truly know the notes. If they had “known” it, there would have been no hesitation.
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Many self-identified Christians think they “know” God, but they have never truly experienced the Gospel. They have a mental understanding because they’ve been to church a few times on Easter, but the Gospel hasn’t penetrated their hearts. In a couple days, you are going to think through the importance of growing in knowledge of the Gospel. But so much of that growth won’t come through just packing your brain with more theological knowledge. The growth will come through experiencing God and His Gospel.
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This is why God wrote through the Apostle Paul that He desires you “to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). Just as a husband is to “know” his wife, God wants you to “know” Him and His grace-filled love. Like being at a restaurant, God doesn’t want you to just see the food or smell it; he wants you to enjoy it. Being “filled” (as we considered yesterday) isn’t just a mental exercise; it is a practical understanding of living the gospel naturally.
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While you might have moments of “experiencing” God’s presence, this type of growth doesn’t always happen in a one-time event. Personal spiritual growth comes day by day. But don’t fall for the type of Christianity that is only mental. Ask God to help the gospel be something you experience and enjoy.
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Father, I want to truly know you. I want to experience your love, so it might then flow through me. I want to truly understand your forgiveness so I might be quicker to forgive others. Help me to not just have an awareness of the power of the gospel, but to truly experience it. Please use these 21 Days as part of this process to know you intimately and truly.
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Feel free to open your Notes app to write down a thought or two from today's reading or write out your own prayer.
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