"So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable." 2 Corinthians 4:18 Amplified
“May you come to know practically, through personal experience, the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience, so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19
Knowledge about God and understanding Him with our mind is important, but experiencing Him is far superior. When we experience Him we grow in our ability to recognize that this temporal, visible realm is not the only reality. The awareness of the invisible spiritual realm all around us grows, and the temporary visible world feels less overwhelming as we focus on Him, our eternal home. He is not overwhelmed or anxious, but at peace and with a perfect plan. Experiencing Him and His love changes so much.
One of the ways that I’ve been growing in experiencing Him is by spending time in verses that speak deeply to me. A practical example is Luke 15:20 which opens up a sweet welcome into His presence. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
If I’m able I will settle into a comfortable, quiet place, (if not, I’ve found that I can experience Him and His love from anywhere, at anytime). I then read the verse, the parable or simply envision the scenario—and I come home to Abba.
I literally see myself coming home from a “distant country”. At times I feel the reality of the unpleasantness of that country, the longing to return home, and my regret for leaving, then I experience the warm embrace and welcome of my Father. I feel His eternal, unfailing love, His compassion towards me and His longing to be with me. This changes something deep inside. I recognize that it doesn’t matter what I’ve done or where I’ve been,His love has no hesitation.
This is reality. Not the aloof, critical father that the enemy has painted in my mind. As I receive His extravagant and unearned love, it transforms me and teaches me so much about His nature and about loving myself and others. Experience definitely surpasses knowledge. He delights in blessing us with more than mere knowledge.
He desires to encounter and transform us with His eternal love, so that we’ll be filled up to all the fullness of God. May verses speak to you and scriptures woo you, and may they birth tangible experiences with Him that alter your inner and outer reality.
Cathy Stallings
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