Know

The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD (Exodus 7:5).

Was God just wanting the Egyptians to know He existed?

The first part of the second book of the Bible is this crazy stubborn, hard hearted Pharaoh refusing to heed God's command. Over and over again, God shows Himself as more powerful than the most powerful nation in the land. Take that, Egyptian gods. Over and over again, God speaks to His messenger Moses and says you shall know.

I've been thinking a lot about the word know. Having knowledge of God, God's big Exodus purpose of revealing Himself, of the Egyptians knowing His power and His person. I've been thinking the past few days, is knowledge just about the learning and gaining of information?

Part of me says no, duh. Knowledge is about how we use that information! Put it into practice - even the demons believe! But maybe, I think, I AM WHO I AM is saying it's more.

Knowledge is less about a cognitive recognition or acknowledgment. It's more about a posture, our posture.

Psalm 46 paints one of my favorite pictures in Scripture. I imagine total and utter chaos, destruction, the fires of Mordor with Sam and Frodo helplessly hanging on. It is a devastating picture. The earth is giving way, mountains are falling into the heart of the sea, kingdoms fall. But the psalmist repeats over and over - The LORD is with us! God is in the midst. A very present help in trouble.

Then he writes, Be still and know.

Know. There's that word again!

I wonder why it's there. Not be still and believe, or be still and trust, but be still and know. Know that God is good, know that He is present, know that He is faithful. To know.

Looking through the lens of posture, knowledge becomes worship. Knowledge is relationship. One step further than just having the knowledge that He is there. We take a posture of belief and trust when we know that God is God. Not just knowing that He exists, but knowing His mightiness, His power, His characteristics.

The world is falling away! There is chaos - I don't know what to do! Know that I am God.

These plagues and death and disease throughout the land - I am fearful. Know that I am the LORD.

I don't feel you close - are you there God? Be still, cease striving, and know that I am God.

What am I supposed to do with my life!? Where are you calling me? Know.

God's been working on my heart through this idea and I can't help but think of the hard truth of what it means. When the earth falls away, the world crumbles, even if we're swallowed up with it, God is still so so good, He is still mighty and holy and faithful.

What?

But maybe that's the part of the know that I am the most stubborn to adopt. When there is hope and healing and A + B = C, that's the kind of God I can believe in! But when there isn't, do I still believe in a God who is good? When He does deliver us and make us whole but not until heaven and people die, what is my posture?

When God feels silent, do I know?

Adopt a posture of knowing God by believing in His love. Fall on knees and know through the life and death of Jesus Christ. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He is mighty and powerful and sovereign and holy and He will deliver you.

His character does not change with our circumstances.