How to Strengthen Your FaithSample

Close Enough to Know

By faith Isaac … 

By faith Jacob …  

By faith Joseph … 

By faith Moses’ parents …  

By faith Moses … 

By faith the people … 

By faith the walls of Jericho fell … 

By faith the prostitute Rahab … 

The story of the Bible has been written by the faith of God’s people. God’s desire from the very beginning has been to work in partnership with His people to bring about His purposes. People like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Esther, Rahab, Mary, the disciples, Paul—and people like you and me. People willing to trust in the character of God more than our present circumstances. People willing to go wherever God is calling us even when we aren’t sure where that is. People willing to love sacrificially, live righteously, and walk humbly with our God. 

When we look at the lives of these people, we’re being given a picture of what faith looks like: trust based on evidence that leads to obedience. 

It’s not simply believing that God is real. That’s a part of it, but it isn’t all of it. Faith is trusting that God is good, that He cares about you, and He wants to partner with you.

Here’s an important question: Have you personally experienced the presence of God in your life? 

Almost every one of these people had experienced the presence of God and been changed in the process. 

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face … Deuteronomy 34:10 NIV

These words were written about Moses, shortly after his death. He knew God, and God knew him. And God used Him in tremendous ways. 

What we can’t forget though, is that faith is relational. Doing good things for God matters, but it cannot come at the cost of actually knowing God. Not just knowing about God intellectually, but actually knowing God personally. 

The Hebrew word for “know” is yadah. It’s a word that goes so far beyond the usual type of knowing we think of. Yadah describes an experiential kind of knowledge. It’s the difference between hearing someone tell you all about the amazing signature dish at their favorite restaurant, and actually going to that restaurant and tasting the dish for yourself. 

Moses didn’t just hear about God from other people, or watch Him work from a distance. Moses knew God face to face. He experienced Him personally. 

And that personal kind of relationship is exactly what God wants with you. That’s why God came close in the person of Jesus. He wanted to make Himself known to all of humanity throughout all of history. But God didn’t stop there—He placed His Spirit inside of us! After we place our faith in Jesus, God places His Spirit in us. 

God wants to be close to you. And He wants you to experience His presence. 

Challenge: Take 5-10 minutes to sit in silence. Ask God to speak to you. When you get distracted, bring your focus back to Jesus. If it’s helpful, repeat this prayer: “Jesus, I’m here. I want to hear Your voice. I want to experience Your presence.”