From Hearsay to Experience

Daily Devotional, Sunday, August 1, 2021
I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.
Job 42:5 (NKJV)

I reported late for my second year of secondary school. A new boy had joined my class from another school. We became friends straightaway, as if we had known one another many years before.

Later, he narrated an interesting story about me. When he reported, he heard stories of a certain student who had not arrived. From the reports, he imagined I was a plump and muscular fellow.

When he finally met me, though, he realized I was a just a slim, tall boy with a favourable reputation among other students. Thankfully, we still became friends, my physical appearance notwithstanding.

My friend’s experience mirrors that of Job.  When his harrowing ordeal was over, Job confessed, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” (Job 42:5).

Despite the faith Job had demonstrated in God, he admitted that he was far from knowing God fully.  He had merely heard about God before. Maybe others had told him about God. Perhaps God only existed in Job’s imagination.

Job now no longer just knew about God; his eyes had seen God. He meant he had experienced God at a personal level.

We, too, need to transition, gradually, from merely hearing about God to experiencing Him at individual levels. We should not just rely on the faith and testimonies of our religious leaders, parents or friends. We need to experience Christ for ourselves.

What steps are you taking daily to move from merely hearing about God to ‘seeing’ Him through experience?

Prayer

Father, I desire to know and experience you personally.