"To Know by Experience" - To

 "Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other." (Ecclesiastes 6:5 KJV) 

 "One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side." Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. "Peace be with you," he said. Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!" "My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me."" (John 20:24-29 NLT)

 Without getting too personal, there are certain things we have in our lives which will keep us chained in one way or another. I'm not saying that we are all bound up in chains, having no ability to function or serve the Lord, because there is always something we can do, even when have something binding us; it doesn't keep us from serving in one way or another.

 But what it does: it causes us to not experience the full potential that we were meant to know; and will always cause us to have doubts about our own relationship with the Lord. It doesn't have to be sin, as in the things which we know are not to be done; it could just be something that takes precedence over the time you know you should be spending with the Lord. 

 Take me, for example: I have this thing I do, pretty much every night; watching a movie, or should I say, half a movie over a two-night period. I call it my relax time, before I go to bed. Lately, I have been hearing the Lord tell me to spend that time with Him; I have even been given an image of what that should be like: me sitting in my morning devotion area, reading His word, and sharing my 60+ minutes before bed with Him. 

 Could I be sinning if I don't do what I think He wants me to do? 'If the Lord is asking us to do something, then, if He is Lord, we should do what He says; otherwise, we are not making Him Lord!' Thinking of that, in that way is rather stupid! Even though many people will say it! He is Lord, with or without our permission or our ability to listen; we will just suffer and be discouraged if we don't obey those things He tells us to do.

 You would think that after 43 years of walking with Him, I would have a better handle on being obedient. But it is all about making compromises and putting things off. There is something I know from experience, but don't put it in action when it comes to the things that I like: Ask the Lord to help you with your faith, and He will help you overcome what binds you...

"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." (Philippians 2:13 NLT)