How We Know God Personally: A Biblical Perspective.

How We Know God Personally: A Biblical Perspective.

 

Isaac Megbolugbe, PhD, FRICS
August 15, 2024

God Desires to Reveal Himself to Us in Our Lives
Introduction: God’s ultimate desire is to reveal Himself to us, His followers, in a deep and personal way. He longs to demonstrate His strength, wisdom, resources, and miraculous power in our lives, making us witnesses to His glorious exploits. This article explores how God achieves this through allowing challenging situations into our lives, using the example of King Jehoshaphat’s triumph over overwhelming odds and personal experiences to exemplify this fundamental truth about God.

God’s Glory: Since God is Spirit, we cannot see Him in the flesh, so his ultimate purpose is to reveal himself to humanity through His Glory. He showcases His glory as He invites us to be part of this process. By allowing situations that require His intervention, He demonstrates His power and wisdom, making us His witnesses. This is evident in 2 Chronicles 20, where King Jehoshaphat faced the combined armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.

Standing Still and Seeing God’s Salvation: When faced with the enemy’s overwhelming might, Jehoshaphat turned to God, seeking guidance. God’s response was clear: “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17). Jehoshaphat obeyed, and God intervened miraculously, defeating the enemy armies without Judah having to fight.

Lessons from Jehoshaphat’s Experience: Jehoshaphat’s story teaches us valuable lessons about God’s desire to reveal Himself in our lives: (1) God allows challenging situations to demonstrate His strength and wisdom. (2) He invites us to stand still and trust in His salvation. (3) His ultimate purpose is to showcase His glory, making us His witnesses. (4) Obedience and faith are essential in experiencing God’s miraculous intervention.

Conclusion: God’s desire is to reveal Himself in our lives, making us witnesses to His glorious exploits. He achieves this by allowing situations that require His strength, wisdom, resources, and miraculous intervention. Like King Jehoshaphat, we must stand still, trust in God’s salvation, and obey His guidance. As we do, we will experience God’s glory and become His witnesses, testifying to His power and wisdom in our lives.

The Benefits of God’s Revelation
When God reveals Himself in our lives, we experience numerous benefits, including: (1) Deeper understanding of His character and nature. (2) Increased faith and trust in His sovereignty. (3) Greater sense of dependence on Him. (4) More effective prayer life. (5) Enhanced ability to witness to others. (6) Increased fruitfulness in our lives. (7) Greater sense of purpose and direction

Challenges to God’s Revelation: However, there are challenges to experiencing God’s revelation in our lives, including: (1) Unwillingness to surrender to His will. (2) Lack of faith and trust. (3) Self-sufficiency and independence. (4) Distractions and busyness. (5) Unforgiveness and bitterness. (6) Lack of obedience and disobedience. (7) Ignoring His voice and guidance

Overcoming the Challenges: To overcome these challenges, we must: (1) Surrender our will to His. (2) Cultivate faith and trust. (3) Recognize our dependence on Him. (4) Prioritize prayer and seeking His guidance. (5) Forgive and let go of bitterness. (6) Obey His voice and guidance. (7) Seek His face and presence continually

Conclusion: God’s desire is to reveal Himself in our lives, making us witnesses to His glorious exploits. As we surrender to His will, cultivate faith and trust, and prioritize seeking His guidance, we will experience His revelation and witness His glory. Let us embrace the benefits of God’s revelation and overcome the challenges that hinder us from experiencing His presence and power in our lives.

Examples of God’s Revelation in the Bible
The Bible is replete with examples of God revealing Himself to individuals and nations. This is normative with God. Some notable examples include: (1) Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3). (2) Elijah and the still small voice (1 Kings 19). (3. Isaiah’s vision of God’s throne room (Isaiah 6). (4) Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory (Ezekiel 1). (5). Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road (Acts 9). (6) John’s vision of the risen Christ (Revelation 1)

These examples demonstrate how God reveals Himself in various ways, including: (1) Audible voice. (2) Visions. (3) Dreams. (4). Miracles. (5) Providence

God’s Revelation Today: God still reveals Himself today, and we can experience His presence and power in our lives. I am and many who have shared their testimonies are living examples. Some ways God reveals Himself today include: (1) Through His Word. (2) Through prayer. (3) Through worship. (4) Through fellowship with other believers. (5) Through His creation. (6) Through circumstances and challenges that include physical touch and shielding from the negative impact of lightning strikes.

Conclusion: God’s desire is to reveal Himself to us, and He does so in various ways. By surrendering to His will, cultivating faith and trust, and prioritizing seeking His guidance, we can experience His revelation and witness His glory. Let us seek to know God more intimately and deeply, that we may become effective witnesses to His glorious exploits.

 

Twice Saved: A Personal Testimony of God Revealing Himself

Introduction: I have experienced the awe-inspiring power of lightning strikes not once, but twice. Both times, God’s intervention was evident, saving me from harm. These experiences have left an indelible mark on my life, reinforcing my faith in God’s sovereignty and protection.

The First Encounter: A Cloud of Peace: The first lightning strike occurred on a stormy day when I was with a friend. As the lightning approached, a strange cloud enveloped us, shielding us from the storm’s fury. We saw the lightning’s fingers stretching towards us, but instead of fear, we felt an eerie calm. The power of God was like a fluorescent lamp, peaceful and serene, juxtaposed with the tempest’s might. We emerged unscathed, grateful for God’s protection. This lightning strike proceed to kill someone else that was subsequently reported in the nightly news.

The Second Encounter: A Gentle Touch: The second lightning strike was even more dramatic. I was studying near a window in my residence at Columbia, Maryland, USA when God appeared as a felt hand, gently touching my shoulder. He prompted me to move, and I obeyed, getting up from my chair just seconds before the lightning struck. I saw the flames engulf my house, but God extinguished them, leaving the firefighters perplexed as they arrived to find only smoke.

Conclusion: These experiences have taught me that God’s desire is to reveal Himself in our lives, even in the most unexpected moments. His protection and intervention are available to us, and we must trust in His sovereignty. I am grateful for these encounters, which have deepened my faith and understanding of God’s power and love. May my story inspire others to seek God’s presence in their lives, trusting in His promise to always be with us.

Lessons Learned: These experiences have taught me valuable lessons about God’s character and His desire to reveal Himself in our lives. Some of the lessons include:

1. God’s sovereignty: He is in control, even in the midst of chaos.
2. God’s protection: He shields us from harm, even when we are unaware of the danger.
3. God’s guidance: He prompts us to take action, even when we don’t understand the reason.
4. God’s peace: He provides calm in the midst of turmoil.
5. God’s power: He can extinguish flames and overcome any obstacle.

Testimony: My experiences are a testament to God’s faithfulness and love. He has shown me that He is always present, always watching, and always willing to intervene on our behalf. I hope that my story will inspire others to trust in God’s sovereignty and protection. In conclusion, God’s desire is to reveal Himself in our lives, and He often does so in unexpected ways. My experiences with lightning strikes have taught me valuable lessons about God’s character and His love for us. May we all seek to know God more intimately and trust in His sovereignty, even in the midst of chaos.

A Call to Trust: My experiences are a call to trust in God’s sovereignty and protection. When we face challenges and uncertainties, we can choose to trust in God’s goodness and love. We can choose to believe that He is always working for our good, even when we don’t understand the circumstances.

A Call to Obedience: My experiences are also a call to obedience. When God prompts us to take action, we must obey, even if we don’t understand the reason. Obedience is a key component of trust, and it’s essential for experiencing God’s protection and guidance.

A Call to Faith: Finally, my experiences are a call to faith. When we face impossible situations, we can choose to have faith in God’s power and ability to overcome any obstacle. We can choose to believe that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. In conclusion, my experiences with lightning strikes have taught me valuable lessons about God’s character and His love for us. May we all seek to know God more intimately and trust in His sovereignty, even in the midst of chaos. May we obey His prompts and have faith in His power to overcome any obstacle.

Isaac Megbolugbe
Former Vice President at Fannie Mae
Former Practice Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers
Retired Professor at Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University
Fellow at Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Resident in the United States of America

1 thought on “How We Know God Personally: A Biblical Perspective.”

  1. Michael Modesola

    A resounding and evergreen testimony of our faithful loving covenant keeping God. May you continue to experience God’s love and grace resulting in more testimonies in Jesus name.

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