You don't know God, you're just acquainted with His name.

Psalm 139, Psalms 119

Bold title right? I would bet a red buffalo nickle that your face is faceted exactly like the young man in the stock picture above. Understandable. Please understand, that everything that is said to you has been said, revealed and process(ing) to me. You. Don't. Know. God.

The word know or knew in a biblical context means to be intimate with someone or consumate a marriage. It implies that the biblical context of the know or knew intimacy binds two people together physically and spritually. To truly know the Lord is to deny oneself. Most people spout the phrase "God's KNOWS my heart". Yes, yes He does. Jeremiah 17: 9-10 and Mark 7:21 clearly tells us that that is why we need more of God and less of us to allow Him to renew, refresh, reshape and restore our hearts and our heart's posture. He knows your heart but do you know His?

Do we sit with God long enough to inquire of what He desires for His creation outside of ourselves? Do we really ask God to pour onto us or into us His care, His concern or even His sorrow? Today's teachings and preachings (by a large number) is that of not only prosperity but self promotion. We can't claim to know God if self is the number one priority. We also can't claim to know God if community is not a focal point.

We know His names that describe an ability of His character or even how He can move in a situation.

Jehovah Rapha

Jehovah Nissi

Jehovah Shalom

Jehovah Jireh

Jehovah Tsidkenu

Jehovah Shammah

Jehovah Raab

Jehovah Elohim

Jehovah Mekoddishkem

We can rattle these names off in song or even in prayer. Have you really stopped to spend time with the character or ability that Jehovah provides? When you pray do you call God by the appropriate name for the situation? We move too quick to pronounce these things to let people know that we know them but have we allowed God to profess ( to declare oneself skilled or expert in; claim to have knowledge of; make (a thing) one's profession or business.) or proclaim (to declare publicly, typically insistently, proudly, or defiantly and in either speech or writing : announce. b. : to give outward indication of : show.) them fully? Seriously, think about it....

Lawd! To be broken! To be in a state where only God as Jehovah Shalom can provide the peace that heals and sustains. Last year our home experienced a leak that had transpired over a 2 year time frame. I woke up to use the restroom and noticed something shiny on my kitchen floor. I turned the light on and discoverd a puddle of water that came from the ceiling. Well, the AC unit had been leaking since the day we moved in, in 2021. Thank the Lord that our home was still under warranty for structural damage. We were completely covered for the repair and our hotel stay that lasted 8 days. We had to leave because mold was discovered. During those 8 days my husband had school, I had school, we caught 3 flat tires in 2 days and the account was not accounting! Things were falling apart and I knew that I was being processed and pressed for the calling on my life but I had to walk it alone. I couldn't talk about this with anyone because NO ONE would understand! And would they even give me sound counsel? I heard Holy Spirit say to me in the midst of my tearful outburst, "Do you know your God as Jehovah Shammah? Ashli do you even know Him?" I had to admit to myself, no...no I do not know Him like I assumed I did. I was acquainted with His name(s) because that is what I knew to do. I could exclaim in a shouting voice, the words "Lord", "Lord-God", "Master", "King", even "Abba". So why did I feel alone and foresaken? Why did I feel the trials that were happening were unfair when God is a just God whose Sovereignty is righteous and absolute? I didn't know Him. Since August 2023, it has been a process of sitting with knowing God and consummating my entire being with Him. Breaking every societal, familial, and selfish expectation of what it is to be woman, daughter, wife, mother, sister, friend and peculiar preisthood member. Knowing that when I ask or pray for Him to be drawn down into a situation or circumstance, that I get to know Him in a way that proves how absolutely amazing He and His powers are...even if the answer is no. Knowing that He knew me before He formed me in my mother's womb, suggests to me that in spirit we were together and we interacted with each other. We lived together in the heavenly realm until He wrapped my spirit in this fleshy shell and shot me down like an arrow into the best mother I could possibly have. She represents His expression of love in the earth for me and how His heart specifically nurtures me through her leadership.

At some point drawing down God's character, His power and His presence has to be evident and change something within us so that we are only left with the need to know His heart and His desires for our lives. We must know that we truly came from His inner most being and that He spoke us into this world to perform the word that we are and that is in us, so that we do not return back to Him void.

I will leave you with this for reflection. May Jehovah Raab lead you into His presence to know Him for yourself.

*"The word ‘atah means “you,” but so does a Vav at the end of verb. True they are both pronouns and one is an inseparable pronoun that is it is a suffix added to a verb and the other ‘atah is a stand-alone pronoun or separable pronoun. ‘Atah is normally rendered as “you” but in its Semitic root, it is a word for coming together, drawing close to someone.  In reality, we have two different you’s in Hebrew.  There is the simple pronoun you used in the exchange of a person’s name so you do overuse someone’s name. For instance, you would not ask; “Bob would Bob come over here?”  You would say “Bob would you come over here?”  The word “you” is used when we are talking directly to someone and there is no need to use a name. But when addressing God with the word ‘atah you are expressing a deep intimate “You.”  You are referring to the essence of God which is higher than any name.  For instance, if you know someone or have a relationship with someone you would use their name. “Bob, would you come over here.”  This shows a relationship and a sense of intimacy with that person as they are not a total stranger.  You would not, in English, say; “Hey you there, come here.”  Especially if you know that person.  Then you are expressing an insult. You would be implying that this person that you know is not worthy to be addressed by their name. However, with the ‘atah “you” you are actually doing the opposite, you are addressing that person in an intimate way: “Hey ‘atah (you who is so helpful, caring, loving, efficient, etc.) come here."  *chaimbentorah.com. 

*"For instance, say someone has Covid and the doctors shake their heads and say; “No hope.”  What do you do?  You begin to pray. What are you praying for? The discovery of a new medication?  A better doctor?  No, you pray for God to intervene in the natural world. You are calling upon the God whom you are so intimate with that you dare to call Him ‘atah and ask Him to break the nature of this physical world, to overrule the natural events of this world and do something supernatural. I think I just described a miracle. " *chaimbentorah.com. 

(Asterisks denote that the excerpts are from chaimbentorah.com. . I do not own the excerpts nor did provide any contributions to the text or site provided. The site provided is for educational purposes only)