Don't give up on Him

What Causes a person to abandon “belief” of God?

Notice, I did not ask, “what causes a person to abandon belief IN God?” because most of the time, the people who do so never believed in him anyway. Sure people have heard and some have even read about God, but there is a difference in knowing about God and knowing God. You see, I have come to the understanding that information and knowledge are two very different things. For example, when Jesus asked Peter the question “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responded saying, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus responded with, “flesh and blood have not given this to you but it has been revealed to you by my father in heaven.” What was Jesus saying in that? Well, we know that for a good amount of time, Peter as well as the other disciples had been learning from Jesus a good many things. They had received a lot of information. However, it wasn’t until they got a revelation or an impartation of knowledge or some experience with the father, that they really began to believe in God. This knowledge that Peter had received did not come by way of his learning at school, or even a good sermon. It did come by way of a personal experience or a moment with God the father.
Again, although he had spent a good three years with Jesus, seen all his wonders, heard him speak, walked with him, talked personally with him, ate with him and just all around been with him, Phillip did not believe in him until he had a revelation from him. Don’t believe yet, remember when the disciples came back from the tomb and said to the others “the lord is risen” Phillip said “until I see him with my own eyes and handle him [or touch his physical body] I will not believe!” Right after he said that, Jesus showed up and then he believed. But Jesus did address the situation. He said to Phillip “because you have seen me, you believe, blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Friends what do these examples show us? It shows that no matter how much information is put out there about God, many people still won’t believe simply because their heart isn’t open enough to believe.

Now, some may say, “well, these men got to spend time with Jesus. How can we be expected to believe if we haven’t spent time with him?” Little would they know that by their question, they prove my point – experiencing God helps a person believe in him. But how can a person experience God in this day and time? Well, back in those days, the people didn’t have a bible to read. All they had were testimonies or eyewitness accounts and displays of power from those who believed to go on. In this day and time, we have the bible. God has given mankind his word. Whoever would dare to do what
Proverbs 2: 1-5 says, “My son, if you would accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Did you read that? No the end, did you get the end? If you do all that those scriptures say do, gathering your information, pondering it, praying for insight, acting as if on a quest for a peculiar treasure and searching in the information of God for hidden truths, THEN, you will find the knowledge of God. Then God will reward you with revelation. Then you will begin to experience God and know it. Then you will believe in God. Then you will believe in Jesus. But you cannot and will not attain the knowledge of God without doing these things.
Now your next question may be, “how long does that take?” It is entirely up to you. It can take a whole lifetime or 15 seconds. It’s all up to you. The moment you decide to learn of God, or the moment your heart longs to hear or receive insight from God, an answer from God will be sent to you. This happened to Daniel. After fasting for 21 days, an angel appeared to him and said, “from the first day you set your heart to receive understanding an answer was sent.” You may then say, why then did it take 3 weeks to get to him? Well, the angel respected Daniel enough to give him a reason for the delay; he said to him “I was delayed by the Prince of Persia 21 days.” He also called Daniel “you who are highly esteemed.” Look in the book of Daniel; I’m not making this up. You see, when there is respect factor present, you won’t get frustrated at God concerning how long something takes to happen because you know that his angels will do their best to answer you. And they will always answer you no matter what. But even that knowledge comes by way of revelation.

Look around you. Are people craving for the word of the Lord? Are people reading their word, studying it and searching it out? Are people praying everyday for insight into the things of God? Or, do you see individuals going to church to hear someone else tell them of their time with God? Are people quick to ask God for things but slow to ask for wisdom which is insight into the thoughts and purposes of God? Are people judgmental of God based on what they get? Jesus said, “Take heed for covetousness [craving for material things] for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

As time moves forward, each will have to ask themselves the question “do I desire the things of God?” Each individual will have to choose for themselves as Moses said “If God is God serve him. But if Baal is God serve him. Choose this day whom you will serve.” I like it like this – choose this day whom you choose to know. But don’t judge God unfairly because of your slackness to get to know him. Don’t say harsh things about him, when all you have is information and no revelation or imparted insight from him. Unless you do what Proverbs 2: 1-5 says to do, please do not think that you will come to know him. One more thing, if you find yourself talking harshly about his son Jesus, then you do not know him. If you find yourself not persuaded that Jesus is the son of God, although you agree that his was a nice man, then all you have is information and no revelation. You do not know him. If you believe the information about him, but don’t believe all the wonderful things he said about you, then you are a prisoner of fear and need more experiences with him for the bible says “God is perfect love…and perfect love casts out ALL fear.”

I urge everyone who reads this to ask God for revelation or imparted knowledge about him. Next I encourage everyone to take to your bible like virgin husband takes to his newly wed bride. Finally, may the God of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ hear you and give you grace.