Do you really know?

 ¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. - John 10:10

God so wants to pour out His love and His blessings on our lives. Most of the time, this involves us just stepping out in faith. But we don't do it. We are afraid. We choose not to obey. Why? The Holy Spirit has revealed to me that there are 3 reasons why this happens and they all revolve around knowing.

The first reason is that we don't know who God really is. We forget that this is the same God who created the whole universe in 7 days. The Bible is full of examples of how great He is:

For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills. - Psalm 50:10

He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The Lord is His name. - Amos 5:8

If we believe that God really is all-powerful, we would dare to ask Him for anything we need to move forward. It's just like if we need to borrow money, we would go to the bank because we know they have the ability to loan us the money. We wouldn't go to a friend whom we know is broke. We need to constantly remind ourselves that our God is able to do all that we ask of Him and more.

The second reason is that we don't know who we are. I mean, from a Biblical perspective. Let's see what the Bible have to say about us human beings:

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. - Psalm 139:14

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  - Jeremiah 29:11

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life - John 3:16

God made us and He loves us so much, He was willing to send His son to die for our sins. We have forgotten how precious we are to Him. If we truly know that we are so loved, that God always has our backs, wouldn't we believe that we can do anything He asks of us?

It's very easy for us to forget or to not believe who God is and who we are to Him. That's why it's important we also know God. We can only trust that God is with us and we are with Him when we have a relationship with God. When we need help, we often ask those closest to us first, not those we barely know. When we are close to someone, we would know what pleases them and what doesn't. That's why Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." - John 15:7. It's only when we have a close relationship with God will we know His character. Then, we will dare step out in faith and ask Him of what we need. When we are close to Him, we will know what pleases Him and what doesn't.

This is why we need to have a relationship with God. That's why Jesus has to come and bridge the gap between us and God. Life with God doesn't mean there's no challenges; it's just easier to go through because we know how powerful the one who has our back. It's like when Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego answered King Nebuchadnezzar:

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” - Daniel 3:16-18

They were confident because they knew their God and what He can do for them. Can we say the same about ourselves?