Know Him More Deeply | Learning to Know God Personally

Knowing about God can fill the mind.

Knowing God personally changes a life.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Wilder Whispers, Shā shares a simple moment from a rainy night at a Chicago White Sox game that became a powerful reminder: there is a difference between knowing words about God… and knowing His heart.

Through the story of Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, we explore how information alone cannot transform us—but revelation can.

Because when truth moves from the mind to the heart, fear begins to loosen, peace begins to grow, and trust begins to deepen.

Scripture References

• Psalm 91:1
• Acts 9:1–6
• John 17:3
• Ephesians 3:16–19
• 1 Corinthians 2:10

Listen Closely

Know Him more deeply…

and you will trust Him more fully.

Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers.

Whispers are the language of closeness. They invite us to slow down, lean in, and listen.

If this episode encouraged you, consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might need a quiet reminder that God sees them and cares deeply.

Until next time--keep listening

This is Wilder Whispers. I'm Shā Wooden.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hey friend, welcome to Wilder Whispers, a space where we slow down and listen for God's voice in the ordinary moments of life. I'm Shay Wooden, and I'm so glad you're here. We often expect God to speak through big moments, a sermon, a breakthrough, a perfectly quiet prayer time, and he does, but so often he chooses quieter ways, in the middle of everyday life, in the unnoticed moments, in gentle whispers that invite us closer. Each episode, I'll share one simple story and the quiet truth God revealed through it. Not because it was extraordinary, but because he was present. So wherever you are right now, take a breath, let's slow down and listen together. Last episode, we talked about what it means to seek God with our whole heart. And Scripture promises that when we seek him, we will find him. But that raises an important question. What does it really mean to know God? Because many people know things about him. They know the Bible stories, they know what they've been taught to believe. But knowing about God and knowing him personally, they're not always the same thing. You can know facts and still feel distant. You can know truth and still not know his heart. Information can fill your mind, but revelation is what changes your life. And the difference between those two things is what today's episode is about. A while back we were at a Chicago White Sox game. Partway through the game, the sky got really dark and a steady rain started falling over the stadium. If you've ever been at the ballpark when the rain comes in, you know how quickly everything changes. People were reaching for their ponchos and pulling jackets over their heads, looking for cover. Some were hurrying down the aisles trying to get to the concourse before they got soaked. But our seats just happened to be beneath the edge of the stadium roof. The rain was falling all around us, but not on us. And what struck me was how small the difference was. Just a few feet forward, and we would have been sitting out in the rain. But where we were, there was shelter. There was peace in the middle of everything happening around us. And as I watched the rain pouring down just beyond the edge of that roof, a verse from Psalm 91 came quietly to mind. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Now I had read that verse many times before. I knew the words, but sitting there that night I realized something. For years I had known the verse, but I had not fully considered the God behind the verse, the God who covers, the God who shelters, the God who stays near when storms move in. And suddenly Psalm 91 felt different. It just wasn't beautiful language anymore. It felt personal. It felt like the Lord was showing me that his protection is not theory, his presence isn't poetry, his care is real. And in that moment, a truth I had known in my mind for years became something I knew in my heart. As I sat there listening to the rainfall all around us, I couldn't stop thinking about how close something can be and still not truly be known. I could quote that scripture, but sitting there that night, I felt like I was meeting the God of that scripture in a deeper way. And it felt like the Holy Spirit reminded me of something. There is a difference between knowing words about me and knowing my heart. Saul, a man who knew the scriptures, knew the law, and believed he was serving God faithfully. But for all he knew about God, he still didn't truly know him. And one encounter with Jesus changed everything. Scripture tells us that as Saul traveled toward Damascus, something extraordinary happened. A light from heaven suddenly flashed around him, and Saul fell to the ground. He heard a voice say, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And Saul asked a question that changed the course of his life. Who are you, Lord? Think about the weight of that moment. Saul wasn't an atheist. In fact, he was deeply religious. He knew the scriptures, he knew the law, he knew tradition, and he was convinced that he was doing the work of God. In fact, Saul was persecuting Christians because he believed he was defending truth. But in one moment of divine revelation, Saul realized something staggering. He knew the law, but he didn't know the Lord of the law. He needed revelation. And when Jesus answered him, everything changed. The one Paul had opposed, he now called Lord. That's what revelation does. It changes more than what we know, it changes who we bow to. And from that moment forward, Saul became Paul. His direction changed, his mission changed, his heart changed. Because when someone truly encounters God, life can't remain the same. And Jesus helps us understand why this matters so deeply. In John chapter 17, while praying to the Father, he says, This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, in Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Think about that. Jesus defined eternal life in terms of relationship, not merely endless existence, not religious performance, not gathering information, but knowing God. Meaning eternal life is not only something that begins after death, it begins now, when a person comes to know him. And that's what it means to truly know God. To know him is more than knowing verses, more than understanding doctrine, more than collecting truth. It's a growing revelation of who he is, his character, his heart, his ways, his love. And as we know him more deeply, other things begin to change as well. We begin to understand who we are in him, accepted, loved, chosen, held, secure. And when revelation of his love takes root in the heart, freedom begins to come. Freedom from striving, freedom from shame, freedom from living under the weight of other people's opinions. Because when you know how God sees you, the voices of people lose their power. Paul prayed this very thing in Ephesians chapter 3. That believers would be strengthened in their inner being, that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith, that they would know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, and be filled with all the fullness of God. Did you hear that? A love that passes knowledge, meaning there are things about God that cannot be fully learned by study alone. They must be revealed, they must be experienced. And when his love is revealed, joy begins to rise, peace begins to steady your heart, confidence begins to grow. Because revelation of his character teaches us that he is faithful, that he is good, that he is able to work all things together for our good. Information can educate a person, but revelation transforms a person. So maybe the question for us today isn't how much we know. Maybe the real question is whether what we know has become real in us. We've heard sermons, we've read scripture, we've learned truths over the years, but it's possible to know verses about peace and still be ruled by anxiety. To know that God provides and still live like everything depends on us. To know that He forgives and still carries shame we were never meant to keep. To know that He loves us and still spend our lives chasing the approval of people. And if we're honest, that happens more often than we'd like to admit. Because information can sit in the mind while the heart remains unchanged. We can repeat truth without resting in truth. We can quote promises without trusting the God who made them. We can know the language of faith while still living like orphans inside. And that's exhausting. Because when truth stays in the head, life still gets interpreted through fear. Every delay feels like rejection. Every hardship feels like abandonment. Every opinion feels powerful. But when God begins to reveal his heart to us, something shifts. When you know he's good, disappointment feels different. When you know he is faithful, waiting feels different. When you know he is wise, unanswered questions feel different. When you know he loves you, the voices of others begin to lose their grip. That's why truly knowing God matters so much. Because he doesn't just give us information to think about, he reveals himself so we can be changed by him. And maybe for some of us today, the real need isn't to learn something new. Maybe it's to let what we already know become real, to let his truth move from our mind to our heart, to let God be more than a subject we understand and become the Father we trust. So today the invitation is simple. Come know him more deeply. Jesus said, This is eternal life, that they may know you. Meaning this life with God doesn't begin later, it begins now. And he also said he came that we might have life more abundantly, not merely more things, but more of what truly gives life. Which means knowing God isn't a small thing, it's the very life we were created for. And the more deeply we know him, the more deeply we begin to trust him. And maybe that's exactly where God is leading some of us today, not just into more knowledge, but into deeper trust. To let what we know about him become stronger than what we feel around us, to let his character speak louder than our fears, to let his love become more real than our insecurities. So today, ask him to reveal himself again. Ask him to show you his heart. Ask him to make truth personal. Because the God you truly know becomes the God you can trust. And if you'd like, let's bring that to him together. Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you that you are a God who desires to be known. Not just studied and not just talked about, but personally known. Father, many of us have learned things about you for years. We've read your word, we've heard sermons, we've tried to understand who you are. But today we ask for something deeper. Give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of you. Open the eyes of our hearts. Help us move from simply knowing about you to truly knowing you. Reveal your character. Reveal your heart. Reveal your love to us in ways that go beyond knowledge. And as we know your love, fill us with all the fullness of who you are. Let your truth become our reality. Where there has been fear, grow trust. Where there has been striving, give rest. Where there has been distance, draw us near. As we seek you, make yourself known to us. In the name of Jesus. Amen. And maybe that's the encouragement we carry with us today. God isn't distant. He isn't hiding from us. He's a God who delights in making himself known. And when he does, truth begins to hit differently. What once lived only in the mind begins to settle in the heart. Fear begins to loosen. Peace begins to grow. Because the more deeply we know him, the more deeply we learn to trust him. Today's whisper to carry with you is this know me more deeply, and you will trust me more fully. Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers. I hope today's story reminded you that God is closer than we often realize, and that he's still speaking, even in the ordinary moments of life. Whispers are the language of closeness. They invite us to lean in. Stay attentive. God is not far away. He's not silent. He's near and he's speaking. Until next time, keep listening. This is Wilder Whispers, and I'm Jay Wood.