In the past, I focused on memorizing the famous chapters and verses from the Bible, believing that knowing the Bible well meant knowing the Lord. However, although I could recite a lot of scriptures, when encountering something, I still didn’t have faith in the Lord. Later, I found that we need to experience the Lord’s words in our lives. When we gain a real understanding of the Lord’s words, we are able to confirm that the Lord’s words are the truth, and gain true knowledge of the Lord. Only by having real knowledge of the Lord can we develop true faith in Him.

For example: In Luke 11:9 the Lord Jesus said: “And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” Although we are very familiar with this scripture, we need practical experience before we can truly understand its meaning. In real life, we may find this fact: Many times when we encounter difficulties, or we experience failures and setbacks in our work, as long as we call on God sincerely, things will have a turn and God will allow us to see hope. Sometimes, when we get into trouble, we just have the thought of looking upon God and even do not yet pray to Him, God has helped us out.

I remember that time my house was too small to house all my family, so I was eager to buy a big one. But at that time, there were thousands of people in my unit waiting to buy houses, and even worse, my husband had been off work since he was ill. I thought to myself: “It doesn’t seem very hopeful to buy a house, but I really want to buy one.” Later on, I prayed to the Lord: “O Lord, I want to buy a big house. I only wish to entrust this matter to You. I believe that if You prepare one for me, I will get it.” Originally, there was not even a single form left in the housing department at that time. Yet I had never expected that a person gave his form to us, and as a result, we bought a house smoothly.

Another sister told me her story: Twenty years ago, because she had a very poor life in her hometown, she with her several fellow villagers took a risk to be smuggled into the United States. However, she had never expected that she had hardly set foot on the soil of the United States when she was arrested and thrown into jail for over two years. During that period, other prisoners’ families or friends often came to visit them, but only she was lonely and desolate, feeling so miserable and distressed in her heart. At that time, there were often foreigner preachers who went to the jail to preach sermons. She was anxious to hear but couldn’t understand them because of the language barrier. So she hoped: “If a Chinese preacher comes, I must listen well.” Amazingly, her thought was soon fulfilled by the Lord: Not long after, a Chinese preacher went there and spread the gospel to her. In this way, she came to the Lord’s presence. Afterward, when she saw the scripture “And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you,” she said amen to these words from the bottom of her heart, and felt that the Lord’s words are truly too practical that whatever the Lord says will come to pass.

In actual life, we should focus on experiencing the Lord’s words. Only when we take the Lord’s words into our everyday lives can we further understand His words, and gain some real knowledge of the Lord at the same time.