I know, but...

1 John 5:20  "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.  Little children, guard yourselves from idols."

1 Thessalonians 1:9  "... you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God..."

Proverbs 4:23  "Guard your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life."

John uses the phrase, "we know..." quite often in his Epistle.  In this verse he uses three different words that give different shades of meaning to the concept of "knowing".  The first ("we know that the Son of God has come") carries the sense of acquiring information; it has the idea of certainty, of conviction.  The second word ("understanding") literally means "thinking through", and speaks of how the pieces of information (knowledge) relate or fit together.  The third word ("that we may know Him") has to do with relationship, the idea of getting to know someone.  It has a sense of progression; of a deepening intimacy through personal experience.

All three words together describe a Believer's life of faith.  We have come to a settled conviction regarding the Gospel Message.  The Message rings true, makes sense, as the Holy Spirit helps us think through the various aspects of Gospel Truth.  This conviction and understanding lead us into a relationship with Jesus and, as we walk in faith and obedience, we get to know him better every day.

John describes our relationship with our Lord eloquently, but then he concludes his letter with a caution that troubles me.  He warns us to guard ourselves from idols.  How could I, knowing, understanding, and experiencing the Grace of God, turn away to an idol?

The Holy Spirit knows me all too well.  He knows my inclinations, my weaknesses, my vulnerabilities.  And He is not the only one with that knowledge.  Satan sees them too, and he is constantly seeking opportunities to distract my attention, to turn me towards other things.  Anything that turns me from God, that shifts my focus and pulls my allegiance away  becomes an idol.

An idol can be a person, a passion, a position, a problem, or a possession.  It can vary from person to person and from one stage of life to another.  The point John makes is that idols are all around us, vying for our attention.  Resisting them requires vigilance.  It takes me back to Moses' charge to his successor, Joshua: "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." (Joshua 1:8)

Dear Father, thank You for living in me through the Holy Spirit.  Thank You for His promptings, warnings, and encouragement.  Please help me to keep alert today, that I might recognize the enemy's ploys.  I want my focus to be fixed on You and Your will for me.  I want to know You more!  Amen.