A story is told of a man who walked into a store. He noticed a parrot in a cage hanging near the entrance, the man looked at the parrot, and the parrot looked at him. The parrot said, “You are such an ugly person.”
The man could not believe what he had heard, alarmed he shouted, “What?”The parrot repeated, “You are such an ugly person.”
Now even angrier, the man shouted again, “What?”
For the third time, the parrot casually said, “You are such an ugly person.”
Fired up, the man walked straight to the owner of the shop and complained about the unbecoming behavior of the parrot. The shop owner took the parrot out of the cage and spanked it and warned it never to say such things to a customer again. Contented, the man went on to do his shopping and paid for his stuff. As he was walking out, he turned and looked at the parrot, the parrot looked at him and said, “You know!”
The parrot did not have to say any other thing. When you know, you know, and you don’t need to be reminded. Being in ministry, I have heard people saying, “I still don’t know what God wants me to do” or “I don’t know God’s purpose for my life.” But people often forget about what we already know. It is imperative that we regularly remind ourselves about what we already know. Amidst uncertainties, unanswered questions, anxiety and worry going back to the basics that we know would make the journey much easier. A famous pastor makes his church say these words every time before he starts preaching, “This is my bible, I am what it says I am, I have what it says I have, I can do what it says I can do.”
Every time I find myself in situations where I need encouragement, I quote bible verses that reaffirm my faith, bible verses that are familiar to all of us:
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‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you…’ (Jer 1:5)
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‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…’ (Jer 29:11)
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‘…I am fearfully and wonderfully made…’ (Ps 139:14)
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‘And we know that in all things God works for the good…’ (Rom 8:28)
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‘But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood…’ (1 Pet 2:9)
These are not cute bible verses that are nice to quote; these are God’s truth upon our lives. And when the devil tries to tell you otherwise, you can look at him and tell him, “You know!” Just like you, he knows what God has said about you, and it is in his best interest that you don’t hold these truths to your heart.
So, when you know God’s truths for your life, YOU KNOW, and let no one make you doubt them.
