We can state the gospel clearly; we can smell unsound doctrine a mile away. If asked how one may know God, we can at once produce the right formula: that we come to know God through Jesus Christ the Lord, in virtue of his cross and mediation, on the basis of his word of promise, by the power of the Holy Spirit, via a personal exercise of faith.
Yet the joy, goodness, and unfetteredness of spirit which are the marks of those who have known God are rare among us.
–J. I. Packer
Packer’s book, Knowing God, is all about how to take that which is already in our heads and move it 18 inches lower to dwell in our hearts. He wants us to move from having lots of knowledge about God and become people who intimately know and love God – these are two very different things.
Just as I can know a lot about someone who is famous and yet not have any relationship with them, you can know a lot about God and yet not know God…not have any real relationship with Him. And only an intimate relationship of knowing God will bring you that joy, love, and peace that each of us long to have.
Pray that God will help you come to know Him and love Him and not just know things about Him.