The Importance of Knowing God
ICS Daily Devotions
1 Samuel 17:36-37 (NKJV) Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”
How someone responds to a crisis reveals a lot about them. David was truly a man of God. The entire Israelite army was terrified and powerless when Goliath threatened them. David demonstrated that he was different from the rest of the Israelite army. He knew God, was aware of His covenant right with Him, and had experienced God’s faithfulness. He understood that his ability to defeat the bear and the lion wasn’t solely his own, but came from the covenant-keeping God who had helped him. His declaration of “how dare this uncircumcised Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:26) showed that He understood the people of Israel were God’s chosen people. He trusted in God’s power to overcome Goliath, just as he had overcome the lion and the bear. He had life experiences with God.
John 17:3 (NKJV) And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
As Christians, we know God; we walk with Him and are led by the Holy Spirit. We can receive counsel from Him daily. Our faith in God is founded on the Word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. We can be very secure and stable when our faith is rooted in Jesus Christ and the complete counsel of God’s Word. We can choose not to respond in carnality but in faith and the Spirit when faced with a difficult situation. We will respond in faith just like David when confronted with a trial, tribulation, or test in our lives.
We will also avoid promoting ourselves through strife and politics if we see our work in the corporate world as worship unto God. Instead, we will trust that God has a good plan for us. The weapon of our warfare is not carnal but mighty in God. We will pray through every situation we face and have faith that God will handle it. God is the God of all flesh, and nothing is too difficult for Him. It is through faith and patience that we will inherit God’s promises in our lives. What gives substance to our faith is His Word to us during our daily Bible reading. We will stand on the promises He has given us, rather than striving in the natural to bring about the promises with our own strength.
Sermon Series: Walk into your Calling
