TUESDAY May 28, 2019

The Living God

Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”
1 Samuel 17:26-27

Now when David overheard the men of Israel’s conversation, he became very interested. He thought to himself, What would King Saul give to someone who defeated Goliath?  Did I hear right? I would be given great riches, have the opportunity to marry the king’s daughter, and not have to pay taxes. Notice what David boldly said to the men of Israel. He basically told them, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine? He is nothing!” David knew he served a living God––the Philistines served idols.

Joshua was also a man of great faith. As a man of war, he also acknowledged Israel served a living God. In Joshua 3:10, Israel’s new leader, as Israel was about to cross over into the Promised Land––a land whose nations served idols––encouraged God’s people:

“By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites.”

Hezekiah, under great threat of war, prayed to the living God in 2 Kings 19:15-16:

“O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.”

It was said of the believers in Thessalonicathat they hadturned to God from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians 1:9).As Christians, we do not serve or worship idols; we serve a living God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…
~Psalm 42:2~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!