For God and With God

King David once gave a powerful piece of advice to his son Solomon:

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind.” (1 Chronicles 28:9)

These words were spoken by a father who had walked closely with God for many years. David had experienced God in many situations—victory, failure, danger, and restoration. Now he wanted Solomon to experience God personally as well.

David was not telling Solomon to simply know about God. He was urging him to know God personally.

There is a big difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them. You may know facts about a famous person, but that does not mean you have a relationship with them.

In the same way, many people know facts about God, but they do not truly know Him.

Lord Jesus said something very similar in John 17:3:

“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Eternal life is not just about going to heaven one day. It begins with knowing God personally here and now.

Personal Relationship Cannot Be Inherited

David said to Solomon, “Know the God of your father.”

Notice something important here. David did not say, “Depend on my relationship with God.” Instead, he encouraged Solomon to develop his own relationship with God.

Faith cannot be passed down like property or money.

A father may love God deeply. A mother may pray faithfully. A pastor may preach the Word powerfully. But each person must still know God for themselves.

Many people today depend too much on the prayers of others. They say things like:

“Pastor, please pray for me.”
“My mother is praying for me.”
“My wife will pray about it.”

There is nothing wrong with asking others to pray for us. The Bible encourages believers to pray for one another.

However, there comes a time when we must pray ourselves.

You cannot live your entire Christian life depending only on the prayers of others. God desires to hear your voice, not just the voices of people around you.

He wants you to speak with Him directly.

Move Beyond Superficial Spirituality

Today, many people have a very shallow spiritual life. They attend church occasionally, listen to sermons, and sometimes read a Bible verse.

But they never develop a real, daily relationship with God.

A strong relationship with God grows through simple but powerful practices:

Prayer – speaking with God personally
Reading the Word of God – allowing God to speak through Scripture
Worship – expressing love and gratitude to the Lord
Meditation on the Word – thinking deeply about what God has said

When these become part of your daily life, your relationship with God becomes stronger and more real.

Relationship Comes Before Service

King David also told Solomon:

“Serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind.”(1 Chronicles 28:9)

Serving God is a wonderful privilege. Through service, we help people, spread the message of Christ, and bring hope to others.

However, David placed relationship before service.

Why is this important?

Because many people try to serve God without first building a strong relationship with Him. When this happens, service becomes stressful.

Instead of joy, they experience:

frustration
burnout
disappointment
bitterness

They may feel hurt when people do not appreciate their efforts.

But when service flows from a deep relationship with God, it becomes joyful rather than burdensome.

Time with God refreshes your spirit and gives you the strength to serve others.

When Service Becomes Heavy

Sometimes believers feel tired or discouraged in ministry. When that happens, the problem is often not the work itself.

The real issue may be that they have neglected their personal time with God.

When we spend time with God regularly:

our hearts are renewed
our faith becomes stronger
our perspective changes

Instead of serving out of pressure, we serve out of love and gratitude.

Loving God With All Your Heart

Jesus summarized the entire Christian life with one command:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
(Matthew 22:37)

This command shows us what our relationship with God should look like.

Loving God with all our heart means:

putting Him first in our lives
desiring His presence
trusting Him completely
seeking His will in everything we do

When we truly love God, serving Him becomes natural. It is no longer a duty it becomes a joy.

A Personal Challenge

David’s words to Solomon still speak to us today.

“Know the God of your father.”

In other words:

Do not depend only on the faith of others.

Do not remain satisfied with shallow spirituality.

Instead, seek God personally.

Spend time with Him. Talk to Him. Read His Word. Worship Him.

When you truly know God, your life will never be the same. Your faith will become strong, your service will become joyful, and your relationship with God will become the greatest treasure you possess.

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 15-17

For God and With God

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