"Knowing God"

One of the books which is a modern classic was written by JI Packer entitled Knowing God. It was first published in 1973 with a 20^th anniversary edition re-published in 1993.

In chapter 2, Packer begins to show the difference between knowing about God and knowing God recognizing that there is a substantial difference.

Then, he turns his attention to providing for the reader four evidences of “knowing God” as opposed to “knowing about God”. These evidences he draws from the book of Daniel.

1.    Those who know God have great energy for God.

Daniel 11:32 says, “the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action”.

2.    Those who know God have great thoughts of God.

“Suffice it to say that there is, perhaps, no more vivid or sustained presentation of the many-sided reality of God’s sovereignty in the whole Bible” (p. 29)

3.    Those who know God show great boldness for God.

“Daniel and his friends were men who stuck their necks out. This was not foolhardiness. They knew what they were doing. They had counted the cost. They had measured the risk. They were well aware what the outcome of their actions would be unless God miraculously intervened, as in fact he did.”

4.    Those who know God have great contentment in God.

Daniel 3:15-18 says, “Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?" ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

“It doesn’t matter! It makes no difference! Live or die, they are content.” (JI Packer)

Do we know God, I mean really know Him?