Title: “KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW…”
TEXT: 1 Samuel 20:9 | Ecclesiastes 1:9; 3:15 | 2 Samuel 12:15-23
Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
INTRODUCTION
We’ve all said it: “If I knew THEN what I know NOW, I would have done things differently.”
But the problem is — “if I knew then” changes nothing about then.
David understood this. He prayed and fasted for 7 days over his sick child. When the child died, David got up, worshipped, ate, and moved forward.
His servants were confused. David said, “…While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” — 2 Samuel 12:22-23 KJV
David was saying: “I can’t fix the past, but I can fix my present. I can’t bring him back… but I can go to him.”
Jonathan understood this urgency when warning David: “…Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?” — 1 Samuel 20:9 KJV
Solomon put it this way: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” — Ecclesiastes 1:9 KJV
“That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.” — Ecclesiastes 3:15 KJV
Your past made your present. And your present is making your future.
Brethren, we can’t change THEN. But knowing what we DO know NOW, we can do better TODAY.
Now you know… so there is no excuse. Instead of living in regret, let’s live in resolve.
I. I WILL RELEASE THE PAST (STOP LIVING IN THE PAST)
2 Samuel 12:22-23
David didn’t stay on the floor. After the child died, he changed clothes, worshipped, and ate.
Why? Because mourning over what you cannot change steals energy from what you can change.
3 Traps of Living in the Past:
- Regret – “If only I had…”
- Guilt – Beating yourself up over mistakes God already forgave.
- Stagnation – You can’t move forward looking backward.
The Bible says, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3:13-14 KJV
You cannot drive forward while staring in the rearview mirror.
ILLUSTRATION:
The Rearview Mirror: Imagine sitting in a parked car on a highway, staring intently at the rearview mirror. You can see every pothole you hit miles ago, every wrong turn you made, and every scenery piece you missed. But while you sit there obsessing over the mirror, you aren’t moving an inch forward—and worse, you are completely blind to the open road in front of you.
Consider Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26). When fleeing Sodom, she looked back in longing and regret and was turned into a pillar of salt—a literal monument of stagnation. Looking back paralyzed her future.
Many Christians are spiritually paralyzed because they refuse to shift their view from the mirror to the windshield. God is saying: I’ve already forgiven yesterday; stop letting it kidnap your today.
The past is a place of reference, not residence. I can’t change THEN… but I can choose NOW.
II. I WILL RECEIVE THE LIGHT I HAVE NOW (LIVE BY THE LIGHT I HAVE NOW)
Ecclesiastes 1:9; 3:15
Solomon said, “Your past has become your present… and your present today will become your future.”
“You are today because of how you lived in your past… Your future will be according to how you act today.”
God judges us by the light we have. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” — Luke 12:48 KJV
Knowing what I know NOW:
- I know sin destroys — so I WILL flee it. (1 Corinthians 6:18 — “Flee fornication…”)
- I know prayer works — so I WILL do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:17 — “Pray without ceasing.”)
- I know time is short — so I WILL redeem it. (Ephesians 5:16 — “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”)
- I know Jesus is coming — so I WILL be ready. (Matthew 24:44 — “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”)
You don’t need more light to take the next step. You need to obey the light you already have.
ILLUSTRATION:
The Flashlight in the Forest: When walking through a dark forest at night with a flashlight, the beam doesn’t light up the entire trail 5 miles ahead. It only illuminates the next step directly in front of you.
The Psalmist writes, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” — Psalm 119:105 KJV). An ancient oil lamp didn’t shine miles down the road—it only lit the immediate step directly ahead.
You don’t need a full blueprint of the next ten years of your life to honor God. You don’t need all your questions answered before you obey. God has given you enough light for this moment, this decision, and this day. Walk in the light you have right now, and the next step will clear up as you step into it.
Ignorance was your excuse THEN. Revelation is your responsibility NOW.
III. I WILL RUN WITH KNOWLEDGE INTO OBEDIENCE (TURN KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION)
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” — James 4:17 KJV
David said, “I shall go to him.” He turned grief into worship. He turned loss into purpose.
Too many Christians live here: “If I knew then…”
God wants us to live here: “Knowing what I DO know NOW, I WILL do better.”
- Knowledge without action = Regret
- Knowledge with action = Transformation
Now you know… so there is no excuse:
- No excuse not to forgive. (Ephesians 4:32 — “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”)
- No excuse not to witness. (Mark 16:15 — “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”)
- No excuse not to tithe. (Malachi 3:10 — “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse…”)
- No excuse not to serve. (Galatians 5:13 — “…by love serve one another.”)
- No excuse not to follow Jesus fully. (Luke 9:23 — “…If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”)
ILLUSTRATION:
The Unbuilt House: You can own the best blueprint for a house, study the foundation diagrams daily, and memorize every structural spec. But if you never pick up a hammer, you will freeze to death in the winter without a roof over your head. Blueprint knowledge keeps nobody warm.
Jesus warned in Matthew 7:24-27 KJV about the foolish man who heard His sayings but did not do them—his house collapsed when the storms came. The wise man was the one who heard and did.
Brethren, we have notebooks full of sermons and heads full of theology. But passive conviction builds nothing. Faith is not just what you know; it’s the work you put behind what you know.
God isn’t asking you to fix yesterday. He’s asking you to be faithful today.
CONCLUSION:
David couldn’t bring his son back. You can’t undo your mistakes.
You can’t relive that conversation. You can’t get that year back.
But you can do this: Knowing what you know NOW, you can do better. Stop saying “If I knew then…”
Start saying “Because I know now, I WILL…”
- I WILL RELEASE the past
- I WILL RECEIVE the light I have
- I WILL RUN with knowledge into obedience
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
The second-best time is TODAY.
Now you know… so what are you going to do about it?
Lord, forgive me for living in regret. Give me grace to walk in the light I have today. Help me to do better starting now. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Amen! May God continue to give you wisdom to encourage others with His Words.