Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 20:42, Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’ ” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
David will now begin his journey on a very tough road. He and Jonathan have made a covenant with each other, not knowing if they will ever see each other again. When we see the lives of men like David, and even Joseph, we cannot deny the fact that God will allow trying times to visit us. What do we say of Job who lost so much, as God was proving his faithfulness to Satan. Today we hear so much nonsense about “name it and claim it” and how God does not desire for us to suffer, but to prosper. Yet, that is so contrary to what we see in the lives of many in Scripture; for even Jesus Himself did not live a wealthy life and ultimately suffered pain and death to give us life. These men who suffered for the cause of Christ gained much more than any one of us will gain chasing the prosperity of this world. The Apostle Paul who was appointed to suffer for the cause of Christ, as Jesus told Ananias in Acts 9, wrote this in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” In Philippians 3:7-11 he also wrote, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” The fact of the matter is that suffering yields us far greater rewards and growth than gaining all this world has to offer, which some day will perish (1 Peter 1:6-9; 1 John 2:17). Even though David’s life would never be the same going forward, it was of great importance that David would now learn to depend on God, and God alone. The road that the Lord put him on was for his benefit, as he could only become the kind of leader for God’s people Israel that God desired, only if he learned how to trust God’s leading and trust in God’s protection over that of men who will betray in the blink of an eye. The Lord had to become David’s sole Protector and Provider. God would teach David humility as he submitted to God’s authority in not striking back at King Saul, God’s anointed. He would learn not to take matters into his own hands, but trust God to take vengeance upon his enemies. God will often lead us down tough roads as part of His plan for our lives because we need to learn how to trust Him and submit to His leading and authority. He does not do this to be cruel. On the contrary, the greatest and lasting lessons are often learned as we walk through the toughest of circumstances. However, through it all, God never forsakes us on the road He has led on (Hebrews 13:5-6). In Matthew 4 Jesus faced a great test as He fasted for forty days and forty nights. Who led Him into the wilderness to be tested by the devil? It was the Holy Spirit who led Him that way (Matthew 4:1). If this is true of the life of our Lord and Savior, why would we think that we are exempt from such testing of our faith? The tough road that God calls us to walk is all about learning to be crucified with Christ and taking up our cross daily. It is the path that will lead us to find God’s purpose in this life, and ultimately teach us what it means to have true faith and trust in the One who not only died for us, but also has called us into His service, for His glory. The tough path is the path that leads to strength. The Apostle Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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