Friday, May 17, 2019
Faith in Action
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 17:48, So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
All that we have seen of David’s interactions with his brothers, with King Saul, and with Goliath were leading up to this moment. This is the moment that would truly test David’s faith. This was the crossroad that would finally demonstrate whether David’s faith in the LORD was true or not. How often have we said we had faith, but then reached this stage of proving our faith, and just fell flat on our faces? If we recall, David showed up, found out what was going on and immediately spoke up. He was rebuked by his brothers, yet he did not allow that to discourage him. He inquired as to what would happen to the one who defeated Goliath, and volunteered to take on the giant. Next he stood before Saul who tried to outfit him with warrior’s armor, but David refused it. Now the real test was about to begin. David finally confronts Goliath, and the giant tries to once again use intimidation tactics to discourage this brave young man. In 1 Samuel 17:43-44 we read, “So the Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, ‘Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!’” How many of us reach that point of putting our faith to work, but then back out at the last minute because we become discouraged or the devils’ put thoughts in our minds that cause us to fear? How often have we approached a situation with great excitement because of the Lord’s initial conviction that moved us to action, but then fear of failure took over once the moment of conviction had long passed? David’s faith was such and his confidence in the Lord was such that he would not relent, he would not back down even an inch. In 1 Samuel 17:45-47 we read David’s response, “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.’” David’s response was not just a bunch of hot air. David’s motivation was not about proving his own courage or an attempt at seeking personal honor or accolades. David’s motivation in facing this giant was to prove to those who were watching that God is God and that there is no one like Him. He was out to prove that God would not fail those who go forward in faith to face those who seek to dishonor and belittle the King of kings and Lord of lords. David knew in his heart that with God what was impossible with man was not impossible with God. By David’s words we know that he was fully aware that in his own strength this was a losing battle, but with God on His side defeating this giant was no great challenge. James describes this kind of faith this way in James 2:18, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” As followers of Jesus, our faith must be more than lip service. If we say that we are born again believers who love Jesus, do our works demonstrate it? Are we facing life and its challenges with a faith that is demonstrated by our willingness to face each challenge, each trial, with actions that prove that we are trusting God to do what is impossible for us to do? David fought against a giant warrior who could have literally torn him to pieces, just like the lion and bear could have done when he was shepherding his family’s sheep. However, David knew that God would once again deliver this enemy into his hands, and he would not just spout a bunch of “good sounding” words that would prove to be empty. Instead, he charged the giant with just a few stones, and ultimately proved his faith by his willingness to back up his words with actions that many of the onlookers may have considered insane. In the end, he proved that God is the only true God who is faithful to those who completely trust Him and put their lives in His hands by faith.
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).
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Who We Are Intended to Be
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 17:38-39, So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.
David is now preparing to do battle with Goliath. However, we see that Saul, still in his carnal thinking, assumes that David’s victory will be dependent upon the armor supplied to him by man, rather than by the power of God. Saul is trying to turn David into a warrior who can stand up against Goliath, when the only one who can do that is God. David, on the other hand, stands his ground, after allowing Saul to dress him in battle armor, refuses to utilize it for this giant challenge. Sometimes, in certain circumstances, our biggest challenge is not the circumstance itself, but what people expect of us. It may even be our own expectation and aspirations that stand in the way of us becoming who we are intended to be in life and any given situation. The greatest battle is often fought in our own mind as to who we think we are supposed to be (or would like to be), who others expect us to be, and who God intends us to be. David’s focus was on taking down this uncircumcised Philistines who was insulting God, and he refused to used carnal means to engage and win a spiritual battle. Far too often we allow our own desires and goals to supersede what God’s will and plan is for our lives. We often care far more about people’s opinions about how we should live life or handle a situation, rather than focus on the Lord and what He is calling us to do. In this case David had to choose between his faith in God’s ability to deliver Goliath into his hands, and Saul’s opinion about how David should fight this giant. Psalm 118:8-9 clearly says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” Psalm 20:7-8 also says, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. 8 They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright.” Saul and Israel were trusting in their armor, weapons, and own abilities to go up against Goliath and the Philistines; yet, all they were left with was fear and cowardice. David, on the other hand, put his trust in the Lord, and the result was that he went forward into battle to face an enemy that was far greater than he was, with confidence. He did not need Saul’s armor or weapons to become the man God intended for him to be. He knew that his faith in the Lord and his humble approach as a lowly shepherd boy was all he needed for God to give him the victory. It was this kind of faith and surrender that allowed God to turn David into who the Lord intended him to be, one of the greatest kings we read about in the Word of God. The king from whose lineage the King of kings and the Lord of lords would come from, and who would be the Savior of the universe, Jesus Christ. There was nothing that Saul could offer David that would bring forth these kinds of results or lead David down the path that would make him who God intended for him to be. As my wife and I watched a movie last night, one of the characters in the movie said this, “It’s time for me to be who I am rather than who I’m supposed to be.” This can be both right and wrong. Some of us need to stop being who others think we are supposed to be, and just be who we are in Christ. Some of us also need to stop being who we are right now (based on other people’s opinions and our own selfish desires), and allow God to do the work in us, through the Holy Spirit, to make us who we are supposed to be for His glory. We need to stop fighting life’s battles with carnal minds and carnal weapons, and put on our spiritual armor with faith and prayer, trusting the LORD to supply us with the strength we need in Christ Jesus. Ultimately, it is God’s battle and this is all about Him, not us.
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).
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Faith to Conquer Giants
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 17:32-33, Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
In spite of all the discouraging words that came from his own family, David now finds himself standing before King Saul. Even though the report went out that someone actually spoke words standing up against the giant, no one had actually accepted the challenge issued by Goliath. Here, before the king, David steps forth and accepts Goliath’s challenge, but is met with resistance. The resistance came from one who made a judgment based on David’s appearance. Here was this young man, a teenager, who was willing to fight against a man who was not only a giant, but a seasoned warrior. How often have we made a judgment about what another person was capable of, simply because of their outward appearance, or even their age? We sometimes make assumptions about others without knowing their story. David had a story that no one but God knew about, and now Saul was about to find out. In verses 34-37 David read David’s response, “But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.’ 37 Moreover David said, ‘The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’ And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the LORD be with you!’” As David continued to speak, he spoke with more and more boldness. His initial response to Goliath’s threats was more of an inquiry, “Is anyone going to do anything about this? Is there not a cause?” (My paraphrase.) Now standing before the king, he volunteers to fight Goliath, but then makes the bold statement that he would kill Goliath. Where did this boldness come from? Well, it came from what God had already done in David’s life. Here is where it is of great importance for us to always remember how God is working in our lives. While David humbly served his family keeping the sheep, God used it as a training ground to prepare David for this very moment in time. As he began recalling how God delivered him from the lion and the bear, he conveying to King Saul that he was certain that God would deliver Goliath into his hands. This was the major difference in how Saul and David were looking at this situation. Saul approached this from a natural point-of-view, which compared David’s physical being and lack of military experience with Goliath’s physical stature and military experience. David, on the other hand, saw this as God’s fight, and was already quite aware of God’s ability to deliver him from challenges that were bigger and stronger than he was. David’s willingness to step forward and meet this challenge, that no one else would undertake, had nothing to do with being a prideful young man. It had everything to do with a young man, who based on what he had already seen God do in life, had the kind of faith that made him believe that nothing was impossible with God. How do we view the challenges in our life, especially when our faith is challenged? Do we cower from an enemy that is bigger and stronger than we are? The devils most certainly are stronger and bigger than we are, but we have Jesus on our side, if we are born again believers. We have been given spiritual armor in Ephesians 6 to help us stay in the fight. When we face such challenges, do we see it for what it is and immediately go to prayerfully putting on our armor? Are we doing this every single day as we go out into the world? Because quite honestly, every day that we go out into the world, whether we are going to work, running errands, or just out trying to enjoy our day, we may encounter a challenge from any number of giants. How will we respond? Will we run and hide, or will we go forward in the Name of Jesus and allow Him to conquer some giants in our lives?
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His 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 gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, May 10, 2019
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)