Strengthen Yourself in the Lord
“David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6)
If you want to Kill Giants Follow a Giant Killer!
King David towers above all other Old Testament figures - he is remembered not so much for the greatness of his actions, but for the greatness of his heart for God. His passionate heart set him apart in God’s eyes long before he:
-Ever won great military victories
-Revolutionised the nature of worship in Israel
-Ushered in Israel’s Golden Age of economic and spiritual prosperity
In fact, while he was still in relative obscurity, God saw that he was a man after his own heart.
“And when he had removed him (Saul), he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.” (Acts 13:22)
What was the evidence of David’s heart after God? Scripture indicates two primary aspects of David’s life before he was anointed King.
Importance of worship and prayer
When nobody was looking, when nobody was calling prayer meetings or leading a revival in Judah, David was pouring out his heart in worship and prayer to God in the fields where he tended his father’s sheep.With no one around, his pursuit of God was motivated by nothing but a desire to know God for His own sake.
So often we want something from our time with God; how often do we come to him without an agenda? This can be the same with our friends and colleagues. You know the ones I mean. You only see them or hear from them when they need something. I have a friend who I only hear from when she needs something. It starts with a brief, “Hi.” We can all be guilty of this.
David’s relationship with the Lord was highly unusual for his day. Worship in Israel at the time was focused on the sacrifice of animals to temporarily deal with sin, and not the sacrifice of praise from the heart. His heart led him beyond the letter of the law to the heart of the Lord, Himself.
This is the same for us when we read the word of God. If it’s not leading us into an encounter with God, something is not right. Yes it’s our plumb line but if it’s not leading us into the presence of the Father, then something is out of sync.
2. God’s timeline is very different from ours
David was Groomed to Reign
BUT God did not bring the man after his Heart straight from the pasture to the palace. Incredibly, it was another 10-13 years after Samuel had anointed him to be King.
In those years David endured more difficulty, persecution, and rejection than many of us face in a lifetime. He probably thought that it would be quicker than that.
In contrast, Saul, the previous King, had no such difficulty; he was crowned very shortly after being anointed by Samuel. But God did not want another King Saul. While Saul was truly the best man Israel had to offer, when they demanded a King (1 Sam 8:6).
His heart had not been groomed through testing before he was on the throne.
As King……. Saul was entrusted with a measure of anointing to lead the armies of Israel to victory and shepherd the people.
YET - without the strength of character that only comes by winning private battles, these public victories exposed the previously hidden weakness of Saul’s heart towards God.
That weakness in Saul, combined with his growing appetite for the favour of man, led him to bring glory to himself and disobey the Lord. Never look for the favour of man. That’s why Jesus said the fear of man is such an obstacle. It all comes back to our identity.
So Saul’s untested heart allowed that which was given to make him successful (favour), to ultimately destroy him.
I think the challenge here is not to rush the season. So often we want to move on to the next thing, or be recognised and promoted. So don’t rush. Back to David, even though he already possessed a heart for the Lord; he was led into years of testing that groomed him to handle the glory and responsibility of the throne.
We have heard of a number of well known leaders recently having moral failings which has impacted a large number of Christians. I think so often with leaders that don’t get the opportunity or choose to go through the time of testing has resulted in a number of leaders failing.
The scriptural account of this season in David’s life is filled with lessons of the kinds of character tests we all face on the road to fulfilling our destiny in God.
But the question is what was it about David that ultimately qualified him to become King?
What brings about the moment in which God says, “Ok, now you’re ready”?
Bill Johnson shares how he believes it was David’s ability to do something in the face of the deepest betrayal and rejection imaginable. When he stood completely alone, that is when David “strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” (1 Sam 30:6).
Questions:
During this time of testing with the Covid-19 pandemic have you been turning to the Lord to strengthen yourself?
How does that look for you? For example maybe it’s spending extended times in worship. Or it could be finding a quiet place and mediating on a passage of scripture that challenges and encourages you. However it looks I encourage you to make the time to get in God’s presence and be strengthened by him.
Have you found God’s timing is very different to yours? We are often in a rush and David’s life of patience, perseverance and ability to trust God no matter the circumstances is a great example for us.
What is one lesson you want to take and apply from this weeks devotion? Perhaps it’s finding time to be with God. Alternatively it could be a great week to look at God’s timing and submit to his timing.
