I believe we are a DIY nation. To some extent, that’s not a bad thing. People have learned ways and methods to get things done, while in the process, saving money and finding joy in the pleasure of taking on such projects, learning their way through it to fully execute it.
But some of the things we need to be most mindful of building cannot be found in a box or a creative idea. They must, with careful consideration, be approached with special awareness, carefulness, and love to ensure a proper build.
The Bible says “Every wise woman buildeth her house…” Proverbs 14:1. Rest assured, it is not a physical building we are called to hammer and nail (but if that is your skill set, good on you). But the actual construction of a house caused me to pause and ponder a few things.
One thing I realized is that for any house or building to be strong, there must be a good, strong foundation. Anything built on something less will not stand the test of time (see Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49).
There, one must ask themselves what kind of foundation they are laying for their house. Is it laid in truth? Is it poured with love? Is it smoothed out properly and settled in the care you have to hold and support those around you?
In just dealing with the basics of building next, we understand that there are walls needed in the building of a house. Strong walls show that you care and want to protect those in your dwelling. Unbuilt or broken walls give the enemy access to what’s yours. So, as Nehemiah said, “Let us rise up and build” Nehemiah 2:18.
Spiritually, we must stand in the gap as walls protecting what is ours. This will mean laboring in prayer, and sometimes fasting, and staying fortified for ourselves in His Holy Word that you may surround, step in, and cover others in their times of need.
Lastly in a physical building but first spiritually, we have the roof. Every house, no matter the design, needs a roof built on top of it. While this top can act like a covering of protection in much the same way as walls do, when I think of topping this house, I am thinking along the lines of spiritual authority. And of course, that authority comes by way of God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Is He the head or the top of your life? Because if He’s not, it would be very hard to build, help, and encourage others toward Him when we have not fully submitted to Him for ourselves.
James tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” James 4:7.
James also tells us, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…” (4:8), and again, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (4:10).
All these work toward building that roof – acknowledging God’s authority over our lives.
Some areas may be harder than others to relinquish total authority, but in all areas, God must be Lord.
Her relationship with the Lord is key above all else, and in maintaining a healthy spiritual relationship with Him, she can support and oversee the maintenance of her own house.
A wise woman seeks to build a house that will stand because she cares, and in doing so, she takes careful measures to ensure that she builds her house properly.
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“O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3
Psalm 22 is known by all as the Messianic psalm prophesied of and quoted by Jesus Christ as He died and gave up His life for all mankind on that old rugged cross.
In the tragedy that would occur on Calvary, David tucks in this verse describing God dwelling in the place where His people praise Him.
If you are living a life of praising God, then no matter what circumstance you face, you are drawn near in heart and soul to Him, and the peace of His presence is never far from you.
One psalmist once declared, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all” Psalm 34:19, knowing that at the end of his course, victory was on the other side.
But on this side of life, we may still face many challenges and difficulties we are not keen on. For the very word tells of the distress it brings in one’s life. But it is in the midst of these struggles the individual must train themselves where the thoughts of their heart will lie: in the bosom of God’s faithfulness, or in the logic of human thinking.
The first would always be the winning choice regardless of one’s current condition, for in the bosom of God’s faithfulness, these moments of hardships, with the tears and turmoil they may possess, give way and make room to be refreshed in the fire by the God who will step in with you – to have one’s heart lifted with peace above the circumstance because praise has elevated you.
Oh, my friends, praise is powerful! Praise can lift you from the deepest pit and the direst of occasions. Though physically one may not experience the immediate relief they long for, but when our thoughts and intents of heart are transferred from viewing the troubles before us to the faithful God who has always been with us, we are raised by the power of His presence in the midst of the storm.
Naturally, we may be down, but inside we rise to the place where His glory dwells. Inside, we seem to soar into the heavenlies, leaving the cares of this world behind.
“O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel,” will He not also come near to you and me when we sequester ourselves with Him, lean upon His bosom of faithfulness, and just praise.
Tears may mingle there, but let praise be not absent.
Cares may be cast there but let not the Hallelujah’s be silenced.
“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1
“O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people” Psalm 117:1. You do not have to be Israel’s biological child to praise the LORD. The heart of the saint, His redeemed one, crying out, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6) knows that “praise is comely for the upright” (Psalm 33:1) no matter who they are or where they hail from.
“Give unto the LORD the glory due his name…” Psalm 29:2
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High:” Psalm 92:1
We may not be before the ark decorated with cherubim, but we can come before the “Throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in times of need” (Hebrews 4:16) which is decorated with His undeniable glory.
And while there before that place of His presence, let us not just ask from Him, but let us offer to God our genuine, heartfelt praise.
Difficulties, struggles, and hurts – with great compassion for the trials some face, I will never downplay their experience. But according to Job, regardless of our present experience, we can still find a place of praise, for he said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” Job 1:21.
“Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,
Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.” Psalm 113
Faith has never been about or worked by seeing what it is believing for first. Faith works independently of the visible. What true faith does is it grabs hold of and grounds itself with confidence that says, if God said it, that’s what I choose to believe. If His Word promotes something as true, then it must be true. End of discussion.
And yet, a discussion is often what we deal with. It comes through voices and ideas that speak contrary to what faith was hoping for. It speaks against what faith was believing for.
Today, refuse to enter those discussions. If “faith is the substance of things hoped for” then we must be mindful of what conversations are feeding our faith. Communications with others, or even within one’s own self that speak doubt will sow seeds of discord against what God’s Word has already spoken to be true.
Refuse their arguments and hold on to that pull of God, that drawing of His voice that says, to just trust Him. Trust what He says. Trust that His conversation, written in His Holy Book, is the one we need to draw an attentive ear to.
If they could, many conversations of this world would pull you from His conversation of truth. But, hold on to what God says, dear friend, as if it is your life preserver in these tumultuous waves. Because it is.
If you keep your heart steadfastly focused on Him you will not soon be moved. Just as sure as He is, so are the beautiful things His Word promises us.
Where have you placed your confidence today? From upon what have you built your foundation of faith? Whose conversation is your ear giving more time to? And, whose words are feeding and supporting all that you believe?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.” Conversations contrary to that supporting faith – turn a deaf ear to, for they are not nourishing you where you need to be nourished. Those words are not building you where you need to be built.
Refuse their invitation to get involved with them, because when you are a child of God, what the Father speaks is what I need to hear the most. The best support system one can find, who is truly trying to live a life of faith, is going to be found in what God affirms as true in His Word. Get into agreement with Him. Get into agreement with what He declares for your life and over your life, and avoid all other toxic discussions, for they will not profit you or your spiritual journey.
Draw near to what God says. Take every bit of it to heart and build your faith upon it. In His Word resides the confirmation of everything you need. In His speaking, your faith will be made strong.
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“When my spirit was overwhelmed…” those are the words David wrote at a very tumultuous time in his life. He spent many days on the run, hiding, with his life hanging in the balance because the current king, Saul by name, had it in his mind to kill David without a second thought. Therefore David ran, with many days running together into a blur of trying to stay out of Saul’s target range just to remain alive.
Some of those running experiences took him to a certain cave. David was known for staying in a cave referred to as Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1). This was a hiding place for him, but it was also a gathering place for his brothers and those from his father’s house to join him. Some others who were also in “distress” and dealing with other issues of discontentment of the way things were joined forces with him as well in that place (1 Samuel 22:2). There, David became a captain over this group of men, but also there, David prayed.
A life spent hiding in a cave and on the run is not a life anyone with a promise on him would deliberately sign up for. But, this is where David found himself and it was overwhelming. He has already been driven into the wilderness. He had already escaped the throw of a javelin more than once that was purposed to end his life. He had already dealt with a king whose anger, fear, and jealousy were eating him up and caused him to eye David with a suspicion that made his every step miserable. He knew if he didn’t flee he would die and if he didn’t pray to the only God who could comfort and strengthen him through this whole situation, he would collapse because he was weak from it all.
That was one of the special things about David: he knew how to pray (Psalm 142:1-2). He knew how to take everything he was facing to the Lord without hesitation. It didn’t matter if he was dealing with enemies such as Saul, or if he was dealing with his own sin (Psalm 51) – David knew that there are times in this life that are just plain old overwhelming, and rather than get crushed, he prayed to the true God who could redeem him from the crush; who could lift him above that trials and the storms, and strengthen and heal the brokenness he was dealing with.
In that, David knew all that he was going through had never escaped God’s notice. Every heart-rending prayer, every night of dealing with the unease of another attack from Saul, and every moment that caused him to be anxious over his situation, David confidently believed and stated, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path,” (Psalm 142:3). Trouble may have seemed like it was following him everywhere he was going, but so were the eyes of God. There was never a time when he was off of God’s radar, and neither are we.
Listen, we may not be hiding in a cave, but there may be other things that we are dealing with that cause us concern, and make us feel weak as if the world is crashing in us. We may be in our own cave experience without a cave, but the same God who knew the path David was on, is the same God that knows the way you take also. Psalm 139 assures us that God sees every part of us and He knows everything about us. He knows our beginning from our end. He sees. He knows. Our paths are not hidden from Him. Everything is opened before Him! Every trial, every test, every burden that you carry, and every overwhelming thing you are facing, God is very much aware of it all. As our Sovereign, Heavenly Father, you dear child of God, are on His mind, and He knows.
He knows how hard it is for you right now. He knows when the paths they push you on is unfair. He knows the tears that you have cried all night long. He knows the heartbreak that you constantly face. He knows when some are against you and try to tear you down. He knows it all.
When overwhelmed, David found comfort in releasing the pressure of everything he was feeling into the only hands that could truly help. He released all his worries and pent-up frustrations into the hands of God. He prayed and poured out every burden he was carrying at the throne of grace. When nobody else stood with him, he prayed to the only God who would be there with him through the thick and thin of life, and he placed his confidence in Him.
Though situations may have tossed him about, they never tossed his faith. David stayed planted with his hope steadfastly anchored in God. Friend, whatever overwhelming situation you are facing today, I pray that you would mimic the steps David took in dealing with the hardships of life, and take it to the Lord in prayer. And, not only take to Him in prayer but keep your hope anchored in Him as well.
At the end of David’s Psalm 142 prayer, he stated boldly and confidently, “For thou shall deal bountifully with me,” (vs. 7). David knew, in the end, faithfulness always wins out. We may not be able to personally do anything about some of the stuff we face, but God can. If we don’t quit; if we handle our “overwhelming” moments by remaining secured in the God who can save, heal, and deliver – no matter what distress or hardship we currently face, in the end, God has the final say over it. Believe as David believed and trust God through it all.
Life can feel overwhelming at times, but nothing we face will ever overwhelm God. When everything seems to come crashing down all around you, God is the one who can raise you above it all. Every dark night, He can turn into a day. In times of mourning, He can bring comfort. In the days when you see nothing but ashes, He can make it into something beautiful. In the cave experiences of our life, we can find hope, because He knows and will be there with us through it all. “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I,” (Psalm 61:2).
“Behold… be it unto me according to thy word,” (Luke 1:38) are the words Mary spoke when she willingly accepted God’s plan for her life. She said yes to a future unknown. She got into agreement with God and allowed His mission to become her mission, and her life was changed forever.
I believe that God wants to move mightily in many lives, but many are not willing to say yes. It’s not because they don’t want God to do a fantastic thing in them and through them, but when they preview all the ideas that could happen, the balance of all the what-ifs seems too much to bear. Yet, it is most often in those extremely unbearable moments where God works the most wonderful of wonderfuls.
Yes, comes with sacrifice. Yes, refutes the idea of the impossible. Yes says, “I don’t know where this journey is leading me, but Lord, I accept the challenge. I choose Your cause and I choose this day to order my life according to that cause.”
Mary’s yes could’ve ended in her death. Surely there must’ve been shame and ridicule hurled at her. Never once, not even when her eldest Son, Jesus Christ, hung on the cross to redeem man, did we ever hear of her recoiling from that original yes. There had to have been troubling times and days of confusion – yet, her yes remained yes, and to Him, she surrendered all.
Yes, it can be glorious and lead one on the wildest journey they could ever experience. But, yes can also be the hardest and most selfless decisive act one can take on. Nevertheless, God’s invitation has gone out to many. How will you respond today? Will you recoil in fear, or through faith, say, “All aboard!” I choose to ride with God through this journey by saying yes today!
Winners and success stories, how often do we study their lives, habits, and choices to open a window to the possibility of implementing something in our lives that will benefit us.
Unfortunately, as the case usually goes, many examples come from a different direction or perspective in which we view life or in the course we want to take. Therefore, we will glean our lesson from the trusted source of God’s Word.
With that, we will look closely at the old familiar story of David versus Goliath. At the beginning of this story, the prospective winner has already been determined in the minds of those on both sides who attended that battle, and David is not their choice for a victor.
When Goliath was viewed, the world saw in him what they considered to be the ideal champion. They took into consideration his height, strength, weapons, and experience at war (1 Samuel 17:4-7, 33) and made what they thought was an accurate determination.
But across the Elah Valley, there was one whose stature and outward appearance weren’t as impressive, at least not to those who had drawn up for the standoff. He was considered meddlesome and nosy by even his brother (v. 28), too small and inexperienced for the fight.
What they did not consider was the unflinching faith David possessed on the inside. What they could not see about David was what marked him as a true champion for that time, and ages to come.
David possessed an uncommon confidence. (Vv. 23-32)
What do I mean by uncommon confidence? It really is as simple as it sounds. David’s character produced in him the ability to believe, to have an assurance that could not be matched by those around him. It is what caused him to stand out as someone uniquely special among the thousands gathered.
Taking the scene in perspective, daily the Israelites were challenged in their own faith through the tool named Goliath. As warriors dotted the landscape, when this massive man appeared, the men of Israel disappeared.
Physically they believed that they were no match to compete and win against this giant.
David, on the other hand, cared not for the man’s size or boast. His disdain for him was voiced when he said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (v. 26).
There was no flinching or fear in his actions or voice. He was 100% ready to confront this enemy and be done with him and his army: “And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (v. 32).
It takes an uncommon, extraordinary faith to see something or someone so big and choose to not focus on it.
David saw the same thing those around him saw, but he chose to process what he saw through a different filter: faith.
As the rest cowered in fear, David stepped up and offered to do what no one else, not even the king, was willing to do.
Foolhardy youth? No.
The seed of faith planted in him grew greater than any fear this foe hoped to instill. David knew who he belonged to, and he knew who he served.
Uncommon confidence bypasses the scene before one’s eyes and focuses on Who is really in charge.
David refuses the voice of doubt. (Vv. 33-37)
It is always your choice what you will allow in your hearing and your heart.
Doubt will speak if you give it a voice. Open the door just a little, and it will consume the whole room.
When David stated his declaration to fight the giant, the very next words he heard were, “Thou art not able…” (v. 33).
Talk about letting the air out of the balloon. But words such as these people hear all the time. Even if they don’t present themselves in the same wording, the idea arises to discourage and draw one’s attention to the can’t’s of life: you can’t do this because…, you are not able due to …
These “can’t” phrases can rob you of the hope to push past what you see, and if David had allowed, Saul’s words would have done just that and prohibited his progress against this enemy.
But David refused. Instead of words of improbability and fear, he leaned on his experience with God, which he already had (vv. 34-37).
David had been delivered by God through unbelievable situations before when encountering a bear and a lion. Both animals, I dare say, would even put Goliath to flight had he come upon them.
Ferocious as they were, they, nor Goliath, can outmatch God. David knew that God was the one who delivered him before, and He believed with his whole heart that He would do it again.
David refuses to fight like others fought. (Vv. 38-46)
Experience is a great teacher and there are things we can learn from the wisdom of others who have fought the battles of this life before us.
But Saul was at a standstill in his faith. Not only did he lack it in the progression toward Goliath, but also in the way he expected David to fight.
He wanted David to wear something that wasn’t designed for him.
David wasn’t built like Saul – not in body or belief. So, he couldn’t fight like Saul would fight.
God has blessed each of us with our own unique style and gifts to carry forth in faith. God knows each one individually and has blessed each one with individuality.
The way He chooses to work in or through another should not cause us to neglect what He has placed in us.
This is a strong part of the faith lesson.
David could have shrunk back in comparison because he did not fit Saul’s design, but he didn’t. He worked what God gave him, how God gave it to him.
Comparing our abilities against the line of another’s calling will not only diminish your faith, but it can bring you to a total standstill as it did Saul.
Devoid of armor not fit for him, David, with stones in his hand, pronounced with faith to the Philistine: “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (v. 45).
When David stepped on that battlefield, the real weapon he stepped up with was not found in his hand, but in his heart. It was a faith that Saul and the rest of Israel’s army lacked in their arsenal.
That’s why we can’t compare; it’s always the part of the fight that we cannot see that matters the most: the inside part.
David’s faith takes a stand and believes in God’s deliverance. (Vv. 46-48).
Jesus once spoke in rebuke to the Pharisees, saying, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34), and Proverbs instructs, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (4:23).
Those in the camp of the Israelites, their hearts were cowered in fear. But David’s heart brought him face to face with Goliath.
Unflinchingly, he took a stand, but he didn’t take a stand on his own merit. He took his stand based on what he believed in his heart about God: He is faithful.
David said, “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands” (Vv. 46-47).
In David’s heart, he knew this was not about him or what he could bring to the fight. “The battle is the LORD’s!”
Our hearts are considered to be the very center of our being. And in that center, David made sure God was the center.
In his life and in his fight, not himself, his circumstances, wants or desires were brought to the forefront. No, but the Lord God Almighty was his focal point.
Are we moving forward with hesitant steps because God is not the center of our progress?
True faith will always be a heart issue. With that, he moved forth in complete confidence: “David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine” (v. 48).
Where others hesitated, David quickened his steps – again, with no backing down. His heart would not accept decrease, but it seemed at every avenue he traveled in his life, his heart of faith grew more and more because he sought to put God in the center more and more.
David used his personal gifting. (Vv. 49-50)
Earlier we discussed David refusing armor that was not fit for him. Here, we focus on what is.
David had a unique way that he would face his giant, and it was going to be by using something small and seemingly insignificant.
Many struggle with their individual giftings. Compared to others, it may not seem big enough, influential enough, or polished enough. “If I could just _______, I would be able to _______” (you fill in the blank).
Every believer is gifted by God. But every believer may be gifted differently. When David stepped out with his little stones, I wondered what the onlookers thought.
To him, it didn’t matter. What mattered was being himself before God. This was his design. This was his gift. This is what he knew how to do well.
In a world surrounded by trends and social media, it takes bravery to be yourself. You will never succeed at being anyone but you.
Use what God gave you in faith, no matter how small it appears, and leave the results to Him.
Faith wins. (v. 51)
Little David slew the big giant. Not because he was smarter or stronger, but because every step he took in the process was a step of faith.
When any questioning arose or doubt was uttered, David continued forth in faith. He never gave the space of his heart permission to think about or adhere to anything else.
Some of our favorite faith verses remind us that: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1), and “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Together, these tell us what faith is and what faith does: it goes on and believes God regardless of what is seen or not seen. And that’s what David did. He didn’t have faith, which was just talked about. His faith moved him into action to do something despite how the circumstances appeared.
Father God is in the business of stretching our faith. Bringing us to places or before situations we may view as strange, unimaginable tasks to conquer. He has something He wants to fulfill on the other side of that stretching moment but we, like David, must commit to the follow through in faith.
Faith is the access key to everything God wants to do in our lives.
Is your faith being stirred for more today? What are some hindrances to growing your personal faith?
Walking in faith and choosing to follow God by faith will carry you further than your own plans ever will.
But don’t be surprised if the victory you are anticipating comes in a way that you least expect it. Often God’s view of how something is or is to be will look much different than our own.
Nevertheless, David felt prompted to move on God’s behalf because of his sold-out relationship with God. He approached Goliath with an all-in attitude.
Retreating was never an option in his book. And even though David would go on to face other challenges (such as being on the run from King Saul), he still had space in his heart and repertoire to pen the words that would encourage himself and many hearts through fearsome trials, saying, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
That is faith language at its best. But remember, David backed his talk up with action. He lived a life operating with an all-in faith and you can, too.
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Word For Life Says... 