Tag: David

Marching in the Mulberry Trees

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“And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 2 Samuel 5:24, NKJV

Have you ever seen one of those action movies where the characters involved in a grand scheme or plan must synchronize their watches to ensure everyone is moving at the right time?

When a big feat is to take place, it is good to make sure everyone is on the same page and moving at the proper time.

That’s what proper planning does.  It views the many angles of the story, not just the present or temporary moments, but all the moments included, and it determines when the best time is to do A, B, or C.

On the opposite end of this spectrum is impulsiveness.  It doesn’t always take every matter into account and consider all the possibilities.  It tends to move forward hastily, and sometimes prematurely.

Sometimes it is hard to determine the difference between impulsiveness, instincts, and zeal, but there is a difference.

When David finally became king, not just recognized as king in Hebron, but over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-3), there were still yet contentions he faced, including their long-time enemy, the Philistines.

If you will remember, David had great success as a youth in slaying their most prominent warrior, Goliath (1 Samuel 17).  But during the time between that battle and the one facing the Philistines here in 2 Samuel 5, David experienced many other inner and outer battles along the way.

In that, he grew not only in stature but in ability.  Through his fearlessness, faith, and fervor, he became a much-feared warrior and king.

But David didn’t allow his previous accomplishments to cause him to rest on his laurels.

There were still battles to fight and enemies to conquer, so David pursued and engaged – but not without God’s guidance.

He could have chalked up his previous victories as the all-encompassing plan to win all his battles, but he didn’t.

And that’s a good thing because, with each battle he faced God gave him different directions on how to gain a successful ending.

Here in chapter 5, in one battle David was instructed to “go up” (v. 19), and in the other, he was told to “circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines” (Vv. 23, 24, NKJV; emphasis added).

This was going to be the battle of battles with the Philistines.  After this event, they would no longer be a threat to Israel.  But to get there, David had to wait for the right time.

Back to our opening illustration of synchronization, time is everything.  But the caveat to that is, that the way we view time and the way God views time is vastly different (2 Peter 3:8).

Twice in verse 24, you see the word “then,” with God giving specific instructions on when David is to make his move.  Any time outside the premise of that “then,” was not his moment to advance.

If David wanted to ensure success, he had to synchronize his move with God’s “then,” with God’s timing.

While zeal, fervor, and experience are great, if it’s out of alignment with God’s moment to progress, it won’t work.

Our God works specifically and in order.  And more often than not, His design will not be on our timetable.

As infinite as He is, so are His plans and abilities, and through it all, taking the omniscient view of our lives, He knows when, where, and how something should be done.

But it is when we fight with impatience and frustration, when we can’t see it moving or how it will turn out, we find ourselves in precarious situations or wanting to give up altogether.

We don’t want “then,” we want now!

Instant victory.  Instant gratification.  And instant applause and promotion.

But when we pause at the “then” moments, we are simultaneously taking that occasion to learn how God is leading and giving Him room to work.

Listen for the sound of God’s moving.

This was David’s experience.  Not until he heard the marching in the tops of the mulberry trees was it safe for him to proceed regardless of his personal abilities or how he previously won battles.

My friend, God has a specific plan for you.  One drawn up and orchestrated out of His divine love.  Do not rush ahead of God.  He has an appointed time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1; Habakkuk 2:3).

Learning to wait for your “then” moments requires trust which is why Proverbs famously reminds us to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5,6).

We will never have the full understanding God does for our lives (Isaiah 55:8,9), but what we can have is our trust and belief that He is perfect, His ways are perfect, and God knows what He is doing.

I don’t know what marching in the tops of mulberry trees audibly sounds like, but I do know what it sounds like in our lives of faith: waiting.

Waiting, patience, and being still when everything says go is hard.  But if that going is not marked by God’s stamp of approval, it will all be for nothing.

And if you are longing for me to give you specifics or signs or systems to find out how to know when your “then” moment is, I can’t.

Our Heavenly Father has a perfect timeline for everyone’s life, and He only can tell you when it’s your time to advance.

In the meantime, you may have to do one of the hardest things – continue to wait, continue to have patience, and continue to be still.

In these moments of not going, let them be filled with the activity of seeking God, seeking His face and His perfect will for your life.  Let them be filled with drawing ever nearer to His presence and learning to recognize and become more familiar with His moving in your own life.

Then, when you figuratively hear the marching in the tops of the mulberry trees (or by whatever means that you beyond a shadow of a doubt know it’s God’s prompting and leading you), you will know that your time has come, and you can advance forward successfully.

That second “then” assured David that by following God’s way, He was the one going before him.  And whatever we are doing, above all else, this is how we should want to win our victories: following God’s ways and Him going with us.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

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Learning From the Faith of David

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1 Samuel 17

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).

Previously I wrote, “There is to be no inferiority complex among God’s people… it doesn’t matter what we think of the size of what we bring because God is the one working behind the scenes; God is the one who works in it to outsize all.  All He asks of us is to step out in faith and work with what He gave us.” (Little Stuff Matters/©Word for Life Says)

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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One Sure-Fire Way!

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If you have ever had hiccups the advice comes out of the woodwork on how to deal with them. “Hold your breath” some will say. While another may tell you to drink this or that, believing this will be the cure.

Growing up, we received a lot of advice on how to do this or get rid of that, or how to treat a specific ailment. Some refer to these homegrown remedies as old wives tales, and yet, history shows that some actually help in dealing with illness and the like (chicken noodle soup is a definite go-to for me). And it doesn’t matter if you didn’t agree, you would never convince those who pass down these remedies that it doesn’t work, for they have seen it help in the past and are convinced it can still help today.

David knew a thing or two about going through some things. Adversity was no stranger to his doorstep and yet, for all he faced, he always managed to stay in the faith.

How did he do this?

One way we can see this happening is through his own testimony found in Psalm 16:8 where he states, “I have set the LORD always before me . . .” Was this David’s sure-fire remedy for remaining when others would have moved?

Let’s examine the facts. When facing Goliath, David said, “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” (1 Samuel 17:45).

When dealing with Saul’s mess, the Bible says, “David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 18:14). Leaving it all in the hands of God, David refused to lay a hand on king Saul (1 Samuel 24:12, 13).

When his son, Absalom, drove David from his kingdom in his rebellion, and Zadok desired to bring the ark of the covenant, David spoke, and said, “Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation” (2 Samuel 15:25). 

When cursed by Shimei, David refused to allow vengeance to take place on his behalf. Rather, he said, ” . . . let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day” (2 Samuel 16:11, 12). 

And when faced with his own sin, David said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). To God he said, “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”(51:10).

David found God even in the adversities he encountered. The rest of Psalm 16:8 is when David proclaimed, “Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Keeping God before his face was David’s way of being able to come through many difficult times, and yet still be dubbed “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).

We can learn a thing or two from David.

How can we keep the Lord always before us?

  1. Simply put, don’t take your eyes off God. When Peter was invited to walk the waves with Jesus, his focus shifted to what was before him instead of the Christ who stood with him, and he began to drown (Matthew 14:25-30). Peter may have seen Jesus physically, but David saw God with a heart of faith and that’s where he kept his focus.
  2. Don’t compromise your beliefs. If God is before you, His word, His instructions are before you (Psalm 16:7), and like the three Hebrew boys, there is no fear of the furnace that will cause you to sway from that truth (Daniel 3:16-18). Hold on to His unchanging hand.
  3. Establish your hope in God alone (Psalm 16:11), now, and in the time to come. One day, this will all be over and we will see God face to face (Revelation 22:3-4).

David’s sure-fire way of dealing with this life will work in your life, too. With that king of old, we too can say, “I have set the Lord always before me.”

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“God’s Got You Covered!”

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Do you ever feel opened and exposed during the trials of life?  Do you ever feel that the enemy has free pickings when it comes to your heartache?  Well, he doesn’t!  The enemies of this life may chase you, hunt you down, and all together seek to make your life miserable, but the enemies do not have the last say over anything.  God, in His complete sovereignty, has you covered!

If anybody knew about being constantly chased by enemies seeking to take their life it was David.  Saul, in jealous pursuit, saw something special in David, the favor of God, and wanted to destroy David.  There were days when David may have felt like giving up.  There were days of hiding in caves and pretending to be a madman to seek solitude in other countries.  But, through it all David dealt best with his enemies through prayer.  He declared who his God was and committed his trust to Him.  In Psalm 140:7, “O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.”

To be covered means to be concealed and to be protected.  The battles of this life may at times make us feel that we are an open target to everyone who can’t stand the favor of God on us, but be of good cheer, God’s got us covered!  “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever,” (Psalm 125:2).  And, if God is like a mountain surrounding us then there is no adversary that can break through the covering He has over us.  It may feel like we are on the run sometimes but God is still that protecting force that “covered my head in the day of battle.”  Commit your heartaches, your battle, and your enemies to God, and let Him be your covering today.

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“Never Too Strong for God!”

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“He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me;
For they were too strong for me,” 2 Samuel 22:18

“Is there anything too hard for me?” is a question God asked Jeremiah, (Jer. 32:27). “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” was the question God put to Abraham after Sarah laughed at the possibility of having a child in her old age. Luke 1:37 tells us, “For with God nothing shall be impossible,” and yet, when faced with things in this life we don’t understand and heartaches untold, we often feel our situations are out of His reach. As if the problems that overwhelm us are too strong for Him, also.

Due to the anointing on his life, David faced enemies who hated him for no reason. He spent many days with his life hanging in the balance. But, in the end, he declared, “He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me,” (2 Sam. 22:18).  I’m wondering, is there anything you have been facing lately that just seems off the charts? Do the difficulties you face feel like it’s just too much to handle? Are you going through a situation that seems “too strong” for you?

Take heart today! There is no weight too heavy that God can’t lift it! There is no enemy too strong that God can’t overcome them! There is no miracle too miraculous that God can’t cause it to come to pass! There is nothing too hard for God in any situation, problem or adversity we may face! The enemies and hardship you face today may seem to overwhelm you but they will never overwhelm God. They are never too strong for God to handle. So, with that being said, whatever you face, give it to God and wait for Him to bring you through. God is strong enough to take on anything! We can trust Him with whatever is “too strong” for us. God can deliver you today!

“God’s Heartward Perspective!”

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God has been teaching me a lot lately about how I view people.  For instance, recently I ordered food at the drive-thru of a local fast-food joint.  The voice that came through the microphone was very well-spoken, eloquent, and respectful.  Pulling up to the window to pay for the meal, before me stood a gentleman with green hair, big fat wooden earrings in his ears, tattoos, and so forth.  I mentioned to my husband that I would have never identified that voice with that look or persona (not that any of those things are indicators of anything negative, it was just an observation).

Often we can come across people in our pathway who don’t look the way we feel they should look or don’t carry themselves in a manner approving of our standards, yet in them is a real person with a real soul.

David was judged wrongly by those of his own house.  When the prophet Samuel came to Jesse’s house to anoint a new king no one suspected that the little ruddy boy out in the fields was the one God had in mind.  Even Samuel himself looked at the appearance of the other young men and thought that surely one of these was the one God was seeking after.  God plainly told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him.  For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart,” (1 Samuel 16:7).

God has a perspective that we can’t have; He can see the heart of man.  Perhaps instead of making up our minds too quickly about individuals, we can just decide to love them and accept them as God made them and let God be the one to deal with their hearts.  God is awesome like that!  He keeps teaching me and I am still learning, and in the process, I am pleasantly surprised.

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Encouragement in God Alone!

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“But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God,” 1 Samuel 30:6b, NKJV

Distressed –  yeah!  Discouragement – you betcha!  Disappointment – inevitable!  Depressed – my middle name!

These were all things that David, the once-proud warrior, was facing.  Upon returning to Ziklag, David found out everything he cared about was gone.  Not only had the city been raided and burned to the ground, but their families, along with their wives, and children were now the captives of the enemy.

How devastating this must have all been!  Things can be replaced but to lose your family at the mercy (or not the mercy) of an enemy – it’s too much to bear.  “David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep,” 1 Samuel 30:4, NKJV.

Have you been there before?  Have you ever cried until you can’t cry anymore?  That’s a brokenness that can’t be easily healed.  It’s a state of desperation where there is no quick answer.  There is nothing but the tears on the pillows.  No solace.  No comfort.  No peace.  “No more power to weep.”

David’s situation grew dimmer when the people who were closest to him turned their backs on him.  “The people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved,” 1 Samuel 30:6a, NKJV.  These were the men that rode with him.  Those who fought in battle with him.  Those whom David gathered together as a band and turned a bunch of nobodies into somebodies.  Yet, here they are on the brink of committing a great evil against an innocent man.

Everybody needs somebody to blame.  At least, that’s what you hear many people say, and we see this kind of primitive blame placing here.  To them, David is to blame, and David will be the one to pay the price.

Have you ever felt that you were in this alone?  As if the whole world has turned their backs on you as David’s men did with him?  Do you may feel like you are battling alone and everyone else is just ready to cast stones at you?

David’s desperation led him to where all of ours should – the LORD!

“David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”  The only place where true solace and comfort of the heart can be found – in God!

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,” Hebrews 4:16, KJV.  Thank God we don’t have to go this alone despite how our circumstances may look.  God has privileged us with an opportunity to invite Him in the process of dealing with our hurts and disappointments.  How many times have you turned to a friend in desperate times, and they were nowhere to be found?  Or, worse yet, they couldn’t do anything to add to your comfort or didn’t care?

God does not do that!  He openly shows His love and concern by allowing us to dump it all on Him.  Come to the throne that we might get!  Get what?  “Mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

In a time of need?  Yes, David was.  He had nowhere else to turn.  He found out the hard way how quickly people will forsake you.  Regardless, it didn’t dim his hope.  David knew from past experiences where to find his help.  He could sing like the other psalmist, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth,” Psalms 121:1-2, NKJV.  Over and over again, God has proven himself in the life of David, and this time would be no different.

I wonder how many of us have that faithful, past relationship with God, knowing that when we are in a time of need, we can turn to Him over and over again?  Has our life been so, in following after Him, as David’s was, that the connection of encouragement we receive from the LORD is ever-present?  If not, you can always start today.

David initiated the search for God’s help.  He did not ask the people for their opinion of what he should do.  David did not continue to wallow in self-pity because everybody was against him.  He didn’t give up or throw in the towel because recovery seemed impossible.  “David said to Abiathar the priest . . . Please bring the ephod here to me . . . So David inquired of the LORD, saying, ‘Shall I pursue this troop?  Shall I overtake them?’  And He answered him, ‘Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all,'” 1 Samuel 30:7-8, NKJV.

“Without fail recover all.”  God is the only one who could ever make such a promise.

The point of this all is simple.  God is our source for everything, even encouragement.  It’s nice to get a “Good job!” from people once in a while or a pat on the back – but it is God whom we look.  Sometimes situations will be so bad that we may feel isolated from all.  Yet, we are also in a position to be so full.  To be able to recover all “without fail.”

Only what we find in strengthening ourselves in God can be labeled “without fail.”  Only the encouragement we have in Him will endure and never falter or fade.  He is our staying power.  He is our strength when we are weak.  Our shelter in the midst of the storm.  Our Hightower.  Our fortress.  And so much more!

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  Sometimes those measures mean turning a deaf ear to everyone else and their negativity about the situation and looking to God for counsel and help.  And He will, “without fail,” be your help through it all.  Find encouragement in God alone!

Minister encouragement to yourself through God’s grace today!

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

 

“Be Confident”

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“Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident,” Psalm 27:3

I’d say, beyond a shadow of a doubt that confidence is something that is truly lacking among many. It’s a trait that seems to be disappearing as generations go by. The forefathers of our nation were made of sterner stuff. They had within them a pioneer spirit that allowed them to forge forward into unknown territories and discover new worlds despite the many obstacles that would try to block their progress.

How many times have we wished for that same fortitude of mind? How many times have we endeavored to push forth into our own unknown territories just to be pushed back again because we lacked the confidence we needed. God has many plans and many purposes for each individual but unfortunately many will never see them come to fruition because they don’t believe enough in themselves or enough in the God they serve to keep moving forward.

David declared in Psalm 27:3, “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.” Can I tell you something? David may have been quoted as “a man after God’s own heart,” (Acts 13:22), but he was also a man of great troubles. Sometimes to the point, as the verse states, of feeling totally surrounded by enemies, struggles, and just the plain old everyday stuff in life that can strip an individual of that wherewithal to make it through. That tries to strip away the fortitude that it takes to prevent one from quitting and venturing into their dreams, stopping them from stepping out to be the person they want to be.

Rather, David said, “In this will I be confident.” In other words, no matter what else is going on around me in my life, my faith will not be shaken. I will stand tall as a good soldier, as a pioneer for God, and move forward despite the obstacles that try to hinder me.

David knew where to place his trust. In Psalm 27:1 he said, “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?”  Because of where his trust lays he was able to make the personal statement of “In this will I be confident.” I will be confident because I know that no matter where I am in life or where I’m trying to go; no matter the hosts against me or the stumbling blocks in front of me, GOD’S GOT MY BACK! One can never speak of that personal confidence that David had if they cannot declare this foundational truth: “The LORD is my light and my salvation . . .the LORD is the strength of my life.” That’s why Proverbs 3:26 opens up our understanding by telling us “For the LORD shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”

Whatever is trying to snatch the footing out from under you to knock you off your course, hold on today, be confident in God, then that will allow you to be confident in yourself. Once you have that sure footing you also can venture forth into your new territories, with your head held high because today you are confident!

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

“Your Content Reads More Than Your Cover!”

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My Project 418-001

“The LORD is with you mighty man of valor!” Judge 6:12, NKJV

We’ve all heard the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  It simply tells us that what we see on the outside doesn’t always accurately represent what’s on the inside.  Books usually contain a lot of content within their pages and when one looks at the cover it is supposed to give an idea of that content.  Sometimes covers can disappoint you.  What they show can appear to be an exciting and promising read but when you get into the story it’s simply not so.  And vice versa.  Covers can inaccurately represent some great stuff on the inside while the outside seems to be dull and dreary.

Down through the years this phrase has been applied to people, and rightly so.  As we treat book covers and their content is often how we view other people.  We judge the outside without first getting acquainted with what’s written within.  As in Gideon’s case, sometimes we apply this same judging standard to ourselves, not recognizing the promise and potential in our own person.

It’s not all about how we see ourselves – it’s how God sees us!  God said, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee,” (Jer. 1:5, KJV).  The psalmist said, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb,” (Ps. 139:13, NKJV).  What both of these verses tells us is that God knows us better than we know ourselves.  God can see inside of us where we can’t.  God knows when we lay down and when we get up, Ps. 139:2.  God knows everything about us and more!

As we do with other people we do with ourselves.  We can only judge by what we see.  God has often called and declared more for a person than they have seen in themselves.  Abraham was going to be a father of multitudes though he had no son.  God saw more!  Joseph was going to reign as second in command over Egypt though he was the bane of his brother’s existence.  God saw more!  David, out in the field tending his father’s sheep and considered to be the least in the family rose to be Israel’s greatest king and deemed “A man after God’s own heart.”  God saw more!

God sees more in each of us individually than we could ever imagine.  You may think that you are lowly and not measuring up but God sees more.  Like Gideon you might even feel as if you are the least, Judges 6:15.  But God calls you “mighty!”  God sees you as a force to be reckoned with!  Someone that God can accomplish great feats through if you submit to His will.  It’s all about what God says I am!  Your content reads more than your cover.  Be blessed today as you walk in this truth 🙂

“God’s Heartward Perspective!”

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My Project 20-001

God has been teaching me a lot lately about how I view people.  For instance, recently I ordered food at the drive through of a local fast food joint.  The voice that came through the microphone was very well-spoken, eloquent and respectful.  Pulling up to the window to pay for the meal, before me stood a gentleman with green hair, big fat wooden earrings in his ears, tattoos and so forth.  I mentioned to my husband that I would have never identified that voice with that look or persona.

Often we can come across people in our pathway who don’t look the way we feel they should look or don’t carry themselves in a manner approving of our standards, yet in them is a real person with a real soul.

David was judged wrongly by those of his own house.  When the prophet Samuel came to Jesse’s house to anoint a new king no one suspected that the little ruddy boy out in the fields was the one God had in mind.  Even Samuel himself looked at the appearance of the other young men and thought that surely one of these was the one God was seeking after.  God plainly told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him.  For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart,” (1 Samuel 16:7).

God has a perspective that we can’t have; He can see the heart of man.  Perhaps instead of making up our minds too quickly about individuals we can just decide to love them and accept them as God made them and let God be the one to deal with their heart.  God is awesome like that!  He keeps teaching me and I am still learning, and in the process I am pleasantly surprised 🙂