DAVID: FAITH & OBEDIENCE
There are many lessons we can learn from the life of David. He was a musician for Saul for two years when the war with the Philistines started. They sent their champion, Goliath, to mock God and the Jews. Everyone was afraid of him because of his size and reputation. Saul, the King and the largest of the men, should have fought him, but he was afraid as well. David was bothered by the shame Goliath was causing God and His people, so he volunteered to fight Goliath. There was no way he would be able to win, for he was not even a soldier and couldn’t use the weapons of war, but his faith in God gave him courage to fight. With God’s help he won, and the armies of Israel had a great victory (1 Samuel 17:40-54). David’s faith in God, which had been growing through the years, enabled him to trust God even in impossible situations.
We all face ‘giants’ in life. We face impossible situations and circumstances we cannot control. It may be health problems or financial difficulties. It could be problems with others or in our ministries, temptations we struggle with or issues in our families. These are too big for us to handle, so we need to trust God. God allows these things to teach us to trust and to see His provision and deliverance.
What giants are you facing in your life right now? Do you trust God no matter what happens? It may be hard to keep your eyes on Him through it all, but do you do your best to keep your faith in Him and not look to what is happening around you? What is it that usually causes you to be afraid? What can you do to remember to trust God at those times?
Because of David’s success against Goliath, he was made an officer in the army. He received Saul’s daughter in marriage (2 Samuel 18:21) and became part of Saul’s family. He was extremely popular with everyone, but that made Saul very, very jealous. The more God blessed David; the angrier Saul became at him. He even tried killing David, so David ran away and hid. For almost 20 years, until he was about 35 years old, David was hiding from Saul who tried to capture and kill him. Many others who were enemies of Saul joined David in hiding, and he became responsible for the protection and provision of hundreds of people. David had 6 wives of his own and many children to care for as well.
Sometimes he didn’t trust and obey God, but took matters into his own hands. He would lie or deceive others (1 Samuel 27:10-12). One time this caused innocent priests who helped him to be killed by Saul (1 Samuel 22:17-21). Another time David and his men killed innocent Amalekites to take their food (1 Samuel 27:8-9). He pretended to be crazy to escape arrest when with the Philistines. He was not perfect at all in his obedience to God (1 Samuel 21:13).
However, most of the time he did depend on God for protection and direction. Twice he could have killed Saul, but didn’t because he knew God would take care of Saul in His way and time (1 Samuel 24; 26). He often poured out his heart to God in prayer and praise (Psalm 142). Many of these are recorded as Psalms in our Bible, for many of the Psalms were written while David was hiding from Saul. Many times he asked God for directions and guidance, and then obeyed what God said (1 Samuel 23:1-4).
Leaders today must obey God’s Word and directions in all they do. Sometimes we break a Bible principle if we think it is for a good reason, but there is no reason to ever disobey. Other times we act on our own and do or say things we have never prayed about and brought before God. We will do what those who aren’t Christians do to advance our cause or solve our problems. We are more concerned with what others will think instead of what God thinks. Like David, we do things that are wrong to protect ourselves or to advance our own desires. (June 13, 2022 Doylestown, PA)
Can you think of times when you acted or spoke without first going to God and you regretted it? Think of times you disobeyed Him and His Word – how did those turn out? When are you most tempted to act on your own instead of doing things God’s way? What can you do to prevent those times?
Psalm 33:18 The Lord watches over those who obey him, those who trust in his constant love.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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