David

God-Sent Friends

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Someone said, “A friend who understands your tears is much more valuable than a lot of friends who only know your smile.”  Most people tend to have a lot of friends or at least “friendly associates,” but the truth is, you need at least one friend who will always be there when you need them.  You need a friend that is going to tell you the truth about things that really matter.  You need a friend you can count on and will come to your rescue, defends, and is sensitive to your needs.  Not only do we need a friend like that, but we need to be a friend like that!

In the story of David and Goliath, after David killed Goliath, King Saul would not let David return home.  David was held in such high esteem after this victory that the King ordered his alligience.  On the same day David killed Goliath and gave Israel victory over the Philistines, David lost his freedom to go to home to his father’s house, but he gained a real friend.

SCRIPTURES

“Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.“  I Samuel 18:1-3

Think about this, King Saul took away David’s freedom to go to his father’s house, but God gave David a friend. The world we live in will constantly rob you, but God will be faithful to give to you.  He knows when you need a friend.  Jonathan’s name means, “Yahweh gives.” and God gave Jonathan to David as a friend, one that “sticks closer than a brother.” 

What do God-sent friends do?

  1.  They share their heart without fear.  “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. 14 “You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 “I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.”  John 15:13-15 
  2. They don’t allow petty things to separate them.  “A man [who has] friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend [who] sticks closer than a brother.“ Proverbs 18:24
  3. They live in mutual humility towards each other.  “[Let] nothing [be done] through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4
  4. They come to your defense.  “Thus Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works [have been] very good toward you.“ I Samuel 19:4
  5. They always find room for forgiveness for each other. “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.“ Luke 6:37

The “To Do” list of a God-sent friend continues on, but the question remains, do you have one?  Are you one to someone?  If you don’t, ask Him.  And always remember, you do have a God-sent friend in Jesus who is sensitive to your every need.  He is the friend you can count on and call on at any time.  He will never abandon you, but He will always be the perfect friend you need.

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“Whose son are you?”

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How could this be?  In the story of David and Goliath, after the giant had been killed and Israel had won the battle, King Saul asked David a strange question, “Whose son are you?”  King Saul had just had some kind of conversation with David when David was volunteering to fight Goliath.  Even before that, David had stood before king Saul and played the harp to soothe the King’s distressing spirit.  Perhaps David’s appearance had changed from the time he had played the harp to the time he defeated the giant.  How could King Saul not have known who David was?

And Saul said to him, “Whose son [are] you, young man?” So David answered, “[I am] the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”          I Samuel 17:58

Why did the King want to know who David’s father was?  For one thing, David’s victory for Israel had brought the blessings of no taxes to David’s family.  David had also won freedom and great riches and the King’s daughter in marriage.  But King Saul must have also known that David’s faith in God and the favor of God had come from someone.  David’s identity came from his relationship with his father.  I know there are some people who don’t want anything to do with their father and some people have never known their father.  But the child of God should know that we don’t self identify, our identity comes from our Heavenly Father.  He tells us who we are and makes us who we are today.  Paul said, “I am what I am by the grace of God.”  

Perhaps David’s identity had been supernaturally concealed from King Saul only to be revealed at the perfect time. Perhaps this strange question is recorded for me and you to consider it ourselves.  “Whose son/daughter are you?”  It should be obvious who your father is today.  Not only have you taken his name, but we are to take on His holy character and conduct.  We are to take on the Father’s business and do all we can to never shame His holy Name.  “Whose son/daughter are you?”  Through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on the cross, God has made it possible for everyone to have the Father they are not ashamed of and long to be with.

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God Provides the Stones

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Sometimes the most important details are missed, and that holds true in the story of David and Goliath.  After David got the go-ahead to fight against Goliath, he had to find five smooth stones.  David didn’t show up to the military standoff with stones already in his pouch, as if he somehow knew he would be engaged in a battle, but he had to take a quick moment down at the brook to gather the stones.

SCRIPTURES

“Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.“ I Samuel 17:40

As soon as David received authorization to take on Goliath, he immediately took his staff and sling and went down to the brook to find the perfect stones.  David would not leave this important detail of gathering stones into anyone else’s hands, but “he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook.”  The critically relevant detail for us to understand is where David got the stones.  The stones were already on the battlefield at the brook.  We can even consider this thought, how long had those stones been there at the brook?  God in heaven already knew an epic battle would take place between the Philistines and Israel and that David would come looking for stones to attack Goliath with.   Let this speak to you today, that whatever you need for your battle is already in place.

God already knows the battlefields you will step into throughout your life and has already strategically placed all you need to get your victory.

David gathered up the stones and took them with him.  He gathered more than he needed and was well equipped to take down the giant.  You may be on a battlefield of some kind right at this moment.  If that’s you, take a moment and ask God to show you what you need to gather.  David was “more than a conqueror” and so are you!

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The LORD

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Have great confidence in the Lord today!  Many today place their confidence in every other thing except the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.  In the story of David and Goliath, David completely aligned his life with the Lord, maker of heaven and earth, so much so that when King Saul questioned David’s abilities to fight Goliath, David said, “The LORD.”   “The LORD,” was David’s answer.  Think about it!

SCRIPTURES

“Moreover David said, “The LORD (YEHOVAH), 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!” I Samuel 17:37

David’s confidence and faith didn’t come from a flash of emotion, but it came from a personal relationship with God.  David had killed a lion and a bear and was proficient with a sling and stones, but ultimately David looked to God as the answer.  I can tell you that the Lord wants to be your answer.  He wants to rise above everything in your life that you place your confidence in and He wants us to trust completely in Him.  We have to trust God more than we trust our own abilities and experience.  We have to trust God more than we trust our education and what’s in our bank account.  We have to trust God more than we trust our spouse or best friends.  He must become our answer, because everything else has the possibilities of failure, but God never fails!  He has never lost a battle and He never will.

The Lord may not always do what you think He should do, but He still has never failed those who completely trust in Him.  The next time you sense the call of God on your life to take on a challenge and your abilities come into question, respond as David did, “The LORD.”

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Defining Moments

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Your life will be filled with big defining moments.  Many of those big moments will be characterized as positive, transitional and life-changing, but there will also be big moments that challenge you to rise to the occasion.  Recently, while attending a high school graduation, I thought about the magnitude of the moment when the life of that student and family were about to radically change.  The same things happens when someone gets married, the birth of a child, a relocation for a job, which are all positive big moments, but other big moments will be characterized as negative, adding adversity and fear.  In the story of David and Goliath, David came to an unexpected big moment in his young life when he came to the battlefield and saw Goliath standing and all of Israel’s army falling away in fear.  David  rose above his own fears in that big moment.

SCRIPTURES

“Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” I Samuel 17:32

You need to believe this if you are a child of God, that you were made for big moments, especially those that cripple the lives of others.  You have been equipped through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to rise up and stand against giants.  Many of the big moments in your life will just come, and you have no options because they are built into the path and course of your life, but other big moments come with options.  You can turn away and do nothing as many do, or you can put your mind on God and confront, stand, fight, challenge and bear witness to the power of God in your life.  David was able to stand and fight against Goliath in this big moment in his life because it was time for Goliath to fall, and it was time for Israel to move forward, and it was time for David to be known.  That big moment for David paved the way for another big moment down the road when he would sit upon the throne of Israel as their King.  Remember that big moments like this are often God’s way of moving you to His plan for your future.  Be ready for the next big moment!

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Bring Back News

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The assignments we often receive in life are not dramatic, exciting, or dangerous, but they are still necessary.  In the story of David and Goliath, David was sent by his father to do a simple job, go check on your brothers to see how they are doing and bring back the news.  Because of David’s age, this was David’s assignment, deliver supplies and check the welfare of his brothers.  But consider the love and concern of this father to send David on this mission.

“Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried [grain] and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. 18 “And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of [their] thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.”  I Samuel 17:17-18

Jesse was an elderly man, but still cared to know how his sons were doing, and I believe that is an overlooked assignment given to us by God today.  We too should be checking on our brothers and sisters and bringing back news to our heavenly Father concerning their welfare.  Even though God is omniscient and there is absolutely nothing He is not fully aware of, we have this privilege of reporting through prayer what we see and hear.  When we care as the Father cares, we will take the time to speak to the Father about the other family members.  Who does God want you to check on today?  Who does God want you to get a report on and bring back the news?  You might find that someone is not doing well and bring back news to the Father.  You might find that someone is in a place of danger and report that back to the Father.  You might find that someone is paralyzed in fear and bring back word to the Father.  This is our daily duty and we should be faithful in carrying out this business.  Bring back news and pray to the Father for the family.  Think about it, Jesse’s concern for his sons was what brought about victory to their battlefield.  David’s obedience in his necessary assignment was the answer Israel’s army was in desperate need of, and it can be that way with you as well.  Bring back news!

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Giants in the Valley

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As you make your way through life, you need to remember there are giants in every valley ready to take you into bondage.  That was Goliath’s intention as he confronted Israel’s army in the valley of Elah.  The enemy always seeks to take every advantage against you, and attacking you in the confined area of a valley is one of them.  The valley represents the low points in your life and the seasons when you are not at the top of your game.  We all go through valleys, and some are longer, darker, and more challenging than others.  It’s in those valleys that you should stay on high alert for the enemy’s attack.

When you are in a valley, giants appear to be bigger than they really are.  Now Goliath truly was a giant of a man and his appearance was described in detail.

And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span. 5 [He had] a bronze helmet on his head, and he [was] armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat [was] five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 And [he had] bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7 Now the staff of his spear [was] like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead [weighed] six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.“ I Samuel 17:4-7

It’s true that in our valleys we tend to notice the details of our enemy and we do that because our vision is not what it is when we are on a mountain and standing tall in our faith and full of strength.  The intention of the enemy is to capture your attention before capturing your life and taking you in to bondage.  Our struggle is all the same when we are in the valley.  We struggle to see that our God is bigger than the giants towering over us.  The giants want you to feel small in the valley, but David showed us that even though valleys make giants look unstoppable, you can still believe by faith that God is greater, bigger, and stronger than any giants you’ll ever face.  I can promise you there is a giant somewhere in every valley, but we can praise God today because He is not only God on the mountain, but He is God in the valley.  Who is like our God, creator of heaven and earth?  Who is like our conquering King, slayer of giants?  Be encouraged today, even if you’re in a hard place in your life, God is bigger than whatever comes against you.  Practice saying that over and over, “God is bigger!”

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Is There Not a Cause?

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Most people live with some kind of a cause.  It’s their passion and drive and what gets them up every morning to go do what they do.  But sadly, life can run over us and cause us to be so busy we completely forget our cause.  Sometimes it’s fear that causes us to forget or disregard our cause.  This is what happened to Israel’s army in their battle with the Philistines.  Goliath came out each day for forty days defying the army of the living God.  Goliath was the commander of the entire battlefield and he even set the rules in place.  The rules were as follows:

“Choose you a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.”  “If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants.
But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”  I Samuel 17:8-9

The shear fear of Goliath caused all of Israel’s army to forget the cause for which the challenge had been made.  Fear has a way of blinding us from our purpose in life.  Coming upon the fortieth day, Israel’s army even forgot about the challenge, all they could see and hear was the giant spewing threats morning and evening.  But David showed up willing to fight against the oversized Goliath and asked, “Is there not a cause?”  David was saying, “There’s something worth fighting for here!”  Think about it, the cause was embedded in the challenge and it’s the same thing we must fight for today—freedom.  If Israel wanted to continue to live in freedom, they needed a freedom fighter to kill the giant.  David believed the freedom of his family was worth fighting for and the freedom of his countrymen was worth fighting for. 

On March 23, 1775 It was Patrick Henry who said, “Give me liberty, or give me death.”  Many churches and followers of Christ today have forgotten our cause.  Our cause as a church is not to build big fancy churches or to have thousands attending our services.  Our cause is not to dress up and line up every Sunday morning ready for battle but never do anything.  Our cause is not to impress those who are watching.  Our cause is great and was given to us by Christ Himself.  He sacrificed and died on the cross so that we might be set free.  Our cause is helping those who are in bondage to be set free by the power and grace of God.  Our cause is in declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ by which all people can be set free.  There are those today who need to be set free from the Goliath of their sin, the power of darkness and even dead religious rituals.  

As you go out into the world today, remember you have a cause.  Jesus came to set captives free and your cause as a follower of Christ is to show captives the way to that freedom. You can be free in Jesus’s name and if you are free, do what David did, help someone else get free.  

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Hidden Abilities

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We all have our limitations, but you really don’t know what all you can do until you place your complete trust in Almighty God.  Most likely you have had a few people in your life who know you better than you know yourself and don’t mind telling you what you can’t do.  I’m certain you don’t like people telling you what you can and cannot do, just like King Saul told David.

“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.”     I Samuel 17:33

”You are not able.”  How do you like that word of discouragement?  What Saul did was what many will do today, they will “size you up.”  When those around you try to calculate your abilities, they look on the externals of your life.  King Saul figured in David’s age and experience to determine David’s abilities.  David’s physical size was no match for this 9 foot 6 inch tall giant of a man.  David had no prior military experience, but fighting was all that Goliath knew from the time he was a young man.  Saul didn’t see what gave David the edge against Goliath.  He only saw what he could see with his eyes, but David had hidden abilities just like every child of God.

Hidden abilities are always hidden until a step of faith comes and displays not what you can do, but the power of God in your life.  Your hidden abilities are not under the restriction of your age, experience, intellect, or education.  Your hidden abilities are tied to your one ability to trust God.  When you trust God, then God’s abilities are revealed through your life.  Did you get that?  All you have to do is completely trust and focus on God and then God will supply what you need to take down giants!

God gives us the ability to walk on water and to heal the sick.  God gives his children abilities to sing in the midst of suffering and to love instead of hate.  If all you ever do is live in your own abilities, you will never know or really talk much about the greatness of God.  But when you build your faith in God and then approach moments like David to put faith in action, then you will see what God can do through you.  The apostle Paul was the one who said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13

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Fear Stops Here!

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In the epic story of David and Goliath, there is a very important lesson for every child of God to learn and live by.  The lesson is that what makes everyone else fearful and afraid, doesn’t have to effect you the same way.  David teaches us that fear should stop here, with you and me.  It should not transfer from us to those around us.  While the hearts of the men in Israel’s army melted at the presence of Goliath, and fear was passed from one man to the next like a viral disease, hear what David said,

“Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”  I Samuel 17:32   

While fear spread through Israel’s ranks for 40 straight days, when fear came to David, it didn’t phase him nor pass through him.  Goliath was a monster of a man, but David knew about the greatness of the living God.  David’s courage was not out of ignorance or self-determined arrogance, but it was out of complete reliance on the power and presence of Almighty God.  When you know God is with you, you have the power to stop fear in its tracks.  When you walk with God in a daily walk and experience Him in your life, you are much more able to keep your focus on God when fear comes knocking.

This may be exactly what you need in your life right now, to declare in faith and by the power of God, “Fear stops here!”  It should, you don’t have to receive it or spread it no matter what the source of that fear happens to be.  This only happens when you keep your focus on who God is, just like David did.  This only happens when you right-size what is coming against you with the living God who walks with you.  Fear stops here for those who are anointed by God to live different and to believe different than the rest of the world.  That means you believe God can win any battle and stop any opponent.  David believed God could stop Goliath because he had already experienced God in his encounters with the lion and the bear.  God is ready to be victorious in your life if you will keep your focus on Him and keep believing in Him.  Don’t transfer fear onto those around you, but transfer courage and faith in the living God.

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