What is it that made David so special to the Lord? Can we have or do the same?
We continue from where we left off in our previous message. If you haven’t read it, please first read it.
We said David had a battle plan in the back of his mind, but he needed the Lord’s supernatural power to support it. What was his battle plan?
We note from the story in 1 Samuel 17 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20samuel%2017&version=NIV1984 that David first submitted to Saul’s plan, which was the traditional way Saul always had done it. When Saul offered his own armour to David, David did not refuse it since Saul was his king and he had to submit to authority (Verses 38-39). However, when David realised this plan was not going to work, we read: “‘I cannot go in these,’ he said to Saul, ‘because I am not used to them.’ So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine,” (verses 39-40).
Because David walked with the Lord he had already heard from the Lord what he had to do.
The Lord has an individual strategy for all of our lives as Christians and each strategy is uniquely designed to fit our interests, gifts and talents. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” (Ephesians 2:10). He put the church in place for support and oversight, but it is not meant to control us. “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ,” (Ephesians 4:11-13). We need to take advice from church authority, but we should be more obedient to God than to men (Acts 5:29) and do what and how He guides us. Church authorities need to understand this principle.
Then David did what he was used to. He took his staff, which he had used many times before and selected stones from the stream, something he had done every time he had practiced throwing with his sling. This was familiar to him and he was skilled at it.
Are you familiar with the skills you are called to exercise? Are you familiar with the Lord who is going to work with you and do you know how to hear His voice so you could hear when He gives you instructions? Have you enquired from the Lord what it is He wants you to do? We are not called to serve the church, but the Lord. When I was called for this ministry a prophet told me that I would give teaching and that I need to study the Word to know it. I obeyed and now I’m useful. David did not necessarily know about Goliath when he practiced using the sling, but the Lord knew.
The Israelites had no idea how to deal with this situation that presented itself. Wars up to then had a battle plan where the two armies attacked one another, but this one to one thing was new to them. They had never done it before, which is why they were scared. The Lord, however, knew about it and He had a plan. He also had His vessel prepared. When David walked onto that battlefield completely unarmed and unprotected, the armies probably gasped. Was he insane!
We live in a world with new challenges every day. Satan is very active and so is the sinful nature of man. The traditional way of doing things within the church does not work anymore after a while and we need to look unto the Lord for new unconventional ways to win this world for Jesus. Can we dare to be radical to get effective results?
To be continued.
Lord, please show me my purpose?
Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.
Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.
No comments:
Post a Comment