SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 23
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. [1 Samuel 23:14] David is being protected by the Lord; Saul is being hindered by the Lord. Both are making free choices, but God is behind the scenes, directing their choices to His ends. We need to keep these realities in tension: God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. God doesn’t make us do things, but He does direct the things we do towards His purpose.
But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him. [John 11:57] The religious leaders want to arrest Jesus, but when He is in the temple, they do not arrest Him. Jesus said, “Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” [Mark 14:49] Why didn’t they arrest Him? They were afraid of the crowds [Luke 20:19] but Jesus knows that they don’t arrest Him because it wasn’t God’s time. The scriptures must be fulfilled means God’s purpose must be fulfilled. God was preventing them from arresting Jesus… until the right time. God did not give Jesus into their hands… yet.
God is at work behind the scenes using our choices, mistakes, fears and sins to accomplish His mission. When the time is right, He allows Jesus to be caught; when the time is right, He allows Jesus to be crucified. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. [Acts 2:23-24]
What I take from this story about David, and Jesus, is that God directs our paths according to His purpose. Whether our life is long or short, hard or easy, its all being used by God for His greater mission. From a human perspective, I am where I am because I have made certain choices; but from heavenly viewpoint, I am where I am because God is using me to advance His kingdom mission. My responsibility is to seek God’s will and purpose, like David did. Through prayer, bible reading, and wise counsel, I can discern which way God wants me to go. But if I refuse, or if I neglect to seek God’s way, I will be responsible for my choices, but God will direct them towards fulfilling His mission. One way or another, His kingdom will come!
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for having my life in Your hand. Help me to seek Your will, and to follow it.
LORD, just as David modeled in these verses, I must come to You before I react or ‘do’ or make decisions. Only then can I be sure that I am following Your leading and not my own.
Thank You too LORD for the reminder that satan is always waiting close by, eager to distort everything. Saul truly believed that You were handing David over to him. How often do we as Christ followers, wrongly justify our wrong choices, selfish life styles (with the help of satan of course), believing satan’s deceiptful ways because we have not ‘checked’ it with Your will but rather allowing ourselves to believe it is by Your direction and will. God forgive us for our lack of discernment.
LORD, help me to have a discerning spirit as I come to You first with every detail of my life. For it’s only in Your will that I am free. All of my ambitions, hopes and plans, I surrender LORD to You. In my life LORD, be glorified.
As with every day, TGIF – Today God Is First. As we saw with David, he inquired of the Lord God what he should do. We have His Word and His Spirit and we also need to inquire of the way we should go. There are decisions we also make each and every day. Are these also made in His presence or are we self-reliant? In our living and working for Jesus every day, I need to make each decision based on His Word and directed by His Spirit. His presence in every decision.
God provides ways that our faith in Him is strengthened and renewed with those friends He surrounds us with. I need to continually renew my source of power. I need to be recharged on a daily basis to do His work. I am totally dependent upon Him.
Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord God – the Maker of heaven and earth – my God and my Redeemer – my PowerSource this day.
All that I am I owe to Thee,
Thy wisdom, Lord, has fashioned me;
I give my Maker thankful praise,
Whose wondrous works my soul amaze.
Ere into being I was brought,
Thine eye did see, and in Thy thought
My life in all its perfect plan
Was ordered ere my days began.
Thy thoughts, O God, how manifold,
More precious unto me than gold!
I muse on their infinity,
Awaking I am still with Thee.
The wicked Thou shalt surely slay,
From me let sinners turn away;
They speak against the Name divine,
I count God’s enemies as mine.
Search me, O God, my heart discern,
Try me, my inmost thought to learn;
And lead me, if in sin I stray,
To choose the everlasting way.