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It is my prayer for you that you prosper, be in health, even as your soul prospers. Today we will be coming from the book 1st Samuel in the Bible, and we will begin at the seventeenth chapter. 1Samuel 17: 8-10 8And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man, and let him come down to me. 9If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then we will be your servants: but if I prevail against him then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. 10And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together. 1Samuel 17: 26 26And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that kill this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? The title of this message is “Knowing God in the Battle.” This is the moment where the two fighters, David and Goliath, argue their intentions and declare victory over their opponent. In this passage David’s tone is an indicator that David had a relationship with God. There was a certain confidence that streamed from the mouth of David as he asked the question, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” The question is asked, “How does the believer reach such a level of faith and confidence in God? This story indicates that David was conditioned for this very moment. One of the ways that God conditioned David for this moment was through consecration.
Consecration is key
In the story of David, there is evidence that God consecrated David from his youth. Many people know the story of David. David was just a boy when his father gave him the daily task of taking care of a “few” sheep. Yes, the scripture reveals that David was a shepherd boy. The vocation of a shepherd can be a lonely one. Often times the sheep are wandering, and the shepherd often finds himself in a nomadic/wandering state. However, being alone is not necessarily a bad thing all the time in that this time that David had alone was when David built a relationship with the God of Heaven. Every now and then, God will get you alone so that you can spend time with Him. God is looking for that intimate time with you. He wants to get to know you, and he wants you to get to know Him. Today, we live in a society where very few people understand the importance of getting that alone time with God. Everybody wants someone to be with them, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. This is a good desire for anyone to have, but the issue is that God is often left out of our intimate spaces. This is why fornication, adultery, homosexuality and shacking is so prevalent in the world around us. Men and women are longing for intimacy and relationship, but often time God is left out of the equation. I found out that God wants a relationship with you. I found out that God wants you to build a trusting relationship with Him. I found out that God wants such a relationship with us that He is able to trust us. We must find a way to consecrate ourselves, and we must put ourselves in a position where we know the voice of God. We must find a way to consecrate ourselves to the point where we trust God for everything, even the gigantic things. When life situations seem too big to handle, we must trust God. I have learned that consecration is key when fighting this battle! This is the level of consecration that David reached as a young boy, because he was able to get that alone time with God.
Handling Responsibility?
Earlier in the message it was mentioned that David’s job was to take care of a “few” sheep. One may wonder, “What does it matter that David only had a few sheep?” It is found in 1Samuel 17:28. The verse says, “And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake to the men: and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why camest thou down hither? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?” I know that this small caveat doesn’t seem meaningful, but it is important for us to realize that David’s job as a shepherd boy over a few sheep is symbolic of humble beginnings. God wants to know how faithful will you be with humble beginnings. Are you willing to be faithful over a few things? Are you willing to be faithful over your job that pays eight dollars an hour? Are you willing to be faithful when you only have a part time job? Are you willing to accept more responsibility? Often times on our jobs we are asked to do things that require more responsibility, and we reject these things with responses like “That’s not in my job description.” We say things like “That’s above my pay grade.” What if the additional responsibilities are sent by God to prepare you for your next level? Could it be that God is preparing you to slay your own giant? Could it be that God is using your humble beginnings to sharpen your abilities as a giant killer? Sometimes, we get so caught up in life that we forget that Jesus is recording whether or not we are faithful over a few things. We must be faithful to the things that don’t appear to be meaningful to the world around us. Jesus is concerned about the small things that the people in this world reject.
Having Trust in the Battle
Lastly, it is often said that without trust, there can be no meaningful relationship. As we view David’s attitude concerning Goliath, it is evident that David totally trusted God to deliver the giant into his hands. David was assured that God would never leave him. God is looking to perform a miracle for you if you will only trust Him. If He did it for David, surely he can do it for you. The scriptures reveal that Goliath only addressed Saul and soldiers of Israel. Goliath never acknowledged the presence of God as the supreme ruler of Israel , and the results of his arrogant ignorance was his own death. There is a revelation in that. Because when we as believers take our eyes off of God, that’s when we find ourselves in dead situations. I have come to encourage you with these words “Keep your eyes on Jesus.”
As we near the conclusion of the text, we are able to see that David trusted God in all of the dangerous circumstances he faced. David testified to Saul saying, “Thy servant both slew the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them seeing that he has defied the armies of the living God.” Every now and then, situations in life mount themselves against you. However, you must be able to speak to that situation, and tell it I’ve defeated something like you before. I have conquered something like you before. You must be able to speak to your situation, and tell it that you will conquer it just as you have in past situations. Often times the enemy constructs principalities to consume you, but I dare you to speak to the devil. Tell the devil that he’s already a defeated foe. The same God that delivered you before is going to deliver you again. He has never lost a battle. Isaiah 54: 17 says, “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” I want you to be encouraged to have faith in God, and trust Him with your battles. I want you to be encouraged to accept more responsibility, because God uses responsibility to bless you further in your life. God bless you in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
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