April 11, 2006 - I Samuel 17-18 and Luke 11:1-28
Many of us have been reading or hearing the story of David and Goliath all of our lives. It is a very familiar story, but do we really hear what it is saying for us today? That is the key. I pray that you will allow God to apply it to your life today.
In chapter 17 we find Saul and his army very afraid of Goliath to the point that they would run away from him when he came out to taunt them. This is the result of God's Spirit being taken from Saul. Therefore, there was no power or direction from God. David, on the other hand, had God's Spirit, and he was able to go against Goliath "in the name of the Lord of hosts." This shows us that David was acting in faith. He knew that it was God's will for him to kill Goliath. Therefore, he trusted God to give him the victory to show everyone "the battle is the Lord's." When David went against Goliath, he went in God's authority. That is the key. He did not go in pride. He did not go to make a name for himself. He went because he knew it was God's will. He was following God's orders in faith. That is why he won. He had trusted God before to help him kill the lion and the bear. Now, he would trust God to kill the Philistine giant. We all need to learn this lesson. Faith is responding to what God has told us. It is acting on His authority. Then, we can know that He will fight for us and give us the victory.
Once David did this, the people recognized that God was with him more than with Saul. Saul was jealous. He actually tried to kill David. However, as chapter 18 tells us over and over, God blessed David because he was trusting God. He was behaving wisely. That means he was doing things God's way. Whenever, we follow God's Word, He will bless us for acting wisely. All of us can do the same thing today.
In Luke 11 there is a similar theme. We pray in God's authority for His will to be done, not for our will to be done. We keep asking, seeking, and knocking until it is His time to answer the prayer, not ours. We trust Him to cast out the demons in His authority, because He has authority over all of the forces of evil. We must be sure to be filled up with His Spirit or our lives can be susceptible to evil spirits. Therefore, we must not only hear the Word, but keep the Word. Can you see the theme of this passage? We are a part of God's house or God's family. We don't pray for our will to be done, but for His will, because He is the head of the house. We bow in submission to His authority, and He is ready to bless us for our faith in Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 19-21 and Luke 11:29-54.
In chapter 17 we find Saul and his army very afraid of Goliath to the point that they would run away from him when he came out to taunt them. This is the result of God's Spirit being taken from Saul. Therefore, there was no power or direction from God. David, on the other hand, had God's Spirit, and he was able to go against Goliath "in the name of the Lord of hosts." This shows us that David was acting in faith. He knew that it was God's will for him to kill Goliath. Therefore, he trusted God to give him the victory to show everyone "the battle is the Lord's." When David went against Goliath, he went in God's authority. That is the key. He did not go in pride. He did not go to make a name for himself. He went because he knew it was God's will. He was following God's orders in faith. That is why he won. He had trusted God before to help him kill the lion and the bear. Now, he would trust God to kill the Philistine giant. We all need to learn this lesson. Faith is responding to what God has told us. It is acting on His authority. Then, we can know that He will fight for us and give us the victory.
Once David did this, the people recognized that God was with him more than with Saul. Saul was jealous. He actually tried to kill David. However, as chapter 18 tells us over and over, God blessed David because he was trusting God. He was behaving wisely. That means he was doing things God's way. Whenever, we follow God's Word, He will bless us for acting wisely. All of us can do the same thing today.
In Luke 11 there is a similar theme. We pray in God's authority for His will to be done, not for our will to be done. We keep asking, seeking, and knocking until it is His time to answer the prayer, not ours. We trust Him to cast out the demons in His authority, because He has authority over all of the forces of evil. We must be sure to be filled up with His Spirit or our lives can be susceptible to evil spirits. Therefore, we must not only hear the Word, but keep the Word. Can you see the theme of this passage? We are a part of God's house or God's family. We don't pray for our will to be done, but for His will, because He is the head of the house. We bow in submission to His authority, and He is ready to bless us for our faith in Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 19-21 and Luke 11:29-54.