PATIENCE (part 1)

1 Samuel 26:7-11 NASB

(7)  So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him.

(8)  Then Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand; now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time."

(9)  But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD'S anointed and be without guilt?"

(10)  David also said, "As the LORD lives, surely the LORD will strike him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and perish.

(11)  "The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD'S anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go."

Having patience can be difficult.  God has a plan for each of us and we need to remember that God’s timing requires patience.  God had anointed David as King.  However, Saul was still in power.  Today we see David in a place where he can take matters into his own hands and take the thorn.  There are many statements David could use to justify killing Saul and taking charge.

He could have said, “God has anointed me to be king” or he could reason, “Saul has been rejected by God”.  After all Saul was seeking to kill him.  David could make the argument, “I will never see any peace as long as Saul lives”.  David could have said, “God has placed Saul in my power”.  Saul was right there sleeping and David could just do him in and be done with it. 

God’s purpose supersedes any opportunity.  God has his own timing and many times God’s plan does not fit our timeframe.  This is when we must be on guard because the devil will temp us to take the easy way out.

It just takes a little Patience.

Fee, Fi, Fo Fum (Bonus)

Today is the bonus lesson of a five part series about increasing our faith by learning to face our Giants.

Acts 2:25-28 NASB

(25)  "For David says of Him, 'I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.

(26)  'THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE;

(27)  BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.

(28)  'YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.'

As you go back and review I Samuel Chapter 17, I ask you to notice these things:

David only made two comments about Goliath, one to Saul and one to Goliath.

He made 9 comments about God.

David’s thoughts about God where over four times more than his thoughts about Goliath.

Are you four times as likely to describe the strength of God then the demands of your day?

Think about the giants you have faced big and small.  Do as David and draw upon those past experiences to gain strength to face your giants today.  Remember, God delivered David from the lion and the bear.  Take an inventory of the tools you have acquired as a result of those battles.

It is one thing to have the tools but another to take them off the shelf and put them to use.  Ask God to help you see how those tools can be used in the future?

Fee, Fi, Fo Fum (Lesson 5)

Today is lesson five of a five part series about increasing our faith by learning to face our Giants.

1 Samuel 17:37 & 40 NASB

(37)  And David said, "The LORD 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 may the LORD be with you."

(40)  He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:45-46 NASB

(45)  Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.

(46)  "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

1 Samuel 17:49 NASB

(49)  And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

Giant slayers act in faith despite apparent weakness. David was young and appeared weak before the giant, but David had a secret weapon.  He was able to draw upon past experiences where he had relied on his faith in God.  God had delivered him from the lion and the bear and God would deliver him this time as well. 

If we are to slay the giants in our lives we must realize that faith is essential.  David’s weakness was evident but God provides victory despite our human weakness. 

Come back next week for a Bonus Lesson about FEE FI FO FUM

Fee, Fi, Fo Fum (Lesson 4)

Today is lesson four of a five part series about increasing our faith by learning to face our Giants.

1 Samuel 17:26-32 NASB

(26)  Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?"

(27)  The people answered him in accord with this word, saying, "Thus it will be done for the man who kills him."

(28)  Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger burned against David and he said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle."

(29)  But David said, "What have I done now? Was it not just a question?"

(30)  Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as before.

(31)  When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him.

(32)  David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

Giant slayers suffer ridicule from friends and enemies.  Even David’s brother put him down.  Many times the fear of what others will say or think about us keeps us from facing our giants.

What kept David from succumbing to such fear?  

David is just a young teenager but he had courage that allowed him to carry out his father’s wishes to take supplies to his brothers at the battle field.   

David has determination to find out what this Philistine was doing and moreover what Saul and the Army of Israel were going to do about it. 

David has Faith in God which kindles his rage.  He wants to know “who is this uncircumcised Philistine that stands in defiance to the Army of the Living God”. 

Courage, determination, Faith in God, and yes even rage is needed if we are to slay our Giants.