YOUR WILL BE DONE LORD

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the desert.

Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.

Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord's eyes, He will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. But if He says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him."

The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Aren't you a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan son of Abiathar. You and Abiathar take your two sons with you. I will wait at the fords in the desert until word comes from you to inform me." So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.

2 Samuel 15:23-29

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As David left Jerusalem with his people, they “crossed the Kidron Valley and…moved on toward the desert, fleeing impending danger from his treasonous son Absalom. As they journeyed, we get a sense of the great sorrow in the event as “the whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by”.

We learn that the priests Zadok and Abiathar were along with David on the trek as were “all the Levites who were…carrying the ark of the covenant of God”. And we also read where the trip didn’t keep the Israelites from worshipping the Lord for the ark of God was set down and “Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city”.

This wasn’t the first time the ark of God had been taken along in times of difficulty. In 1st Samuel, Chapter 4, you’ll recall that the Israelites went into battle with the Philistines only to be defeated soundly, an outcome that had the elder of Israel perplexed. And so instead of inquiring of God about the defeat, the elders reason among themselves that the defeat must have occurred because the ark of God was not taken into battle. And so this is what happened as Israel once again attacked the Philistines with expectation that they would be victorious this time around. They were wrong…dead wrong…as Israel lost 30,000 foot soldiers and Eli the priest lost his two sons, just as the Lord had prophesied through Samuel. And to add insult to injury, the ark of God was also captured by the Philistines and carried off.

So why did this happen? After all, wasn’t the ark of God representative of His presence and holiness?

Exactly. It was just that…representative. But it wasn’t God Himself.

Where Israel went wrong was doubting that it may have been God’s will that they be defeated. God foretold of the death of Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, because of their sinfulness and this was going to happen. No ark would stop it because it was God’s will. Unfortunately, we saw where the death of Eli’s sons was also at the expense of many of the Israelites fighting with them…and we also see that sin does exact a heavy cost when God’s wrath is displayed.

Well, it’s unsure whether David knew about the history of Israel and the events of that fateful Philistine battle loss years prior. But David showed a lot different approach and attitude toward to ark than the elders of Israel had done.

For David told the priest Zadok:

"Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord's eyes, He will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. But if He says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him."

David’s words show a real level of spiritual maturity, far from the infidelity and deceit he had displayed during his tryst with Bathsheba. For David saw clearly that the Lord would deal with Him as the Lord wanted to deal with Him. The ark of God would not change anything by being with him. If the Lord favored David, then David would return to Jerusalem to see the ark and its dwelling place again. Conversely, if the Lord was displeased with David, then he was ready to accept whatever judgment the Lord would bring. In other words, David was willing to accept the Lord’s good and pleasing will in his life, whether this would lead to good or bad circumstances.

And so David sent the ark back to Jerusalem along with the priests Zadok and Abiathar and their sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan. He also gave them instruction to act as informants for him…to collect any information David might need to know about Absalom’s intentions and then deliver that information to David who would “wait at the fords in the desert” until word came Jerusalem.

Friends, David serves as a remarkable model of faith in this passage. For he understood that the Lord is above all things and there is nothing on earth that would stop His will from being done…even the hallowed and blessed ark of God.

How well do we do this in our lives? How well do we just surrender everything to the Lord’s will in our circumstances?

Tough financial times?

Do we say, “If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, He will make the way clear for me to restore my finances…but if it’s not His will, then I am ready for Him to do to me whatever seems good to Him?”

Suffering with a health affliction or some form of addiction?

Do we say, “If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, He will make the way clear for me to restore my finances…but if it’s not His will, then I am ready for Him to do to me whatever seems good to Him?”

In the midst of conflict in work, church, family or friendship?

Do we say, “If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, He will make the way clear for me to restore my finances…but if it’s not His will, then I am ready for Him to do to me whatever seems good to Him?”

Friends, it’s easy to live when all is going well and too often it is during these times that we don’t turn to the Lord as much as we should because we tend to take Him for granted.

But when times get tough…like they were for David…then we would be well served to trust in the Lord and allow His will to be revealed and carried out in our lives. For truly, as David professed, the Lord knows what’s best for us and will do whatever seems good to Him…because He wants things to be good for us…even if it means we have to struggle or endure some hardship.

We simply must remember that the Lord will always bring us through our circumstances…but He will do it in His way. And this life attitude we should follow isn’t of man but directed from the lips of Jesus who taught us to pray this prayer:

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name,
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:9-13

Indeed, Dear Lord…may Your Will be done in all our lives…on earth as it is in heaven. We submit ourselves to You…now and forever. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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