THE CHRISTIAN WALK

Thursday, September 17, 2026

IS IT GOD'S WILL?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar while the ark of God remains in a tent."

Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it for the Lord is with you."

That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build Me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as My dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”

“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for My people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over My people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.’

‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord Himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for My Name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But My love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever.'"

Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

2 Samuel 7:1-17

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

In chapter 6 of 2nd Samuel, we read where David brought the ark of God to Jerusalem where he had established his throne. As chapter 7 begins, we see where David starts to conscientiously think about what he should do with the ark.

The scriptures tell us that after David “was settled in his palace”, the Lord “had given him rest from all his enemies around him” and it was during this time that he voiced a concern to the prophet Nathan saying:

“Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."

To which the prophet replied:

“Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you."

Now, all this sounded good on the surface for there was little doubt that the ark of God should be treated with reverence and respect for the infinite holiness it represented. There was also little doubt that the Lord was with David. But there was one big problem within the exchange between David and Nathan for neither of them chose to go to the Lord directly to ask whether or not it was His will for the king to build a special structure to house the ark.

And so as we see, God came to them instead, speaking to Nathan “that night” saying:

We see here where the Lord had a lot to say on the matter as He clearly laid out His desires for building the temple He would one day dwell in. If David had asked in the first place, the Lord would have told him directly but since he didn’t, God set him straight by communicating through His prophet Nathan.

We see where God first poses a question to David:

“Are you the one to build Me a house to dwell in?”

In other words, the Lord is essentially saying, “Did I tell you to build Me a house to dwell in?”

We know the answer is pretty obvious because David didn’t ask in the first place. He just assumed he could do whatever he wanted because he was the king.

Next, God underscores His point by asking David if he knew of any time that the Lord had asked any of the rulers of Israel to build him a house of cedar. Of course, the answer was “no”. He had never asked them just as He had not asked David.

So what was the Lord’s point?

He was reminding David that He would dictate what happened. Period.

And with this, David needed to always consult Him before He did anything. It would be the only way that he would make sure that the Lord’s will was being done, something he didn’t do in this case and so God provided correction.

So what was God’s will in this case?

We find Him telling David in the second and third paragraphs of His guidance.

First, it was His will to make David’s “name great…like the names of the greatest men on earth.”

Second, it was His will to “provide a place for (His) people Israel”, planting them “so that they (could) have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed”.

Third, it was His will to prevent wicked people from oppressing the Israelites “as they did at the beginning” and had done ever since the Lord appointed leaders over His people Israel.

Fourth, it was His will for David to have “rest from all (his) enemies.”

Fifth, it was God’s will to establish a house for David.

Sixth, it was God’s will to raise up offspring from David’s body to succeed him David after his days were over and he was at rest with his fathers.

Seventh, it was God’s will to establish the throne of the kingdom of David’s offspring forever.

Eighth, it was God’s will for David’s offspring to “build a house” for the Lord’s name.

Ninth, it was God’s will to punish David’s offspring “with the rod of men…with floggings inflicted by men” when “he does wrong”.

Tenth, it was God’s will that His love would “never be taken away” from David’s offspring like it had been taken away from Saul.

And finally…eleventh…it was God’s will for David’s “house and…kingdom” as well as his throne to “endure forever”.

All told, we see the Lord giving David…through Nathan…eleven assurances as He declares His will…and as we know, His will always gets done exactly as He wishes.

All this got me wondering if we are too often like David in our own lives, developing grand plans without ever consulting the Lord whether those plans are even in His will for us. If we’re honest, I think we do this all the time and it has to frustrate God as much as it did more than 3,000 years ago when he dealt with Israel’s second king.

The remedy to this problem is simple for any believer needs to go before the Lord first, each and every day, and ask what about His will. Then, we need to carry out that will without compromise, even if it deviates from what we would like to do or what we may have thought was the right thing to do.

This process is validated by the following scripture passage found in 1st John:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15

Indeed, there’s a confidence when we approach God to ask about what His will is for us. For when we know His plans for our life and go about executing those plans just as He wants, then we know that those plans will succeed because His perfect will is always going to perfectly happen.

It’s very simple.

Before doing anything, just ask God about what His will is and then wait for that will to be revealed. Rest assured, He will make it known to you…and then expect you to make it happen.

And so, I close with a question:

Have you asked God about what His will is for you today?

Know and trust that He’s standing by with an answer. All you need to do is ask.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

DON'T LET ANYONE STEAL YOUR JOY

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God because the oxen stumbled. The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

Then David was angry because the Lord's wrath had broken out against Uzzah and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.

David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, "How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?" He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.

Now King David was told, "The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal, daughter of Saul, came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"

David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord's people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."

And Michal, daughter of Saul, had no children to the day of her death.

2 Samuel 6

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

Once David had established his throne in Jerusalem, there was one other important item that needed established there as well. For as we see in today’s passage from 2 Samuel, chapter 6, the ark of God was not with David. In fact, the mention of the ark in this chapter is the first since early in the Book of 1st Samuel (Chapter 7 to be exact). There, you may remember that the ark was turned back over to Israel by the Philistines and kept in the home of Abinadab (1 Samuel 7:1). It underscored how much Saul had turned away from God during his rule…that he would give little respect or credence to the vessel that Israel was to revere and protect since it represented God’s presence with them. Instead, he left it sit idle and isolated.

In our scriptures today, we see where this changed with David…the man who after God’s own heart. For we read where he “brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all” and “set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God”.

Once they retrieved the ark from “the house of Abinadab”, they set the ark of God on a new cart guided by “Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab”. “David and the whole house of Israel” were with them, “celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.” The ark of God was on its way to Jerusalem where it could once again be placed in a position of holy reverence and esteem…and this was reason for great celebration.

But then, an issue happened.

You may recall that God had given clear direction as to how the ark was to be moved…that it was to be transported by the Levites who would carry the ark using poles on their shoulders. Unfortunately in this instance, we see where Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the ark on the cart and disaster struck as “they came to the threshing floor of Nacon”. For there “the oxen stumbled” and when this happened, “Uzzah reached out” to take “hold of the ark of God”, an act that brought on the Lord’s wrath. We read where He struck Uzzah dead “because of his irreverent act”…an act that wouldn’t have even taken place if God’s commands would have been followed. But since the Israelites didn’t follow God’s expectations, consequences happened and Uzzah lost his life.

We see where this hot David hard, so much so that he became “angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah”. In the moment, he didn’t fully understand that Uzzah had broken God’s command by touching the ark, leading to the punishment. Instead, he became afraid, wondering if he or someone else might be killed next if they took custody of the ark.

And so we see where David “was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David”. Instead, he “took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite” where it remained for three months during which time “the Lord blessed him and his entire household”. This news reached David who was told:

“The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God."

We read where this report caused David’s heart to soar with praise and he “went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing”. And “when those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf”.

The scriptures tell us that David was wearing a “linen ephod” as he “danced before the Lord with all his might while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets”. Such was the level of joy felt while they were in the presence of God.

Unfortunately, we see where not everyone was rejoicing.

For “as the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, watched from a window” and “when she saw…David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart”. This was definitely a big change within Michal who once loved David deeply (1 Samuel 18) and even helped him escape as her father sought to kill him (1 Samuel 19). Perhaps, she fell out of love for him after she was married to Paltiel and now resented that she was forced to return to him but whatever the reason, it’s obvious that things weren’t well in David’s marriage to her.

Well, going back to David’s procession, we read where the “ark of the Lord” was “set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it” and once there, “David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord”. He then “blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty” and “gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women”, before “all the people went to their homes”.

And with that, David “returned home” as well “to bless his household” and once there, he encountered an unhappy Michal who rebuked him saying:

“How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"

Her words were laced with sarcasm, disrespect, and contempt and while the scriptures don’t specifically say the Lord punished her for the behavior, we do read where she had “no children to the day of her death”.

As for David, we see where he was unmoved by his wife’s words as he replied:

“It was before the Lord who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord's people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."

You’ve got to love David’s response to his wife’s inappropriate remarks. For as she attempts to steal away his joy over bringing the ark to Jerusalem, David simply tells her that he was directing his rejoicing to the One who chose him and appointed him ruler over His people…even over her father…and so he celebrated before God and would continue to do so.

I wonder if this has this ever happened to you. Have you, like David, ever been in the midst of circumstances that brought you to a place of rejoicing with thanksgiving before the Lord, only to have someone or something come and try and steal your joy away?

I know I have.

It happens so how should we respond when it does?

David has shown us the answer. For we need to just stay true to our Lord just as He was and refuse to let anyone try and take away our joy. When we do this, we can celebrate freely and unhindered, bringing Him the praise and worship He deserves as we revel in the life He has blessed us with and the sure hope of salvation that comes through belief in His Son Jesus.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

SHOULD I GO...AND IF SO, WHERE?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.

Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?"

The Lord answered him, "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you."

So David went to Baal Perazim and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim. The Philistines abandoned their idols there and David and his men carried them off.

Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, and He answered, "Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army."

So David did as the Lord commanded him and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

2 Samuel 5:17-25

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

It’s been a few years now since I had to make a very difficult decision. My wife and I had been members of a congregation for over 14 years and during that time, I had been very involved in the life of the church…serving as an elder, committee chairperson for evangelism and witness, worship leader, Sunday School teacher, and singer during my tenure. At the time, the church was everything you would expect a church to be. Loving to one another inside… active locally and globally with solid preaching from an experienced pastor. It was as good as it could get.

But then something happened, not inside our church but outside…something that led to me having to make my difficult decision. For my church was associated with a denomination that decided to change its doctrine in a direction that was in violation of God’s word…and in the end, it was a change I couldn’t ignore in good conscience. It led me to a place where I needed to ask the Lord what I should do…stay at the church or go.

The answer came loud and clear. I was to go.

And so we did go and I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t say it was extremely difficult. We had developed so many loving relationships within the congregation and as I stated, I was very actively involved in many ministry areas but in the end, our relationship with the Lord and obedience to His Word were more important and so we obediently followed the Lord’s lead and resigned our membership.

The Lord had answered our question, “Should we go?” with great clarity, telling us to move on. Now we had a second question for Him:

“Where do we go now?”

Confident that the Lord had a place in mind for us, we began to attend different churches, praying for the Lord to guide and lead us to the place He wanted us to be. And after several months of seeking, we settled on a church and its associated denomination that we felt was holding strong to the foundation of the scriptures in all things. It didn’t take us feel blessed to be a part of our new church family and over time the Lord opened up opportunities to serve in many of the same roles I held while at my former church.

Shortly after the COVID period in our country, I once again found myself faced with the dilemma of remaining a part of my congregation or moving on into another church to serve. This time the problem was internal, one that left me feeling betrayed by someone I had trusted. And so I went to the Lord again for guidance and as before, He showed me it was His will for me to move on.

So once again, we prayed over the next step and again, the Lord showed us just the place He wanted us to worship and serve. We’ve been actively doing that ever since and again, I am in many of the same roles with even some additional ones added.

Through it all, I’ve learned that we go through different seasons in life and this includes spiritual ones. Like fall transitions to winter which ushers in a spring that leads to summer before the cycle repeats itself, we move from one point to the other in life. The good news is that the Lord is always there to guide us and dictate moves when they happen as long as we simply trust in Him.

Why go into this?

Because it directly informs our message today as we look at the closing verses of 2 Samuel, chapter 5. Let’s look again at those verses here:

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.

Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?"

The Lord answered him, "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you."

So David did as the Lord commanded him and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. 2 Samuel 5:17-25

Here, we find David, the newly anointed king over all of Israel, at a point where he needed guidance. This was because he faced a threat from the Philistines who went in “full force to search for him”. Yes, this was the same Philistine army that he nearly ended up fighting alongside against Saul and Israel…the same Philistine army that saw its monster warrior Goliath killed by David well before he ascended to the throne. Needless to say, the Philistines weren’t looking for David to exchange pleasantries this time around.

And so David, having heard that the Philistines were looking for him, “went down to the stronghold” and “inquired of the Lord asking:

“Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?"

Note here that David could have just made the decision himself. But if he did that, how could be sure that what he was doing what God wanted him to do?

And so David, who we know was described in the scriptures as a man after God’s own heart, wisely asked Him if he should go and He would bring him and the Israelites to victory. In response, we see where Lord tells him to go for He was indeed going to hand over the Philistines to David and his army.

With that, David and his forces went as the Lord commanded and attacked the Philistines as they were “spread out in the Valley of Rephaim”, defeating them at Baal Perazim. Then David did something just as important as being obedient to God’s calling for we read where he gave the Lord all the praise and glory from his victory saying:

“As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me."

Well, unfortunately the Philistines weren’t about to give up. For once more we read where they “came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim”, prompting David to once again go to God and ask whether or not he should go forward and attack again. This time, the Lord had some different counsel, saying:

"Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army."

And so David, armed with this direction, “did as the Lord commanded”…and “struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer”. In the end translation, he and the Israelites gained victory but none of it would have been possible without first seeking God’s will…first asking if they should go…and then once permission was granted, where to go. When it all played out, the Lord positioned David and his men right where He wanted them to be so He could deliver them to success…just as He guided my wife and I to new church homes.

So what’s our take away from this passage?

First, God always has a place where He wants us to be. We only need to ask Him where He wants us to go first.

Then, we need to go to where He wants us to go so to experience success and victory in and through Him while we’re there.

The end result of this glorious submissive experience…this surrendering our sense of direction for the Lord’s…is that we will always be led to where we will ultimately give Him all honor, glory, and praise…honor, glory, and praise for His goodness, faithfulness, and guidance that always puts us where He wants us…when He wants us there…to fulfill His blessed purposes through every season in life.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

Monday, September 14, 2026

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, "You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off." They thought, "David cannot get in here." Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.

On that day, David said, "Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those 'lame and blind' who are David's enemies. " That is why they say, "The 'blind and lame' will not enter the palace."

David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward. And he became more and more powerful because the Lord God Almighty was with him.

Now Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem and more sons and daughters were born to him. These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

2 Samuel 5:6-16

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

Once anointed and recognized as king over all of Israel, David wasted little time flexing his military muscle and establishing himself on the throne. For we read in our passage where he and his men “marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there”.

Now the Jebusites were a very confident adversary and mocked David saying:

"You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.”

Unfortunately, the Jebusites were forgetting one very important point for they weren’t just up against David but the Lord as well who would lead His anointed king to victory. For we read that David and his forces “captured the fortress of Zion” and ”took up residence” in it, naming it “the City of David”. And after establishing his throne in Jerusalem, David “built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward”, all the while becoming “more and more powerful”…not by his own might…but “because the Lord God Almighty was with him”.

Now, it’s estimated that some 20 years later, “Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons”. The materials were used to build “a palace for David” and after this, we see where Israel’s king didn’t glorify himself but instead “knew that the Lord had established him” and his reign, exalting “His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel”.

Through his words, we see where David was certainly a stark contrast to his predecessor Saul. For you’ll recall that Saul built a monument to honor himself at Carmel during a rule that the Lord had established (1 Samuel 15). It seems that Saul never fully grasped that it was the Lord who was in control and not him…that it was God who brought exaltation on His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel. Therefore, it was the Lord and Him alone who deserved to receive all the glory and praise.

We see where David did just that. He gave credit where credit was due…wholly to the Lord Almighty. In doing so, he affirmed that he was indeed a God’s own heart.

So what about us today?

Do we give the Lord credit where His credit is due?

Do we exalt, glorify, and praise Him in any and all circumstances…or do we seek to steal His honor away from him and embrace recognition for what we do which is so often done using the gifts that He has granted?

I think we all could look to David and seek to model his humble and praiseworthy attitude toward God…a thankful mindset that was maybe reflected best in these words he wrote in the 86th Psalm:

Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Guard my life, for I am devoted to You. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in You.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.

Bring joy to your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You.

Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.

In the day of my trouble, I will call to You for You will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; no deeds can compare with Yours.

All the nations You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord; they will bring glory to Your name.

For You are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God.

Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever.

For great is Your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life — men without regard for You.

But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant Your strength to Your servant and save the son of Your maidservant.

Give me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Friends, let us use the words within this Psalm to form the following prayer that closes today’s message:

Dear Lord, grant us Your provision and protection…Your mercy and forgiveness and compassion and grace…Your joy and peace and love and comfort…Your forgiveness and goodness and faithfulness and greatness…Your wisdom and good works.

For Lord, nothing compares to the greatness of knowing You fully in our lives…and understanding that without you, we are nothing and without hope. So to You, O God, we give all the glory, honor and praise…all the credit where credit is due…fully to You, now and forever. Amen.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

Sunday, September 13, 2026

KNOWING YOUR SHEPHERD

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, 'You will shepherd My people Israel and you will become their ruler.' "

When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the Lord and they anointed David king over Israel.

David was thirty years old when he became king and he reigned forty years. In Hebron, he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

2 Samuel 5:1-5

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

In chapter 3 of 2nd Samuel, we read where Abner and David came to an agreement. Abner, who had been the commander of Saul’s army but was seeking to form an alliance with David, promised to convince the Israelites to recognize David as their king. This would allow David to rule over the entire nation. In return, David asked that his wife, Michal, be returned to him.

And so this is the way things played out but unfortunately Abner didn’t get to see his end of the bargain because you’ll remember that he was murdered out of revenge by Joab at the end of the chapter.

Despite this, we see where God’s plan still came to full fruition in chapter 5 of this book as “all the tribes of Israel” come to David at Hebron and say:

“We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, 'You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will become their ruler.'"

And so with that, David and “all the elders of Israel” made a “compact…at Hebron before the Lord” and he was “anointed… king over Israel”, a reign that the scriptures tell us lasted thirty-three years beyond the seven years and six months he had ruled over Judah.

As we look closer at the content within these five verses, we find three main points about David found in the words of the Israelites present at his anointing. Let’s take a moment to examine each one.

1. The people of Israel were David’s flesh and blood.

"We are your own flesh and blood.”

We know that David was an Israelite, the son of Jesse of Bethlehem. And so to the Israelites, he was one of them…a brother who followed and served the same God…the almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses.

Indeed, David was family and this helped the Israelite people feel comfortable embracing him as their leader.

2. David was already a proven leader.

“In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.”

David had already displayed his bravery and fighting prowess at a very young age when he defeated the mammoth Philistine warrior named Goliath. Then, as he grew older, he further cemented his reputation through his many battle victories while leading Israel on their military campaigns. Saul might have been king but we see where the Israelites viewed David as a leader too, worthy of replacing Saul as their king.

3. God had appointed David to be king.

“And the Lord said to you, 'You will shepherd My people Israel and you will become their ruler.'"

It goes without saying that of these three main points, this was the most critical and important. For the Israelites knew that David had been selected by God to be their ruler and shepherd…and therefore, if it was God’s will for David to be king, then it needed to be the will of the Israelite people as well.

And so it was as they anointed David as the king over all of Israel. They now had a shepherd…one who would protect and watch over them…one who would care for them and provide for their needs. Ironically, we remember that David was a shepherd boy when God chose him to follow Saul in the first place.

And so David knew all about being what it took to be a shepherd. It was in his blood and he had lots of experience in taking care of flocks that he was responsible for. He (David) also made it clear that he had a Shepherd as well (capital S) in the way of God who led and watched over him…a Shepherd who he would write these words:

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

Indeed, David knew his Shepherd intimately. He understood that the Lord was the One who led him, guided him, protected him, comforted him, and ultimately anointed him shepherd His people. To accomplish this, all David had to do was carry out the direction of His God and guide His people the way He wanted.

Friends, this is all we need to do to in order to lead people in the Lord as well, first seeking God’s will and then leading people in the way He desires. In other words, we shepherd by first recognizing and then submitting ourselves to our Shepherd.

Well, it should be of little surprise that Jesus, God’s one and only Son, would also have words to share with us regarding this matter. Consider what He said in John’s Gospel:

“I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the Shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”

"I am the good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me — just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father — and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd.” John 10:11-16

David knew his Shepherd and all He did for him. This helped him know how to be a proper shepherd himself.

As we read the words of our Savior…the good Shepherd…we’re reminded of all we gain from knowing Him in our lives.

For He knows us and we know Him.

He protects us from our enemies even if it means He must lay down His life for us.

He is willing to sacrifice everything for us, His sheep, because He loves us so very much.

Today and every day, let us give thanks that we are a part of Jesus’ flock, under the care of the good Shepherd who shows us how to shepherd others…just as David learned from God, His Shepherd.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.