DIVINE RESCUE

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

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He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.

2 Samuel 22:17-20

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

I can remember many times in my life when I was in the midst of difficulty. One of the toughest things I have ever gone through was a very painful experience with being the victim of infidelity and the subsequent divorce that followed. This resulted in other cascading issues like the financial challenges of paying child support as well as the emotional challenges that came with only having visitational rights with the children that were born to me.

Yes, I’ve had to deal with this as well as a multitude of other problems across my nearly 67 years of life but this isn’t unusual, right? For it seems dealing with trials and tribulations is a part of the deal with living here this side of Heaven (or Hell depending on whether or not you have believed in Jesus). Indeed, as sure as we breathe in and out, we are destined to deal with hardships in life and it’s during those times that even the most devout, trusting believer can find their faith shaken at its foundations.

Going back to the Old Testament and our studies in 1 and 2 Samuel, we have seen that David certainly experienced more than his share of adversities in life, some brought on by his own sinfulness and some not…just like what we find happening with us. In the wake of those trying times, we have been looking at a wonderful song of praise written by him, a song that offers us amazing words of assurance and comfort. Let’s look again at today’s passage from the 22nd chapter of 2 Samuel:

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. Vv. 17-20

During our study of his life, we saw where David faced great threats against his life, having had to flee twice from his assailants just to stay alive. It was during those times of danger and uncertainty that David experienced the Lord reaching “down from on high’ and taking “a hold of” him while drawing him “out of deep waters”.

Truly, as we saw in yesterday’s message, God was (and is) mighty to save, possessing infinite strength that He uses to save those who place their trust in Him from powerful foes who may come after them, as they did David. It is during His times of deliverance that the Lord shows just how much He loves us, bringing divine rescue when we need it most because He delights in us…His children.

Quick question…

Have you ever experienced a divine rescue in your life?

Has the Lord ever reached down to you when you were in the deep waters of distress and despair, keeping you from drowning in the midst of your dilemma?

I think we all have experienced this to some degree and if you feel so moved, reply to this message with your testimony as it could serve to bless and inspire others.

So given this truth, that we serve a Lord who comes to bring divine rescue to His people in their time of need, why do we lose faith and doubt?

Well, I think the answer sits in the truth that we are all sinners who fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and this makes us far less than perfect people who are immersed within an often godless world which is filled with disbelief and faithlessness. This can lead to even the strongest Christian being adversely influenced but the good news is that when it happens, we find the Lord ready to throw us a life ring and save us when we come to our senses and return to Him for a help only He can bring.

Moving to the scriptures in the New Testament, we need to look no further than the Apostle Peter to see how doubt can creep inside the heart and soul of even the most devout followers of the Lord, doubt that can cause them to sink into the depths of their circumstances. Here’s what we find in Matthew’s Gospel:

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd. After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to You on the water."

“Come," He said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?"

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." 14:22-33

In this account, we see Peter…the one Jesus had called the rock He would build His church upon (Matthew 16:18)…seeing Jesus walking across the water. Not believing His eyes, He asked Jesus to call for him if it was really Him on the water…and we see where Jesus did just that.

So we read where Peter, the faithful disciple that he was, climbed out of the boat and when he did something remarkable happened. He too walked on water and began to head toward Jesus, his Lord and soon to be His Savior.

We should note that Peter wasn’t in any distress at the time he stepped out of the boat. His faith in Jesus sustained Him and kept him on top of the water.

But then things changed, didn’t they?

The scriptures tell us that Peter “saw the wind” and the way they were churning up the waves…and he became afraid. In that moment, he allowed his faith to be overcome by his fear and as a result, he began to sink into the water. Fearing he might drown, we see where he cried out to Jesus with a simple three word request:

“Lord, Save me!”

And saving is just what Jesus brought to Peter as He reached out His hand to grab a hold of Peter before he went under. He then helped His disciple back into the boat before simply asking:

“You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Indeed, why did Peter doubt? After all, he had seen Jesus do miracle after miracle bringing healing to the afflicted and driving our demons from the possessed. Over and over again, He had revealed a power not found in any other human on earth, and yet, Peter lost his faith…mostly because he allowed his focus to shift toward his circumstances and away from His Lord.

You know, we’re not really that much different than Peter, are we? For we have a real tendency to let our fears override our faith when the winds of our hardship begin to blow around and against us. And as we begin to sink into a place where we feel uncertainty and desperation setting in, we find ourselves crying out as Peter did:

“Lord, save me!”

The good news is that when we do, we experience the Lord’s saving hand reach down and pull us out of the deep place of desolation we found ourselves in, providing divine rescue from our troubles so that we might be able to get back on our feet and do what Jesus called us to do (Matthew 28:18-20).

Friends, is this not good news for us…not only today but each and every day?

For as believers, we need to never be afraid…to never doubt no matter what life might bring our way because we serve a Lord who is indeed mighty to save…a Lord who is ready to bring us deliverance from our troubles as only He can in accordance with His will for our lives.

So let’s recommit ourselves to just trust Him, no matter what, for if we do then we will find ourselves in the same spirit of rejoicing and praise that we find David in when he wrote this wonderful song we’re studying.

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.

MIGHTY TO SAVE

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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The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because He was angry.

Smoke rose from His nostrils; consuming fire came from His mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under His feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His canopy around Him — the dark rain clouds of the sky.

Out of the brightness of His presence, bolts of lightning blazed forth. The Lord thundered from Heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

He shot arrows and scattered the enemies, bolts of lightning and routed them.

The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of breath from His nostrils.

2 Samuel 22:8-16

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

Have you ever gone outside at night and encountered a sky that was crystal clear without a cloud in sight?

It’s a special scene that allows the stars to be revealed in all their splendor around a spectacular view of the moon.

I don’t know about you but on those occasions when I’ve been blessed with this experience, it has always served to remind me of the beauty found in creation and the awesome nature of God, the Creator. For we only need to begin reading the opening chapters of the Bible from the Book of Genesis to know that it was the Lord who created everything we know, placing everyone of those stars and planets in the place He appointed. The scriptures tell us that He knows them all by name (Psalm 147:4).

Of course, this is only one of many things we see in life that lead us to appreciate God’s awesome, creative nature. I’m writing this and you will be reading it later as adults but go back to when we began to be formed. We were only a single cell within our mother’s womb that transformed into a human being. Every single baby born today should cause awe and wonder within our hearts and minds over how the Lord makes people who go onto occupy His creation and carry on the Kingdom work within it.

Before I move on, I would encourage you to take some time to write down the other incredible things you have experienced in our world that lead you to remember how God has revealed His power in this world. Then, take a moment to say a prayer of praise, thanking the Lord for revealing His wonder and majesty, each and every day.

As we see in our passage today, David definitely took time to speak out about God’s omnipotence as he wrote his song of praise. In today’s verses, we find him strongly declaring what He witnessed as the Lord moved in power against those who desired to do him harm.

First, we see where the Lord’s mere anger had an astounding impact on Heaven and earth as both trembled under the stress of His wrath, punctuated by the smoke from His nostrils and consuming fire from His mouth.

And so as David’s enemies attempted to kill him, the Lord would have none of it. We read where He “parted the heavens”, “came down” with “dark clouds…under His feet”, and “mounted the cherubim and flew” while He “soared on the wings of the wind”. As He descended, darkness…”the dark rain clouds of the sky”…was the “canopy around Him”. Additionally, we read where “the valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth” were “laid bare” at the sound of His rebuke and “the blast of breath from His nostrils”.

Wow!

Imagine how David’s enemies must have felt when facing the coming wrath of the Lord and His associated power. For “out of the brightness of His presence” came “bolts of lightning” as He “thundered from heaven” with His voice resounding. The scriptures tell us that the Lord’s arrows and bolts of lightning were shot toward David’s enemies, scattering them before they were routed.

In other words, the Lord displayed His might in order to save His appointed, anointed king, David…and the good news is that He does the same for us, His children. For like Israel’s king, we serve an all powerful God who is the Maker and Master of all things in Heaven and on earth. And with Him with us and for us, no one or nothing can stand against us because they can’t withstand His unsurpassable strength. There isn’t a single enemy who can find victory, something David experienced it first-hand…and so will we when we follow his lead and place our full faith and trust in the only One who possesses the might to save us.

Thanks be to God for being our invincible, supreme Protector and Sustainer.

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.

A GOD WHO LISTENS AND RESPONDS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** 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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I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress, I called to the Lord; I called out to my God.

From His temple, He heard my voice; my cry came to His ears.

2 Samuel 22:4-7

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

Have you ever found yourself in a time of trouble?

Live life enough and I think we all can say we have. Given this, the question is:

How do we handle those times when they came?

In regard to our message today as we continue to look at David’s wonderful song of praise in the 22nd chapter of 2 Samuel…a song that became the 18th Psalm, we see how he handled difficult challenges and how his words can help us do likewise.

First, we need to understand what David was facing. Through his words and the scriptures that support them, we see that he constantly was dealing with the prospect of death, having been in many battles, any one of which could have saw him killed. He also had to deal with the murderous intentions of own son, Absalom, who betrayed him and tried to gain the throne, as well as Saul, the first king of Israel.

Indeed, David had seen the “waves of death” swirl around him, the “cords of the grave” coil around him, and “the snares of death” try to entrap him. Every endangerment he encountered threatened to overwhelm him through each “torrent of destruction”.

And yet, David survived it all.

Maybe you might not be dealing with the constant risk of death but I bet you might be dealing with any of a number of other problems in your life like financial difficulties, health problems or afflictions, temptations or addictions, or troubled or broken relationships. Any one or a combination of these can easily take us to a place of distress.

In his life, David persevered through his distresses and, in doing so, provided us with valuable insight as to how we can do so as well. Going back to our scripture passage for today, we find David saying this:

“In my distress, I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From His temple, He heard my voice; my cry came to His ears.”

How should we handle distress in our lives?

David shows us that we shouldn’t make it hard for when he found himself in trouble, he simply called on the Lord and when he did, his cries didn’t fall on deaf ears. Rather, we see where the Lord, abiding in His heavenly temple, heard David’s voice when his pleas were lifted up to His ears. Then, He took action on David’s behalf, saving him from his enemies, a blessing that was “worthy of praise”.

Brothers and sisters, this is just what our God does. He loves us as His children because we have believed in His Son Jesus and protects us as any good father would do for their son or daughter. He is always with us and for us, ready to save us in our times of need.

Given this truth, I offer this special prayer to you to use, not just today but any day you find yourself in need:

Dear Lord,

I call to you this moment because I know and trust that You are always there for me, ever ready to listen to my cries for help…ever ready to help me through my difficulties in accordance with Your will for my life.

And so Father, I’m asking for your help as I deal with (your particular situation or situations). I surrender myself to You on this matter, knowing that You will work things for my good and bring me rescue from my trials because You are a God who listens to Your children when they call and then responds in ways that bring saving and deliverance.

For all this and so much more, I just want to thank You God as I give honor and glory to Your Holy Name. Only You are worthy of my praise…now and forever more. 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.

ALWAYS SAFE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** 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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He said: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior — from violent men you save me.

2 Samuel 22:2-3

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

As we have studied the life of David, there have been two constants.

First, David was always in trouble. It seemed that there was hardly a time when he wasn’t in battle or having to flee for his life from an enemy that wished him dead.

The second constant was that the Lord was with David and kept him safe during those times of trouble. Despite his enemy’s best efforts, they were never able to kill David because the Lord, who had selected and anointed him king, was always with him.

And so given these two constants, David composed a song of praise and thanksgiving for all that the Lord had done for him and through his lyrics, we can gain appreciation for all he (David) saw in the Lord and be reminded that He is still the same for us today. Let’s look at these wonderful qualities of God:

1. He is our Rock.

As David’s life seemed like it was always on less than solid ground, he knew that he always had a firm foundation on which to stand in the Lord. As believers today, we need that same foundation in our own lives…a foundation that keeps us steadied when the difficulties of life serve to shake up our world. To keep His foundation intact, all we need to do is continue to keep our faith, focus, and trust in God, seeking, receiving, and embracing His will, Word, and Spirit of truth.

2. He is our Fortress.

In the times of David, cities would often build protective walls around them, providing critical protection to its people within while allowing effective counter-attack against any enemy. David recognized that the only true fortress he had was in the Lord…the One who would place a wall of protection around him, keeping him and his people from harm…just as He does for all who place their faith and trust in Him today.

3. He is our Deliverer.

David fully knew that life was dangerous and full of potential hazards. He also knew that the only way he made it from day-to-day was through the deliverance of the Lord who protected and watched over him…just as He does us for us today. David took comfort in knowing he had a great Deliverer in God and we should feel likewise, giving thanks daily for how the Lord brings us through life unharmed, both from known and unknown threats.

4. He is our Refuge.

Despite his best efforts to avoid trouble, David still found himself under constant attack, often needing shelter from his enemies. Thankfully, he always found that in the Lord who was the one true Refuge he could run to and count on for security, no matter what the danger was. God was both his comfort and confidence, just as He is ours when we run into times of peril.

5. He is our Shield.

A shield was very valuable in battle and if used right, it would deflect or hinder attempts by the enemy to fatally stab, strike, spear, or shoot an arrow through its holder.

David had certainly come under many attacks during his life and came away from them all unwounded and unharmed. He credited the Lord for this, seeing Him as the One who shielded him from harm.

In these present times, the Lord continues to guard us, shielding us with His protection to keep us unscathed despite Satan’s best attempts to wound us. What a blessed assurance we have…just as David did…to know we have an almighty, powerful Shield in the Lord God Almighty.

Friends, we are so blessed to have the Lord as these things in life for He and He alone is our Rock, our Fortress, our Deliverer, our Refuge, and our Shield. Like David. Let us raise our voices in a spirit of praise, never losing sight of our God who is ,and forever will be, our “ever present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1)…the Lord who always strives to keep His people safe and sound.

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.

SINGING YOUR OWN SONG

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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David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

2 Samuel 22:1

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

As the 21st chapter 21 of 2 Samuel came to a close, we saw David’s men finding victory in four separate occasions over the Philistines. Of course, this was far from the first time this had happened in our study of David for we have seen time and time again how he triumphed against his enemies and the adversity they presented.

You’ll remember that the challenges began all the way back when he was just a young boy after he courageously stepped forward to defeat a terrifying, Philistine giant warrior named Goliath. They then continued as a jealous Saul attempted over and over again to kill David, causing him to flee and continuously elude capture as Saul relentlessly pursued him. After this, David and his men defeated the Amalekites, who had plundered and kidnapped all of the women, children, and livestock in their town of Ziklag which had ironically been given to them by the Philistines. At that time, you may recall that David partnered with the nation of Philistia after Saul refused to give up his quest to have him killed.

After Saul’s death, David still had to deal with a remnant of his followers going against Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, and Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son who Abner had appointed as king in place of his father. This was followed by the conquest over the Jebusites after which David established his throne and assumed reign over both Israel and Judah from Jerusalem.

Further wins against the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, Edomites, and Ammonites helped form the boundaries for the Promised Land that God had granted Israel but David was still yet to face his most heartbreaking challenge…one that came from one of his own sons. For you’ll remember how Absalom betrayed his father by conspiring to overthrow him and take over the throne. These evil aspirations put David on the run again but like Saul, Absalom’s efforts to kill David ended when he was killed by Joab after his hair became entangled in the branches of an oak tree.

Indeed, when we look back at David’s life, we can see where the Lord was with him and for him, helping him overcome many trials and tribulations. As chapter 22 opens, we see David celebrating all that God had done for him, singing a song of praise and thanksgiving over how he had been delivered from the hand of his enemies. We’ll be looking at this song in great detail in the next messages but before that, I would like to focus on this matter of singing praise to the Lord for we all should do it with every chance we get.

After all, ask yourself how much God has blessed you in life?

I’m absolutely convinced that if we would just take the time to intentionally count all the blessings the Lord has provided, just as David did in considering the many victories over his foes…then we would consistently be led into a spirit of rejoicing and gratitude over all that God has done…the One through which all blessings flow.

My prayer for us as believers is that we will never stop recognizing what the Lord is doing in, through, and around us…responding to His absolute goodness and provision with an adoration and devotion which leads us to compose a song on our own hearts, carrying out this special exhortation we find in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

“Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 5:19b-20

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.

THE LIGHT THAT WILL NEVER BE EXTINGUISHED

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** 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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Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines and he became exhausted. And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. But Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to David's rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, saying, "Never again will you go out with us to battle so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished."

In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. At that time, Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.

In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan, son of Jaare-Oregim, the Bethlehemite, killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod.

In still another battle which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot — twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him.

These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

2 Samuel 21:15-22

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

Sometimes things seem to come around full circle in life. Take today’s scripture passage, for example.

David, the king of Israel, had gained his early reputation and high standing in Saul’s military by bravely defeating the Philistine giant warrior, Goliath, in the valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17). There were four subsequent battles as David saved the people of Keilah from Saul (1 Samuel 23) and then after becoming king, defeated the Philistines twice in the Valley of Rephaim (2 Samuel 5). Finally, he took action in 2 Samuel, chapter 8, capturing the leading city of Gath in Philistia as well as its surrounding villages.

And so David had a history with fighting the Philistines and as we see in 2 Samuel, chapter 21, he is back at it, this time once again going up against giants. Look again at these verses here:

Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines and he became exhausted. And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. But Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to David's rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, saying, "Never again will you go out with us to battle so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished."

In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. At that time, Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.

In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan, son of Jaare-Oregim, the Bethlehemite, killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod.

In still another battle which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot — twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him.

These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath and they fell at the hands of David and his men.  2 Samuel 21:15-22

Here, the scriptures tell us that David had gone “down with his men” to battle against the Philistines and the fighting was so intense that he “became exhausted”. We read that as he was in this place of vulnerability, one particular Philistine, Ishbi-Benob, a descendant of Rapha, desired to kill David with one of his weapons…either a “bronze spearhead” which “weighed three hundred shekels” or his “new sword”. And so things weren’t looking good for David in this go around with the Philistines and there was a legitimate possibility that he might be defeated.

Into this scene, we see David’s servant and army leader, Abishai, enter in as he “came to David's rescue” and “struck the Philistine down”. We see here that there was little doubt in the mind of Abishai that David was in a place physically where he wouldn’t be able to defend himself and so he took action to save him. The loyalty of he and the other fighting men was evident when they told their king:

“Never again will you go out with us to battle so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished."

And so it was. David did not go back out to battle against the Philistines but his men did on at least three other occasions, each time defeating another descendant of Rapha. We read where one of them was in no way like a normal man as he was described as having “six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot — twenty-four in all”. I’m not sure what was in the water in Philistia but they produced some gigantic people!

Well, as I thought more about what David’s men said in this passage, I couldn’t help but think that they had gotten it all wrong. For we read where they thought he (David) was the “lamp of Israel”, and in adopting this view, believing that the light of their nation would be extinguished if he died, leaving them in darkness and without hope. What we see them failing to understand here is that David only had a “light” that shone within his reign because the Lord had given it to him.

In other words, the true source of light was God and Him alone.

Friends, how often do we make the same mistake as David’s men in this passage? How many times have we placed our hope in all the wrong things…seeing the light of our life in something or someone that wasn’t everlasting and, as a result, sensing that our light has gone out when we lose that person or thing?

I think a great example of this problem is in our life relationships. We have a tendency to make a spouse, a parent, a child, or any person very dear to us…the light of our life. And when that person passes away, because this worldly life doesn’t last forever, we fall into a dark place because we saw our light in the wrong place and it ended up extinguished. After losing someone to death, many people never make it out of that darkness, living on after loss with despair and sorrow. If only they had seen the only true source of light in life…the Light from the One who is the Light of the world (John 8:12).

Going to the New Testament, we can see another example of where men failed to understand the true source of light in life. Consider this passage from Matthew’s Gospel:

From that time on, Jesus began to explain to His disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to You!"

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men." Matthew 16:21-23

You see, Jesus fully knew His purpose and His destiny…that He would die as a sin sacrifice for all mankind and then be raised up to life to sit at the right hand of His Father but as He tried to explain this His disciples, we see where at least one, Peter, was unable to accept it…feeling that it could never happen to His Lord. Responding to this, we see Jesus harshly correcting Peter, connecting his attitude and words to the work of Satan…for he (Peter) wasn’t thinking in the ways of God but rather the ways of the world…just as David’s men had done in our passage today.

Had Peter been thinking about the things of God, he would have realized that Jesus’ death would in no way cause light to leave the world. Rather, it further allowed His (Jesus’) light to shine on all people as He paved the way to bringing both Jews and Gentiles to God forever. You’ll remember that Jesus proclaimed Himself as the Way and the Truth and the Life…the only One through which anyone could come to the Father (John 14:6).

As for all that He would endure to bring salvation to anyone who believed in Him - suffering persecution, false accusation, and unjust conviction at the hands of the Sanhedrin who wanted nothing else than to snuff out the life of Jesus – Christ emerged as the Light…the true Light that provided spiritual illumination to everyone who places their faith and trust in Him (John 1:9)...the Light that overcame and still overcomes the darkness.

Friends, the absolute truth we can always hold onto is that Jesus is alive and shining brighter than ever today. Let us never feel like we’re in the dark because He and His light are with us…the Light of the world that can never be extinguished…the Savior who will usher all those who truly believe in Him as Savior to eternal light when this life is through.

As we go through our lives every day, let’s let His light shine through us, reflecting on everyone we share the Gospel with.

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.

BREAKING FREE FROM DROUGHT

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death."

The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.) David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How shall I make amends so that you will bless the Lord's inheritance?"

The Gibeonites answered him, "We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death."

"What do you want me to do for you?" David asked.

They answered the king, "As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and exposed before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord 's chosen one."

So the king said, "I will give them to you."

The king spared Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the Lord between David and Jonathan, son of Saul. But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah's daughter, Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel, son of Barzillai the Meholathite. He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed and exposed them on a hill before the Lord. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.

Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds of the air touch them by day or the wild animals by night. When David was told what Aiah's daughter, Rizpah, Saul's concubine, had done, he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had taken them secretly from the public square at Beth Shan where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.) David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.

They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul's father, Kish, at Zela in Benjamin and did everything the king commanded.

After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land.

2 Samuel 21:1-14

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

Have you ever been at a place in life where you felt spiritually dried up…thirsty…in need of relief?

The day after day grind and the challenges we face within can definitely make us feel this way, especially in times of difficulty. And as much as we try to sustain our faith, we still find ourselves sometimes slowly losing it as the searing rays of hardship beat down on our souls and try and dry up our sense of hope, leaving us yearning for help and rescue.

Well, as chapter 21 of 2nd Samuel opens, we find Israel experiencing a literal, physical drought which brought about a deep famine over the nation that lasted “three successive years”. It was so severe and taxing on the country that we see where King David went to seek “the face of the Lord” for relief and deliverance. It was then, as he asked God about why the drought was so severe and ongoing, that he learned why it was happening. We read the Lord telling him:

“It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death."

Now you’ll recall that toward the latter part of his reign, Saul was disobedient, more frequently dishonoring God by rejecting His Word and will than not. The case of the Gibeonites was a good example of that.

For Joshua and the “leaders of the assembly” had made an oath and treaty of peace before the Lord to allow the Gibeonites to live (Joshua 9:15, 18) but then Saul later decided to ignore that oath, attacking and killing Gibeon’s people. Now, his actions were resulting in judgment on the Israelites in David’s time.

After speaking with God and now armed with the reason for the drought, the scriptures show us how David took positive steps to try and correct the problem and end Israel’s famine. We read where he “summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them” asking:

“What shall I do for you? How shall I make amends so that you will bless the Lord's inheritance?"

David’s question shows us that the ball was clearly in the court of the Gibeonites with no restrictions on what they could ask for. They responded with the following acceptable reparation for what Saul had done saying:

“We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death…As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and exposed before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord 's chosen one."

We should note here that the Gibeonites didn’t ask for anything that wasn’t connected to Saul, the one who had committed the crimes against them. It was a request that David saw as reasonable and so he vowed to honor their request by giving the them seven of Saul’s male descendants…two sons that Saul had with his concubine Rizpah (Armoni and Mephibosheth) as well as the five sons of Saul's daughter, Merab. The seven men were “handed…over to the Gibeonites, who killed and exposed them on a hill before the Lord…during the first days of the harvest just as the barley harvest was beginning”.

With this, restitution had been made and after David ensured the slain men were given a proper burial along with the bones of Saul and Jonathan in the tomb of Kish, Saul’s father, the scriptures tell us that “God answered prayer in behalf of the land” and ended the drought and famine.

Through David’s actions, we see the way to break free from the spiritual droughts that might come upon our lives for all we need to do is to go to the Lord to find the way toward relief. Indeed, He holds all the answers to our questions…the One who is the Fount of all wisdom and knowledge…the Author of our salvation…and the Maker and Sustainer of our souls. Indeed, the Lord and the Lord alone brings an internal holy, divine rain to fall down within, watering our inner dryness and bringing us back to life when we go through tough times that create famines within our hearts and minds. Relief and release from our difficulties always begins with Him.

Consider these words from prophet Jeremiah:

“Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in You, for You are the One who does all this.” Jeremiah 14:22

We need to remember that our enemy, Satan, is very skilled at driving God’s people toward seeking help from anyone or anything else other than the Lord when people experience personal troubles…and we unfortunately fall into that trap way too often.

But my friends, God’s Word is truth and the truth is that we can’t find true, life-restoring spiritual rain to moisten our dried out souls and reinvigorate our faith from any other source except the Lord…the One through which all things are possible. When we do this, we see where God always keeps His promises to break our spiritual drought and water our souls in such a way that brings inner life welling up into eternal life…the living water that Jesus spoke of when he met the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4).

Before I close today’s important message, some words from God as found in the Book of Isaiah:

“You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the Lord, have created it.” Isaiah 45:8

This is my prayer for you today…that the Lord would send His heavenly rain down on you to break through any spiritual drought you may be experiencing. I ask that He might send showers of righteousness upon you so to “let salvation spring up” anew…just like the sprouting of the plants after God opened up the heavens and sent physical rain on Israel.

Brother and sisters, God is ready, able, and more than willing to help us get through the difficult times that are inevitable in life. He has been, is, and will always be our very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1)…the only One through which we have hope…and the only One who water our thirsty souls so to restore us over and over again.

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.