OVERCOMING ADVERSITY

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Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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

Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs, he wore bronze greaves and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.

Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other."

On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was old and well advanced in years. Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

For forty days, the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

Now Jesse said to his son David, "Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines."

Early in the morning, David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear.

Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel."

David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."

When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."

"Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?" He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."

Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."

But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it, and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it, and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you."

Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

"I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them."

So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day, the Lord will hand you over to me and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give all of you into our hands."

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand, he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem and he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent.

As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is that young man?"

Abner replied, "As surely as you live, O king, I don't know."

The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is."

As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head.

"Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him.

David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem."

1 Samuel 17

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

Have you ever come up against opposition in your life…someone or something that seemed to be insurmountable…someone or something that always seemed to oppress you and keep you down? Maybe, you have even found yourself frightened at the very thought of having to face someone or deal with a particular situation.

If we live life long enough, I think we’ll all maybe face times like this so it would be good to have some guidance from God’s Word as to how to handle it. Thankfully, He does just that in our scripture passage from 1st Samuel, chapter 17. There we find sound direction on how to deal with the challenging people or circumstances we encounter in life by seeing how a young boy named David defied the odds and found his way to victory…all because he chose by faith to be armed with God against his enemy.

The chapter starts off with a battle brewing between the Philistines and the Israelites and after they had assembled armies and set up camp, we read where the “Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them”. On the surface, it appeared that the battlefield was balanced and victory would come to the army who fought harder. But the Philistines had something that Israel didn’t have…”a champion named Goliath”.

So what made Goliath so different from any other fighter?

Well, for starters, he was a giant, standing “over nine feet tall”. As he stepped out to challenge the Israelites, he must have been a terrifying sight with the “bronze helmet on his head” and a “coat of scale armor of bronze” as well as “bronze greaves” on his body. Just bearing the weight of all this armor was a testament to the massive strength of the Philistine warrior who also carried a “bronze javelin…on his back”.

So as the Israelite army looked up at this giant of a man dressed for battle before them, Goliath shouted a proposition to them, asking that they “choose a man and have him come down” to fight him (Goliath) in battle. If the chosen Israelite was “able to fight and kill” Goliath, then all the Philistines would become subjects of Israel. But…if Goliath were to win, then the Israelites would become subjects of the Philistines and serve them.

The proposal seemed simple enough and would avert an all out war but the odds seemed very stacked in the favor of the Philistines and Goliath knew it. His challenge was made out of arrogance as he didn’t believe that Israel had anyone who could defeat him.

You know, we still see people evoking this same attitude of arrogance today as they mistreat others. Like Goliath, they constantly present a bully-like mentality, feeling that they are so superior to others that they can taunt them and nothing will come of it.

Well, Goliath is soon to discover that the arrogant confidence he had in his own strength and might was going to be no match for the God of Israel, the One who was (and still is) infinitely more powerful than anyone or anything in all creation.

And so going back to the scriptures, we see that “Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified” after Goliath’s challenge…a challenge that would be repeated over the next forty days. It left the Israelites wondering how they were ever going to overcome such a belligerent adversary.

Before I go any further, I want to highlight an important error committed by the Israelites, one they had committed before. For nowhere in this passage do we find them going to God to ask what they should do.

And yet, God had a plan nonetheless…and that plan would play out in a way that showed He was at the center of things for only He could do what happened next.

For coming onto the scene was the anointed youngest son of Jesse…the shepherd boy David who had been chosen by God to become the new king of Israel. Now, he would be chosen once again, in this instance to go up against the mighty Goliath.

Now, it’s important to note that David wasn’t the only one of Jesse’s sons involved for we read where his “three oldest sons (Eliab, Abinadab and Shammah) had followed Saul to the war” while David “went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem”. On one of his trips to Saul, Jesse gave David the following orders:

“Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines."

And so after leaving the “flock with a shepherd”, David loaded up and set out in the morning, reaching the “camp as the army was going out to its battle positions” and “shouting the war cry”. As “Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other”, “David left his things with the keeper of supplies” and “ran to the battle lines” to greet his brothers.

Just as he did, out stepped Goliath who “shouted his usual defiance” and David, hearing this for the first time, watched the Israelites run in great fear at just the sight of the behemoth warrior. After viewing the spectacle, we see David asking some men standing nearby:

"What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

So the  men told David what benefits would come upon any Israelite who could defeat the Philistine giant to include great wealth, the king’s daughter in marriage, and a tax exemption for his father's family.

Now, Eliab, David's oldest brother, “heard him speaking with the men” and was very unhappy about it. Perhaps, it was a bit of brotherly jealousy since he, the eldest son, was not selected by God to rule Israel. Whatever the reason, we read where Eliab “burned with anger” at David and asked:

"Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."

In response to this, we see where David doesn’t back down from his older brother’s attack as he replies:

“Now what have I done?…Can't I even speak?"

David’s bold attitude got the attention of Saul’s men who told him about it and, in turn, Saul summoned David to him. David then said to Israel’s king:

"Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."

Now, imagine you are Saul in this situation. A young shepherd boy is before you and wants to go out on the battlefield and single-handedly fight Goliath who no one else was willing to go against.

How would you respond?

Well, I think we would probably take the same approach that Saul did for he said this to David:

“You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."

But David was supremely confident before Saul and boldly replied:

“Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

And with those words, Saul was convinced that David could meet the challenge as he said:

“Go, and the Lord be with you."

So what was the difference maker in David’s attitude and words?

It wasn’t the fact that he had killed both lion and bear when they tried to attack the flock. Rather, it was because the Lord had been with him, delivering him from potential danger and its ensuing harm. God had done it before and young David was sure the Lord would do it again if he faced off against the Philistine Goliath.

Friends, we need to go forth boldly in our own lives as David did, especially when adversity calls. For the Lord is always with us and ready to deliver us from whatever adverse circumstance we might come under. We only need to seek Him, maintain our faith, and allow for His will to be done.

Well, as we go back to chapter 17, we see Saul rather comically try to dress David for battle using his tunic, a coat of armor, and a bronze helmet. Try and picture a young boy trying to wear adult armor and you can see where things just wouldn’t fit too well. This was affirmed when David tried to walk around in the armor but quickly discarded it because he was not used to it. And so he went forward without any armor, taking his “staff in his hand” and choosing “five smooth stones from the stream” which he placed “in the pouch of his shepherd's bag”. And with this, David took “his sling in…hand” and “approached the Philistine”.

Now, pretend that you’re Goliath. You have mocked and challenged the Israelites forty days…and each day ended the same, with no man coming forward to fight.

But this day would be different. For from the ranks of Israel comes a young boy who is wearing no armor and carrying no shield.

How would you feel at that point?

Well, if I were Goliath, I would be liking my chances of victory, and we see him definitely thinking this was as David came forward. Seeing the young boy, Goliath despised him and cursed him by his gods saying with arrogance:

“Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?…Come here and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"

I’m pretty sure Goliath thought his words would intimidate David and cause him to flee like the other Israelites. But Goliath wasn’t dealing with any ordinary person in David who replied with the following:

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give all of you into our hands."

Here we find David speaking boldly and with great confidence, not because he had any physical prowess like Goliath but rather because He had the power and might of the Lord on his side…a Lord who could and would deliver victory to David in reward for his faithfulness.

And so the showdown was set.

David versus Goliath.

The boy against the giant.

We read where Goliath made the first move as he drew “closer to attack” but David moved quickly “toward the battle line to meet him”, reaching “into his bag” and taking “out a stone” which he “slung…and struck the Philistine on the forehead”. The stone hot Goliath with such blunt force that it “sank into his forehead” and caused the giant to fall dead “facedown on the ground”.

In what had to be shocking to everyone who saw it, “David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone…without a sword in his hand”. And to complete what he said he would do, David “took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard”, using it to “cut off (Goliath’s) head”.

As for the Philistine army, they had to initially be in shock as they “saw that their hero was dead”. Then we read where they “turned and ran” while “the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron”. Then the Israelites plundered the Philistine camp while David took the Philistine's head to Jerusalem and put “the Philistine's weapons in his own tent”.

When it was all said and done, David had gained victory…not so much by his own doing but by the Lord’s who had helped him beat the odds and defy anyone who doubted his chances against Goliath.

Friends, this is exactly why we cherish, worship, and praise our Lord so much because He is the One who helps us in our times of need…He is the One who is our strength when we need empowered to gain victory in His name…and He is the One who delivers us from our adversity, no matter the odds might seem to be against us.

If you are facing opposition today, I encourage you to follow the lead of David and allow the Lord to help you through your circumstances. For He will always stand ready to help you find victory over the Goliaths of your life. All you need to do is call on Him and place your trust in Him completely.

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 POWER OF GODLY MUSIC

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

Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better."

So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring him to me." One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him."

Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep."

So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him."

Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

1 Samuel 16:14-23

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

At the beginning of 1st Samuel, chapter 16, we saw where the Lord sent Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem for the purposes of selecting and anointing the next king of Israel. You’ll remember this was because the first king, Saul, had been sinful and fallen out of favor with God who rejected him in favor of a man after His own heart…a man who we know would be David. As he (David) was formally chosen by God, the scriptures tell us that the “Spirit of the Lord came upon (him) in power.” Conversely, we see in our passage that “the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul”, replaced with “an evil spirit from the Lord” which “tormented him”.

Through this, we’re reminded of how the Lord holds control over all things, including wicked and evil spirits.

Well, part of Saul's consequences for willfully disobeying God and rejecting the guidance of His Spirit was to be tormented by a demon. Fortunately, he had some very faithful, caring attendants who were concerned for him. They asked the king to allow them to “search for someone who can play the harp” because they felt that Saul would feel better if the harp was played whenever “the evil spirit from God” came upon him.

We read where Saul agrees with their plan, giving his attendants the following order:

“Find someone who plays well and bring him to me."

Given this approval, the scriptures tell us that “one of the servants answered” Saul saying:

"I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him."

Of course, the servant was talking about none other than David…the man chosen to replace Saul as king however he (Saul) didn’t know it yet and so we find him sending a message to Jesse saying:

"Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

We read where Jesse complied with the request, sending David along with a “donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat”. After arriving, we see where David quickly integrated himself into Saul’s service, becoming one of his armor bearers. In fact, David was valued so greatly by Saul that he “sent word to Jesse” saying:

"Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him."

Again, Jesse complied with Saul’s request.

Well, we know that David was far more than just an ordinary armor bearer. He was far greater than that because he had the Spirit of the Lord within him as well as the sure election by God to be Israel’s new king.

As far as his harp playing skills, we read that “whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul” and afflicted him, “David would take his harp and play”, bringing relief to the king who would “feel better” as “the evil spirit (left) him”. This was because the music David played was holy music, inspired by none other than the Spirit of God that was within him. The power of this Spirit within the music overcame the evil spirit within Saul, bringing him comfort and peace.

Indeed, there is a special, inspirational energy found in Spirit-filled, godly music that is like no other. I discovered this in my own life after being born again more than 33 years ago as I accepted Jesus into my life as Savior.

You see, before coming to Christ, I had always loved music and listened to a lot of different genres, none of which were Christian. I knew all the top artists and songs on the radio, owning over 200 CDs and cassettes. But this music came to me from a world view and perspective…and after coming to Jesus, I was a new creation and that included the way I viewed the music I enjoyed listening to.

I vividly remember getting back into church with my new wife and re-learning the hymns that I had known as a young child going to a small Pennsylvania Presbyterian church with my parents. Oh how I cherished the awesome power in the words of some of those songs…

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now can see.”

“Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord, God Almighty. Early in the morning, our song will rise to Thee. Holy, Holy, Holy. Merciful and Mighty. God in three persons. Blessed Trinity.”

“Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart. Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought by day or by night. Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.”

"Blessed assurance. Jesus is mine. O what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation, purchase of God. Born of His Spirit. Washed in His Blood. This is my Story, this is my song. Praising my Savior, all the day long. This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior, all the day long.”

I could go on and on but you get the point.

There was a mightiness in that music that the secular world couldn’t come close to matching. This is because there is a power in the Holy Spirit that transcends everything else by comparison…because the Lord Himself transcends everything as the “God in three persons”…Father, Son and Holy Spirit…the ”Blessed Trinity” that spiritually empowers all things to include music.

Well, from there, sitting in the church pew every Sunday, my musical spiritual awakening was just starting because I discovered that I couldn’t get enough of music that energized me spiritually. In Christian music, I found a relief, comfort, and peace that I couldn’t find in any other music.

One day, I found myself watching a Gospel music video program called Video Gospel, playing on the Black Entertainment Television channel and instantly fell in love with my first contemporary Christian song ever. Titled “Addictive Love” and performed by BeBe and CeCe Winans, the lyrics were as follows:

All I want do is just explain

Why that we feel the way we do

What a joy to share with you

For me to live is Christ, to die is gain

If anymore I need to say

The list goes on and on all day

I'll cherish that moment for life

And I know it might sound crazy

It's alright, take a seat, hold tight

 

Chorus:

Time to admit it

I'm so addicted

You see He's taken my heart

And showed me the right way

No doubt about it

See I'm lost without it

You see this love takes me higher

I didn't know why then

I found it was addicted love

 

Now that we've evened up the score

What do you mean there's so much more

I need to tell why we adore

The reason why I smile when I, when I wake up

And also the reason why I dream

My love, my joy, my everything

And I'll cherish that moment for life

And I know it might sound crazy

It's alright, take a seat, hold tight

 

Time to admit it

I'm so addicted

You see He's taken my heart

And showed me the right way

No doubt about it

See I'm lost without it

You see this love takes me higher

I didn't know why then

I found it was addicted love

 

So much love

He's given to me everything I longed for

And everything I need

That means I'm never alone, so glad

And everything I've dreamed and much more, so much more

And I'll cherish that moment for life,

For the rest of my life, yeah

And I know it might sound crazy, but it's not crazy,

I'm not crazy

I've never known anyone to love me

Quite the way you do

And I'll tell you it's hopeless

I've finally noticed that I'm just forever addicted, forever, forever in love

 

Time to admit it

I'm so addicted

You see He's taken my heart

And showed me the right way

No doubt about it

See I'm lost without it

You see this love takes me higher

I didn't know why then

I found it was addicted love

Friends, this song spoke to my soul then and still does today. For indeed, the Lord had taken my heart and shown me the right way and after receiving the Holy Spirit in my life, I found that I would be lost without it and the connection to the Lord it brought…a connection that kept me in the midst of an almighty Love like no other I had ever experienced…an addictive love that I couldn’t get enough of.

I couldn’t then…and I still can’t now.

In fact, the addictive love of the Lord’s Spirit took me from this first contemporary Christian song to many others thereafter and before long, I found that my secular music held no more meaning for me…no power or substance anymore when I listened to it. In fact, I started to be more acutely aware that the secular music actually was trying to pull me towards the world and its ways…and away from the ways the Lord wanted me to live.

And so, I did something radical back in 1993. I sold all my secular CDs and cassettes…over 200 of them…and in their place, I bought nothing but Christian music. A trip to the local library was exciting because I would check out Christian music and then go home to listen, seeking to add more artists and groups to my playlists. If I liked that particular artist, then I would but there music and add to my connection. If I didn’t, I just returned the item to the library.

Before long, my Christian library grew to be as large as my secular library had been and today, my collection has grown far beyond that. Even today, I still can’t get enough of the power of the Holy Spirit in the music I listen to…a power that Saul discovered from the harp that was played by a Spirit-filled David.

As you read this, maybe you have your own testimony concerning a Christian song that changed your life in some way…or maybe just a Christian song that you love for some special reason. If so, I invite you to leave a comment in response to today’s message with a song or songs and your personal testimony.

Together, let’s promote the awesome, amazing power found in Christian music, praising and thanking the Lord for the gift of it.

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.

WHAT'S IN YOUR HEART?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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

When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?"

Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me."

Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord."

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The Lord has not chosen this one either."

Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the Lord chosen this one."

Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The Lord has not chosen these."

So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?"

"There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep."

Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."

So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one."

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.

Samuel then went to Ramah.

1 Samuel 16:4b-13

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

Early on in 1 Samuel, chapter 16, we find the Lord motivating Samuel to get over his disappointment from Saul’s failure as king, providing specific guidance as to what He wanted his servant to do. Through the God’s actions, we learned that He doesn’t expect us to linger and prolong within sadness or despair but rather turn to Him for the peace, comfort, and strength needed to move on and get back on our feet again. As this chapter continues, we see Samuel do just that.

You’ll recall that the Lord had told Samuel to go to Jesse of Bethlehem with his horn filled with oil because he was going to anoint one of Jesse’s sons…the one that the Lord had chosen to replace Saul. Samuel was apprehensive at first because he was fearful that Saul may try and have him killed but God reassured him that all would be well and that He would show Samuel what to do once he got to Jesse. With this, Samuel set out to fulfill the Lord’s will.

Well, as this chapter continues, we see Samuel arriving in Bethlehem, causing a stir among the town elders who “trembled when they met him” as they were fearful that the well-known messenger of the Lord was coming with bad news for them. We read where they probed Samuel asking:

“Do you come in peace?"

They had to be relieved when he replied:

"Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me."

The town elders would have automatically breathed a collective sigh of relief for they knew sacrifices were holy sacraments, something Samuel was qualified to carry out. They required all who participated to be prepared for the occasion and so this is why Samuel commanded they become consecrated. Ultimately, the final outcome of all that was to come was the revelation of Israel’s new king.

Back to the scriptures where we read that after arriving at the place of sacrifice, Samuel was able to get a good look at all of Samuel’s sons, so much so that he began to predict who God had chosen. Specifically, he saw the eldest son, the one who would have been entitled to Jesse’s birthright, and thought:

“Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord."

As we see, Samuel was dead wrong and the Lord, who seeks and knows our every thought, addressed Samuel saying:

“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

You see, Samuel’s attempts at sizing up the competition were fruitless because he was making his choice based only on what he could see…on outer appearance. This was far short of what God could see for as we learn through His own words, He can look into the deepest parts of a person…and fully know what resides in their heart.

One quick question to ponder before we move on:

What would the Lord see if He looked into your heart right now?

Well, with Eliab rejected, we see a procession of Jesse’s sons come before Samuel in order of the oldest to the youngest. First, Abinadab passed “in front of Samuel” with the Lord denying him as He did Eliab. Shammah would be next only to be rejected as well and this would carry on until all seven sons present had been passed over. This led Samuel to ask Jesse:

“Are these all the sons you have?"

Well, it’s came as no surprise that there was still a son left. After all, the Lord promised Samuel that a son of Jesse would be the one who would be Israel’s next king and if all of the other sons were turned down, there had to be at least one at large. That son was the youngest, David, who we read was “tending the sheep." Samuel orders Jesses to do the following:

"Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."

And so Jesse did as Samuel demanded and as David arrived, we read where “he was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features”. Samuel wastes no time making everyone informed that David was the one the Lord had chosen saying:

“Rise and anoint him; he is the one."

He (Samuel) “took the horn of oil and anointed (Jesse’s youngest son) in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power”. Israel had a new king…King David…who would eventually end up in the genealogy of the King of Kings…our eternal Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Well, earlier in this book, we found Samuel delivering a stern message to Saul from the Lord, saying:

"You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." 1 Samuel 13:13-14

Indeed, the Lord had sought out a man after His own heart to lead His beloved people…and He did so because He looks at the heart when He chooses someone to represent Him properly. David’s heart was obviously so inclined towards God that he was an easy choice. And perhaps, we get more of a view into David’s heart than any other man in the Old Testament as he provided us with a book of wonderful Psalms, many of which he composed.

Today, the Lord still looks into the hearts of people and so we, as believers, had better make sure all is in order there so He will be pleased with what He sees when He looks inside.

To that end, preparing our hearts so they will gain the Lord’s favor when He looks into them, Jesus gave us excellent guidance when He said this during His Sermon on the Mount:

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

Here, Jesus is telling us to value the right things in life because whatever we choose to treasure will be the thing that our hearts will connect to. As Christians, that one true treasure needs to be Jesus, now and forever. For if we commit ourselves to do this, making Jesus as our one and only treasure, then it’s Him and Him alone who will be in our hearts. And given that Satan, our enemy, cannot so-exist in the same space with Jesus, keeping our hearts grounded in our Savior is a sure way to drive out the devil. Or put in other words, Satan will never have a place in our heart if Jesus occupies it.

Further….when we make Jesus our treasure and place Him and Him alone at the center of our hearts, then we will embody everything that is found in Him…and as a result, our lives will begin to totally reflect Him. Coming back around full circle, this means that when God looks in our heart, He will see everything He wants to see because His Son is there and dwelling within.

Given all this, why would anyone not want to follow Jesus?

It’s completely baffling to me but we know that three-quarters of the world’s population isn’t Christian…and therefore 75 percent of the people on earth will die and go to Hell forever. It’s sobering thought but everyone has a choice…a choice as to what they treasure which dictates what the Lord will find when He looks in their heart.

My prayer is that a major shift happens in this world we live in, a radical shift towards Jesus as people open up their minds and hearts to receive Him as their treasure. We will never see things in a better place if it would only happen.

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.