WHAT WILL THE LORD DO?

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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In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. David thought, "I will show kindness to Hanun, son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me."

So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.

When David's men came to the land of the Ammonites, the Ammonite nobles said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think David is honoring your father by sending men to you to express sympathy? Hasn't David sent them to you to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?"

So Hanun seized David's men, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away.

When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, "Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown and then come back."

When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench in David's nostrils, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.

On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai, his brother, and deployed them against the Ammonites. Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in His sight."

Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans and they fled before him. When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped. Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the River; they went to Helam with Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's army leading them.

When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. But they fled before Israel and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach, the commander of their army, and he died there. When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them.

So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

2 Samuel 10

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

In chapter 8 of 2nd Samuel, we read about the many victories that the Lord blessed David with as he conquered nations that bordered Israel and Judah, expanding territorial boundaries to match up with what the Lord had promised to provide.

At the end of the fighting, you’ll remember that the Lord vowed to give David peace from his enemies and we get a sense that this happened at least for some time because as chapter 10 of this book opens, we read that “in the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died” with his son Hanun succeeding him as king. The scriptures tell us that the deceased Ammonite king had sown kindness to David during his reign so David decided to return the favor and “show kindness to Hanun”, sending a “delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father”.

Well, as the delegation “came to the land of the Ammonites”, we see where the nobles there became suspicious of their motives, saying to Hanun:

“Do you think David is honoring your father by sending men to you to express sympathy? Hasn't David sent them to you to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?"

Unfortunately, their words influenced Hanun to believe that David had sent the men for nefarious reasons outside of expressing sympathy and so had them seized and “shaved off half of each man's beard” before cutting “off their garments in the middle at the buttocks” and sending them away. These actions were clearly meant to embarrass the men who were “greatly humiliated” over what had been done to them.

Well, word of what happened got back to David and he sent “messengers to meet (his) men telling them to:

“Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back."

This command was meant to ensure the men would not have to face embarrassment and ridicule in Jerusalem over what had been done to them. Through his actions, David respected and preserved the honor of the men who had gone to represent him.

Meanwhile, the Ammonites realized that David would not take what they had done lightly and would most likely come to avenge his men and so we read where they “hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob” so to construct an army they thought would be able to defeat David’s Israelite forces. As for David, he got wind about what the Ammonites had done and “sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men” in response.

A battle was soon about to take place and this is how things sized up.

The Ammonites “came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country”. Joab, seeing “there were battle lines in front of him and behind him”, chose “some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans”. He then “put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai, his brother, and deployed them against the Ammonites”. Overall, we see Joab giving the following directions to the troops saying:

“If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in His sight."

And with that, “Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans” who “fled before him”. Meanwhile, the Ammonites “saw that the Arameans were fleeing” and fled themselves, going into the city. With this, Joab “returned from fighting the Ammonites” and went back to Jerusalem.

Well, after all this you would think that the Ammonites and Arameans would just admit defeat and let things stay as they were but that didn’t happen. For “after the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped” with Hadadezer having “Arameans brought from beyond the River” and sending them “to Helam with Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's army leading them”.

Again, word got to David about the Aramean regrouping and so he “gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam to meet the Arameans who had “formed their battle lines to meet David”…and with that the battle started.

Right away, it was obvious that the Arameans made a bad decision to challenge David again because before they fled Israel, he and his men “killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers” as well as “Shobach, the commander of their army”. And when “all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel”, they decided to make “peace with the Israelites”, becoming “subject to them” and afraid to “help the Ammonites anymore”.

In the end translation, the Lord had once again delivered Israel’s enemies into their hands in battle.

Why did He do so?

We find Joab helping us find the answer in this passage when he says this to his men:

“Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in His sight.”

In other words, he assured them that they need not fear so to stay bravely focused on the battle at hand because when it came right down to it, the Lord would do “what is good in His sight”…all because He is always in control.

My friends, these words can offer us encouragement too as we go forth each day to carry out what Jesus instructed us to do…to go forth and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all He commanded (Matthew 28:19-20). For as we go forth to do God’s will, we always seem to be up against our own enemy.

For David and his fighting men in this passage, it was the Ammonites and Arameans.

For us, it’s Satan who wants nothing more than to prevent us from doing what the Lord desires.

So how do we deal with the adversarial work of the devil in life?

We begin by going into each day unafraid while fighting bravely for the cause of Christ, knowing that we never fight alone. For not only did Jesus give us a command within His Great Commission, He also gave us the promise that He would be with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20)…and we know that will perfectly fulfill everything He said He would do.

And so, if we willfully and intentionally choose to partner with Jesus every day, going to do as He demanded with His power and presence in our hearts, minds, and souls, then trust me when I say that Satan will never have victory over us…for there is no way he will ever gain victory over Jesus. In fact, he has already been defeated.

Indeed, our Lord will always do what is good and He will do it in, through, and around us.

Going back to our passage today and specifically looking at verse 12, we can find additional assurances by looking at different translations while answering the following question:

“What will the Lord do?”

1. He will do “whatever He sees need doing”. (The Message)

The Lord has a plan and that plan is going to be fulfilled. We can trust in that.

And so our Lord will do whatever He sees needs to be done in order for His plan to be carried out successfully…and often He uses us to do that and so we need to offer ourselves to Him each and every day so He can use us in any way He sees fit to accomplish His purposes.

2. He will do “what seems good to Him”. (The Amplified Bible)

In the Book of James, we read this about the Lord:

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights”. (1:17)

Indeed, our Lord does whatever seems good to Him and will grant us good from above to make that happen. And since we serve a Lord who is perfectly right and just, then we can rest assured that He will always do what is perfectly good…and all His works as just that.

3. He will do “whatever pleases Him”. (The Contemporary English Version)

After all, He is the Lord…the Maker and Master of everything. And so it only makes sense that He makes everything happen in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Given this, it’s not our place to demand that He do anything because typically our petitions involve things that are pleasing to ourselves…and that might not always match with what would please the Lord so our prayer should be for the Lord to do what is pleasing in His sight because that is in fact what He will do.

His word assures us of this.

4. He will do “what He thinks is right”. (The New Century Version)

The Lord doesn’t make mistakes and so He never does wrong. We need to remember this.

So given that everything He does is right, we should praise Him for that, even when things in our lives might not seem to be working out in the way we think they should.

After all, as sinners who fall short of His glory (Romans 3:23), who are we to argue against Him?

5. He will do “His will and it will be done”. (The New Living Translation and Holman Christian Standard)

Brothers and sisters, there is no question that the Lord will do what He sees needs done…what seems good to Him…what pleases Him…and what He thinks is right. All these add up to equal His will and that will is going to be done in our life and in this world we live in, no matter what. Any fight against it being accomplished is absolutely futile because no one person is greater than the power of the Lord…a power that will ensure His will is always done.

It’s this truth that allowed Joab and his men to men to go to battle bravely and unafraid and it’s a truth that allows us to do likewise as we go through every day we’re blessed with.

So if you wonder what the Lord is doing in your life today, the answer is simple.

He’s doing what is good in His sight…just as He does each and every day.

Let’s be thankful for 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.

HELPING THE LOST BECOME FOUND

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 asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?"

"Your servant," he replied.

The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?"

Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet."

"Where is he?" the king asked.

Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir, son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar."

So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir, son of Ammiel.

When Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.

David said, "Mephibosheth!"

"Your servant," he replied.

"Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul and you will always eat at my table."

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me?"

Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do."

So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons.

Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica and all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king's table and he was crippled in both feet.

2 Samuel 9

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

How well do we show compassion and love to those who are marginalized by society…those who are pushed to the fringes and made to feel worthless and inadequate?

Do we actively seek to reach out and find these people, helping them see they are loved and valued?

Or do we consider ourselves blessed to not be like them and continue on with our everyday lives?

Personally, I couldn’t imagine how it feels to be culturally shunned, made to feel as if I don’t count but I know there are so many people who are and that’s why today’s scripture passage and the words the Lord has placed on my heart are so important.

For as 2 Samuel, chapter 9 opens, we see a refreshing shift in God’s word…a respite from reading about all the battles that Israel was involved in as we find David seeking to show kindness to someone…specifically someone from the “house of Saul”…and “for Jonathan's sake."

You remember Jonathan, right?

We saw earlier in 1 Samuel where he was the son of Saul who developed a special friendship with David (1 Samuel 18:1-4). The scriptures told us that they were one in spirit and that Jonathan loved David as himself, willing to do anything for his friend to include put his life on the line just to keep him safe. We saw where he did just that as he helped rescue David several times from the hands of his murderous father, the one who was the first king of Israel.

With this, it’s of little surprise that David is pleased to learn from his servant Ziba that a son of Jonathan was still alive, a man by the name of Mephibosheth who was “crippled in both feet." After learning this, we read where David demands that Mephibosheth be brought to him.

Now…it’s important to keep in mind at this point that the disabled were not cared for very well in biblical times. Most men were expected to work to make a living and fight in battle to protect the kingdom. A crippled man would have difficulty doing either and therefore was devalued, often having to resort to begging just to have a source of income. This made other look down upon them, often leaving feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.

And so as Mephibosheth is brought to David, the king, it’s no shock that he (Mephibosheth) “bowed down to pay him honor” as he identified himself as a servant. There’s little doubt that David’s reputation proceeded him and Mephibosheth could have been feeling like this was the end…that he might be executed for being part of Saul’s family.

Any of those feelings had to change as David said this:

“Don't be afraid…for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul and you will always eat at my table."

Imagine how unbelievable these words must have been for Mephibosheth! For if what David promised actually happened, his standard of living was about to change drastically...and for the better for he was about to go from begging for money to inheriting the wealth of his grandfather and dining with the king!

Well, we see where all this was just too much for Mephibosheth to comprehend for he “bowed down” and humbly asked David:

"What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"

His words had to pierce David’s heart for we get a sense of how Mephibosheth felt about himself and his place in the world…that he felt of no more worth than a dead dog. Unfortunately, he wasn’t alone because all other members of the society at that time who suffered from disabilities of some sort must have felt the same way...and perhaps some do today as well, a truth that truly saddens me as it should you.

Given this, are we going to do anything about it?

In our scripture passage, we see where David certainly took action as he “summoned Ziba” saying:

“I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table."

And so it was.

Ziba did what David commanded and “Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons” while living in Jerusalem. He had been lost…but now was found.

Now…up to this point, our discussion has centered on physical disabilities and how the handicapped often are sidelined and disenfranchised but there’s another form of disability I would like us to consider that this is the matter of spiritual disability. This includes a multitude of people today who think they are walking the road to success and goodness when they are really on the path to destruction and damnation…all because they’re lost and without a Savior. These people have gauged their value and status by the world’s standards, allowing Satan to blind them from Jesus, the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life…the only One who can bring anyone to God the Father (John 14:6).

The stark truth about things is that some people who feel they have everything actually have nothing…and conversely, some people who seem to have nothing have everything.

Jesus, the Savior of the world, provided a primer on being spiritually lost before being found in what is arguably His most well know parable…the Parable of the Lost or Prodigal Son:

Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.”

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country, and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating but no one gave him anything.”

“When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.”

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him. and kissed him.”

“The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'”

“But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.”  Luke 15:11-24

In the parable, the man’s son thought that he had it all going for him. He wanted to leave home for something better so he asked for his inheritance before his father had even died and went off to a distant country where he proceeded to throw away all his material wealth on wild living.

Think this ever happens today?

Well, the son found himself broke and in the midst of a famine…circumstances that put him in such great need that he hired himself out to feed pigs, rock bottom for a Jew who knew pigs were considered unclean in accordance with the law of Moses. We read where no one gave him anything and so he reached a point of starvation, yearning to just be able to eat the pods the pigs were eating.

And so we find the son at his lowest…separated from society and his family while feeling lost, alone, and hopeless.

It was at this point that we read where the son came to his senses and began to think that even his father’s servants were better off than he was and so he decided to return to his father and apologize for the wrongs he had committed, hoping he might be accepted back as a servant.

We see where he journeyed home to see his father, sure that he would face consternation and anger for what he had done but as we know, none of that happened. Instead, he experienced joy, grace, mercy, and love from his dad who ran to him, embraced him, and gave him a kiss. His son had been lost but now was found.

Now, this didn’t stop the son from saying he was sorry…confessing his sins to his father while asserting that he deserved to be disowned. Surely now, he must have thought that his father would give him a lecture on the poor choices he had made but that never happened for we read where the father told his servants to place his best robe on the son…to put sandals on his feet and a ring on his finger…to slay the fattened calf and prepare a great feast of celebration. The son’s return was reason for celebration not condemnation.

Today, the truth of the matter is that all people are lost and hopeless without a Savior…no matter what their physical health or worldly status might be.

As you read this, perhaps you have already run back to God the Father as I did more than 33 years ago, experiencing first-hand what the son in the parable did. No criticism…only forgiveness and love…rejoicing and celebrating over another child who returned to him and was saved…a child who, once dead was now alive.

But maybe you’re reading this and have never placed your belief in Jesus. You’re still like the son when he was lost in a distant country far from the Father. Maybe you’re just now realizing how you are spiritually dead while physically alive…teetering on the edge of losing your chance at salvation…your name missing in the Lamb’s Book of Life and in desperate need of being found before it’s too late and you end up in Hell forever.

If this is you, my advice is to not delay one more second in placing your faith in Jesus as Savior and running back to your Father who is waiting your return. Don’t wait until you reach spiritual starvation and hit rock bottom before you decide to go home and seek forgiveness and a better life through Christ…the only One who can bring us to God the Father for ever (John 3:16 and 14:6).

In the end translation, we can be certain that we serve a heavenly Father who loves us compassionately and unconditionally, no matter where we are. This wonderful Father never wants to see us lost or marginalized or mistreated or feeling hopeless. Rather, He is ever watching and waiting for the lost to return home to Him and become found…an event that brings celebration in Heaven each and every time.

Ultimately, what we experience from God through putting our faith in Jesus can be referred to as amazing grace…and it is truly a sweet sound that saves the wretched and sinful…that helps the lost become found…that helps those who were blind see…that helps those who were dead come alive…forever.

Is there any news much better than that?

It’s no wonder they call it good.

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.

SET FREE TO SERVE

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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In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

Moreover, David fought Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control along the Euphrates River. David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. From Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

When Tou, king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze.

King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He put garrisons throughout Edom and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. Joab, son of Zeruiah, was over the army; Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was recorder; Zadok, son of Ahitub and Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, were priests; Seraiah was secretary; Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were royal advisers.

2 Samuel 8

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

In chapter 7 of 2 Samuel, the Lord promised David He would “make his name great” while giving him rest from his enemies. As we turn to chapter 8, we see where He begins to make good on that promise.

We know this because David and the Israelite army experience a series of conquests over neighboring nations that ultimately expanded their territory and established the boundaries of the Promised Land…boundaries pledged by God to the Israelites earlier through these words:

“If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him - then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon and from the Euphrates River to the western sea. No man will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as He promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land wherever you go.” Deuteronomy 11:22-25

We read where David first “defeated the Philistines and subdued them”, taking control of Metheg Ammah and establishing control of additional territory to their west.

He also defeated the Moabites, allowing only a third of their people to live and those who did survive “became subject to David and brought tribute”. The land of Moab, coupled with the land of the Ammonites, gave Israel additional territory to their east but they could not extend their boundary to the Euphrates as the Lord stated until he defeated “Hadadezer…king of Zobah”.

And so we read where “David fought Hadadezer…to restore his control along the Euphrates River”, capturing “a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers” while disabling all but “a hundred of the chariot horses”. Despite this, David wasn’t fully victorious yet because “the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer” and they too experienced defeat at the hands of David and his men who “struck down twenty-two thousand of them” before putting “garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus”. The Arameans then also became subject to David and brought him tribute.

Additionally, David also found victory to the southwest by defeating the Amalekites and “became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt” in the south. Scripture tells us that David “put garrisons throughout Edom” and made “all the Edomites” subject to him.

Well, while David was gaining all these victories, the scriptures tell us that “Tou, king of Hamath, heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer”. Of interest, Tou had been at war with the Arameans and was afraid that David might attack him too and so he sought to make peace with David first, sending “his son Joram” to him “to greet…and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer”. We read where “Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze”, gifts intended to show David honor and respect, and the act worked for we don’t read where David attacked Tou or Hamath.

Through all this, we see where David didn’t just gain valuable territory but also valuable plunder and tribute as well. He took “the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer” and “took a great quantity of bronze” from “Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer”, bringing the items to Jerusalem and dedicating them “to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued” such as “Edom and Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines, and Amalek”.

And so there was no doubt that David had great success in all his battles but we know it only happened because it was the will of the Lord who “gave David victory wherever he went”. What an assurance this must have been for Israel’s new king who “reigned over all Israel” and did “what was just and right for all his people” for he didn’t have to worry about his enemies because the Lord was with him…the Lord who promised him rest from them.

In the end translation, David was set free to serve the Lord’s people in a just and right way…while fulfilling God’s purpose because he knew his Lord was with him and for him.

Friends, the good news in this message is that we have the same promised peace and assurance from the Lord…a peace and assurance that the Lord will watch over us, keep us in His care, bring us to victory over our enemies, and set us free to serve Him and others in accordance with His purpose for us. To affirm this, consider these verses:

For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Proverbs 2:6-8

As we strive daily to learn the Lord’s ways through seeking His will and receiving His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, we find ourselves living upright lives…lives that are centered on Jesus and the way He lived in perfect righteousness and holiness. And as we carry out what the Lord wants in life, He rewards these efforts to follow Him faithfully by granting us victory over Satan while shielding, guarding, and protecting us in our walk with Him. It’s this assurance of victory and safeguarding that allows us to boldly go forth to carry out God’s will for our lives…just as David did. Look at these words from the 121st Psalm:

The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm — He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Vv. 5-8

These words, found in one of the songs of ascent, offer us the promise that the Lord is watching over us always…day and night…keeping us safe from all harm while watching over our lives...now and forever.

Are these not awesome words of comfort and peace for us in the midst of a world that can often appear scary and dangerous?

Through whatever comes, we simply must remember that the Lord is indeed Emmanuel…God with us…not just some of the time but all of the time…and He is always working things for the good of those who are devoted to Him. We are guaranteed this in this verse from the Book of Romans:

…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

So…since we’ve been granted victory and given shielding, guarding, and protecting as the Lord watches over us and keeps us from harm, then surely we should know without a doubt that God truly does work for the good of those who love Him. We should also fully realize that we have been called according to His purpose…a purpose that we are to seek…a purpose we are to find…and a purpose we are to fulfill…just as David did…because we, like he, have the awesome promise of guardianship from the most powerful Guardian anyone could ever have.

My brother and sisters, doesn’t this truth liberate us? Doesn’t this truth from God’s Word allow us to go forth in life carry out His will without worry…unencumbered by any burden of fear?

My prayer is that we will boldly live out our lives as the Apostle Paul did for the cause of the Gospel, feeling the same way he did when he penned these words to the Hebrews:

“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’" 13:6

Indeed, what can man do against a God who can do all things…a God who protects those who love and follow Him…a God who has an awesome, wonderful purpose for those who love Him and protects them as they seek to fulfill His purposes.

Today and every day, let’s give thanks to our Lord who sets us free to serve.

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.

KEY ELEMENTS OF PRAYER

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

"Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family that You have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in Your sight, O Sovereign Lord, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. Is this Your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?”

“What more can David say to you? For you know Your servant, O Sovereign Lord. For the sake of Your word and according to Your will, You have done this great thing and made it known to Your servant.”

“How great You are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like You and there is no God but You as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a name for Himself and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt? You have established Your people Israel as Your very own forever and You, O Lord, have become their God.”

“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise You have made concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You promised, so that Your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of Your servant David will be established before You.”

“O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, You have revealed this to Your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So Your servant has found courage to offer You this prayer. O Sovereign Lord, You are God! Your words are trustworthy and You have promised these good things to Your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of Your servant that it may continue forever in Your sight; for You, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever."

2 Samuel 7:18-29

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

At the beginning of 2nd Samuel, chapter 7, the Lord sends a message to David via the prophet Nathan. You’ll remember that David had spoken to the prophet about an idea he had based on guilty feelings. For David, who was living in a “palace of cedar”, didn’t think it was appropriate that the ark of God was in a tent. And so in his heart, knowing he could command anything to happen as king, David planned on building a structure to house the holy ark and after hearing him out, Nathan encouraged him to go ahead and do whatever was on his mind because the Lord was with him.

Well, while it was true that God was with David, He also reserved the right to dictate what would and wouldn’t happen and David hadn’t consulted Him first before coming up with his grand plan. And so we saw the Lord intervene, sending David a message through Nathan which essentially reminded Israel’s king that He and He alone would choose when, where, and by whose hands the house for the ark would be built.

Further, you’ll recall that He also reminded David of how He had brought him to where he was, taking him from the pasture to become the ruler over all of Israel and blessing him every step of the way. He had also set apart the Israelites to be His (God’s) people and therefore would continue to watch over them. Finally, we saw the Lord assure David that his offspring would be blessed as well, assuming his throne and kingdom with his son being the one who would build the house for His name. Of course, we know this referred to Solomon who would later assume the throne of his father and build God’s temple.

And so as we closed yesterday’s message, David had received this special message from the Lord. So what would he do next?

We see where he did what we all hopefully would do as believers for as we move to the closing verses of 2 Samuel, chapter 7, we see where David turned to the Lord in prayer and teaches us some important elements that we should use in our own prayers anytime we come before the Lord.

First, note how David consistently acknowledges God’s authority.

He calls Him “Sovereign Lord” and “Lord Almighty”, establishing God as being the one true King and sovereign Ruler over all things, a King and Rucker who was Almighty, possessing a power above and over anything and anyone. While David had been granted a powerful, ruling position as king over Israel, he understood that his authority paled in comparison to the King he served and answered to…the King of all kings and Lord of all Lords.

And this leads to the second element we should copy from David’s prayer...humility.

For note the first thing that David says to his sovereign, almighty Lord:

“Who am I…and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in Your sight, O Sovereign Lord, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. Is this Your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?”

Through his words, we see where David saw himself and his family as completely unworthy and undeserving of God’s favor. And yet, God had blessed him immensely, bringing him to be king at the time and place where he was in prayer.

But God didn’t stop there for He also promised future blessings on the house of David well beyond his passing and all this led David to wonder whether or not this was His usual way of dealing with man.

Today, I think we should be able to relate to David wondering why the Almighty God of all creation would even be mindful of him and his family. For as believers today, we know all too well the truth contained in Romans 3:23:

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Confessing this in humility helps us remember our fallen state before a Lord who hates sin…and the great mercy, grace, and love He showed us by offering up His one and only Son Jesus so that we wouldn’t perish but have eternal life after simply believing in Him as Savior. No one has earned this or deserves it and yet God still grants it to us, even going as far to make us His children, now and forever.

Or in other words, the King becomes our Father as well…and like any parent, He has a plan for us in life.

David knew this and acknowledged God’s will and the power of His word over His people…the third important element needed in prayer.

For while we may have our fixations on what God should do for us, we must remember that He will do for us what He wills for us.

In other words, we aren’t in control.

He is…and we are to submit to His authority as the Maker and Master of all created things…our Heavenly Father who loves us and wants to give us the best, even though we so often fall short of living up to His expectations.

Let’s go back to David’s prayer and revisit what he had to say to God:

“What more can David say to you? For you know Your servant, O Sovereign Lord. For the sake of Your word and according to Your will, You have done this great thing and made it known to Your servant.”

Indeed, what more can be said to a God who knows us better than we know ourselves?

In David’s case, the Lord fully knew him and felt he would be a good fit to rule over His people. Therefore, it was His will to appoint David as king and by His will and Word, to bless Israel and future generations of David’s family.

As we go through our own lives day by day, we would well served to just surrender to God’s will and Word instead of resist and fight against it. For if we would only give control over to the Lord and acknowledge that He knows what is best for us…if we would only understand, like David, that He knows us and will use His will and Word to put us in the place He wants us to be in order to fulfill His purposes…then we would find ourselves so much more content in whatever our circumstances are because we have placed our full trust in our Lord…the only place our trust should be.

And when we do this, when we surrender to the Lord fully, placing our complete trust in Him, then we end up in a place where we can praise Him for everything that He does in our lives because we are carrying out His will while following His way every day.

Therefore, we don’t deserve any of the glory but can easily surrender it to the One who deserves all of it. David was brought to this point…the point of praise in prayer, the fourth important element we’ll cover today.

Again, let’s go back to the words of David:

“How great You are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like You and there is no God but You as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a name for Himself and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? You have established Your people Israel as Your very own forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God.”

Here’s we see where David takes time to acknowledge God’s greatness and distinction…and rightfully so for what else would somebody say about a God who created and made everything, speaking it into existence?

If that isn’t great, then what is?

And since God and God alone created everything in Heaven and on earth, then truly He was…and is…in a class by Himself with no rival…not then…not now…not ever.

David went on to extend his praise of the Lord by wondering if there were any other people like the people of Israel, not that they had done anything themselves to be distinguished but only because God had favored them, driving out nations and their gods while redeeming them from their enemies.

If we’re honest today, we see where the Lord still favors His children who should always turn to Him in prayer, offering Him praise while acknowledging that He and He alone is God…infinitely almighty with no equal…and able to do all things in, around, and through us.

With that understanding in hand, we can find ourselves confident as we come before the Lord with any request or petition…the fifth key element of prayer. For when we see God for who He is…Sovereign, Almighty, and Great…and because of this, able to do all things in accordance with His will, way and word for us, then we can approach Him with confidence as we lift up our requests to Him.

Back to David’s prayer again where we read this:

“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise You have made concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You promised, so that Your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of Your servant David will be established before You.”

After  David recognized and praised God’s blessing on him, his family, and his people, we see where he now asks the Lord to forever keep the promise He made. For David knew that when God’s people knew and relied on His promises, then they would ever lift up God as their Lord Almighty…the One through which everything is possible.

The same thing will happen to us as believers today if we follow David’s lead and intentionally seek to identify all God has done and is doing in our lives. In other words, we should be counting our blessings and when we do then we will find ourselves in a spirit of thanksgiving, the final key element that we see in David’s prayer as he finished saying:

“O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, You have revealed this to Your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So Your servant has found courage to offer You this prayer. O Sovereign Lord, You are God! Your words are trustworthy and You have promised these good things to Your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of Your servant that it may continue forever in Your sight; for You, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”

When someone helps us in some way, we typically take the time to thank them for what they’ve done. In fact, it’s been said that the second most powerful set of words after “I love you” are “Thank you” and we simply can’t say them enough…to one another and certainly to our God.

And so David finishes his prayer by thanking the Lord for what He has done for him…for revealing His will and way for him, his family, and the nation of Israel…and for providing the blessings that he (David) and his house had experienced.

Friends, if we would truly sit down and account for all the many blessings the Lord has given, we would always find ourselves in a spirit of appreciation…for God has given us so very much…much more than we deserve…and for that we should give be grateful.

The good news for us today is that our Lord has so much more in store. For we know that through His promises to us…promises that we, like David, know are trustworthy…there is an abundance of blessings yet to come both in this life and the assurance of the better one yet to come through Jesus Christ.

Just one more reason for us to be eternally thankful.

And so as I close today, would you join me in a word of prayer?

Almighty, Omnipotent, Everlasting God,

We draw before You now in humbleness, not worthy to be in Your presence for we are sinners who have failed You too many times. Forgive us, O Lord, for the times we have fallen short of Your expectations and show us the right way to live, the way You want us to go in life. Illuminate us with Your Holy Spirit and instruct is with Your Word…lighting the path that You want us to walk while revealing the things You want us to do. Right here and now, we surrender ourselves to Your leadership and guidance.

And we praise You, O God, for You and You alone have brought us to this place and time after blessing us so richly with each and every day. We’re so thankful to know how much You love us as Your children…because of that, we know You only want the best for us. And so we submit ourselves to You right now and ask that You mold and shape us to be the people You want us to be. Clothe us in Your righteousness, we pray, so that others might see a glimpse of You through the way we live.

Lord, we just love You so much and want to love like You love…unconditionally and eternally. To that end, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts and help us become more like Your Son Jesus…who You sent to die on the cross for our sins and offer us the promise of eternal life. When people see us, we pray they will really be getting a look at who Jesus is.

We thank you God for all this and more. For Your blessings have flowed and continue to flow abundantly to us and we can always trust that You are near…just as You are this very moment as we offer this prayer to You in Your most holy and wonderful Name, the Name that is far above every other. 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.