Lessons From David 1
By Tosin Lawal
Devotional Reading: 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.” 1 Sam 17:37NIV
There is a burden in the heart of God for you to learn from the life of David. Even though he was never a perfect man like you, God still acknowledges and refers to him as a man after his own heart.
David was the youngest of seven brothers borne to Jesse. He was a man whom God delighted in so much, targeted, and anointed to be the king of Israel. David was a man whom the Lord never uttered that He ever regretted making king, unlike Saul, whom God said He (God) regretted making king. King David was a man who never lost a single battle among all the battles he engaged in throughout his life as a king.
One of the lessons God wants you to learn from David is that David had so much faith in the ability of God to save him and the nation of Israel from the hands of their oppressors. He had so much faith in God that when Goliath was challenging the people of God, the nation of Israel, in a battle and everyone was terrified and afraid to confront Goliath, the head of the Philistine army, David displayed what I can refer to as a “Holy anger.” Look at what David said in 1 Samuel 17:26, David spoke to the men standing near him. He asked them, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine? Goliath is bringing shame on Israel. What will be done for the one who removes it? This Philistine isn’t even circumcised. He dares the armies of the living God to fight him. Who does he think he is?” 1 Samuel 17:26 NIRV
Can you see that? David recognized that no person, force or spirit is competent enough to dare or fight anyone that has pitched his tent with God. David further asked King Saul to permit him to go in battle with Goliath. David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone lose hope because of that Philistine. I’ll go out and fight him.” 1 Samuel 17:32 NIRV. The amazing fact about this story is that David was a teenager when this event happened in his life. You can imagine a teenager displaying so much confidence in God in the face of crisis, even when every other person, including the king, has lost hope that God could deliver them from the enemy’s oppression. Even though Goliath was a giant and skilled in battle, David killed him.
Dearly beloved, you are God’s child. His beloved and highly esteemed child. God is committed to you. God’s power is always working for you. As long as you exist on this planet earth, you will often be confronted with challenges that seem insurmountable.
The devil will often throw stones at you. There will be a time in your life that it will look as though life’s challenges will overcome you. Be like David. Stand undaunted in the ability of God always to help you. When every other person is skeptical about whether God will help or not, be like David; never let anything take away your confidence in the reality that God’s power will work out help for you. And you will surely see God at work.
Prayer and Confession
I’m God’s dearly beloved child. God’s power is always working; No force can match his power,
God’s power is always working out help for me. Amen.
Further readings: 1 Sam 17:1-58, Judges 6:11-31, Ephesians 1:19-21
Reading Psalms: Psalm 146-150
