The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
2 Samuel 8-9, 1 Chronicles 18
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 5: Kings and Prophets: God shapes a kingdom people
Background Information: 2 Samuel 8-9, 1 Chronicles 18
In 2 Sam. 7:11, God told David that he will give him rest from all his enemies. The next chapter we find God giving David victory over his enemies east, west, north and south. God is granting David rest and Israel peace on the other side of war. As we read these brief accounts of victory on the battlefield, we can easily fail to consider what this looked like in actual practice. It was men fighting in bloody hand-to-hand combat. It was kill or be killed, conquer or be conquered. The Bible does not shrink back from the real cause of war: sin. Neither does it paint a rosy picture of a world without war. David, the man after God’s own heart, is Israel’s warrior king. He brings peace to Israel through victory over the enemies of God. Jesus, the true King from David’s line, came the first time to bear our sin on the cross. He will return riding a white war horse to bring final justice (Revelation 19:11). War is terrible; it always has been, always will be. It need not be inevitable, but because of humanities rebellion to God, it will exist until the Lord Jesus brings final victory over sin. Though most of us will not fight in physical battles, we all live in a state of perpetual spiritual warfare. We, like David, must rely on Jesus for victory and, at the same time, give full effort to fighting the good fight of the faith. In fact, we should be less like David and more like the Lord Jesus himself. Jesus was fully obedient all the way to the Cross. David continues to walk a line between obedience and disobedience. He is following the law given to kings in Deuteronomy 17 to a degree by not amassing a large number of war horses or large amounts of wealth. However, he keeps some horses and some treasure. May God make us like his Son who said, “Not my will but yours be done.” We must not “sort of obey.” This is the way to “sort of” have peace and spiritual victory in our lives. If this sounds like something beyond your capacity, then consider Mephibosheth. He was a crippled son of Jonathan, living in a city called Lo-debar (nowhere). A nobody, living in nowhere, with no wealth and no health is suddenly taken to live in the palace of the King. Fight the good fight and be found faithful, but remember, we are all more like Mephibosheth than David. In the end, we must put our full trust in Jesus, not in our ability to fight.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for CAYM as they work with Counteract International. Counteract runs juvenile prison and aftercare ministries in El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. With CAYM’s help, Counteract is seeking to provide mentors so that youth will not get drawn back into gangs and crime.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.