Looking Up

Donna Braman

This Is The Day The Lord Has Made And I Shall Rejoice In It!

ON THE BOTTOM LOOKING UP

Scripture: 1 Samuel 27:1-7

Has the enemy come at you so bad lately that it has knocked the sails out of you or has left you feeling hopeless. Lets look at what happened to King David when the enemy tried to snuff his life out and destroy God's will for him.

David was tired of being chased by the enemy. For eight years Saul had relentlessly pursued him. With no indication that things would change, David began to despair about his future. God's anointed leader experienced a failure of faith. Though God had promised to prosper him, his trust faltered. He could not wait any longer.

Isn't that how we feel sometimes? We know that God has promised good things for those who wait on Him and every one of His promises is "yes" in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20), but our faith, like David's wavers. But God was teaching temperance and patience to the young future King.

Israel's future King assessed his options and chose the "best one", to form an alliance with the godless Philistines. By moving from faith to human reasoning, he stepped out of God's will. David joined with the enemies of God's people. In doing so, he compromised the very thing to which he had committed himself, being Israel's leader.

So you can see by this example giving in to the enemy and joining with them is going to make your situation worse and take longer to get back in step with God's will for us. Sometimes even (so called) Christians in the church desert us, but you know God never leaves us.

Seed Word:

Fortunately, when you hit bottom in your Christian walk as David did, there is a way back. Focusing upon the Lord can lead you out of discouragement and back into His presence. The initial step is repentance: confess your lack of faith, receive God's forgiveness, and pledge to follow only Him, and refuse to allow nay sayers to discourage you. This is why David became a man after God's own heart, for he had a repentant heart when he stepped out of God's will and he began to allow God to direct him.

Next, strengthen yourself in the Lord, seek his approval and not man's. Rest in His power and recall His faithfulness in your past, and remember His promises. That way, you can center attention upon Him instead of troubles the devil sends your way. Finally, resolve to trust God for the future, and ask His Holy Spirit for help. (Mark 9:24) Repentance, Recall, Reflection, Remembrance and Resolve. Won't you walk upon the road that leads upward to the Father today!