Consider

What does it take for us, as humans, to have feelings of love for another person? One might say that it starts with physical attraction, a sparkling personality, beaming charisma or their air of confidence, but I would argue that this only helps us to like a person. What compels us to love someone? Might I suggest that the primary reason we have extreme feelings for another person has as much to do with who they are as it does with what they have done for us? I can attest that my love for someone is directly connected to how I am treated by them. The more I am shown love by them, the more I want to show love to them. I believe the same is true when it comes to our love for the Lord. It is primarily because of what God has done for me, and continues to do for me, that my love for him continues to grow. Because of who he is, I am inspired to reverently fear him, and because of what he has done, I have a desire to serve him faithfully with all of my heart. In First Samuel, chapter 12, verse 24, we find these words:

“But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.” 

When you consider the great things God has done for you, does it inspire you to fear the Lord and to serve him faithfully with all of your heart? I would imagine the answer is, “yes”. I’ve heard it said that the quickest way to gain someone’s trust is to save their life. God saved our lives at the expense of his Son’s. He provided a way for us to spend eternity with him in heaven and rescued us from eternal hell. In this life he continues to show his faithfulness by answering our prayers, moving on our behalf, comforting us, healing us, encouraging us and correcting us, among other things. Samuel said, “Be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.” Will you fear the Lord? Will you serve him faithfully with all of your heart? If you want that to be your desire, all you have to do is consider what great things he has done for you.

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One reason you may love the Lord is because of who he is. Though this is true for me, I think the main reason I love him is because of what he has done for me. What has God done for you? I encourage you to count your blessings. Consider what God has given you. Consider what God has done for you. Consider the prayers he has answered. And consider what he has protected you from. God loves everyone, but for those who he calls his children, he will give eternal life in heaven with him. When you consider these things, I hope that it inspires you to reverently fear the Lord and to serve him with all of your heart.

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Do it Again

Does your faith ever waver? When you are faced with something that is bigger than yourself do you lose heart? If you find yourself in that place where your world has been upended and only God can make things right, I encourage you to give yourself a quick history lesson. Has God ever delivered you in the past? Has he ever come through in a pinch stopping you from doing something that would be a huge mistake or helping you in a situation that is far beyond your abilities or that extends beyond your resources? If he has then I encourage you to have faith that he can do it again. David’s faith was strong - so strong that he knew God would deliver Goliath into his hands even though Goliath was more than a physical match for him. His faith was unwavering because he remembered how God helped him in the past and he knew that God could do it again. It says in First Samuel, chapter 17, verses 36 and 37: 

“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.”

David’s faith level may sound extreme, but it shouldn’t. He remembered what we all should know, that God is bigger than any circumstance. We should not depend only on what we see with our eyes, because God is at work in ways we cannot see. Every one of us may find ourselves faced with our personal “Goliath”. We may be faced with a situation, an adversary, or a problem that without the help of God would certainly crush us. When that happens, we should do what David did. We should remember what God has done for us in the past, and remember that he can do it again. If you are in that place right now, I encourage you to allow your faith to be fueled by reflecting on God’s track record. If he has delivered you in the past, know that he will do it again. 

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David had a long track record with God. He was able to quickly reflect on how God delivered him from the lion and the bear, knowing that if God helped him to overcome those physical barriers, then he could help him overcome this one as well. And if David were to face a mental, emotional, relational, financial, or health issue, he may be able to remember a time when God aided him through those challenges as well and could use those experiences to help him know that God could deliver him again. If you have a long track record with God, you can do the same. But what if you are new to the faith? What if your track record with God is short? You may have a difficult time identifying a time when God delivered you. If that is the case, I would encourage you to lean on the experiences of others - those of whom you know God has intervened. Or lean on scripture, like this account in First Samuel, where he showed up for David in a mighty way. The Bible reminds us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. If he showed up for David, or for someone you know, then he can do the same for you. But you must have faith.

Lord's Eyes

You’re probably familiar with the phrase, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. For those who aren’t, it means that a person’s outward appearance may not accurately reflect who they really are. So, we shouldn’t make blanket assumptions based only on visual cues. I don’t know about you, but I’m guilty of doing this quite often. If someone is well-dress, well-groomed, and wearing glasses, I assume that person is intelligent. If someone is well-muscled and tall, I assume they are into sports. And if someone is unusually attractive, I assume they are popular. Most of us make snap judgments based on the appearance of others. Sometimes we are right and many times we are wrong. Samuel made that mistake when considering who God might anoint as the next king. After king Saul was rejected, God sent the prophet, Samuel, to the house of Jesse. God had in mind one of his sons to be the next king. Then it says in first Samuel, chapter 16, verses 6 and 7:

“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.’”

Saul looked like he would be a great leader. The Bible described him as, “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites - a head taller than any of the others.” He looked impressive. But only a few chapters later God rejected him as king because of his disobedience. David, who God chose to replace Saul, is later described as a man after God’s heart. He didn’t look as impressive as Saul, but as it says in first Samuel, “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” If we are to reflect the character of God, we should look at the heart as well. It may take us a little longer than it takes God to discern the heart of a person, but the Bible teaches us that we can judge a person by their fruit. We will know where a person’s heart is if we listen to what comes out of their mouth and examine what kind of fruit they are bearing - or what kind of results are born from their actions. So I encourage you not to judge a book by it’s cover. Give everyone a chance to show you what is in their heart. It might surprise you who God may use to do great things.  

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David is described, in first Samuel, as a ruddy young man with a fine appearance and handsome features. Though these are nice attributes, they aren’t necessarily features one might associate with a great king. But David proved to be a great king in the eyes of his people and in the eyes of God. Why? Because, “the Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” How is your heart today? What kind of fruit are you producing? Are you producing any fruit at all? God doesn’t really care if you are impressive to men. What gets God’s attention is your heart. Let us all pursue getting God’s attention like David did. Let us all be people after God’s own heart.

Bold Trust

There is a level of trust that many believers have in the Lord. We trust the promises of his word. We trust that he will hear our prayers. And we trust that he loves us in spite of our sinful nature. But there is a trust that goes beyond the normal; one that extends our faith beyond what is typical as we lean hard on our faith and believe in the mighty power of the God we serve. Mature believers understand that there are times when our trust in God must be bold, where we are to lay everything on the line not faltering and not doubting, but believing with everything that is within us that God will hear us and answer us in our time of need. We understand that there are times when we are to respond like David did in first Samuel, chapter 17, verses 45 through 47, which says:

“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.’”

Against insurmountable odds, and against an adversary that if operating in the flesh would’ve certainly destroyed David, he stretched his faith and placed his trust in God in a way that few would. Even though the eyes of the Israelites saw certain defeat at the hands of the giant, David knew the God he served and boldly trusted him to win the day. There was no doubt in his heart when he challenged Goliath. And if there was fear, his words did not reflect it. It was almost as if David knew something that no one else there did; as if his faith was at a level that defied their understanding. When we are met with insurmountable odds, and are faced with an enemy that clearly pits itself against God or his plans for our life, we should have the same boldness that David did. He spoke boldly with faith that didn’t waver, and we should too.

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Earlier in first Samuel, God exalts David as a “man after his own heart”, partially because of David’s bold trust in him. We serve an all-powerful God through whom there is nothing that can’t be accomplished. If God is for us, who can be against us? Sometimes we forget who God is. Sometimes, like Peter, we take our eyes off of him and notice the waves around us which causes our faith to waver and for us to sink in despair. We need to be like David, and trust God beyond human reason. We need to remember the God we serve; a God who created everything and has control over everything. Though we may not experience miracles on a daily basis, we should never forget that the same God of the Bible is alive and well today; that he hears our cries for help and he can literally move heaven and earth to save us. Through him, David slew a giant which ultimately led to the defeat of the Philistines. What do you think he can do through you if you boldly call upon him in your time of need?