-June 23, 2022-
Good morning, happy Thursday,
“And David said in his heart, ‘Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.’”
(1 Samuel 27:1).
Spiritually, David was at his lowest ebb. He had been on the run from Saul for many years. In his flesh, he was tired and frustrated. Had he forgotten that Samuel anointed him as king? Had he forgotten how God had preserved and protected him from Saul so many times? He wanted to give up and give in, to throw in towel. In our flesh, we are a lot like David. We have little endurance and find it hard to wait on the Lord.
Elijah the prophet was discouraged and depressed, making him flee from the wicked queen Jezebel who had threatened his life. She blamed him for the 450 prophets of Baal who died on Mount Carmel. God encouraged him and brought him strength. The Lord also worked on David’s behalf, and he became king over Judah for seven years, then over all Israel for thirty three years. In David’s case, Saul was killed shortly after this as recorded in 1 Samuel 31.
God does not want us to quit or give up no matter how difficult our circumstances are. Nowadays people give up on their marriages, their jobs, their college studies, and even their ministries for the Lord. We build endurance by enduring, we gain strength through hard times. When we give up, we are in affect, laying down our cross, rejecting our lot and our thorn. It never works well for anyone, especially when the Lord is with us.
It got so bad for David that he colluded with the Philistines, Israel’s great enemies. In fact he would have fought with them against Israel had not the lords of the Philistines refused to let him and his men fight with them, fearing he would turn against them in battle. We can do some pretty awful things when we go outside the will of God. God intervened for him or things would have been much worse. Someone once said, “If God brought you to it, He will bring you through it.” Let’s not give up before the miracle and victory comes.
May the Lord help us to pray, have faith, and keep pressing on. He is with us and will never leave us nor forsake us. If we quit and give up, the devil will win. We must keep our eyes on Jesus not on our circumstances.
Have a blessed day looking to Jesus for His help. Don’t give up or quit. Stay safe and healthy.
In His presence and power,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 