(Read 1 Samuel 18:13-16)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” When we left off in David’s story king Saul threw a spear at David, attempting to kill the young man because of the jealousy in his heart. This is actually very interesting, because Saul, being the king, could have simply spoken a word and had David arrested or killed. However, no matter how much power Saul had, God had his hand on David and the Lord was protecting him. I am not sure how he knew it, but Saul knew he could not touch David, at least not in a traditional way.
King Saul opted to send David into combat, hoping he would die on the frontlines. Saul made David a commander and sent him on his way. However, even this plan backfired on Saul. David faithfully led his troops into battle. The Bible says, “David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.” This was David’s time. David was walking into his season. David was operating under the grace of God on his life and there was nothing Saul, or anyone else could do about it. David was blessed. The best definition for the Hebrew word translated “blessing” I can find is: nothing missing, nothing lacking, nothing broken, completely at peace. That was David’s life. David’s life had drastically changed in a matter of weeks and he was walking in the blessing of the Lord.
The Bible says that when Saul recognized what God was doing in David’s life, “He became even more afraid of him.” Think about that statement for a minute. King Saul, a man who was a Sovereign in the land — who had no checks or balanced, who was basically the supreme authority in his kingdom — was afraid of a teenager, because that teenager had the grace of God on his life to lead the nation of Israel. In other words, Saul was afraid because he knew that the same God who had anointed him to be king had already picked his replacement, and although he knew he had power, he also knew he could not go against God. We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God has all power. There is nothing (literally nothing) God cannot do.
2. God has ultimate authority. All authorities in the earth are subject to God’s authority (Rom 13:1).
3. God has plans for you. Before you were born God made plans for you and they are good plans (see Jer 1:5; Jer 29:11; Ps 139:15,16; Isa 49:1; Rom 8:28-32).
4. Nothing can stop the grace of God when it is in operation in your life. For God to freely operate in your life He seeks your full cooperation, but when you are cooperating, and He is operating, there is nothing the devil or anyone in the earth can do to stop God’s plans for your life. The only person who can stop the grace of God from flowing is you. When you stop cooperating you stop God from operating, but when you repent and go back to make an alignment with your assignment, the grace will flow again.
5. Success will not come without opposition. God’s grace flowing in your life does not mean that you will enjoy a perpetual picnic. All who live Godly will suffer persecution and opposition (2 Tim 3:12), but the good news is that with the grace of God flowing in your life, you WILL come out on top. The road will not always be easy, but you won’t have to face the challenges alone. Once God’s grace is on you, the only way you can lose is if you quit.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this teaching. You have all power. There is nothing You cannot do. You sit on the circle of the earth and all things are under Your feet. You also have all authority. There is no authority in the earth, except that which You have allowed. All authority in heaven and in earth is subject to You. And You Father, the creator and sustainer of all things, took the time and still take the time to think about me. You made plans for me before the foundations of the world. You planned out my days and Your plans for me are good. My goal in life is to find, follow, and finish Your plans for me. I consciously make an alignment with my divine assignment. I submit to Your Kingdom plans and purposes for my life. As I do, Your grace freely flows to and through me. I know I will face opposition along the way, but I also know that the opposition cannot stop Your grace. The only way I can lose is if I quit, and I refuse to quit. I shall not give up or cave in. No matter how hard it gets, I know Your grace is on me to succeed. I trust You and I cooperate with You, so You can freely operate in my life. In Jesus’ name.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
