(Read 1 Samuel 16)
Today I will continue with “Faith and Patience Volume 5 – Greater is Coming!” We are studying the life of David. David’s story is impressive and inspirational. I trust you are enjoying it thus far.
Before we move on into chapter 17, I want to provide a quick recap of chapter 16. In this chapter, we were introduced to David, and we quickly saw God’s hand at work his life. It’s easy to emphasize the overwhelming outpour of grace and favor we see in this passage, but let’s take a few moments to think about David before his coronation.
David was the 8th and final son of Jesse. As the youngest, within the Hebrew culture, David was last in the pecking order. His oldest brother, Eliab, was first in line for the birthright, and everything flowed downhill from him. From the way he was omitted from the lineup, we can surmise that David was some sort of loner. David spent a great deal of his time tending to his father’s sheep. We later learn that he protected the sheep at all costs, even when it involved fighting a lion and a bear with his bare hands.
As the shepherd of the sheep, David watched as the sheep built a dependency on his leadership. They followed him wherever he led them. They relied on him for protection. Without David, the sheep would go astray. Without the sheep, David did not have anyone to lead because he was certainly not a leader at home. So David found his significance in the field. He did all he could to remain faithful to his father and the sheep, even when it seemed like no one was watching. However, we know God was watching. His years in the field helped David later pen the 23rd Psalm.
God had plans for David, and I am sure deep down inside, he knew it. He knew he was born for something bigger than sheep, but I am also sure that he could not have imagined, in a thousand years, that he would wind up as the King of Israel. So David remained faithful to what was before him, dreaming of what could come next, not really sure how it would happen. David did nothing to make Samuel come to his house and call for him. David did nothing to make God anoint him the next King of Israel. David did nothing to cause the King to call him into the palace. David was simply faithful to what he was supposed to be doing, and his breakthrough came. David’s breakthrough did not come because of his faith. David’s breakthrough clearly came by God’s grace!
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God made plans for you before the world began. He has plans for you now. You are not a mistake. You are destined. At just the right time, things will happen for you, God’s plan will manifest and unfold before your eyes, and it will be greater than you imagined.
2. God’s plans for you are bigger and better than your plans for yourself (see Eph 3:20). Think of your wildest dream. As outlandish as it may seem, you cannot outdream God. God’s dream for your life is bigger than anything you’ve ever imagined for yourself. Great is coming!
3. Remain faithful over what you have been given charge over. Even if it seems like no one is noticing, God is. He is paying attention to what you do and how you do it. If you are faithful over little, God can promote you to much (Luke 16:10). But if you despise small beginnings (Zech 4:10) and don’t value what is placed in front of you, you are showing God you are not ready for what is next.
When Jesse sent David out to tend sheep, he was faithful over his assignment. He never complained about being out there on his own. Later he was anointed to the King of Israel. A few days later, he got an invitation to the royal palace. He did not walk in like he owned the place. He remained humble and patient. He was asked to play the harp. He did it and did it well. He was asked to serve as an assistant to the King. Even though he knew he was destined to replace Saul, David served the King with a spirit of excellence.
This is what God expects of us. God knows that we sometimes feel like we are stuck in between our history and our destiny. He knows that we want more because He placed the desire for MORE in our hearts. But He also expects us to be faithful over what it is in front of us, so we are ready for what is next. Balancing your focus for today with your faith for tomorrow (which requires patience) is not always easy, but it is a balance we must learn to master.
4. Don’t underestimate the power of God’s love or His grace. While God has called and commanded us to live by faith, and while it is true that He expects us to believe Him for breakthrough (change) by faith, there are times when God will bless us completely by grace, when we least expect it. David was surprised by Samuel. He had no idea he was going to be anointed to be the King of Israel. After the coronation, he did not know what to do. He could not make anything happen. So he went back to tending sheep. Before he knew it, another messenger was at his house, and he was quickly whisked away to the palace. He was not standing in faith. He was not believing God to make anything happen. God was the one making all the moves. God was shifting things around in his favor. And God was doing all of this by His grace, because of His love.
My point is that you can stand in faith, fast and pray, believe God for His promises, and basically do all you know how to do as a believer. But sometimes, when you least expect it when you did nothing to initiate it, God will blow your mind and bless you beyond your wildest dreams! This is why I keep telling you that GREATER IS COMING FOR YOU!
5. Never give up. Your life may seem mundane, ordinary, and common, but that does not mean that you won’t see your God-given dreams come to pass. We serve a God who can turn your life around in a moment. Keep your hopes up. Remain in faith daily. Trust God every step of the way. GREATER IS COMING, and it can happen AT ANY TIME!
6. It only takes ONE MOVE from God. One shift from God can take you from a coward to a champion (Gideon), from a barren man to a father of nations (Abraham), from a fisherman to the founder of the New Testament church (Peter), from an extremist to an evangelist (Paul), and from a shepherd boy to a King (David). Open your heart to God’s best. If you are willing to follow God wherever He leads you, no matter how crazy it seems, in the end, you will become the man/woman He destined you to be!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I know You love me. It amazes me that You made plans for me before the foundations of the world. You planned out my life before I was even born. You sit on the circle of the earth, and You still take time to think about me. Wow. Thank You, Father, for caring for me. You have even numbered the hairs on my head. I rest in Your love for me. Since I know You love me, and I know Your plans for me SHALL come to pass, I faithfully discharge the duties I have been given. I perform everything You place in front of me with a spirit of excellence, whether others are watching or not. I remain faithful over today and I believe You will usher me into my tomorrow at just the right time. Therefore, I will never give up, cave in or quit! I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
