Today I will continue with “Faith and Patience Volume 5 – Greater is Coming!” We have been studying the life of David. We started going through specific passages in 1 Samuel, but for the last few messages, I did not focus on any particular portion of scripture. I was giving you messages that covered David’s life in general. Today we get back to specific passages. We will cover 1 Samuel 17:52-57. Let’s get into it.
By this point in David’s story, we know that his victory over Goliath stirred up the Israelite army’s faith. They rushed the Philistine army prepared for battle. The Israelites chased the Philistines as far as Gath and to the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn for miles. The Israelite army then returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp and with that, the battle was over.
David took Goliath’s armor off of his corpse and kept it as a trophy. And then, like something out of the movies, he carried Goliath’s head to Saul and presented it to the King. While this was going on, King Saul asked Abner, the commander of his army (who was clearly not in command that day), “Abner, whose son is this young man?” This is an interesting question. Saul already knew David as his harp player and armor-bearer, but I guess Saul never thought to ask who his father was, or what family he was from. David’s lineage did not seem important to Saul when David was just a harp player, but now that he was going to be hailed as a mighty warrior, Saul wanted to know more about him and his family. Abner replied, “I really don’t know.” Saul responded, “Well, find out who he is!”
When David returned from the victory, General Abner brought him to king Saul. David walked up to the king, with the giant’s head still dangling from his fingers, and the king said, “Tell me about your father, young man.” David replied, “His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.” We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Private victories precede public ones.
— The Lord made sure that David experienced killing a lion and a bear, in private, without any fanfare, before killing the giant on a national stage. Why? Because if you can’t handle private success, you will certainly not be able to handle public success.
— Pride has been the downfall of many great people. So while you are winning your battles in private and asking God, “Lord, when are you going to expose me in public?” don’t worry, just keep winning in private. If you make it a habit to win when no one is watching, God will make sure that someday everyone will be watching.
— God will shine His spotlight on you. He will cause you to be seen, noticed, and celebrated. But He just won’t do it before the right time. The process you are going through in private is preparing you for what God called you to do in public.
2. You must embrace the grace to handle success in the right way.
— Handling failure is difficult, but handling success can be even harder.
— Success has a way of chewing you up and spitting you out if you are not ready for it.
— The good news is that just like God will not allow you to face challenges you are not ready for, He will not allow you to face success you can’t handle either. So, if you are experiencing it, you can take it. Accept the success with grace.
— If you remain humble (little in your own eyes), success, no matter how big it is, will not destroy or derail you.
3. Never forget where you came from.
— David knew he had just won a great victory. He knew his life was about to change forever. But when asked about his Dad, David said, “His name is Jesse, and WE live in Bethlehem.” Notice that David said, “we” and not “he.” Although David would soon leave Bethlehem, he was proud to say that he lived there and that he was from there. David also brought honor to his family name that day.
— While God wants to deal with your future and not your past, God does not want you to be embarrassed by your past.
— The mess of your past becomes the message of your story!
— The pain of your past becomes the fuel for the power you need to pursue your purpose.
— God can take your scars and make them stars! God doesn’t use people without scars because people without scars have not been through anything. God loves scars. Those battle-marks are proof you have been processed and prepared for your purpose!
— Look back and be thankful. Just never judge your future by your past. God is a God of progression. He prepared you in your past so you could be ready for the elevation you will experience in your future.
— If you appreciate your past as you head into your future, you will maintain a level of genuineness and authenticity that will attract people to you.
4. Never get caught up in success.
— Everyone says they want success, but not everyone can handle it.
— What would happen if God gave you what you wanted? Then what? Some people would walk away from God afterward because they were not truly looking for a relationship with God. They were looking for what they could GET from Him.
— If God gives you the ‘baby” you say you want, will you get so caught up on the baby that you forget about the God who gave it to you? The “baby” can be a job, a business, a spouse, etc. God wants you to know that He want HIM and not just what He can do for you. Said another way, seek His face and not just His hand!
— If you remain humble, you will experience success after success, and God will be with you every step of the way!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I expect to experience Your best, because You have prepared me for it. All my life You have been preparing me for this moment. I have had many private successes and I have often wondered when You would expose me and elevate me, but I don’t have to wonder anymore. I trust You. I know that when You open the door and bring me before great men and women, I shall be prepared to accept and handle the success with grace. Your grace is on me to experience everything I experience. Good or bad, easy or tough, up or down, I am prepared to handle everything that comes my way. I am ready to bring honor to You and to my family name. I shall leave a legacy of righteousness for my children and my children’s children. As for me and my house, we shall be known as a family that brings glory to Your name in the earth! This is why I can boldly declare that GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
