Too often, parents or teachers may hear those dreaded words spew forth from a child’s mouth: “You’re not the boss of me!” And as children of God, while we may not SAY those words, our actions certainly give testimony to that mindset upon occasion. It’s hard to give up control…sometimes it goes against everything we may feel or think or “know.”
I want to talk about David today, but we’re going to skip ahead to the point after he has already defeated Goliath. Because Goliath was just one piece of a much bigger puzzle that was David’s life. Goliath was his first victory, but it was not his last victory against the Philistines.
“Then David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?’ And the Lord said to David, ‘Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.'” (II Samuel 5:19)
Develop a strategy for “soldiering on”
Hardships, obstacles and hurt are all a part of life. You can’t avoid them but you can
develop a strategy to soldier through the toughest of times and rise against the toughest of enemies.
The Philistines in biblical history were a very frequent enemy of Israel. Over the years, David was victorious in battle against them many, many times. And each time, victory was the result of David’s obedience. He turned to God, even though he had fought and won against the Philistines many times before.
Do you have a familiar enemy in your life? Debt, finances, stress or the common enemy we all share that is constantly working through others to try to get to you?
The enemy wants you to feel helpless or like you are the victim of circumstance and in fact, not in control of your own life. The truth is, the enemy will come at you again and again, often times through the same path or in the same form! Just as David was constantly facing the Philistines, you likely will meet the same foes in your life over and over. That’s life!
What’s important to remember is:
- Identify the most common enemy in your life. Who or what are your Philistines?
- Follow David’s path! What’s so profound to recognize is that David could’ve said, “Oh, the Philistines? I got this!” He could’ve let his ego get in the way, because he had been successful so many times before!
Look at your own life. When you have experienced success or victory in your life, do you get cocky? Do you forget to seek wise counsel from Him?
David’s success and humility is unusual. Most people develop the attitude of, “I got this!” and set themselves up to fail. They let God steer them to success and then try to take over. Are you playing the brat and refusing to give over control?
Have you forgotten the true Commander-in-Chief in your in life? What are ”The Philistines” in your life? Let me know in the comments and Like and Share today’s message.
Let’s talk more today! Join us for a spiritual equipping message today on The Dani Johnson Show at 12 pm ET and again at 7 pm ET. You can tune into the show on either your TV or radio and please remember you can always stream today’s show right on our website.
In great faith,
P.S. Like what you read here? Just hit the “Like,” “Share” and “Tweet” buttons at the top of the page! That will help your friends and followers find this message!