It doesn't take much

As I journeyed to the west this morning, I wasn't expecting to think of David (the King).

But He just began revealing so much about this dude whom God strengthened him from young, especially in his faith.

Taken from 1 Samuel 17.

1. Know who you are. Identity. V8,26,36,45-47.
This perhaps was the game changer in the standoff between the Israelites and the Philistines. Sure I think anyone who is familiar with this passage knows that David the young boy did not take Goliath down on his own accord. Given the little odds of winning, David was not the least daunted. Call him ignorant or arrogant, I see him full of faith. Full of faith in a God who is more than able to deliver him.

Goliath saw the Israelites as servants of Saul.
King Saul and Israelites probably saw themselves against the odds in the face of Goliath.
David's brothers saw him as useless to the battle.
King Saul refuted David's request to take on Goliath in his judgement call based on battle experience.

What about David? He simply saw himself as a servant of God. He knew God is One who will deliver him. He wasn't full of pride, but full of faith. An authenticity that reveals itself in the light of a trial.

I suppose this is one of the lessons for me to learn as the camp draws nearer. With a number of tasks and roles unsettled, there are times that I do wonder if I had gone wrong somewhere or perhaps I'm not hearing Him clear enough. I suppose the challenges that come along the way are surely within the Lord's control and there is much more to learn out of them rather simply to resolve them. Admittedly, I wish things would have been gone smoothly. Yet I pray that if this is something God wants me to endure through, then His Will be done.

2. Keep track of what the Lord has done regardless if others are aware. V34-37.
This was probably the substance that gave David the confidence to stand up against Goliath's challenge, to stand before his own King Saul requesting for a go against Goliath.

David had not built a fantastic portfolio till he signed up himself for a job with "maximum life risk". His father and family saw his value as far as a shepherd and a bread runner. King Saul deemed David's odds of defeating Goliath as a sure nil. Goliath saw David as little more than a boy.

David needed no outstanding resume. He shed off all the battle gear that was placed on him for the caution of what if's. He knew well how the Lord had delivered him previously and will again deliver him this time. He was honed in the very tools and weapons he had from the beginning. He needed no insurance in the ways of Man. All he had in him was the Faith in an Almighty God. Though Goliath was armed to the teeth and even donning on a bronze helmet, David took him down with the sling of a stone right in the forehead. Bear in mind that Goliath had a shield bearer in front of him in addition to the helmet he wore.

David was either the biggest bragger in the world or he was sure of what the Lord can do for Him. Be it a lion or a bear, these episodes in his life served to prepare him for a greater calling. The Lord will finally be exalted in this young boy's fullness of faith and confidence in Him.

Sure I can whine over the seemingly meaningless tasks and chores each day, but could I be missing out what the Lord is doing and preparing me for? Without a doubt, He is able to use any and every event in my life to mould me for the unique purpose He has for me. 

I have begun to see a glimpse of how He has been doing this and I pray that in time to come, may I be humble and submissive enough to allow Him to work deeper in me. 

3. Known by God is far more important than being known by Man. V55.
David the young boy was the youngest of a father of 8 sons. His 3 older brothers served alongside King Saul in the Israelite army and all that was mentioned of David was his going back and forth to tend to his father's sheep.

During the times of peace, hardly anyone who have known or heard of David. He would either be on the move or far out in the pastures tending to the family livestock. Yet for sure, the Lord knew his heart and knew the plan He had for him. David was probably unaware of why the Lord had to put him through encounters with the bear or the lion, and a good chance that no one else knew about it. Yet the Lord had it all planned out perfectly.

David had a heart of humility. All the men of Israel were with King Saul at the battle front yet none of them spoke up about David's bravery against the beasts. I would attribute this to the fact that David had not spoken of these to anyone, not even his father or his brothers. Though unspoken, David remembered well these experiences and clearly, the Lord's hand was on him and delivered him.

The Shepherd's heart. As I pen(type) this down, the Lord just revealed this to me. David was tending to his father's sheep. I'm sure when the bear or lion comes along, David could have avoided a confrontation and allowed the beasts to have their way. But hey! No way David was going to let this happen. He could have gotten away with losing the sheep to the beasts but he had a heart for them. He did not fight the beasts because they turned on him. In fact, he went after the beasts to rescue the sheep.

What good would David be if he was the best slingshot shooter in the world? He could have chosen not to stand up to Goliath if the Lord had not shaped his heart. Seemingly, the battle between the Israelites and Philistines was no business of David's. Yet armed with a faith that is full in the Lord and a heart of a shepherd, David took it upon himself to fight for the Lord. Nope he wasn't coming against Goliath in the name of Israel or King Saul. Simply the Name of the Lord Almighty, the Living God.

Of late, things seemed to be piling up on my plate and it does not help to deal with people-issues at the same time. Having said that, I am reminded that we have our own portion from the Lord, our portion of work, our calling. The Lord knows every bit of work that I do whether I realize that I am doing it for Him or if anyone is even aware of.

The priority for me is to first incline my ears upon His heart, to outstretch my arms to receive His embracing love, to lift up my hands in surrendering my will to do His. And out of these, I believe, is how one's ministry will overflow to minister to people.

Thanks young David. Thanks for being a reminder from the Lord. 

What the Lord can do

Joshua 6 (Fall of Jericho):

It only serves to remind me all the more that certain matters only God can deliver since often we try to take things into our own hands. In the case of taking Jericho, the Lord showed Himself strong before Israel. All it was needed on Israel's part was to obey in faith what was told of them to do and the Lord was with them.

The marching around the wall for 6 days.
The marching around the wall for 7 times on the 7th day.
The united shouting at the sound of the ram's horn.
I'm pretty sure the walls would never have collapsed without the intervention of a supernatural power.
Surely Israel had to trust in God again after what they have been through with Him all that years right? Even if those who were brought out of Egypt had died, this new generation had seen how God stopped the Jordan river, how He brought down the walls of Jericho!

*Having personally encountered God in our lives/generation, has there been any transformation in us? Has our faith in Him to do greater things increased?

Got me thinking about Rahab as well. How would she feel when her country is being captured by another? When her fellow countrymen are dying outside, when the fall of her country was solely because of her one lie.

Joshua and the spies remembered Rahab for what she had done for Israel. Likewise, things we do have lasting impact and consequence. In the case of Rahab and the spies, if Rahab chose not to believe in the spies' word of trust to spare her and her family, Joshua may never know the situation within Jericho. Yet the effects of Rahab's one lie and trusting the spies, an entire nation/city falls and burns to the ground.


*Our actions has consequences, perhaps even lasting effect on ourselves and people around us. How are you making decisions in life? Is God in the centre of your decisions?

Joshua 7 (Achan's Sin):

Seems to me the Lord has a perfect track record in winning battles and wars. Why do I say so? When the Israelites were struck down (36 out of 1000), their hearts melted and became like water. Which battle in our history has no casualties? Reading this just sets me thinking beyond the numbers. When the Israelites do not win, they knew immediately that the Lord was not with them. Surely they had sinned against Him in the process.

I was caught by verse 10, The Lord said to Joshua, "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?..." 

Joshua could not figure what they had done wrong to lose an 'easy battle' but the Lord clearly knows it all. He instructed Joshua to sieve out the culprit who had sinned against what the Lord had commanded. From tribe by tribe down to man by man, the culprit was pinpointed and there was no second chance. Achan and his children and all that he had was stoned and burned in the valley of Achor, as the Lord had instructed.

...for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought, how important it is for us to remember that nothing is hidden from God. But if we have displeased the Lord in a certain decision or action, then the rightful thing to do is turn back to Him. The Israelites did not have Jesus as their Saviour back then, but they knew very well the need to live transparently before the Lord and in every part of their lives, devote to Him.


*Is there a (dark) area of our lives that we need to surrender to Him? Perhaps it has been hindering us from coming back into His arms?


Joshua 8 (Ai Destroyed):
*Power in raised hands*


The symbolic act of raising hands is traced back to the times of Joshua, even Moses. The more familiar story that we all know is that Moses parted the Red Sea through the raising of his staff (of course we know God was the One who did the parting!), Moses also kept his hands raised during the battles and when his arms were tired and his hands were down, they began to lose the war. So significant is the raising of hands as an outward expression of Faith. Raising of hands is a common sign in this world of Surrender. But as people of God, we surrender not to our enemies but to the Lord our God. We surrender ourselves to Him and allow Him to intervene. 


Verse 18: Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city." So Joshua held out his javelin toward Ai.

When we come together and worship God, often we see some people raising their hands in worship. No doubt it is a symbolic act of surrendering ourselves as a living sacrifice, it is a personal conviction to do so. For myself, it has been helpful because physically raising my hands brings about surrendering inside me. It cannot be described in words but when the Holy Spirit comes and takes over, you know you have entered into His presence with a surrendered heart.


*God desires a surrendered heart in those seek Him with all their heart. Have you surrendered to Him?


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Today marks a 40 day journey for myself even as I prepare myself for the coming Australia trip. I know what I am seeking the Lord about but more importantly, I want to seek Him about what He has for me, what He wish to say to me. Lord the future is uncertain but You are certain.


Your Love is sure. Your Faithfulness is sure. Your Grace is sure.
Let all of my hope be in You and You alone.

Your Love never fails, it never gives up. It never runs out on me.

Joshua 5 (Circumcision and God's Army):

Verses 1-9 focused on God's requirement to Joshua to cirumcise all the people a second time. The outward expression is straight forward, for those who belong to the Lord are circumcised.

*Today being born after Christ's resurrection, we are no longer required to be physically circumcised but in the spiritual aspect, how are we to be circumcised and set apart for the Lord? Do we focus much on what we do rather than who we are in Him?

Verses 10-12: The Lord's daily provision of manna has ceased and Israel now eats the produce of the land. God has kept His covenant of providence to Israel that in the wildderness, it was more than just seeing God provide in His Faithfulness, it is comprehending the magnitude of His Love to provide daily for His people.

*How do we view His faithfulness day to day? Have we considered the Love God has for us that drives Him to faithfully provide?

Verses 13-15: Joshua encounters the Commander of the Lord's Army. Though the angel only claims to be the commander of the Lord's Army, Joshua immediately identified Himself as God's servant. Joshua knew he was not the absolute leader, he was just serving the Lord as an instrument in leading Israel.

*Do we like Joshua, know who is our master? Do we practise a habit of submission to God?