In this season of sadness mixed with gladness for God’s mercy in my Mom dying, my Bible reading plan marched on and left me. What to do? I debated whether I should start on the current date, or start where I stopped. Now all you type A folks (I’m not quite there, but I resemble it at times. I am a first-born. So there you go.) know that unmarked boxes will drive us crazy so I have decided being behind is much better than unmarked boxes :-D
The Old Testament is so much like reading a diary that missing any of it makes me think I’m missing something big, deep and probably confusing, Ha!
Also, I really enjoy the OT because a personal relationship can be developed with so many of the people. Some of them we meet only briefly, but others we are allowed to get to know more intimately. They become our people.
Y’all, David is my people.
Lil’ ol’ whipper snapper David whoops Goliath, is Saul’s BFF, get’s called by God to be Israel’s next king…then he’s not Saul’s BFF…is a great warrior, a loyal friend, and loyal subject to his king.
And, so very human in his behavior.
I’m deep in his story. Exciting, harrowing, amazing. God saves David’s life time after time. Then I read this:
But David kept thinking to himself, “Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to the Philistines. Then Saul will stop hunting for me in Israelite territory, and I will finally be safe.” 1 Samuel 27:1 NLT Emphasis mine
David, David, David we are so alike. Am I in your family line?
I read this about David and think, Get ahold of yourself. You just stepped over Saul’s men and stole his sword and water jug “…because the Lord had put Saul’s men into a deep sleep.”
The more David thinks about Saul, the more he feels the need to make a plan. His plan. What happened between 1 Samuel 26 and 27? He does what I often do, he starts thinking about what could have happened.
God answers my prayers. He’s merciful and graceful to me. He provides what is needed in a situation, and then I start shaking in my boots because what if He doesn’t do it next time.
Do you get caught up in that kind of distrust too? I’d like to call it something prettier, less convicting, something that sounds less like sin, but it just smacks of distrust. Sigh.
My comfort comes with the knowledge that God never left David. He might have spanked him a few times for disobedience, but He never left him. He used him mighty and blessed his descendants for a gazillion generations. Jesus was the most beautiful branch in his family tree.
Remember this chorus?
And He’ll do it again
He’ll do it again.
If you’ll just take a look
At where you are now
And where you have been.
Hasn’t He always come through for you?
He’s the same now as then.
Don’t you know God has not changed;
You may not know how,
You may not know when,
But He’ll do it again ~Dawn Thomas (Constance Change) – He’ll Do It Again
God knows us. We are His people too. David reminds us, “For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.” Psalm 103:14 NASB
Lord, help us live in the peaceful heart knowledge of Your mercy, grace, love, and care. Thank you for Your patience with us. We want to be people who You can say, “They are women and men after my heart.” We ask in Jesus’ name.
