Scripture: “When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, ‘I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!’ Nathan replied to the king, ‘Go ahead
Scripture: “Once again God’s anger blazed out against Israel. He tested David by telling him, ‘Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.’ So David gave orders to Joab and the army officers under him, ‘Canvass all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and get a count of the population. I want
Scripture: “So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. ‘Isn’t this David, the king of the land?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t he the one the people honor with dances, singing, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?’ David heard
We face challenges on an ongoing basis. Yet, sometimes it can feel like we show up with very little preparation for the battle ahead. How many of us are facing our lives with only one stone in our pocket? David needed to know he could reach into his pocket and grab another if he needed it. Preparation pays dividends when we are in the trenches. What are you preparing so you have something in your pocket when you need it? Preparation is not glamorous or spectacular.
David was willing to face a battle that no one else in Israel would face. He said that he would go, but Saul, the king of Israel, saw his age as a disqualifying factor. David did not have all the military experience needed to prevail in this fight. Just looking at the size difference between David and Goliath would have caused Saul to fear that the battle had already been lost. Yet, David was not deterred by the most influential and powerful man in his country who didn’t believe in him…