The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 18:14,
"In everything he [David] did he had great success, because the Lord was with him."
The Lord blessed David with success. We are told, "Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul's officers as well." Verse 5. Also, "The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known." Verse 30.
We see the Lord's hand on David, bringing him success in all he did because, unlike Saul, David was a man of faith. Saul's shortcoming was that he made his choices based on the observable circumstances he found himself in, as opposed to trusting in God. In 1 Samuel 13:11 we read Saul telling Samuel, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash..." and so made a deplorable decision demonstrating a complete lack of trust in God.
God's response to Saul was, "the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people" (to replace King Saul). This man to replace Saul was David, a man of whom the Lord said, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you [Saul] today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you." 1 Samuel 15:28.
Listen to David's perspective on things, expressed when he went to challenge Goliath, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands."
"In everything he [David] did he had great success, because the Lord was with him."
The Lord blessed David with success. We are told, "Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul's officers as well." Verse 5. Also, "The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known." Verse 30.
We see the Lord's hand on David, bringing him success in all he did because, unlike Saul, David was a man of faith. Saul's shortcoming was that he made his choices based on the observable circumstances he found himself in, as opposed to trusting in God. In 1 Samuel 13:11 we read Saul telling Samuel, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash..." and so made a deplorable decision demonstrating a complete lack of trust in God.
God's response to Saul was, "the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people" (to replace King Saul). This man to replace Saul was David, a man of whom the Lord said, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you [Saul] today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you." 1 Samuel 15:28.
Listen to David's perspective on things, expressed when he went to challenge Goliath, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands."
The stark difference between Israel's first king and her second one was that Saul was not a man of faith, unlike David. What made David better than Saul was his faith and trust in God. This faith did not make him a perfect man, as his life would go on to show his shortcomings with his adultery with Bathsheba, murdering her husband, etc.
Faith and faith alone is what made David "better than" Saul. It was this faith the Lord found in him that brought his hand of success in all he did.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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