When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.” Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me. Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. Psalm 27: 8-12, NKJV.
Gracious God, here we are again, sitting at Your feet, ready to listen, and by Your grace, obey, what You are about to say to us. So, “Speak Lord,” for Your children are listening. In the name of Jesus we humbly pray. Amen.
Today, as we continue with our study, we will combine two portions of Scripture, and see how they work together, “[L]ead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence,” and, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55: 10, 11). The latter portion of Scripture (the solution) provides hope for the first portion (the problem).
Yesterday we considered some of the victories of David when he was a lad. He showed great courage, and faith in the God he served, and God rewarded that faith! Listen to what he said when he went out to face Goliath, “David said to the Philistine, “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 hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, 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.” (1 Samuel 17: 45-47). You talk about “making your boast in the LORD?” Try to out-do that boast!
When David faced Goliath, it is quite obvious that he had no doubt whatsoever, that the victory was already his! Saul the king, could hardly believe his eyes and ears, as he listened to this little tyke! But David was so fervent in his belief that he would be able to defeat the giant, that the least he, the king, could do for him, was to dress him in the king’s war garments, and send him off with a prayer (37, 38)! You just read what he said. Now notice what he did just before uttering those words, “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine” (39, emphasis provided). That brought to my mind, Jesus’ Words, that unless we “become like little children [we will not] enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18: 3)! We need to develop a childlike faith, especially, when praying to God! We need to remember when we become fearful and ask God for His protection, that, just as surely as the rain that falls, and the snow that melts, will water the earth and cause the seeds to sprout and new life to spring forth – with no less certainty, will God’s promises that leave His mouth fulfill His purpose! It is impossible for God not to keep His Word! That is a part of God’s character – trustworthiness!
David knew this, so he did not depend on his dexterity in using the sling shot! Notice that he made no boast in his ability. All his trust was placed in God – “I come to you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel . . . !” He “dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” He knew that “all other ground [was] sinking sand!” Emphasis provided. David was certain that God would not deliver him into the hand of his enemies, those who were breathing out violence against him. He knew that He could rust God, and so he prayed on!
We can do the same, because “Jesus never fails!”