I've just finished reading the first book of Samuel in the Old Testament. This book left me with a lot to ponder about...more that I want to know. God told the Israelites they did not need a king; He was their king. God told them to walk in His statutes, to trust in Him...that was all they needed to do. Yet, His chosen people couldn't simply follow their God. They wanted a human king to rule over them.
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God sent Samuel to anoint Saul as their King. Yet, Saul was not obedient. He chose to walk in his own ways rather than wait upon the Lord. Thus, the Spirit of God left Saul and Samuel anointed a young Shepard boy, David, as King. David was a man after God's own heart. As a Shepard, he began training for his future as king. He fought the wild animals from attacking his sheep. Later, David asked permission to fight the giant, Goliath. King Saul offered David the protection of his armour and David refused the uncomfortable protection. Armed with a sling shot, three stones, and the anointing of God, David slew the giant with one shot.
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David honored King Saul beyond what I can grasp. David knew God appointed Saul as King; he honored God's choice even when Saul sought to kill him. Several times David had the opportunity to bad mouth and kill Saul, yet David was always mindful of God's choice in Saul and treated him with respect.
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While running from King Saul to protect his life, David's two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, were taken captive. 1 Samuel 30: 5-8 "David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." Then David asked the priest to bring him the ephod and he "inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them? And He said to him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and you shall surely rescue all." 1 Samuel 30:18 tells us that "David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives."
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David often spoke to God and simply enough, God answered him. David would go into the strongholds to pray before going into battle. God specifically spoke to David and gave battle plans. The depths of this truth are huge! God spoke in a specific manner to David...David knew his God intimately...he knew what God's voice sounded like...he understood the very character of God. Yet, even after all this...David "strengthened himself in the Lord his God" before going into battle this time. I wonder what that really meant; can I strengthen myself in God? How do I begin? I don't want to speculate what this means, I want to know....maybe I simply need to ask my God, "How?" I want to strengthen myself in the Lord my God.
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