The Mighty Work of God

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Introduction

The more I study the Bible, the more captivated by it. What I mean by that is for many years I thought it was a good book, a holy book, but removed from me and my experience. It was written over a long period of time by many different authors in different cultures, in different context, but it was God’s word.
I have found to be my experience that I as I read scripture that through out the history of man, many of us continue to fret over the same things, need the same things, set back by the same things in the Bible.
They needed to feed their families, there was danger from real world things (poverty, nature, neighboring tribes) without any of the modern conveniences we have. But they had debts to pay, they had animals to feed, jobs to go to, fields to plow, clothes to put on their backs, neighbors to take care of, trying to avoid pitfalls, troubles, and temptations that easily ensnare us… so much of what we encounter on the mild day to day things.
But also how fragile life can be.
It can all change in a moment. Where is God in the midst of the change? Where is God in the midst of the hardship? Where is God and what is he doing concerning my situation?
In the midst of changing world… there is one constant… and that is God. Look at how God describes Himself (the only place in the Bible where He does it Himself)
Exodus 34:6–7 “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.””
Look at these characteristics of God. So good. This is who He is. He was this way, He is this way, and He will always be this way.

Those In Distress

1 Samuel introduces us to David who eventually be the second King of Israel.
16: Samuel anoints David as King
17: David defeats Goliath
18: Saul starts to become jealous of David and wants to kill him
19: Saul attempts to kill David
20: Jonathon and David make a covenant
21: David flees the wrath of Saul (goes on the run)
David’s life was in distress by the choices he made. They weren’t even bad choices, they were good choices, and his life was in danger.
If they were bad choices we might think, well that’s what happens. How irked and upset can we be if we make the right choice and we are going through hardship because of the right choices?!
Look at who comes to David… 1 Samuel 22:1–2 “David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.”
What if those were your friends, or those that surrounded you? Do you know what stressed out people do… they STRESS YOU OUT!
But we find out about David’s heart posture earlier on when Samuel is sent to condemn Saul and eventually sent out to find David… 1 Samuel 13:14 “But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.””

To Pursue God’s Heart

What does it mean to be a man/person after God’s own heart? (Interaction… what might that look like)?
Psalm 1 NIV
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
What happens or what does this look like in our life?
Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
We begin to see what this person is transformed into…
Matthew 5:1–12 NIV
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The Work of God

As we give ourselves to be men after God’s own heart in prayer, scripture, holiness, walking by faith, living our lives in light of Jesus (doing the things that Jesus said and taught)… the Spirit of God transforms us.
He changes us. He changes those around us.
Those men that we saw in 1 Samuel 22:2 “All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.”
Many of them stick with David. Through his highs and through his lows… look at who some of those men become…
Read 2 Samuel 23:8-39
These are the type of men I want around me. These are the type of men that God transforms us into… what these men embody is
Faith
Courage
Strength
Loyalty
Integrity
Wisdom
Honor
Humility (seeing things as they are)
This work of God is done as we are like that man who is meditating, mulling over, working through God’s word in our head and heart day and night, seeking to make choices that align with God and His heart.
Success will be ours. Not success like the world’s success (that’s empty), but success like God’s success that lasts eternally.

Conclusion

It’s my prayer for us that we make ourselves like the man in Psalm 1. That as we allow the Spirit of God to work in us, saying yes to God, no to the things that pull us away from God, that we will be like David’s mighty men.
That when the spiritual battle rages on, we’re like Eleazar clutching to our sword (the Bible) that are hands are fused to it. Bringing about great victory in our lives.
When the temptation is run away because its hard, we stand like Shammah and allow the Lord to bring a great victory no matter the difficulty.
Like David we seek the company of others and have the courage and wisdom to lead the way that inspires greatness and great things attained for God.
And like Benaiah doing great exploits for God as He gives us opportunity.
But all of these great things come when we give ourselves to the consistent, steady, obedience in the day to day.
These men didn’t go from 1 Sam 22 to 2 Sam 23 overnight… it’s the culmination of hours leading to days, days leading to weeks, weeks leading to months, months leading to years, and years leading to a legacy.
Our preparation coupled with our consistency creates the ground for opportunities to flourish.
There will be those times where we don’t meet our expectations or others expectations, but we remember that it’s a work in progress… it’s the long haul… it’s living embracing God’s grace and leaning and believing in who He is and what Jesus has done…
Exodus 34:6–7 “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.””
Matthew 11:28–30 ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.””
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