A Town Called David

We

Bad Habits We Can’t Shake Off

Do you have one?

According to a recent article, the top 7 bad habits that are difficult to break are:

Nail biting. For some chronic biters, it can almost become a form of OCD.

Playing with hair! Nervous/anxious behaviour > comfort. Others, impulsive behaviour from boredom.

Using “Umm” and “Like” frequently in speech. Natural reaction when can’t find right word/phrase. It’s easy to catch it in others, but not in ourselves.

Snacking after supper. Our body’s internal clock craves sweet, starchy and salty food in evenings, but also boredom and desire to have something to hand when watching TV.

Avoiding eye contact. Without awareness, we signal bad manners and disinterest. But often sign of insecurity/anxiety.

Skipping breakfast. Some people rush. Others think they’re saving calories. But improves focus and performance and jump starts metabolism.

Cracking joints. Hideous! But for some it helps relieve tension and stress.

“Old habits die hard”. Perhaps these are not too harmful. But any habits in your life that have become a stronghold, have a strangle hold on your life and stop you from fulfilling God’s purposes?

David conquers strongholds with God’s help:

God

2 Samuel 5:1-10, p.308

2 Samuel 5:1–10 NLT

Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’ ” So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years. David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” For the Jebusites thought they were safe. But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David. On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, “I hate those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites. Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel.” That is the origin of the saying, “The blind and the lame may not enter the house.” So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces and working inward. And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

David Conquers and Renames Jerusalem

2 Samuel 5:9 NLT

So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces and working inward.

Passage = high water mark for David.

Anointed king by God through Samuel in 1 Samuel 16, and all events since have been leading up to this point.

David now reigns as king over all Israel.

This in itself is a remarkable achievement: David was neither the legitimate heir to KIng Saul nor even an obvious choice.

Abner, the cousin of King Saul and commander of his armies, eventually paves the way for the northern tribes of Israel to support David’s kingship, especially since Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth proved such an ineffectual ruler.

In contrast, David is a powerful figure who commands the loyalty of both the northern and southern tribes.

David is able to bring all the tribes of Israel together because he is a descendant of Jacob, and as such he is a blood-relative of all the tribes.

And David was the one who led the military campaigns, even when Saul was still king of Israel.

David knew he couldn’t rule the new unified nation of Israel from his southern base in Hebron.

Jerusalem, with its natural defences, central location and lack of attachment to any particular tribe, was ideal as his new capital city.

So using a clever means of attack, David turns the venerable old “fortress of Zion” into his own, and even called it “the city of David”.

He takes up personal residence there, building a palace and strengthening its defences still further.

This is an entirely new political order.

He is building a new empire where there wasn’t one.

David’s rise to power makes Israel the shining star of the region, a threat to the Philistines and the Egyptians.

The Things in David’s Life he couldn’t Conquer

No doubt that David was a great king. Perhaps Israel’s greatest king.

But there were some strongholds he didn’t capture.

If you know anything about David, then you’ll know he didn’t conquer the stronghold of illicit sexual desire.

2 Samuel 11 tells the story of his affair with Bathsheba, which also involved plotting to kill her husband to cover up his sin.

David also struggled with the stronghold of pride.

Let’s face it, if you’re willing to conquer a city like Jerusalem, and then call it after yourself, you definitely have a bit of an ego problem!

The Bible tells us Saul had his thousands of followers, but David his tens of thousands.

He was a giant slayer.

He was a poet and musician.

He could do just about anything and could certainly charm the ladies.

This was not a man who lacked confidence!

One day, he even decided he wanted to know how many in the land called him king.

So in 2 Samuel 24, he orders a census to find out.

It seems he put more faith in numbers than in God on that occasion.

David also found it difficult to conquer the stronghold of obedience.

He was ambitious, proud, powerful and strong-willed.

Obedience was not something that came naturally to him.

The Bible tells us his wilfully disobeyed commandments enshrined in the legal and moral history of Israel.

He murdered, committed adultery, coveted his neighbour’s wife and he lied about his intentions.

He also had a problem with the stronghold of justice.

David’s son Absalom and his mother Maacah expect David to do something when David’s firstborn son Amnon rapes David’s daughter Tamar.

But David refused to provide justice for Tamar which leads to Absalom killing his half brother Amnon in revenge, fleeing the country until he returns to try to overthrow David in an unsuccessful coup.

All because David refused to provide justice.

You

Acknowledge Your Weakness in Humility and Rely on God’s Strength

2 Samuel 5:10 NLT

And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

And yet, remarkably, God stayed with David.

David became stronger, not weaker.

Despite his spectacular failures of pride, arrogance, disobedience and injustice, God blessed him and made him stronger.

Doesn’t that seem strange to you?

Why would God be with and bless such a flawed person?

Because David possessed one quality that outshone his epic failures.

He had a unique ability to see his sin and his failure when it was pointed out to him and he repented of his wicked ways.

That was what kept him so close to the heart of God.

David humbled himself. He prayed. He sought the face of God.

He turned from his wicked ways.

And God made him stronger. God stayed with him and blessed him.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

It’s a promise for us too.

We may have bad habits - strongholds - that are hard to break.

We may sometimes be beset by greed, resentment, pride, untruthfulness, immorality and malice.

We all make mistakes.

Sometimes we make decisions with all good intentions, but the consequences are anything but good.

Like David we are never good enough, wise enough or strong enough to conquer our strongholds.

But God has promised to do what we are not good enough to do.

He has promised to give us wisdom when we are not wise enough.

God has promised to give us his power when our power is through.

Jesus Christ has defeated our strongholds.

He has defeated our enemies.

All we need is the humility to accept who we are.

To see the ugliness and depth of our sin.

And to repent of our mistakes and failures.

Then God will stay with us, bless us and make us stronger.

Will you admit your weakness today and ask for his strength to conquer your strongholds?

Next Steps

Songsters - SB 316 - His Provision

At the moment of my weakness,  When my need for power is plain, And my own strength is exhausted once again, Then my Lord has made provision for the day of my despair,  And his precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer, my prayer, Then my Lord has made provision for the day of my despair,  And his precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer. Holy Spirit! Promised presence fall on me. Holy Spirit! Make me all I long to be. Holy Spirit! Holy Spirit! Give your power to me O Holy Spirit. 2 When the darkness falls around me, When bewildered and afraid, When I feel the most deserted and betrayed, Then my every need is answered by God?s providential care, And his precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer, my prayer. Then my every need is answered by God?s providential care,  And his precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer. 3 Nothing now can rob God?s servant  Of the peace that he bequeaths, Nothing take away the strength his presence breathes. Of the everlasting arms of love I?m daily made aware, And his precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer, my prayer. Of the everlasting arms of love I?m daily made aware, And his precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer. John Gowans (1934-2012) © The General of The Salvation Army. Used By Permission. CCL Licence No. 30158 Copied from The Song Book of The Salvation Army Song Number 316