CWW Week 14 - Day 2 - Courage
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Scripture:
Psalm 27:14: “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!”
This piece of scripture is attributed to King David. That’s right, the king, who as a young boy, brought down Goliath with a stone from a sling shot.
King David ruled as the king of Israel for 40 years. His reign is traditionally dated from around 1010 BC to 970 BC. David’s reign is significant in biblical history as he united the tribes of Israel, established Jerusalem as the capital, and laid the foundation for the building of the temple (though it was later built by his son Solomon).
David was significant in many ways, and as much as he rose to greatness, he also fell hard from those lofty heights when he had an affair with his neighbours wife which led him to break almost all of God’s commandments. David is my go to figure in the bible because he typifies what can happen when the best of intentions and the guiding hand of God amount to nothing if we fall for the deceptions of the devil and turn away from God. He also places a spotlight firmly on God’s grace and mercy when we read later in 1 Kings 14:7-8.
“Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel, and tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes;” David repented of his sins and asked God to forgive him and clearly from this verse, God kept His promise.
David is also of the same lineage as Jesus as we read in Matthew 1:1
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:”
David was anointed as King when he was a mere sixteen years old, but he didn’t become king until he was thirty. God made him wait.
Why would God make David wait and why does David encourage us to wait in this scripture?
God knew David’s heart and He chose David because of it. A tender hearted sixteen year old boy who loved God and who loved music and tended sheep; David had all the qualities of the ruler God had in mind for His people. David was a good shepherd.
God also knew that David needed to mature to this role. He had to experience life’s challenges and gain wisdom before he rose to the throne. Those fourteen years before David became the ruler of Israel were filled with tests and challenges that made David fit for purpose.
God also knew that David would only make it if he put his complete trust in God. In waiting, David also learned patience.
Slaying Goliath proved in advance to the people that David had courage and it gave him great notoriety in Israel. There is so much about David that speaks to the power of God and the evil purposes of the devil. It takes us to see that we can ride the roller coaster of life as terrifying as it can be and grow with each circuit to face the challenges that lay before us. But we must wait on God.
I have seen the virtue of what it means to wait. When I first became a Christian after a life of agnosticism and atheism at age fifty three, I felt ready to change the world. I was so encouraged from the realisation that I could step out of the wretched world I had become a part of and stand in the light of God’s grace that I went into my purpose like a front row forward in a ballet school. I ran so far out in-front of God, that I could no longer hear His voice.
As many would have seen in the Miracles chat I had with my wife Michelle in previous weeks, I thought I was going to lose her to a grave illness. I fell to my knees and begged God to save her. I promised God that I would serve Him for the rest of my days. That was in 2007. I have been in training for that service ever since.
I thought my life was all about flying aeroplanes, but now I can clearly see that my career then was just a proving ground for the real purpose God has for me. I spent almost seventy years getting to this point and I realise my purpose at this point on the tracks where the destination may be just around the next bend.
I am no profit and I am definitely not a king but I know I was anointed by God when I took my clumsy baptism and like David, God put me through the trials of faith to get me to where I am writing these devotionals and speaking to thousands of people almost every day. In faith I am not unique as this plan has always been God’s to give each and every one of us if we choose it. We all have a different purpose in the great jig-saw puzzle of life.
Yes my patience has been tested and yes, I have sinned many times and fallen short of God’s glory and yes, I have had to repent a thousand times but I am still in the game and God’s grace and mercy surround me in the relationships I have with others and most importantly with Him.
So yes, I agree with David when he wrote in Psalm 27:14: “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!”
I will wait on the Lord and be of good courage knowing that He alone is strengthening my heart and preparing me, and here is the good news.
He is doing the same with you. Remember that God never wastes a hurt so trust in Him and be patient always.
Questions
- Are you a patient person and have you got the the strength to hold on?
- Who is it that can give you that strength and perseverance to hold on?
- What are you going to do today to become your version of King David?
Prayer
Dear Lord, Papa God.
I want everything you have to offer right now Lord and yet I know that I need to be conditioned and trained to receive it. I am learning Papa and I thank you for your patience with me on this life long journey of character development. Papa please remind me always to stay close in behind You so that I may hear your instructions as I wait for your timing. I pray you give me the patience of the saints as I journey to eternal life with you. For this is my prayer in the precious name of Jesus. Amen
Graham Hood
