A lesson from David – Part 4

1 Samuel 17

Today concludes the study of the battle between David and Goliath. Part 3 can be found here

Now the battle begins.

“And he drew near the Philistine” (v40): This is what mattered- it would not have helped if David said all these great sounding things but never moved when crunch-time came. David was living James 1:22 by doing the Word and not just hearing it.
What made David have great faith was:
– he spoke truth based on God
– he renounced evil
– he prepared himself for battle (gathered his stones, v40) and importantly
– he did– he physically drew near to Goliath, which is today’s focus

“I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts” (v45). The Hebrew word for hosts is sabaoth, meaning “armies”. God is the Lord over heaven’s armies! David had guts, but he had guts in the Lord, not himself. He knew he had heaven’s army behind him- what a picture! And what a declaration!
He was also careful to acknowledge that the Lord would win, not himself, “the LORD will deliver you into my hand” (v46)
What’s a sure-fire victory? When you genuinely want God to get all the glory! David said, “Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (v47)
When little David saw how faithless Israel was, he knew they had to know there was still the God in Israel! He saw that Israel thought God could only save them with earthly weapons, swords and spears, and did not believe that the battle was the Lord’s. This is what David wanted to show them!

So, the battle is God’s, but we’re vessels remember? We have to stand up and fight! Verse 48 says that when Goliath got up and started coming toward David, David “hastened and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine”. David did not sit and think “it’s ok, I can chill because God is going to fight this for me.”
What worries me nowadays is that many Christians say “we’re under grace, we don’t need to do anything, God does it all for us.” God does, and we do it too. We trust God, we rely on Him but then we need to get up and fight back! God would not have given us Jesus’ authority or armour if He did not expect us to actively use it.
I can’t stress enough that you have to be active in fighting off all hypochondriacal and anxious thoughts. Recall my study of Joshua where God instructed him to not only read the word, but speak it (“shall not depart from your mouth”), think about it all the time (“meditate in it day and night”- thinking about God’s word all the time keeps out unwanted thoughts!) as well as DO it (“observe to do according to all that is written”).

Be very careful of having a passive mind and being idle. It’s hypochondria’s friend! If you are at a point right now where you are not working full-time, a student, stay at home mom etc. keep busy with the things of God. If you don’t, all you will do is sit at your pc and Google symptoms. Your health is all you will think about and you will never progress.
This doesn’t mean you have to sit with a Bible in your face 24 hours a day. But in the morning before you start your day, read a short devotional and think how you can apply it to your life. Any worries you have dedicate them to God and ask Him to smooth them out for you for the day. Maybe at lunch time learn a new Scripture that you like; maybe keep a diary and record how God has helped you so far. Get a good Christian book to read if you enjoy reading. Take a short walk and silently talk to God about what fears you have. Maybe pick a cause you care about and actively spend a few minutes a day praying for that cause – ISIS as an example can keep you very busy in that area right now! Praying for others is sowing seeds and you will reap your own reward for it; it also gets your mind off your own issues for a while.
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• Look at the 4 points that qualified David as having great faith in the beginning of today’s study. Think of an issue you have and how you are handling it- see where/if you match up to those points in the way you are dealing with it.
• David knew that earthly weapons would not win the battle. What earthly weapons are you relying on to get through your trials?
• In what way do you think you could bring God glory through all the anxiety?
• Think about your anxious thoughts and worries individually. Identify areas where you are hastening and running toward your Goliath with God behind you, as well as areas where you may be opting to sit and worry while your Goliath threatens to tear you apart.
  Chop off the head of your enemy (v51) so that it no longer shouts deceptions into your ear!
• If you have any areas where you are predominantly idle, in what godly ways can you keep yourself occupied?

A lesson from David | Part 3

This is Part 3 in a lesson from David as it pertains to anxiety. Part 2 is here

1 Samuel 17

We saw how David stepped up to the plate and brought a godly perspective to the battle. You may wonder, “Well this was David – God had His eye on Him to be the greatest King of Israel! So he already had favour anyway. David did not have my problems. I’m no David!”

Well, David often faced his own trials that prepared him for this very victory. Life wasn’t always sweet and chilled in those rolling green hills. He was the youngest of his brothers which made him almost ‘insignificant’. In verse 33 Saul tells David he’s too young to face and fight such a battle, and David explains that while tending sheep he had to fight off and kill bears and lions to protect the sheep and lambs. David was approximately 15 years old when he fought Goliath, so God had been preparing him all his little life to fight this battle! This is how God usually works. He wants us to be faithful at the point where we are- be faithful just a little, and He will use it to accomplish greater things for you. If David hid away in fear from the lion and bear, he would never have been ready to fight Goliath. God was with him against the bear and lion, and with him against Goliath. Just like He will be with you through all your trials and worries of the day – if you trust in Him to handle them for you.
Saul then relents and gives David his armour to wear, but it was so heavy and big that he couldn’t walk with them, “David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” (v39)
This I find very important, especially when it comes to my story. I placed my experience of healing from hypochondria on my blog in the hopes that it will help others and to bring God glory. I truly believe God drew you to my story because He wanted to put us in touch and that He wants to help you and set you free.
At the same time, God does not want us to wear other peoples’ armour. Saul’s armour did not fit David, spiritually or physically, so he took it off. Try not to fight this battle using other armour. To think about how God helped me is great, because when you draw from others’ experiences you tap into the anointing yourself! As we are one body in Christ, then my story is actually your story too! God sees it as one!

But make your experience your own. I can’t tell you why I was healed in only 4 days by only declaring that God will fight the battle for me- God works differently with different people. By you believing that God will fight this battle for you is scriptural, but is it fitting you? Is doing it my way necessarily your good fit? Sometimes God fights the battle we are in, and sometimes He directs us what to do to see victory. My decision after reading about Jehoshaphat’s battle felt like the Holy Spirit placed it on my lap saying “here’s your answer”. I had supernatural faith that this was how I had to pray, I knew deep within me. This is what you need to find for yourself as well!

When David got rid of Saul’s armour it was a spiritual principle because David was then relying on God’s armour alone. He knew that God would win that battle. With anxiety we always play it safe by wearing different kinds of armour (we pray as well as listen to doctors’ reassurances, own human reasoning etc.) but God wants us to trust in Him alone. Never forget my story because it will bring hope. But be watchful that you don’t start relying on Caddie’s “method” only instead of purely relying on God and what He has for you! He wants to show you how.

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The Bible says that ‘hope deferred makes the heart sick’ (Prov 13:12). All throughout the Old Testament God would always remind Israel what He had done for them in the past and it hit home. And we saw David recall how God helped him in the past. There is something that stirs the spirit when we recall what God has done for us.
Recall and write down all the good things God has done for you the past few months, as small as it may be. You will begin to tap into the strength and life of what He did for you in the past.

How can you be faithful by giving God all your concerns for the day?

What armour are you wearing? One I can think of is Googling symptoms! Think of any armour you may be using that is not God Himself. (Basically anything you are relying on to bring you temporary peace). How can you take off that armour and wear Jesus instead?

Are there times when you use David’s words about God’s armour “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them”?
Think of times you may think that relying on God is “wishy-washy”. Dig deep and think of why you may think He’s not powerful enough to help you alone.

Verses:
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, because You have done it; and in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good. Psalm 52:8-9

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

A lesson from David | Part 2

This is Part 2 in a lesson from David as it pertains to anxiety. Part 1 is here
1 Samuel 17

So we saw yesterday that the Israelites were paralysed by fear to even stand up and fight the battle. They were easily placed into fear by 2 things:
– “things which are seen” (2 Cor 4:18) which was Goliath’s massive stature (a massive worry, task or problem etc.) and
– words (thoughts of a disease, thoughts of feeling hopeless, thoughts that you will never cope with the stress today, thoughts that something bad will happen etc.)

Now we see another angle pop into the picture. David. And he brings a fresh perspective into fighting a battle because of his heart and attitude.
Note the Bible refers to Goliath as a ‘champion’ (v4). This is not a compliment, but the word champion comes from the Hebrew word “a middle man; the man between two.” So Goliath was the man who stood between Israel and the Philistines as a representative of his army. He did a pretty good job at it if we want to admit.
BUT we have our own Representative/Champion on our WINNING side – and that is JESUS! (1 Tim 2:5) David knew this all too well and it is what gave him the ability to stand up to this giant. This is exactly why God said David was ‘a man after his own heart’ (1 Sam 13:14). This is because David did not look at the battle in fleshly terms, but rather in spiritual terms- he cared what God cared about. The size never bothered him and Goliath’s words and threats never bothered him…because he knew God was with him. God was his Champion.

We all know how the story ends, but more importantly let us compare the difference between the Israeli army’s attitude and David’s- we can clearly see the how and why he was able to win this giant of a battle:

Israel’s response	David’s response
They focused on the danger/difficulty of the battle (size of the problem and negative words in their ears)	David focused on Israel’s reputation and God’s honour (“who is this…that he should defy the armies of the living God?”)
Referred to Goliath as “this man” (v25)	David referred to Goliath as “this uncircumcised Philistine” (v26). He was just an enemy that had to be defeated. End of story.
No faith – “Surely he has come up to defy Israel!” (v25)	David thought it absurd that an enemy of God should even dare to “defy the armies of the Living God”
Focused on the material rewards for the battle- “the man who kills him…the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” (v25)	David focused on what God cared about and what was lying with God’s heart- “the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel” (v26)

Meditate on how Jesus is our Champion today. We can never be our own Champion- Jesus paid the price on the cross to take that role from us. He stands between you and the problem…if you will let Him! This means letting go control. Think about the issues, anxieties and thoughts that stifle you. How can you allow Jesus to play champion in those areas?

Meditate on the differences between Israel’s perspective and attitude and David’s. In which army do you lie? Write down your issues, worries and anxieties individually and how you currently handle them and think about them. See where and how they match up with Israel’s thinking. How can you shift them over to David’s winning side by seeing them from a spiritual perspective? Remember, we need to care about what God cares about, and He does not want us anxious.

Verses:
“while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Cor 4:18

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Matt 6:25-27

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” Phil 4:6

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” 1 Tim 2:5

“The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart” 1 Sam 13:14

A Lesson from David | Part 1

This is Part 1 in a series of David as it pertains to anxiety

David’s victorious battle was a foreshadow of Jesus’ victory on the cross for us, and how He is still working to bring victory in our lives! To avoid a lengthy email I will break it up over 3 days or so for you to absorb and meditate over each piece.
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We see the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. Every time I read it I have a good chuckle because it must have been quite a sight – the Philistines were on one mountain while Israel’s army was on the opposite one with a valley between them. They cowered away in fear every time Goliath shouted at them.

“When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” 1 Samuel 17:10

This was Goliath’s intention! He was massive and probably knew how scary he was. His aim was to ensure Israel quivered in their boots because once your opponent fears, you have won the battle. He paraded in front of them hurling insults and threats. So, he looked and sounded terrifying; so much so that Israel did nothing but sit and hide in fear. This is the exact strategy of the enemy against us believers! If fear strikes you to the core- thoughts and deception of disease or the overwhelming stress you’re facing and fear of not coping etc- then you are so terrified to move, and even pray, that the enemy does not have to fight back much does he? He has you where he wants you- cowering in fear about what’s going to happen next and fear of dying. By sitting and worrying, we get nowhere in our battles. Sometimes if I am faced with a threatening or scary situation I can make the mistake of allowing fear to get a hold of me that I can’t even think of how to start off praying! But that is a grave mistake. We need to be Davids, which we will look at next.

Some points to meditate on:

1. What are some of your Goliaths? Hypochondria stems from a root cause. Remember, it’s when our minds want to rather focus on the ‘worst possible scenario’ i.e. our health. Is that root overwhelming stress, unconfessed sin, learned anxiety, working among sick patients, trauma, childhood abuse or a very difficult childhood? There could be a million different reasons – different for each person. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything to you that is causing you this inner turmoil. If he brings anything to mind, confess them to Him and ask Him to cleanse you, and release you from those chains.
2. Think about the situations and stressors that make you cower in fear in the valley. In what ways are you reacting the same way Israel did to Goliath?
   Try list the emotions those Goliaths are causing you and give them to the Lord. Tell Him that you are laying those fears at His feet and that you are asking Him to handle them for you.