Let God Do It His Way

Let God Do It His Way

8/1/99 1 Samuel 24:1-22 1 Peter 4:12-19 1 Samuel 26:1-25

When a woman is pregnant, she is going to have a baby. A normal baby takes about nine months to get here. Now what would you think if the woman became so excited about the baby coming into the word that she demanded the doctors give her a C section early in the seventh month? We all know that it would be foolish to do when neither the mother or child’s health is at stake.

There are going to be times in our lives, when God is going to want to do something great in and through us. Even though we may know its going to happen, we have to be careful not to force some things to happen to soon. Sometimes we have to wait for God’s timing to make it happen. One of the great lessons every believer is going to have to learn is to "let God do it His way." It’s not that God is against you and your desires, it’s that God has a plan and a purpose for your in mind, but we all need more equipping than we think to handle the situations which God knows are coming our way.

In our Old Testament reading, we read about David. Do you remember who David was. He was the youngest of eight sons of a man named Jesse. His father did not think much of him, and had pretty much written him off. But God saw something special in the heart of David. God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David to one day be the future king of the nation of Israel.

The only problem was there was already a king over the nation of Israel. But God started preparing David to be a great leader and a person and faith and courage. In the beginning the lessons were great. David killed the giant Goliath and everyone rejoiced. He was made the general of King Saul’s army, and God led him from one victory to another. You talk about timing. David was in the right place at the right time, and the enemy was defeated time and time again. The way God was preparing him for his future job was amazing.

But then David had learn not only how to handle success as God prepared him to become king, he also had to learn how to handle defeat as God continued to prepare him for being king. Do you realize , where ever God is leading in your life, you have to know how to handle success and disappointments. Nobody wins all of the time in life.

David’s quick rise to the top, made King Saul a little nervous. But when the King heard the women singing, “Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.” The king became very upset and jealous. He made up his mind that he would have to get rid of David. At first he tried killing him by sending him into battles he did not think David could possibly win. Then he tried killing him, through throwing a spear at him. Then he tried by sending others after him to hunt him down. Finally he tried to kill him by going after him with 3,000 men.

When David heard the good news of one day becoming king, he did not know that part of the lesson would include personal and live training sessions on how to avoid assassination attempts on your life. Many of the lessons we learn in preparing to become the person God wants us to be come in real life situations. We do not become stronger in the faith, simply by reading a book on “10 ways to become stronger in the faith.” No God would rather provide us with 10 situations in which we will emerge as stronger believers if we remain true to His word.

In our Old Testament reading, we saw where Saul had put a reward on David’s life and he was determined to hunt David down and kill him. The Ziphites told Saul where David was. Saul came with his troops to kill him. David’s men were hiding in a cave. Unknown to Saul, he went in the cave to get some sleep. David could have killed Saul right then and there and became king, but he didn’t.

He let the King live and told the king after he left the cave, “look just as easily as I cut this piece off of your robe, I could have cut off your head.” Why are you chasing after me. I’m not your enemy.” King Saul was so glad to be alive, he told David, “David you’re a much better man than I am. I know one day you’re going to be king. May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me. “Saul gave the order for his 3000 men to leave and head for home.