Who Is Like You?

Deuteronomy 33:27-29 says that the eternal God is our refuge and underneath us are His everlasting arms. Can we claim these promises? On the authority of Scripture, we can.



Galatians 3:29 says in God's kingdom "There is neither Jew nor Greek (gentiles), there is neither bound nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. "



The qualifier here is if you are Christ's. We are not our own; we have been bought with a price. Even Mary, the earthly mother of Christ had a realization of this when she prayed in Luke 1:54,55 "He (God) has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy."



Being a servant of the Almighty is a good position to be in. Underneath us, upholding us in all of our life are His everlasting arms. The verses in Deuteronomy continue to promise that He will thrust out the enemy from before us; and He shall say, "Destroy them." We are always confronted with enemies of one form or another. It can be debt, health, unbelief or other issues. Anything that stands between us and God I consider to be an enemy. All issues that interfere with doing His will is an enemy. He has promised to say "Destroy", and I take Him at His word.



He also promises that we will dwell in safety and the fountain of Jacob will be upon a land of corn and wine, and the heavens will drop their dew. Jesus said if we believe in Him that our of our innermost being will flow rivers of living water.



The verse concludes with " Happy art thou, O Israel: Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD; the shield of our help and the sword of our excellency! Our enemies will be found to be liars and we will tread upon their high places."




I have personalized these verses, and they read as such:
The eternal God is my refuge,
underneath me are His everlasting arms;
He will thrust out my enemies from before me and shall say "Destroy them!"



I will then dwell in safety and my fountain will once again be upon a land of corn and wine and His heavens will drop their dew.
Happy am I and who is like unto me, a person saved by the LORD,
He is the shield of my help and the sword of my excellency.



My enemies (doubt, fear, debt, anger) shall be exposed as liars and I will tread upon their high places (their former places of strength in my life).





No matter the difficulty, and there are many, we will come out of this thing winners and victorious in God!

In A Hurry?

The second book of Samuel, Chapter's one through four give an amazing glimpse into the character of King David. This is important because Jesus is given the title as the son of David; He will also sit on the throne of David when He returns.



As we know from Sunday school lessons as children, King Saul was jealous of David and sought to kill him for quite a number of years. Although anointed as the new King of Israel, David did not fight Saul. He did everything he could to make amends. I am sure he prayed that Saul would repent of his ways and become the king that he should have been.



When Saul and his son Jonathan were killed in battle fighting the Amelekite's, David wept bitterly when he heard the news. The man who brought David the news of Saul's death spoke boldly that he was the one who ran the spear through Saul. David was angry that one could so easily kill a man that was anointed of God to be King. David had this man put to death. Earlier in King Saul's life he was instructed to slay all of the Amelekite's in battle and Saul disobeyed; thus, an Amelekite was instrumental in ending his reign. It may take years for our disobedience to God to catch up with us, but as sure as the sun rises, it will. Saul never repented of his disobedience, he made excuses. We are blessed today that we have an Advocate with the Father in Christ Jesus.



After Saul's death one would think that David would immediately declare that he is king over all of Israel. Scripture records that asked of God where he should go and he went to Hebron. He was king of only the Tribe of Judah. The other 11 tribes, under the direction and encouragement of one of Saul's generals anointed one of Saul's sons king over them, Ishbosheth.



David stayed in Hebron for over 7 years! He did not fight against the other tribes. He did not push the issue, although by all rights he could have done so. After all, he was the anointed one. This shows patience, grace and love for his brothers. He had confidence that after years of avoiding Saul's rage against him, and now having to reside in Hebron for years, that God would have His way in His time.



David played the peacemaker through it all. There was violence and discord all around but David encouraged himself in the LORD and trusted His timing and His ways. All throughout the first 4 chapters of 2 Samuel a picture of a man who was totally dependant on God appears. He did not push his agenda. He played the peacemaker and respected both the people under his direct rule, and he gave great deference to those who were uncertain as to who should be king over all of Israel.
In God's time, it all came together and David's kingdom was established and is even today, and for eternity, will be the throne of David.




I have not been so with God. I have been anxious to do what I wanted, when I wanted, and how I wanted to do it. In my spirit I could feel that the door was closed for a season, and I would push with all of my might to force it open; much to my dismay at a later date. I have not always been patient, kind or gently with my brethren, but rather very inpatient and not always so kind.



If I am to grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD, I must remember King David and his lifestyle as mentioned in 2 Samuel. As a child of God, should I get angry with those who refuse to see me as such? Do I lash out at those who do not see things as I do? Or, do I have patience, compassion and love for those who are lost and question what is the correct path to take?



The graces of God do not come easily. At times, we will feel so boxed in, as King David must have felt in Hebron while the other 11 tribes were serving and doing their own thing. But in God's time, after we have learned from our experiences while isolated and seemingly alone, His will and His way in His time will be revealed.
He is with us through the process.



King David acknowledged God in all things during his reign. When he sinned, he speedily repented. When it was time to wait, he did not act in haste. When he was punished for his actions against the Almighty, he did not complain but sought mercy and forgiveness.



David's example is a good one to emulate. God's graces working through a person and the trials, temptations, patience, and turmoil are what produced the beautiful psalms of thanksgiving, praise and worship that give us so much strength and courage and confidence today.