By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
WEDNESDAY
THEME: GOD WINS THE BATTLE BEFORE IT IS FOUGHT
SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 17:37
“Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
REFLECTIONS:
This week, our focus has been on our evidence of God’s power. Evidence gained from knowledge and experience will always elicit testimonies. Our daily victories enrich our experiences, enhance our understanding and appreciation of God’s power, and strengthen our confidence and trust in Him.
David is known for his prowess. He was a person who praised God for every opportunity that came his way. Full of gratitude to God, he experienced the freshness of God’s goodness daily. Even in adversity, David remained resolute that God would keep His promise. He attributed all he could do and accomplish to God, who dwelt with Him. When he utters a poem saying, “The LORD is my Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1), he shares his experience of how God has been shepherding him from the enemy and providing for him constantly. He knows God as the Shepherd who cares, caresses, leads, directs, encourages, and defends. He could not capture any better noun and attribute than a shepherd to highlight God’s constancy, permanence, faithfulness, compassion, patience, and vision for His feeble flock.
Having been a shepherd of sheep before shepherding Israel, David knew and understood their behavior and how the shepherd felt for his sheep. He is in pain when any of the sheep is in pain; when threatened by a predator, he puts his life on the line and pulls out his arsenals to defend, protect, and ensure their safety; and when any sheep loses its way, he puts in the extra effort in search of the lost. When David praises God, he very well knows why.
As David faced Goliath, he recounted God’s favor in the past. It is recorded in 1 Samuel 17:37, “Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” God’s kindness in the past is your assurance of His continued support. In the strength of remembering God’s past deeds, “[45]. . . David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. [46]This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. . . that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. [47]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.” – 1 Samuel 17:45-47.
David’s victory over Goliath was evidence of God’s closeness and how He always defends His people. On our behalf, God is a warrior. Sometime after this victory, Saul, out of jealousy, hated David and pursued him with a large army to kill him, as recorded in 1 Samuel 24:2, “Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men . . .” – 3,000 troops? In modern times, he would have caused serious financial loss to the state. It was this same God who saved David. Those who seek after Him will always be saved. So if David proclaims: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want,” every bit of it is accurate and experiential. You can have a similar experience with the LORD today.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
“Victory Through Grace”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for being your Shepherd; thank Him for the many times He has saved you from the enemy; pray to remember always God’s goodness to spur you on;
– Pray for those who face challenges daily but keep trusting God; pray for acquaintances who have difficulty trusting God; pray for victims of disasters, wars, violence, and displacement;
– Pray for street children, people experiencing homelessness, and young people addicted to drugs; pray for honest and God-fearing leaders in our political space; pray for those who are physically, mentally, and spiritually tormented;
– Pray for patriotism and faith in God as a nation; pray for a mindset change regarding the rampant degradation of the environment; pray for Christ’s soon coming.
