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What If I Don’t Like God?

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I’m convinced people haven’t stopped believing in God.  They’ve stopped liking him.  And, in some ways, I get where they’re coming from.  They’ve been sold this bill of goods that life is going to be just the way they want it.  That if they believe in God and pray, then he’ll give them a 4 bedroom house, the best spouse in town, and a white picket fence.

So, according to this messed up theology…if you’re following in faith…and God hasn’t blessed you…then you just wait a little longer…and then….you’ll be rich.

Well, what if you don’t ever get rich?

What if instead, you get cancer?

What if your wife leaves you and your dog dies?

I mean, seriously, what do you do then?

Well, some people decide…I just don’t like God that much anymore.

So, what do you do with that person?

I mean, a thorough schooling in the Kalam Cosmological Argument doesn’t really help a lot.  A comprehensive treatise on the atonement doesn’t really cut it.

So, what do you give them?

You give them Jesus.  You show them Jesus in your life.  You point them to the Messiah.  And, he’s not an argument.  He’s not an academic subject.  He’s real.  He’s faithful.

And, you know what?  He could call fishermen.  They liked him.  He could call tax collectors.  They liked him.  He could call drunkards and prostitutes.  They liked him.  And, little children…they really liked him.

So, if you’re reading this and you’re struggling with this whole business of do I even like God…then take a look at Jesus.  Get out the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and read them over and over.  If you’re not that impressed with church folks, maybe you shouldn’t be.  But, give Jesus a chance.  I think you’ll like him.

And, if you’re reading this, and you’re a Christian that’s struggling to help a friend or family member that is wrestling with God, then I challenge you to point them to Jesus.  He’s where it’s at.

And, you might not even know you’re struggling with this…but if you don’t get emotional at communion, if you don’t get excited about worship, and if you don’t long to steal away in prayer…then you know what…you might not really like God as much as you’d like to think.

So, I challenge you, too.  Open up the gospels.  Take a fresh look at Jesus.  You might just like him.

Worship

Crazy

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I could be crazy…possibly.

You think about it.  Millions of people every Sunday gather to talk to someone you can’t see.  They talk about how good he is.  They sing songs to him. They encourage one another to serve him.

I’m reminded of the Cee Lo Green song….I might be crazy…possibly.

Maybe I am crazy for doing it.

But, if I’m crazy for worshipping, I’m also crazy for having the hope I have.  I’m crazy for having the purpose I have, and I’m crazy for having the love and joy I have.  Yep, I guess I’m crazy.

Have you ever seen anyone who was in love?  Crazy.

Have you ever seen anyone who made heroic sacrifice for love of country?  Crazy.

Have you ever known someone who risked their life to save another?  Crazy.

Well, I happen to know someone who did that.  He’s the maker and sustainer, but he was also suspended on an instrument of execution.  He is the King of Kings, but he once was the spectacle of all.  But, I believe something.  Not only did he die, but he also arose.

And, you know what the most sane response to that is?

In light of the resurrection, do you know what makes sense?

Worship.

It’s our world view.

Becoming, Sharing

This One Thing I Do

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Tonight Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will face off in the last presidential debate before the November election.  I could post a million reasons why you should vote for one candidate over the other.  I could write about why you shouldn’t vote for either one.

But, I won’t.

I want to give you a challenge.  I want to see just how good you are at paying attention.

So, the challenge is – “Count how many times players wearing white pass the ball.”

After watching this video, did you see the gorilla?  You see, about half the people get so busy watching the basketball, so focused on the moving target…that they miss the gorilla that walks right through the frame.  And, if you’re looking for the gorilla, you miss other things…like the changing of the color of the curtain, or that a player exits the game.

If you really focus on something…you might just miss other things.

So, we are as a nation quite focused on the national election.   I have to ask myself, did I miss something?    Did we miss something?

There’s a passage that comes to mind.  It’s literally a heaven or a hell passage:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

When I read these words from Matthew 25, I have to wonder, am I seeing Jesus in my everyday life?  Or, am I so focused on things like a national election that I’ve missed the most important.

Have I seen Jesus in the eyes of a needy child?

Have I recognized Jesus in the voice of my coworker who needs encouragement?

Have I truly embraced the presence of the living God in the outcries of the man who showed up at church simply looking for a job?

I challenge you to open your eyes.  See the invisible people.  See the invisible God.  He’s right here all along.

And, when you do, you can know that the most exciting thing that’s happening is that God’s reign is breaking out in this world.  His will is being done.  His kingdom is being born into this world.

And, while there may be a debate on tonight…it doesn’t represent the most important choice in our world.  The choice you must make is to open your eyes to the divine presence that’s breaking forth.

Will you be a part of that kingdom, of that life?

Profile image by Krassotkin (derivative), Gage Skidmore (Donald Trump), Gage Skidmore (Hillary Clinton) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Becoming, Bible, II Samuel, Old Testament

I Am David

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Like Leonard Cohen, I’ve been pretty curious about that secret chord that David played that pleased the Lord.  I wanted to know what it was that was so special about David.  What was it that made him a man after God’s own heart.

How could I be like David? How could I be…special?

David was special, right?  Killed a giant.  Wrote the Psalms.  War hero.  Legendary king.

He was a hero, but he was also a zero.  Think about it.  In one turn of events, he broke eight of the ten commandments.  Adultery.  Murder.  Pretty low if you ask me.

But, then I hear the words of the Psalms.  I heard a heart that is longing for God.  I heart a heart that is alive and on fire.  And, I know.  David is me.  David is you.

You see, David is the anointed.  He’s the chosen one.  In the New Testament, we read of how we can all be sons of God.  We can be like Jesus.  We can have a heart like his.   We can be anointed.

Read Romans 8.

How do we live the Christian life?  By the Spirit.  We have an anointing from God.  We are the chosen people.  We are the blessed people.  We are David.   I am David.   You are David.  You’re his seed.  You’re his promise.  Why?  Because you are the body of Christ.

So, what does that mean?  What are we to do?

Live with your heart on fire for God, alive in the Spirit, and always living in the reality that God is alive and he’s all we need.

That’s what David did.  He found God in the tough times and in the sad times and in the plentiful times and in the good times.  He found him on the mountain and he found him in the valley.

So, we can know that God is with us, and we can say with David, “yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me.”  His rod and his staff guide us.  He prepares us a table in the presence of our enemies.  Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Amen.

 

 

Becoming

Never Forget: 9/11

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When Welles Crowther went to work that day, he didn’t know it would be his last.  He was a Wall Street equities trader, but he was also a volunteer fireman.  His training kicked in on on that fateful day in September when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower.    He was a hero.

When I think of what he did to save countless people, I’m reminded of the words of Jesus.  In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, he said, “You are the light of the world.”  He went on to explain that we shouldn’t hide our lights.   Welles Crowther didn’t hide his light.  He used his talent and training and passion to save lives.  He let his light shine.  We should, too.  We might not save people from a burning building, but we can let our light shine by using our talents and skills to help people in whatever way we can.  And, when we do, we can give the honor to God!

Welles selfless service gave life.  Jesus also said,  “You are the salt of the earth.”  Then, he goes on to say that we should be “salty.”  Salt is something that was used at that time to preserve food.  It literally kept people alive.  Welles wasn’t afraid to be “salty,” to be different.  He used his training to lead people to safety.  He didn’t just stand around and try to fit in.  He was different.  And, by being different, he saved lives.  We are called to do that, too.  We should be different, we should be special, and we should go ahead and be the salt of the earth that keeps the earth going by preserving life.

Welles went back in the towers multiple times.  He kept going back in to the point that he was there when the towers fell.  He gave the ultimate sacrifice.  His own life.  Now, Jesus calls us to do something more than just have a superficial commitment to being right.  He calls us to deep, inner commitment.  He says that we should be more righteous than the religious leaders of the day in the first century, the Pharisees.  We should have the kind of righteousness that cuts to the core.  Now, Jesus modeled that kind of living…by giving his life.  Just, like Welles, Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice, and he calls us to go beyond list-checking religion to the point that we become self-sacrificing servants.

For some reason today, when I thought of Welles, his story reminded me of Jesus and his message in Matthew 5 in the Sermon on the Mount.  A message about light, life, and deep self-sacrificing righteousness.  And, if we become those things, then people will never forget.  Just think…years later, we’re still talking about Welles.

2000 years later, and we’re still talking about another one who gave his life for us.

Bible, II Samuel, Old Testament

Absalom: Hair to Die For (II Samuel 13-19)

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You remember Fabio, don’t you?  He donned the covers of romance novels for years.  You may remember him from the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” commercials.  He is the male model with the long flowing hair.

Turns out there’s an ancient Semitic Fabio.  He name is Absalom.

“ Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot. 26 He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds,” Samuel 14:26 NLT.

Locks of Love hit their jackpot every year with him.

Women fawned over him.

Men wanted to be him.

And, he didn’t get what he wanted.  Might have been the first time.   You see he wanted revenge and justice.  You see, he had a beautiful sister, Tamar.  In fact, she was so beautiful that her half-brother Amnon went crazy for her.  I think he may have been a little touched to start with.  Well, he forced himself on Tamar, and then he disgraced her by refusing to marry her.  Well, Mr. Male Model Prince Absalom wanted his father King David to handle this situation.  David did nothing.  A good looking young prince was used to getting what he wanted, so he took matters into his own hands and waited his time until he could kill Amnon.  He got what he wanted.

Pride.  It’s something we celebrate nowadays.  There’s all sorts of pride.  We even have pride parades.  It might surprise you to know that the Bible doesn’t speak of pride as good thing.

“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.,” I John 2:16.

Pride is saying that you’re more important than others.  That your will overrides God’s will.  Absalom had that kind of pride.  He took his brother’s life and it wasn’t Absalom’s place to do it.

After Mr. Jewish Fabio killed his brother, he left Jerusalem for a couple of years.  Finally, Joab helped him make his way back to town, and finally into the court of the King.

Then, Absalom set in play a four year plan to take over the kingdom.  The beautiful man started courting all Israel.  He stole their hearts with his appearance and words.  And, he rose against his father.

Through a turn of events that we could only describe as a “God thing,” Absalom spurned good military counsel and took the one that lead to his demise.  In fact, it lead to him being caught in a tree.  Guess what caught him.  Guess what lead to his death.  It was all those beautiful locks of hair.

His pride was his hair.  His pride was his death trap.

I wonder how many times the same can be said of us?

Well, what’s the secret to this?  How do we get out of this death trap?

Well, we accept the Word of God.  It tells us that we are beloved.  You see, the Son of God went to the tree so we don’t have to.

We can all be members of his royal family…but doing so involves humble service.  Like our humble King, we take up our crosses and even die for him, and we rise to glory in his kingdom.

Our baptism is a death.  It’s a burial.  It’s a resurrection.  You want to see the Christian life…look at the waters of baptism.  You submit to it.  You receive it.  And, God blesses you as you humble yourself in his sight.  He lifts you up to new life.

Like David, even when we sin, we turn to him in repentance and in mercy and grace he forgives.  We keep going and serving even through the heartbreak.  We will sing to him and serve him in humility.

And, you know what?

He raises us up.

Becoming, II Samuel, Sharing

It Doesn’t Matter Where You Are (I Samuel 7)

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The alarm sounded.  I was up at 2:30 AM!  Wow!  My folks even gave me a phone call.  I was ready.  Showered, drove to the church.  Met the Nicaragua mission team at the Central Church of Christ, and off we went.  Got to Birmingham, and it happened.  We boarded the plane.  Seated and ready for takeoff, we hear this announcement, “We’re having some technical difficulties with the fire protection in the luggage compartment.  Let’s go ahead and deplane and we’ll call the mechanic.”  It turns out the mechanic was not found, and we didn’t get to fly to Managua, Nicaragua, that day.  So, we headed back to Tuscaloosa.  Never been to Sunday church in shorts before.

Next day.  The alarm sounds!  I am up at 2:30 AM!  My folks call me (again).  Showered and ready, I meet Bill Rayburn at the Central Church of Christ building and we head to Birmingham.  Turns out it’s the same flight, same time, with American.  And, it turns out that problem had not been fixed, and our flight was cancelled.

Cancelled!

There was more than one honeymoon that was delayed.  One lady was bringing all the preparation for a beautiful wedding in Jamaica.  Another was just headed to her work.  We were missing important mission work.  We were all frustrated.

It had been quite the hassle.  Two days of waking up before the crack of dawn.  Two trips to Birmingham.  Hours of haggling with American Airlines agents.  Lines.  Did I mention lines.  I may or may not have lost my cool a time or two the first day.  I definitely got riled up the second.  I mean…why didn’t they fix the plane?

We rebooked through United and finally made our way down there that night.

Whew!  We got to where we wanted to be!  What a relief.  I had recently been told that I needed to work on my patience.   Got in some really good training there.

When we finally made it to the Managua Best Western and began our work with the churches here,  we were ecstatic.   We were where we wanted to be.  We were where we saw God as moving us in his mission.  We were going to minister to hundreds of children and carry out all the work we had done to give them a memorable and effective week of VBS.

Have you ever gotten where you want to be in life?

Somewhere you’ve worked for?  Maybe it was years in college.  Maybe it was years of courting that beautiful girl.  Maybe it was hours or practice.  Maybe it was hard work and dedication and perseverance that finally paid off.

Well, David could relate to that.

Think of all he went through.  He was anointed by Samuel as a young guy.  He was told he would be king.  But, he wasn’t yet.  He faced a giant.  He put up with the madness of a jealous king.  He wandered in the wilderness.  He hid in caves.  He fought in battles.  His family was taken from him (but he rescued them).  He saw the death of his best friend Jonathan.  And, through it all he persevered and kept standing in that line, waiting for God to do what he believe God has promised.  He waited to see the goodness of the Lord.  And, there it was.  He was crowned king.

He had gotten all he wanted.  All he had waited for.

Or, did he?

What did David really want?

Did he want to be in a particular place?  Did he really want the palace more than anything else?

Well, it turns out, not really.  He didn’t want a place for himself so much as he wanted a place for God.

In II Samuel 7, we read that the newly crowned King David wants something from God.  He wants to build him a palace.  He wants to build a temple in which to place the ark of the covenant.  He wants to make God great in the eyes of the people.  He wants a place for Him!

Think about that.  When you get to the place you want to be, is that really the place you want to be?

Yogi Berra wasn’t too far off when he say, “Wherever you are, there you’ll be!”

Here’s the thing.  David didn’t really want a geographic place for himself.  He didn’t really want a status nor a throne.  Do you know where David really wanted to be?

We don’t have to wonder.  He told us in Psalm 27:4,

“One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.”

In the words of the song, David just wanted to be where God is.  He didn’t want a throne if God wasn’t there.  He didn’t want a pasture if God wasn’t there.  And, I can tell you this, David would have been happy to wait in line at the American Airlines counter if he knew God was there.

Now, I have to tell you, sometimes I get caught up in my location and status.  I want to be where I want to be when I want to be there.  How about you?  Do you admire those patient prayer warriors who seem to always be content with their situation?  I do.  I seem to have spiritual ADD.  I forget so many times and get distracted from this primary fact that I want to share with you.

God is here.

He’s here in Managua in the hearts of the servants serving children.  He’s here in the hotel.  He’s even at the airport at the counter.  Why?

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” I Corinthians 3:16

Do you not know that at the airport, you are the presence of God there?

Do you not know that at the restaurant, God is with you?

Do you not know that late at night and early in the morning and all through your day, you have something that is so precious and so special that it made a king beg.  What is it?

God’s temple is here.  You are it.

Sometimes we get so frustrated with the world.  Well, that’s ok.  There are frustrating things.  But, we are God’s presence renovating it.  We are God’s hands touching it.  We are God’s feet going to help.  We are God’s mind thinking the thoughts that transform that world.  And, when we realize that, we can know that we have the very thing we’ve wanted all along.  The only thing that will satisfy.

David said that “a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside,” Psalm 84:10.  I can say a day WITH GOD even if it’s haggling with airlines is better than a thousand WITHOUT him.

Why?

“In his presence is fullness of joy”, Psalm 16:11.

Let’s be the temple.  Let’s be the presence of God in the world.

II Samuel, Old Testament

A Time To Dance (I Samuel 6)

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“Hello, this is Mr. Pavarotti.”

I didn’t believe him.  I thought it was a prank on that October day in 1996.  So, I said,

“John, this isn’t funny.”  John was a childhood friend and a prankster.

“No, this is Mr. Pavarotti.  I called many times.  You are a busy guy.”

Once I figured out exactly what was going on (after quizzing him hard), I just started screaming, “Thank you.”

I literally ran down the street to my friend’s house on that Wednesday night, and nearly broke down their door, and walked in and breathlessly exclaimed, “I just got a call from Luciano Pavarotti!”

I had written many letters to Luciano Pavarotti, because he was my hero when it came to singing.  He had received my letters, and decided to reach out.

When your hero calls, you get excited.  I ran.  I think I may have danced a little.  I shouted.

When was the last time you shouted for joy?

What about when your team won their last big game?  Maybe it was when you got that job.  Or, when she say, “yes.”

Now, what if the most important person in the world to you, said, “Yes”?

  • Maybe it’s your spouse.  Maybe you just long to hear them say, “Yes – I’m with you.”
  • Maybe it’s your child.  You just want to know they their answer to you is, “Yes – I love you, and I’m with you.”
  • Maybe it’s your customers.  Maybe what you long for more than anything is to hear them say, “Yes, I’m with you all the way.”

If the right one says “Yes,” then you will feel it.  Your foot will feel like tapping.  Your legs will feel like moving.  Your mouth will feel like shouting.  You just might dance.

When David Danced

When King David was crowned king, we don’t read about him dancing a jig.  When he defeated a giant, there is no record of cutting a rug .  When he escaped Saul, there is no note about skipping nor leaping.  But, when God said, “Yes,” David danced with all his might.

You see, the ark of the covenant represented the presence of God.  When you had the ark, you had God with you.  David had made some mistakes and he was questioning whether he’d be able to bring the ark to his city.  He wanted God’s presence more than anything. He wanted God himself.  And, when he thought he couldn’t have the ark with him, it broke his heart.  But, when he found out that he could bring the ark to his town, he literally threw off his kingly robes and danced like a little child.

Have you seen these videos of children’s reactions when their fathers come home from a long military deployment?  Well, that was David.  The ark had been away from him for so long.  He wanted to bring it home.  And, when he was convinced that he could, he just went wild.  He leaped and danced and sang and praised.  He had childlike ecstasy.

Do You Hear the Music?

David danced because he could hear the music.

Do you?

There is a symphony of grace that you need to experience.  It will sweep you away with it’s cadence.  You’ll feel the magic of its drama and the power of its melody.  You’ll dance to the orchestra of God’s grace.

And, where does it start?

Like David, you have to hear a simple word.  You have to experience the reality that God wants to be where you are.  Just think about it.  That’s why Jesus came.  He came to tell us, “Yes!”

I Corinthians 1:20 says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.”

  • If you’re doubting if God really wants to touch your life, then look at the hands that touched a leper.  The answer is “Yes!” (Matthew 8:3).
  • If you’re wondering if God would come to your house, the house of a sinner, then ask Matthew, the tax collector.  The answer is , “Yes!” (Mark 2:13-17).
  • If you’re concerned that God will be with you in your trials, then look at Jesus on the stormy sea, and hear him say, “Peace, be still.”  The answer is “Yes!”
  • If you’re wondering if Jesus would clean out the grime and filth in your life, then see him watching the disciples feet, John 13.
  • When you look at the old rugged cross, we see the answer to the question, “Does God really love me enough to die for me?”  The answer is “Yes.”
  • The empty tomb proclaims the answer to the question, “Can God conquer death in order to be with me?”  The answer is “Yes!”

He would go to any lengths to be with you.  He can conquer any foe to be with you.

The answer in Christ is always. “Yes!”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.   For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:37-39

Now, I think I’ll go listen to some praise songs.   And, I hope no one notices, but I’ll probably be dancing in my seat.

Bible, II Samuel, Old Testament

A Time To Mourn (II Samuel 1-4)

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John Wayne didn’t cry.  My father didn’t cry.  My grandfathers didn’t cry.  Neither did I.

But, then I got to know about how real men and women can cry.   I’m talking about war heroes who come home from Iraq and shed tears over the death of children.  I’m talking about people who mourn the loss of their loved ones.

And, I’m talking about one of the baddest men who ever lived.   A man who defeated the Philistine hordes.  As a young man he killed a bear and a lion.  To top it all off, he killed a giant.  Then, to add to that, he led one of the greatest armies in the world and stood up to a king.  I’m talking about David.

After King Saul tried to kill him, David prevailed.   Then, Saul was killed in battle.

What did David do when the man who sought his life was killed?

Some might party.  Others might quietly gloat.  Some might have a parade through the streets.

Not David. Here’s what the Bible says he did:

 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

Later, Saul’s son Ishbosheth fought David over the throne.   Two things happened.

  • Abner, the greatest opposing general, was killed.
  • Ishbosheth, the opposing King,  was murdered at home on his bed.

Now, this sounds like great news for David!  The opposing presumptive king is dead.  His big, bad general was no more a threat!

What did David do?  Did he dance?  Did he sing?  Did he play a  happy tune on the lyre?  Nope.  Not at all.

Quite the opposite.

He mourned.  He wept.

The baddest king of Israel cried when he heard of his enemies’ deaths.

Now, if David cried over the death of his enemies, how much more should we mourn the loss of our fellow Americans?

As Solomon said, there is a time to mourn.  This is it.  Let’s mourn the passing of our fellow image bearers (Genesis 1:26).  Then, let’s honor the image of God in all our brothers and sisters.  Let’s honor the image of God in our policemen and women.  Let’s honor the image of our Father in the black, white, Latino, Asian, old, young, rich, and poor.

Why did David mourn?  He saw someone made in the image of God being taken.

Now, what was it they said about David?  “He was a man after God’s own heart.”

If David mourned, then I wonder if God did, too.

I wonder if he does now.

Bible, Blessing, I Samuel, Old Testament

He Strengthened Himself in the Lord (I Samuel 30)

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David had it bad.  Months of avoiding the king’s deadly grip.  Then, his wives are taken.  His possessions are captured.  What was he to do?  His men rose up to stone him.  What did he do?

“He strengthened himself in the Lord.”

I imagine he’d done that before.

When the bear came, he strengthened himself in the Lord.

When the lion came, he strengthened himself in the Lord.

When Goliath, the mighty giant, came calling, he strengthened himself in the Lord.

When King Saul sought his life, he strengthened himself in the Lord.

Now, with his people gone, his stuff taken, and his men ready to mutiny, it’s no surprise what he does.

He strengthened himself in the Lord.

Not only does he strengthen himself in the Lord, but he asks the Lord a question.  He asks, “Shall I pursue them?”

God answers, “Pursue them, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”

David had been on a long march.  He had just come in from battle.  He’s been crying so hard he couldn’t go.  Now, God says to go.  He says to face the challenge.

What does David do?  He goes.

He doesn’t just go a little.  He goes a lot.

When 200 of his mean are to tired too go on, he goes.

He goes until he finds what God promised him, even if it takes a miracle.  Even if it takes a divine act.  David goes knowing the God who promises will surely make good on his promises.

So, when you’re past going, and when you feel like giving up, pull out a Psalm, and sing a song.  And, like David, we can rise and take what God has given.  

He’s promised, but you have to go.

And what will he do?  Where will he be?

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

Psalm 23:4-5

Surely, he will guide.  He will provide.  No need to fear.

Just go.