Getting to Know God Through Adversity.

1 Samuel 20; Psalm 59

But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety in the day of distress. O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. ­– Psalm 59:16-17 NLT

David knew God. When we get introduced to David for the first time in the book of 1 Samuel, he is standing before King Saul and the army of Israel telling them about the exploits he had accomplished by God's power. David had defeated a lion and a bear and knew that it was because of God the he had been able to do so. He trusted in God's power. He had experienced it first hand. He knew God to be faithful. But there was a lot about God that David didn't know. He was a young man with limited experience. He had been a shepherd, working for his father. His life experiences were limited. But God had chosen him to be the next king of Israel. He had been anointed by God for the job. But there is a big difference between being anointed and being prepared. God was going to enroll David into His School of Leadership. Not just teach him what a good king should do, but to introduce him to the one true King.

I've always found it interesting that God had Samuel anoint David to be Saul's replacement, but then left Saul on the throne. Then God removed His Spirit from Saul and placed an evil spirit on him that caused him to react in rage and anger toward David. God caused David to prosper and every time David did, Saul because increasingly angry. So much so, that he tried to pin David to a wall with a spear – twice. God was behind all of this. He could have just removed Saul from his throne and put David in his place, but God had other plans. And those plans included David going through some extremely difficult days. He would lose his position, his wife, his best friend, and ultimately, his mentor Samuel. But David would gain so much more. He was going to learn things about His God he would have learned no other way. It was going to be through adversity that David learned reliability and sovereignty of God. As David experienced the hatred of Saul and was forced to run for his life, he would find himself with nothing to trust in, except his God.

That is why David's Psalms resonate so well with most of us. They are journals of his life – intimate glimpses into those dark moments of the soul where David honestly and sometimes glaringly shares his heart. Psalm 59 is just such a Psalm. In it, David expresses his feelings as he runs from Saul and his men who want to take his life. David cries to God for deliverance. He admits that he feels like God is asleep at the wheel and unaware of his circumstances. He begs God to destroy them. But through it all, he learning things about his God that he didn't know before. He already knew God was strong. But now he is learning that there is more to God than just power. He is a God of lovingkindness and tenderness. He is a refuge or place of safety when times are tough. He is a stronghold where David can hide when his enemies are out to get him. David is learning about God as he is forced to trust and lean on God. God is using adversity to educate and prepare David for what lies ahead. His reign will be a long one, and it will be filled with ups and downs, successes and failures. David is going to need God, but more than anything else, he is going to need to KNOW God. It is in the tough times that we learn the tenderness of God. It is in the difficulties of life that we learn nothing is too difficult for God. It is in our moments of despair that we discover God is a source of hope. Our adversity is God's opportunity to reveal to us just who He is in all His glory.

Father, thank You for adversity. I don't like it, but I realize that it is in the difficulties of life that I really get to know You – IF I will learn to turn to You. David had nowhere else to turn. But when he did look for You, he always found You, because You are faithful all time time. David got to know You as he went through the difficulties of life. Help me to see You in the dark moments of my life, not just the good times. Amen

A Good God Even in the Bad Times.

1 Samuel 18-19; Psalm 11

Certainly the Lord is just; he rewards godly deed; the upright will experience his favor. ­– Psalm 11:7 NET

The life of David is a roller-coaster ride filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, thrills and chills that can leave you feeling exhausted just reading about it. Here was a young shepherd boy who was thrust into the limelight one day and his life would never be the same. After his miraculous defeat of Goliath, he found himself employed by the king. He was working for the very man he was to one day replace. And while David had been anointed by Samuel as Saul's replacement, God was not going to allow him to have the throne right away. Instead, God was going to allow David to work for Saul, learning to serve someone who would grow increasingly hostile toward him. If you think you've ever had a bad employer, consider David. I can't think of one boss that I have had who tried to kill me! But Saul tried to personally murder David twice by throwing spears at him in fits of rage. He also tried to have him murdered on numerous occasions. But God protected David each and every time.

David was doing everything he was asked to do by Saul. He fought for him and won. He did exactly what Saul asked to win his daughter's hand in marriage. He served faithfully, but in return all he got in return was anger (1 Samuel 18:8), suspicion (1 Samuel 18:9), fear (1 Samuel 18:12), dread (1 Samuel 18:15), and a life-long enemy (1 Samuel 18:29). Yet David prospered because God was with him. In spite of the circumstances surrounding him and the difficult situation in which he found himself, David was blessed by God. Jonathan, the king's son, loved him and protected him. His wife Michal, the king's daughter, was willing to lie for him in order to protect him. The people highly esteemed him. Why? Because God's hand was on David.

Even when things got really bad and Saul sent men to murder David in his own home, David escaped and ran away to hide with Samuel, the prophet who had anointed him to be the future king. Saul sent me to kill David, but God intervened, turning the would-be murderers into prophets of God. This happened three different times. They came with one intention, but God changed their minds and their motives. Even when Saul came personally to take David's life, he too ended up prophesying instead of murdering. God had stepped in. He was going to protect His own. No one could do to David anything God would not allow. And these early days of David's life were going to be a schoolroom where David would learn the faithfulness of God. Psalm 11 was most likely written at this time. In his time of difficulty and loss, David was learning just how trustworthy his God was. David was under siege, but he had a shelter in God. David had a mortal enemy, but he had a protector in God. David had a king who wanted him dead and would not stop at anything to see it happen, but he had a heavenly king seated on His throne who would guarantee that it not happen. It was the very circumstances in which David found himself that allowed him to learn the truth about his God. Our difficulties are God's opportunities. It is in the dark moments that we get to see the light of God shine brightest. David's greatest days were ahead of him. But he would have to navigate the dark days of the present with the light of God's prevailing presence. We best learn to trust God when we find ourselves in situations that demand we have to.

Father, You are always there. Even when I can't see You at work, You are. You are always behind the scenes doing what only You can do. Help me to continue to learn to trust You regardless of the circumstances. Nothing is too difficult for You.  Amen

Greater Than Moses.

Deuteronomy 34; Psalm 91

There has never been another prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.. – Deuteronomy 34:10 NET

Well, this is the final chapter – of the book of Deuteronomy and of Moses' life. Here we have recorded the last days of this mighty prophet of God. Because he had struck the rock in anger in the wilderness of Zin, failing to show respect and reverence for God, Moses had been denied the privilege of taking the people into the Promised Land (Numbers 20). Instead, Moses was only able to go to the very edge of the land, and view it from a distance. God took the life of Moses on Mount Nebo. He was old, but not in bad health. "Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever" (Deuteronomy 34:7 NLT). This great leader died in the land of Moab and went to be with the Lord. His death is marked by 30 days of mourning and a statement commemorating his role as God's chosen spokesman:

There has never been another prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. The LORD sent Moses to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and his entire land. And it was through Moses that the LORD demonstrated his mighty power and terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel. – Deuteronomy 34:10-12 NLT

Yet as great as Moses was, there would be someone greater. Not Joshua, his replacement. But Jesus Christ. He would be a prophet not unlike Moses in His role as deliverer and shepherd of God's people. He would be the spokesman for God. He would be God's representative, performing great signs and miracles as proof of His power and validation of His words. The book of Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus was greater than Moses himself.

And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are bound for heaven, think about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s Messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully and was entrusted with God’s entire house. But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a fine house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but God is the one who made everything. Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house, but only as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, the faithful Son, was in charge of the entire household. And we are God’s household, if we keep up our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. – Hebrews 3:1-5 NLT

Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses. Moses was a foreshadowing of who was to come. He as an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. While Moses was a deliverer, Jesus was the deliverer. Moses could provide release from captivity to Egypt. Jesus provides release from captivity to sin and death. Moses could only provide the law written on tablets of stone, outlining the requirements of God, but incapable of providing the power to keep those requirements. The law pointed out the sin of man but could not prevent it. Jesus came to fulfill the law and provide mankind with a way to satisfy the righteous requirements of God and stand before Him as sinless and pure. Moses could only lead the people to the Promised Land, but Jesus would provide a true Promised Land marked by eternal life with God the Father.

Jesus is greater. But like the people of Israel, we can run the risk of failing to listen to the words of Jesus just as they did the words of Moses. We can rebel against the leadership of Jesus, just as they did the leadership of Moses. So the writer of Hebrews warns us:

That is why the Holy Spirit says, "Today you must listen to his voice. Don’t harden your hearts against him as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested God’s patience in the wilderness. There your ancestors tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ So in my anger I made a vow: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’" Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, as long as it is called "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. But never forget the warning: "Today you must listen to his voice. Don’t harden your hearts against him as Israel did when they rebelled." – Hebrews 3:7-14 NLT

Today you must listen to His voice.

Father, You have sent Your Son Jesus as the greater prophet. He has brought us words of truth directly from You. He speaks to us daily through Your Word. He reveals to us Your will. But we tend to disobey and rebel, rejecting His words and refusing to believe. Forgive us for treating Him just as the people of Israel did Moses. Forgive us for the many times we have refused to listen to His words and keep His commands. But thank You for Your patience and kindness. And thank You for sending Your Son as our deliverer and redeemer. Amen

Worst-Case-Scenario Syndrome.

Numbers 14-15; Psalm 90

Their voices rose in a great chorus of complaint against Moses and Aaron. "We wish we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!" they wailed. "Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and little ones will be carried off as slaves! Let’s get out of here and return to Egypt!" – Numbers 14:2-3 NLT

We all suffer from it on occasion – worst-case-scenario syndrome. The symptoms are easily recognizable: fear, doubt, a growing sense of panic, and visions of all kinds of disaster happening – one bad thing leading to another. Usually it starts with a fairly pedestrian situation, one that is negative, but not catastrophic, but before we know it, we have conjured up images of mishap and mayhem. Our minds begin to play tricks on us, causing us to imagine all kinds of negative outcomes as we try to assume what is going to happen next. We start playing out a variety of circumstances in our heads, wondering what it going to happen if…

That's exactly what the Israelites suffered from in this story – as they stood on the edge of the Promised Land, weighing out the two different reports given by the 12 spies who had come back from their walk through the land. All the people heard was bad news: giants, fortified cities, and certain defeat. Then they started blowing it all out of proportion and making conclusions that were NOT based on fact. Instead of trusting God, they decided to trust their very fertile imaginations. Listen to what they said. "God has brought us here to kill us! Our women and children are going to become plunder! We need new leadership! We need to return to Egypt!" In a matter of minutes these people had turned some bad news into disaster. They had whipped themselves into a frenzy of fright and faithlessness. Suddenly, the God who had freed them from slavery in Egypt through a series of miraculous plagues, and who had cared for them all throughout their journey to the Promised Land, was too weak to take care of them anymore. Their troubles were too much for their God. And the symptoms of worst-case-scenario syndrome began to appear throughout the camp.

Moses, Aaron, Caleb and Joshua beg the people to trust God and not rebel against Him. But the people respond with fear and anger. They even want to stone these four men. They can't handle the truth. They don't want to listen to what Moses and these other men have to say. So God intervenes. He determines to wipe out the entire group and start all over again just with Moses. But Moses intercedes. He begs God to reconsider. He appeals to God's love for His own glory and name. He reminds God of His lovingkindness and righteousness. "Please pardon the sins of this people because of your magnificent, unfailing love, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt" (Numbers 14:20 NLT). God listens and relents. But the people who rebelled will never live to see the Promised Land. They will die in the wilderness, where they will wander for 40 more years, until that generation dies out. Only Caleb and Joshua will live to enter the land – because they believed.

When we face difficult times, it is easy to succumb to worst-case-scenario syndrome. It's almost natural. We begin to doubt and fear. We blow things out of proportion. Our vision gets blurry. Our memory gets sketchy. We tend to forget things – like God's history of goodness in our lives. We become weak and prone to fear, instead of faith. Worry replaces worship. Even little things get blown out of proportion. And the result is rebellion. We refuse to believe God, trust God, obey God, and so we fail to see the power of God in our lives. And we miss out on the blessings. Like the Israelites, we stand on the edge of the promises of God, but never get to enjoy them. But there is a cure for worst-case-scenario syndrome. It's trust. Trust is putting our belief into action. It is stepping out and relying on God's goodness. It is trusting in His power even in the presence of problems. God doesn't promise us a life free from problems. But He does promise to see us through them. He promises us strength. He promises us joy and contentment. He promises us His presence. He will see us through.

Father, I suffer from worst-case-scenario syndrome far too often. Forgive me for doubting You and allowing my mind to run away with me. You have never given me a reason to doubt You, but I do it on a regular basis. May I learn to trust You more and more and lean on your unfailing goodness. Give me the strength I need to face life's problems with a calm assurance of Your power and trust in Your promises. Amen