PRAYER - "Saul Blesses David"
David had already slain a lion and a bear, and knew that with God's help, he would slay Goliath, the noisy enemy of God's people. David told Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine." Kings will gladly bless a true Savior.
1 Samuel 17:37 - "The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee."
PRINCIPALS - "David the Musician"
An evil spirit from God troubled King Saul. His servants urged him to call a musician to sooth him. Saul consented, so they recommended David who "is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him." So David came, and Saul loved him greatly. David became his armourbearer. God shrewdly promoted David right into the palace.
1 Samuel 16:23 - "David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."
PRINCIPLES - "Is There Not A Cause?"
Jesse sent David to the battlefront with meals for his three brothers. David heard giant Goliath shouting threats against Israel, and replied, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" David thought somebody should kill Goliath and remove Israel's reproach. His brother rebuked him, but David replied, "Is there not a cause?" Unknowingly, David entered God's hall of fame that day. God promotes brave men with righteous convictions.
1 Samuel 17:31 - "When the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him."
PROPHECIES - "This Day Will The LORD Deliver"
David prophesied to Goliath, "This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; ...that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands."
1 Samuel 17:57 - "And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand."
Put Patience to Work
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
– Hebrews 10:35-36
Most of us have a distorted idea about patience. We think of it as something designed to help us suffer failure gracefully, but according to these scriptures, it will actually put us on the path to success!
Patience (or being consistently constant) is the power twin of faith. They work together to see to it that the promises of God are fulfilled in your life.
Say, for example, you need a job. You can go to the Word and see clearly that God promises to provide your needs. You can see He takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants. Once you see that, faith takes hold and you shout, "Hallelujah, I've got the job I need."
But what happens to that faith tomorrow morning when you go to three interviews and get turned down all three times? Then what? That's when patience has to take over! That's when you have to make a decision to stay constant, to act as if nothing's changed.
The truth is, if you based your confidence on the Word of God, nothing has changed. It says exactly the same thing it said yesterday.
So, if you'll put patience to work, you know what you're going to say after those three unsuccessful job interviews? You're going to say, "Hallelujah, I've got the job I need!" just like you did before.
You see, faith opens the door to God's promise for you; and patience keeps it open until that promise is fulfilled.
Do you have your faith sights set on a promise of God today, a promise you've been waiting on for some time? Don't let the delay discourage you. Put patience to work. The Word guarantees you will receive your reward.
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