FUNCTIONING AS A KING - PART 7

SATURDAY 12 AUGUST 2023

If God's own children have no strong belief in the eternal God, they will be very keen to think of other means to face life's challenging situations, by leaning on their own understanding or relying on human strength. However, how hard is it to function as a king on earth without the thoughts of trusting in the Lord and depending on His faithfulness and unfailing love.

Reference: Psalm 21:1 New Living Translation (NLT) "How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD! He shouts with joy because you give him victory."

The last versified statement concerning this topic is: Verse 7: For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken (confidence and assured rest of mind).

The victories granted to David by God was accentuated with rich spoils. But what was the reason or brain behind his victories? His trusts and confidence in the Lord. David always had a confident assurance in the unfailing love of the Most High; hence he was never shaken. For instance, before God gave him victory over Goliath's noise making, David's conviction about God and confidence in His capability were authoritatively overwhelming. The Bible recorded in 1 Samuel 17:45-51 that:

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands." As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him" (NIV).

If you carefully read the entire conversation in the above passage, you will notice that David demonstrated an unusual audacity that was sourced from his unshakeable trust in the Lord. He displayed a firm belief in the power and ability of the Most high, with confidence and assured rest of mind. For this reason, the power of God's might was glorified in upholding his triumph over the uncircumcised philistine. From accumulated experience, he knew something about the unfailing love of God, which sponsored the intensity and immensity of his fearless expressions before Goliath both in words and actions. His valorous deed on the battle field with the uncircumcised philistines and their hero, remains a repeated, far-reaching and ubiquitous sermon in the body of Christ; and to me, it is an impactful biblical story which can never fade - in time realm and eternity.

Indeed there is confidence and assured rest of mind in trusting the Lord wholeheartedly. Psalm 20:7 reads, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God" (NIV). Question? Do you really trust in the name of the Lord, come what may? If that is the case, the Lord says in Jeremiah 17:7-8, "My blessing is on those people who trust in me, who put their confidence in me. They will be like a tree planted near a stream whose roots spread out toward the water. It has nothing to fear when the heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It has no need to be concerned in a year of drought. It does not stop bearing fruit" (NET). Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Psalm 9:10; Isaiah 26:3-4; Psalm 28:7; Proverbs 29:25; Psalm 143:8; Psalm 112:7; Hebrews 13:6.

Exuberant Declaration: I have a God whose loving-kindness is coated in an unfailing and enduring character. He does giant and prestigious wonders, and His victories expressed through my life are not an abstract idea, but a constant reality. His mountain of spiritual blessings has shaped my life into a fruitful vine, by which I experience the miraculous from time to time. My trust in Him grants me the power to inspire others positively, to bring comfort and hope to the dispirited, and to satisfy the godly desires of my heart. Blessed be God!