David’s Victory; Saul’s Envy during Challenges

In 1 Samuel 17:57 There was evidence of victory. Abner took David to Saul with the head of the philistine.Victory was evident. In chapter 18:2 Saul took David in and would not let him go to his fathers house.
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n vs 5 David went wherever Saul had sent him. David produced to be wise. Saul apointed David to be over men of war. David was well accepted.

Let us recap. David killed golieth. David had the victory. Brought into Sauls house. He was made to be over men of war. David was wise. This seems like David had met the challenges that were before him. But there is more.

Saul started to get the green monster streek jelousy!! OH NO!!!!. Yep The people claimed David to win over tens of thousands in the battles. But Saul they said He had claimed only thousands in the battles. Now the fierce looking Saul (If you can imagin) In verse 9 "And Saul eyed David from that day forward". Verses 10 and 11 In the midst of everybody, he claimed he was going to smite David. Saul threw the Javelin into the wall. David avoided it twice. In verse 12 Saul was afraid because the Lord was with him.

In verse 14 David was wise in all that he did. The Lord was with David. Saul was afraid of David's wisdom. In Verse 29 "And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.
What has all this have to do with Challenges you might ask. When there a blessing to be had after a victory through our challenges, it is often that someone will get jelous of the blessings that someone else has received. Let me ask you. Would you have liked to kill golieth. Or fought the Philistines. Or even in verses 25 have a dowry over Davids head to kill 100 Philistines to win Sauls daughter. Hoping that David would be killed in the process.

Christian let us not be jelous over someone elses blessings or victory. We may not know what that Christian went through to receive a blessing from the Lord. What about Job? There were victorys after his trials.
Let us then live our own Christian life as God would want us. Our victorys are personal. If the victorys are public like David's. Then we need to check on our relationship to God and give Him the praise for what he is doing in our own lives and the lives of others.

Boldness in Challenges

Saul knew and recognised that the Lord is with David. What a recognition when Others see our confidence when we are challenged. Saul even armed David with his armour. But David put them off him. David chose five stones out of the brook. He had his sling in his hand. They came near each other. The philistine dispised him. He did not like the look of him. He was a youth, and ruddy.

David was cursed by this Philistine. David said you have come with a sword and a spear. I come to thee in the name of the Lord. Can we be as bold as David when we are challenged? Or do we get upset or timid when challenges arrive. David had the know how. He looked after sheep. He killed a lion and a bear. He knew the Lord so well.

Verse 46 and following in 1Samual 17 David knew what the Lord was going to accomplish. If we are in tune with God.Then we will know that we are going to accomplish the challenges that the Lord gives us. God has given us the experiences in life to accomplish a greater thing for God. Let us take the challenges of life on board with confidence. Not with lack of assurity. Lack of assurity and confidence in him will not win the battle, therefore no victory In Christ.

Confidence in Challenges

When David was accused of just wanting to see the battle. And that David was accused of being proud. Saul sent for David. The men told all things to Saul. Now the opposition arrives from the top. The opposition first came from David's older brother. Then from the men who were at the scene of the battle. Now it goes to Saul. What opposition came from Saul? 1 Sam17:33.
Oh Christian, let us take that opposition for a moment. You cannot give a message to a Church or ladies group. You have not been to bible college. You have not had any experience. You cannot do this.
David came back with an aswer. I kept my fathers sheep. There came a lion, and a bear. and took a lamb out of the flock. I went out after him. I smote him, and delivered it out of the mouth. When he came against me. I cought him by the beard, and smote him, and slew him.
Can you imagin a young person saying this? I can. Can you imagin what we might say? But (pastor, teacher, leader in the church) I have fought satan, and the things of life that have come my way. I have fought it with the sword of the Spirit. I have something else happening to me right now and with God helping me, I am going to overcome it. Just like I did before. You see Christian, We do have the same God as we did in the last battle . Even opposition is going to come through the top ranks of Christian service.
Verse 37 David said moreover, the Lord that deiivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of he paw of the bear, he wil deliver me out of he hand of the philistine.
You see Christian, We have the same God that led us out of the last battle, He will deliver us from the battle we are in and the next battle until we go to be with Him and our battles will be over to live at peace with the Lord Jeus. Amen!

Challenges in Our Lives

Through countless times in sunday school, the event of David and golieth has been tought. In 1 Samual 17:20 and following, the bible says that saul and all the men of Isreal were in the valley of elah, fighting the Philistines. When David rose up early in the morning. He left his sheep with the keeper. He came to the trench with everybody that was fighting. There was fighting, army against army that the philistines had caused. again David left his carriage in the hand of a keeper. He saluted his bretheren.
Let us pause for a moment. David arose to see to the fight. sometimes there are battles in our lives. We need someone to help. Those that want to help will Vuluntarily leave what they are doing to help there brother or sister in Christ out. But then opposition arrives from the people that is in need of help.
In verse 28 Eliab, Davids older brother was angry. Why did you come here?. To whom did you leave the sheep with? I know you are proud. You just came to see the battle. This argument was then turned to other men. David tried to tell them that there was a cause. But they kept telling david that he was proud and he wanted to see the battle.
Christian, It is not that others want to see the battle that is going on in our lives, we all know that it happens. It happens to me and it happens to you. We need each other as christian brothers and sisters. we need to help each other to win the battle. What is the battle? The battle is satan going to and fro trying to destroy us. The battle is letting Christ be the centre of our lives. The battle is living close to God and let the Holy Spirit lead us.
We need to be "giving in type of people for christ" and not in opposition when Help arrives.

Talents and Challenges

My Children go to a Christian School. the school motto is "My best for God's glory". Things we do in life sometimes can look like a challenge to others.  It is realised that we all have special talents in our own areas. I like challenges in the area of creating graphics and writing. Sometimes we can take challenges personally and be upset by them. i.e who does he or she think they are! I'll show them!

Is this the same way we act towards the Almighty God? i.e, I can't do that! who does He think I am, I do not have that talent!

Remember Moses in the wilderness when God came to him. Moses said I can't do that! I cannot go to Pharoh! I cannot talk like that! Remember Aaron was to be his spokes person. But do you remember who spoke to Pharoe? It was Moses with God working through Him.
Are we easily upset by either challenges from others or God Himself? Lets check ourselves when we receive a challenge next time. Do we want "My best for Gods glory" Or My best for me?
This is a challenge Amen.

My Challenge today is: Let us consider challenges from others. The Challenge may be God directed.

Philip Barrington