What Would We Do . . . ?
What Would We Do . . . ?
- What would we do if life were suddenly unbearably—HARD? Would we run and hide, stand to fight, or bow down to pray?
- What would we do if our enemies attempted time and again to take our life? Would we fight to the death, run away in fear, or get down on our knees and seek the LORD?
- What would we do if our nature were just sinful, if we found ourselves continually going our own way, making our own decisions, and seeking our own lustful pleasures to be gained within this world? Would we shout out loud: “I am the boss of me,” totally ignoring what the LORD desired, what HE knew we needed most—OR—would we bow in repentance, seeking the face of God, asking for His forgiveness (as we should)?
- What would we do if God said: . . .?
- What would we do if our LORD commanded us . . .?
- What would we do if . . .?
God does not speak just to make noise!
God does not speak just to be heard!
God speaks to be obeyed!
“And though they found no grounds for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed.
(Acts of the Apostles 13: 28-31 NASB)
When they had carried out everything that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.
But God raised Him from the dead;
and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people.”
There once was a man, actually a boy who worked on his dad’s sheep farm. This boy was assigned the duty to shepherd the sheep, for this boy’s dad (Jesse) a well-respected man. Now Jesse was a man who had been blessed with many sons, and when the prophet Nathan came to his house in search of the next king of Israel, with honor, Jesse paraded his many sons before the prophet of God, saying: “Is it he?”
Over and over, it was not.
Once Jesse had exhausted all of his sons but one, the prophet of God, Nathan, said to Jesse: “Summon the boy David to come in from the field.”
As soon as the red-headed, red-skinned lad came into the house, Nathan knew within his spirit that David was the one. So Nathan took out his oil and anointed the boy David the next King of Israel. Nevertheless, at the time (and for many years after that day) the current King of Israel—Saul—ruled the kingdom with authority and power, while the shepherd boy—David—grew to be a man, one after the Lord’s heart. It is a truth: We can all be a man, a woman, a child who has a heart for God.
The anointed King of Israel, King David, “spoke the words of this song
(2 Samuel 22: 1-2a NASB)
[the words we read within God’s Word]
to the LORD on the day that
[David had been delivered]
the LORD had saved him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”
[King Saul who sat on Israel’s throne]
He said, . . .”
David, the anointed King of Israel sang this song.
May we read the song of David together &
May we see with clarity what God would have us do—for HIM.
“For You are my lamp, LORD;
(2 Samuel 22: 29 & 32-37 & 47 & 50-51 NASB)
And the LORD illuminates
my darkness. . . .“
“For who is God, except the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
God is my strong fortress;
And He sets the blameless on His way.
He makes my feet like deer’s feet,
And sets me on my high places.
He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend
a bow of bronze.
You have also given me the
shield of Your salvation,
And Your help makes me great.
You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped. . . .”
“The LORD lives, and
blessed be my Rock;
And exalted be my God, the
rock of my salvation, . . .”
“Therefore I will give thanks to
You, LORD, among the nations,
And I will sing praises to Your name.
He is a tower of salvation to His king,
And shows favor to His anointed,
To David and his
descendants forever.”
If today provides you time, pause to listen to another song, one that puts to melody the truth of God. Iveth Luna’s “Ears to Hear”
There once was a man, another Saul, an educated Jew, a Roman, and a man bent on torturing all who professed to follow God. Persecution was the name of his “game,” and this Saul was quite good at his task. This man once stood, holding the cloaks of the men who stoned Stephen (a Christian) to death, but God is a God of mercy and grace—for all men—even the many Sauls of the world. One day not many days later, this Saul found himself on a journey, heading toward the town Damascus, a place he heard was filled with believers and followers of God. It was there, on the way, on the road, where Saul met God face to face, where God temporarily blinded Saul’s eyes, and where the LORD audibly spoke to gain Saul’s attention. That was the day the LORD changed Saul’s heart and gave him a new name. That was the day Saul of Tarsus became the missionary Paul, a man sent to testify and to spread the gospel to the Gentiles.
“Paul
(Acts of the Apostles 13: 16 & 21-23 NASB)
[the man of God who was sent to be a missionary]
stood up, and motioning with his hand said,
“Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: . . .”
[Paul recounted the many ways God provided for His people.]
“Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
After he had removed him,
[after God removed King Saul]
He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’
“From the descendants of this man, according to promise,
God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, . . .”
What Would We Do . . . ?
- If God had a task for us to do?
- If God had a word for us to speak?
- If God’s plans were so much higher than our own?
- If God said: “Go! I will show you the way!”
- If God told us to take up our cross and follow Him?
- If God convicted us of our sins?
- If God saved our soul, not for the mere reason that we alone would be saved, but that others, through us, through our testimony, would come to know Jesus as their Savior too?
What Would We Do . . . ?