I’m going through a bible study called Strengthening Yourself in the Lord right now. I have learned from David’s life that sometimes our darkest and lowest moment is a launching pad into our destiny. Saul, his mentor and leader and friend betrayed him, and had turned the whole city of Israel against him, and was trying to kill him. Rejection. David’s darkest hour was when his 400 mighty men were blaming him for their wives and children being taken from them by the Philistines. More rejection. David’s response was not to defend himself or run from his problems and enemies, but to turn to the Lord and minister to the Lord and strengthen himself in the Lord.
I think that God believes we are ready when we can respond like David did in the face of the deepest betrayal and rejection imaginable. I’ve learned through this study that David had to become unoffendable in order to minister strength to himself. Without the strength of character that comes from winning private battles, the public victories expose the hidden weakness in our hearts. We can’t go into something we aren’t ready for with an untested heart. David’s heart was tested. What is our response to the Lord in private? On a day this past summer when I was losing a private battle, God gave me a promise that is meant for all of us but personalized it for me. It was James 1:2-4, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” The Lord gave me the strength to keep going. I hold onto that promise. Without God’s promises, we don’t have anything to give us hope.
Another promise he has given me is from Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” The most important thing to Him is for us to just enjoy Him. To delight in Him. To feed off his pleasure at our pleasure. Yesterday, my roommate and I walked around Lexington with our backpacking backpacks on to train for the World Race. We have a physical test where we have to hike for 3 miles in less than 50 minutes with all our belongings we are taking on the race, so we thought we would start training for it. I’m grateful that I have someone to do that with and laugh with about us looking like hitchhikers and getting weird looks but not really caring. That was a moment when I enjoyed Him and delighted in Him. Simply living. It felt good to know he was enjoying seeing us enjoying life with one another.
