Committing to Faithfulness

Sunday, April 10, 2011

by Dr. Paul Chappell 

"Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time."

2 Samuel 23:1-8

God has gifted you exactly how He wishes to use you.

On May 19, 1780, in Hartford, Connecticut, members of early America encountered a day they thought would be their last. At noon the skies above Connecticut turned black. The sun was blocked out and nothing could be seen but blackness. In a day when most people were at least somewhat religious, people began claiming the end of time was at hand and men and women fell to their needs in repentance. It seemed as if all normalcy of life had stopped and people ran rampant around town. On that day, the Connecticut House of Representatives was in session and while some elected officials begged for immediate adjournment, the Speaker of the House, Colonel Davenport, made the following statement:

"The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish, therefore, that candles may be brought."

Second Samuel 23 shows David's last days on earth. As he faced death, he reflected on all that had happened on his life, leading him to talk of that faithful group of men who stood beside him when Saul pursued him. As David described them in 1 Samuel, 22:1-2, "David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men."

The Bible describes these men as distressed, in debt, and discontented. What a bunch of nobodies, we might think. How could they ever be used to help David when they had their own problems. Yet, the Lord and David took these men and built one of the most powerful armies in ancient history. By the end of David's reign, one could simply mention "David's Mighty Men," and the enemies would run.

What others saw as hopeless men, God saw as men with potential. Through David's refinement and training, these very men became great men of war. We can be guilty of looking to the strong, talented, refined, wealthy, or more prestigious of people when considering who God would use, yet He showed that as long as a believer commits to being faithful, God can use anyone.

Have you ever compared yourself to another Christian and found yourself not as talented or gifted? God's goal isn't that we would all be talented robots who look and act the same. He has gifted you exactly how He wishes to use you. Rather than looking at others, look to God and ask Him to use you in His perfect plan. Commit to being faithful with what you have been given, and God will bless your faithfulness.

Daily Bible Reading
1 Samuel 15-16 | Luke 10:25-42