"What A Difference a Day Makes"

David - A Day of Victory

The other day, I was reading the account of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. It is one of my favourite Bible passages and gives me motivation whenever I am facing a challenging problem. However on this occasion, the Lord brought something wonderful to my attention. It was something I had never considered before. Verses 17-19 says:

"Then Jessie said to his son David, "Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them." Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines."

David was about to fight one of the greatest battles in history, and he didn't even know it! Who could have told him that morning, that God would use him to gain such a great victory - one that would be recorded for generations to come? In David's mind, all he was going to do was carry some food for his brothers, see how they were doing, then return to his sheep. What I find amazing is that David had no idea what he was walking into. God did. This day in David's life was already in God's mind. He would use this day to launch David into his destiny, a destiny that would see David becoming the greatest king Israel would ever have and a man known to be "after God's own heart."
What about you and I? Like David, we could one day be going about our normal business, and yet experience something that would change our lives forever. Are we ready for that? David was. As David walked to the battlefield, God knew that David was going to fight Goliath. David didn't have a clue. However as you read through the passage in 1 Samuel 17, you realise that David was prepared (see "I'm facing a difficult obstacle that I must overcome."). He was able to overcome insults and discouragement from those around him and recall victories of the past to encourage him.
This should be a lesson to us. God will not always reveal to us every detail of His plan for our lives. However we can be assured that "His thoughts towards us are of peace and not evil, to give us a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). We must be ready for the unexpected. We must be convinced that "all things work together for good..." (Romans 8:28). We must have on the armour of God described in Ephesians 6, so that when we do face a test, temptation or challenge, we can overcome, as David did. Had David faced Goliath unprepared, he would have surely been destroyed. Let us live according to the way God wants us to - by His word. By doing so, we will get the results that God wants us to get, in every area of our lives. Hopefully this website has been helping people in this regard.
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Job - A Day of Devastation and Loss

Job 1

" ¹ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. ² And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³ Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. ⁶ Now there was a day the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷ And God said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." ⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man one who fears God and shuns evil?" ⁹  So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. ¹³ Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house; ¹⁴ and a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵ when the Sabeans raided them and took them away - indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" ¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another came also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" ¹⁷ While he was speaking, another came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" ¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, ¹⁹ and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" ²⁰ Then Job tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshipped. ²¹ And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed is the name of the Lord." ²² In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
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Like David, we see here that Job had no idea what was in store. God and Satan were discussing him. God trusted that Job's integrity would remain in tact, while Satan was convinced Job would curse God for his loss. What about you and I? It's not impossible to contemplate that a discussion is taking place in heaven about you and I right now. Can God trust us like He did Job? Can He say of us "Satan, go ahead and test them, they will still love Me after you are through." I hope so, I really do.
As with Job, God should be able to say of us over and over that we are "blameless and upright, and one who shuns evil" (v1, 18). That same day, Job lost all his possessions, and his children. If you go on to read the next chapter, you will see that he lost his health also. In all this turmoil and pain, how did Job deal with it all? How did he face such a day of devastation? Verse 20 and 21 tells that he worshipped. What an extraordinary response. His relationship with God, and the resulting life of integrity enabled him to do this.
I have realised in my life that God will allow tough situations to come our way. Job's life should encourage us to hold on faithfully to Him. When faced with disaster and failure, it is easy to question the Lord and say "Lord, why did you allow this all to happen to me, what have I done to deserve this?" The truth is, at times like with Job, you may have done nothing at all. It is at this time that we must decide something - will the adverse circumstances of life cause us to draw nearer to our Heavenly Father, or will they drive us away. Satan likes to use adversity to try an d convince us that God is punishing us, not fulfilling His promises or has stopped loving us. However, we must choose to live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4). Faith says "I don't know why all this is happening, but I believe that God is able to work things out." Faith says "I don't like this situation, but God is still in control, and will bring some good of it." Like Job, we should strive to live for Jesus in good times and in bad. Job's suffering was not in vain. God was in control, and as the story unfolds, we see that at the end of it all, God restored to Job double what He had before (Chapter 42:10).

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