“Whose Power”
Pastor David Moore
New Testament reading: Philippians 4:4‐13 (NRSV)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well‐fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Old Testament reading: 1 Samuel 17:32‐47 (NIV)
David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.”
But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.
“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in hand, approached the Philistine. Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only as boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
David’s special power was that he trusted God. And not just when things were going well, he trusted God all the time. ~D. Moore
It is interesting to see how we go to great lengths to not rely on God. God says get married and we live together, God says know Me and we think about knowing about Him is the same thing. God says trust Me; we say absolutely as a last resort. ~D. Moore
God uses people who trust him to accomplish much more than they should have been able to do. Remember Gideon and the 300, remember the battle of Jericho, marching for seven days and blowing horns. All because they trusted and obeyed God. ~D. Moore
Are we going to let God be God in control? Are we going to live our life, to the best of our ability, a God‐ saved, God‐believed, God‐modeled life? Is God to be trusted and obeyed?
Israel was at a crossroads (inflection point) as a country, they had an amazing past from Abraham to Joseph to Moses. Today, Israel is at inflection point, to trust the feeling or trust God with a kid to take on a giant of a man.
Everyone remembers many inflection points in a lifetime. One path has taken us to God and another path to our own wishes. Israel inflexions at a deep level, were they going to follow God through the heart of David or the self‐grandiose desire of Saul. David made mistakes and had setbacks, but through it all David followed God. A man after God’s heart. ~D. Moore
There are times coming when we will all have to make the decision to trust God. When we are unable to see the way, we must trust anyway. We need to trust God that He has us, that He has prepared us, that He is fighting on our behalf. David has shown us what an obedient life looks like. ~D. Moore
What is your inflection point today?
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
This week give God your heart, pray, listen to God, and follow the path to Him. It may be difficult, but He has prepared you. God bless have a good week.