Don’t be discouraged, Don’t look back … Is there not a Cause?
Hello everyone,
How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord. We thank God for His goodness, His faithfulness, and His mercies that endureth forever. Is there not a cause? Paul said “For a wide door of opportunity for effectual [service] has opened to me [there, a great and promising one], and [there are] many adversaries.” (1 Corinthians 16v9, AMP). Sometimes, the same applies to us. For instance we see in the case of David, where the Bible records that:
Primary Text: 1 Samuel 17v23-30
“And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after him this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.” 1 Samuel 17v23-30 (KJV)
In this case, David’s brother is the one who withstood him. Now, you must remember that this happened before the incident between David and Goliath that many of us are familiar with. Sometimes, we might be on a mission, well-intended, for we notice a cause, but we may be withstood in one form or the other. Jesus was withstood by Peter. Nehemiah was withstood by Sanballat and Tobiah. Peter and John were withstood by the high priests. But the Lord was with them and they were able to make it through and move beyond the opposition. You will make it through as well. There are the souls of people at stake, that’s why we preach the gospel. For the increase of His government and peace, and for the glory of His name, we do what we do. Don’t relent. As David, remember – Is there not a cause? God loves you and He cares.
Supplementary Text:
“Then I said to them, You see the bad situation we are in -- how Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a disgrace. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was upon me for good, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build! So they strengthened their hands for the good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said, What is this thing you are doing? Will you rebel against the king? I answered them, The God of heaven will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 2v17-20 (AMP)
“And He began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He spake that saying openly. And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him. But when He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” Mark 8v31-33 (KJV).
“But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.” Acts 4v15-21 (KJV)
Prayer
Father, we thank You for Your Word. We ask You O Lord for boldness to do what You would have us do, regardless of the opposition that might arise. We also ask for discernment to know when the counsel we get is of You or of the devil in Jesus name, amen.
How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord. We thank God for His goodness, His faithfulness, and His mercies that endureth forever. Is there not a cause? Paul said “For a wide door of opportunity for effectual [service] has opened to me [there, a great and promising one], and [there are] many adversaries.” (1 Corinthians 16v9, AMP). Sometimes, the same applies to us. For instance we see in the case of David, where the Bible records that:
Primary Text: 1 Samuel 17v23-30
“And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after him this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.” 1 Samuel 17v23-30 (KJV)
In this case, David’s brother is the one who withstood him. Now, you must remember that this happened before the incident between David and Goliath that many of us are familiar with. Sometimes, we might be on a mission, well-intended, for we notice a cause, but we may be withstood in one form or the other. Jesus was withstood by Peter. Nehemiah was withstood by Sanballat and Tobiah. Peter and John were withstood by the high priests. But the Lord was with them and they were able to make it through and move beyond the opposition. You will make it through as well. There are the souls of people at stake, that’s why we preach the gospel. For the increase of His government and peace, and for the glory of His name, we do what we do. Don’t relent. As David, remember – Is there not a cause? God loves you and He cares.
Supplementary Text:
“Then I said to them, You see the bad situation we are in -- how Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a disgrace. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was upon me for good, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build! So they strengthened their hands for the good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said, What is this thing you are doing? Will you rebel against the king? I answered them, The God of heaven will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 2v17-20 (AMP)
“And He began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He spake that saying openly. And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him. But when He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” Mark 8v31-33 (KJV).
“But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.” Acts 4v15-21 (KJV)
Prayer
Father, we thank You for Your Word. We ask You O Lord for boldness to do what You would have us do, regardless of the opposition that might arise. We also ask for discernment to know when the counsel we get is of You or of the devil in Jesus name, amen.
Comments
Post a Comment