Read: 1 Chronicles 21:1-8 "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." - Isaiah 12:2 (NIV)
Sometimes I resist God's leading when I sense that it may endanger my personal security. I place my trust in what I can see, rather than in God and the outcome that only He can see. This lack of faith also allows me to compromise with the world and allows Satan to influence my thinking. Over time, the original insecurity I felt grows, and my mind imagines all sorts of horrible things that actually may never even happen.
As a shepherd boy, David did not think twice when God told him to defeat Goliath with only his trusty sling. Yet, as an adult, King David made a big mistake and did not follow God's leading with all of his heart. He trusted in his own wisdom and power instead. He disobeyed God and counted his soldiers before committing to battle (1 Chronicles 21:1-8). Woefully, David’s decision caused some of the citizens of his kingdom to reap the consequences of his behavior.
David's compensate quality, however, lay in his willingness to repent when God pointed out his mistakes. In verse 24 of this same chapter, we see that David was not willing to take a gift of land offered to him by one of his subjects in order to build an altar to the Lord. Instead, David insisted on paying for the land. He said, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” I love his attitude and I want to remember his example.
God continued to bless David throughout his life, in spite of his failings. God forgives us, as well, and will bless us as long as we humble ourselves and place our trust in Him. We really have nothing to fear in trusting the Lord. Whenever I surrender my will to God’s, He always works everything, even the negative things, out for my good.
Prayer:
Father, we never want to willingly sacrifice to you something that costs us nothing. Fill us with your joy and peace as we trust in You, so that we overflow with hope by the power of Your Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). Thought for the Day:
We can guard against misplacing our trust, if we keep our eyes focused on Christ's redeeming love.
