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Day by Day - 1 Samuel
The Purpose Of Tests And Trials
Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 01, 2023
Show Day by Day
Nov 20, 2023
Duration:
00:02:59 Minutes
Views:
37
discipleship spiritual growth trials

Scripture

1 Samuel 14:32,37

All tests and trials are important and should lead us closer to God.   ~~~   1 Samuel 17:32 informs us that the shepherd boy David is standing before King Saul, volunteering himself to go and fight the Goliath. And notice the reasoning that David gives for his willingness and even eagerness to face off with the behemoth. The text says that David, in his days of keeping sheep, has encountered lions and bears, striking them and grabbing them by the beard and killing them, rescuing sheep from their very jaws. And those animals were only acting in line with their nature an according to the food chain. But Goliath is defying the armies of the living God. And at this point in the story, we often times think that this information about the bears and the lions is given to us to let us know that God gives us different tests in order to prepare us for bigger trials in our lives. Sometimes we have to face lions and bears before we are ready for a Goliath. But that is simply not how David views this. David says nothing about his own preparedness. But listen to what he does say: vs. 37 “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” What David is appealing to is not his preparedness but to God’s faithfulness. God delivered me from the bear; he delivered me from the lion; he WILL deliver me from the Philistine. This is not about David’s ability but rather God’s allegiance. God was preparing David’s heart, not his hands, to trust Him time and time again. Do you get that? All tests and trials that we face are important ones, and all tests and trials that we face should lead us to lean in to the faithfulness of God, not our own ability. Trusting in our own ability is what gets us into trouble, or what causes us great fear when we run into something that is greater than our own ability. David is not boasting because he knows how to snap necks with the best of them. David is so ever confident not in the strength of his hands to wrestle Goliath, or in his ability to be a sharp-shooter. He is confident in God. David is simply willing to be the courageous vessel that steps in front of Goliath. Are you willing to trust the faithfulness of God?

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