THE LORD'S ANOINTED
THE LORD'S ANOINTED - A sermon preached on May 1, 2011
It’s possible that some of you have read “The War of the Worlds” published all the way back in 1898 by H.G. Wells. It’s a story about people from Mars leaving Mars and coming to live on Earth. And, in order to take over the earth, they declare war on us. Well, among other things, it’s not one book. It’s actually two books. Book One covers the initial invasion and Book Two ends up with all the Martians dying and Earth being saved.
Now, what has “The War of the Worlds” got to do with the Bible? This.
There are a couple of the books of the Bible that are, for all intents and purposes, “Book One” and “Book Two.” When God established the nation of Israel, He placed it into the hands of a man named Saul. Saul was Israel’s first king.
And in the Hebrew Bible you will find there are two books of Kings. We call them first and second Samuel. Book One is first Samuel and presents us with the life and rule of King Saul. Book Two is second Samuel and presents us with the life and rule of King David. I want you to open your Bible with me today to Book Two. We call it II Samuel. Please open to II Samuel chapter one.
Now if I read to you the first chapter of Book Two, “War of the Worlds,” you’d probably have no idea what is happening without just a little background information. The same would be true if I read to you the first chapter of Book Two, 2nd Samuel. So, in just a few words, here’s what has transpired in I Samuel and brings us to the events of Book two - II Samuel.
The nation of Israel insisted on having a king like all the nations around them. God gave them King Saul. And if you’d take the time to read I Samuel today, you’d learn that, though Saul has the high position of King over God’s people, Israel, he chooses self over obedience to the LORD. The result? Saul simply loses his way spiritually. And, by the way, you lose your way gradually when it comes to spiritual things. Some would say it’s often determined by just one poor decision. But as you read King Saul’s story in I Samuel you will see that it was a number of poor decisions that led to his spiritual downturn.
Do you remember the story of David and Goliath? That story is found in I Samuel chapter seventeen. King Saul liked the sixteen year old shepherd boy who defeated the Philistine Goliath until --- until he saw David being respected and appreciated more than he was. David simply became more popular than King Saul. And the king took it personally; evidence, as you know of Saul’s spiritual decline.
From that point to the end of I Samuel, David is hated and pursued and, by King Saul’s own words, marked for death. As one writer says it, “Saul put David on his Most Wanted list.” [Found on www.bibleteachingresources.org]. And yet, God’s plans cannot be foiled or defeated by the lack of spiritual maturity, the sins, or even the plans of man. God, as you know, is sovereign and He intends that David become Israel’s next king. That’s what Book Two, II Samuel, is all about.
In a word, seeing I Samuel from David’s perspective, Book One is “David’s Preparation,” days and years when David is learning to lean on God. On the other hand, Book Two, II Samuel, is “David grows into a mature man of God. Here you’ll see that God’s Life Purpose for David is that he spend forty years of his life quote unquote “in the palace”.
We all have enemies of some sort, don’t we? But, as you are about to see, what you think and say about your enemy says more about you than it does about them. David saw his enemy, King Saul, as the one God had placed into the position as leader of the nation of Israel. And as such, King Saul was to be honored as the man God had chosen to reign over His people.
So, what I want to focus on today is David’s attitude while under the hand of an oppressive and truly unspiritual man, King Saul. Look with me at II Samuel chapter one and verse one.
II Samuel 1:1 “Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; (2) It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. (3) And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. (4) And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. (5) And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? (6) And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. (7) And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. (8) And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. (9) He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. (10) So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.”
As you read this passage, did you notice that every verse begins with the word “and”? Well, almost every verse. And the reason is simple. This is a narrative. It’s a story. And, as God often uses the simple story method to teach His ways, the word “and” is found everywhere.
Now, let me tell you what this first chapter of Book Two is about. The chapter contains just three main things. Here they are.
1. An unnamed Amalekite comes to David’s camp with news that King Saul was dead and that he was the one who took his life. That’s verses one through ten. An Amalekite, folks, is a descendant of a man named Esau. Do you remember Esau? He was the twin brother to Jacob. So, The Amalekites are “near Jews.” But, if you know your Bible history, you know that the Amalekites chose to stand against Israel whenever they could. They were the first nation to take a stand against the Jews. And God predicted their demise. Today, there are no descendants of Amalek (Ex. 17:16; Nu. 24:20).
(1) An Amalekite brings sad news to David and his men.
(2) David reacts to the news. And, as you are about to see, this is one of the main lessons in this story. David, along with his entire army, mourns and weeps, and fasts over the death of his enemy; verse twelve. And he proceeds to put the Amalekite to death. That’s verses eleven through sixteen.
(3) David writes what we might today call an Eulogy on the lives of King Saul and his son Jonathan. In essence, it’s a funeral sermon. And, as you read it this week, notice how much love David has for his enemy. That’s verse seventeen through the end of the chapter.
Now here’s what I want to show you today as we prepare our hearts for the LORD’s table. I want you to see David’s attitude towards his enemy. Thus far, since the day David defeated Goliath, he had become more and more hated by the King of Israel. As David learns to lean on God, he spends his days under the hand of an oppressive and truly unspiritual man with just a step between him and death.
If there’s a lesson that everyone needs, it’s this. Your attitude towards those who have made you an enemy is carefully being watched by the LORD. This attitude that David chooses is one that pleases the LORD. Let’s see what it is. It’s found in chapter one verse eleven.
(11) Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: (12) And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. (13) And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. (14) And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed? (15) And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. (16) And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.”
"An officer in the Confederate army once heard General Robert E. Lee speak to the president Jefferson Davis in the highest terms regarding a fellow officer. The officer who overheard stopped General Lee afterward and said, "Sir, don't you know that the man you spoke so highly of in there to the President is one of your bitterest enemies? Don't you know that he never misses a chance to malign you and tear you down before others?" Lee replied, "Yes, I know that, but the President asked me my opinion of that man, not his opinion of me." [Found on www.preacherstudy.com].
1. Why is your attitude so important when it comes to those who have mistreated or hurt you?
Jesus, as you know, had to face this, didn’t He? He did not come to the Jews as an enemy. Instead, what He did was to come to them as the most God-honoring Jew they’d ever met. He kept every single command in the Mosaic Law. He love His Father with all His being. And everything He did was out of pure motives and based upon truth. Yet, such a man became a quote “enemy of the state.” His love, His healing ministry, His directness, His compassion, His servant’s heart became despised. And He was so despised, they killed Him. And yet, throughout His life, He promoted and preached while He practiced these words. Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;…”
But David didn’t have the access to the LORD Jesus like you do, right? Here’s what he was practicing. Proverbs 24:17 “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: (18) Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.”
Now why? Why should you hold this kind of attitude towards your enemies? After all, aren’t your enemies in the wrong? What gives them the right to say and do the things they have done to you? Shouldn’t they be punished?
Listen again to Jesus. Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;…”
There will always be something you give to your enemies. Otherwise, they will take more than your dignity away from you. They’ll take your soul. You’ll become like them. These are four things that you need maybe more than they need. You need to love them, bless them (say kind things about them), do good to them, and to pray for them. You see, Jesus knows your heart. He knows that your attitude towards people and things is really what you are like in your character. And He’s always been out to convert a man’s character.
And somewhere along the way in his walk with the LORD, David had learned that what makes him the happiest and the holiest is when his attitudes towards people and events that come into his life is honoring to the LORD. Folks, this is what God is really after in him.
Now, I’m not giving any creditability or freedom to your enemy to mistreat and abuse you. What I am saying though, is that you have the ability to choose how you will respond to your enemies. You see, even in this God has not left you empty-handed. Here’s how David viewed the man who despised him. Look with me at the phrase “the LORD’s anointed” in verse thirteen.
The words are found ten times in the Bible; all ten of them are in first and second Samuel. And, what’s astonishing to be is that the first time it’s found in the Bible, it’s used by the Prophet Samuel when God is directing him to the successor of King Saul. That man was David, although David didn’t know it at the time. Every other time, it was spoken by David himself and, in every single case; he expresses how he viewed King Saul.
How many times have you had people in your life that were like King Saul in his oppressiveness, his truly unspiritual character, and his jealousy and hatred? And just how did you see them?
We all know that everything in life is dependent upon our attitudes. But there is far more at work than just “accepting” the ignorance and downright meanness of spirit that you might have to experience from some people in this world. What’s going on is that the LORD is at work, the LORD, Who is faithfully working on your character.
You see, what you say is a reflection of what you really believe. And what you say about the person who has hurt you will probably determine your entire future. Certainly it will affect your day as well as your night when you lay down upon your pillow.
Here’s how David saw King Saul. Twice he was given an opportunity to kill King Saul. And twice David let King Saul live. And on both occasions you will find David’s attitude expressed in the way he spoke about King Saul. Both stories will be found this week when you read through in I Samuel.
1. Your attitude is important to God. He’s watching you.
2. Your words show your true attitude.
3. Let God work on you and you can count on the fact that, in His time, He will handle the ones who have wounded you and declared you their enemy. Think carefully about what you read here in the Bible. David stuck with it through the entirety of Saul’s hatred towards him. His attitude carried him and strengthened him all the way to the end of King Saul’s life. And now, after his death, David still shows love and honor towards his enemy.
Your attitudes towards those who hurt you can be seen in the way you speak about them, whether they are living or dead? But, who really is it than can change either your heart or the heart of those who have taken advantage of you? It’s the LORD. All of us have been hurt. You’ve been hurt. You’ve been wounded by someone. But who has power over you? The One with the true power over your life is God. Jesus words are “All power is given unto Me…” And when you have to face your Saul, remember this, your attitude is reflected in your words. And your attitude will determine your future. So, let God have His way with you.
And your attitude is what God is working on even as we speak and as you read these words in your Bible. I think that it may be the main thing that God is looking at when He reads your heart each morning as you wake up. Now, is it ever easy to deal with oppression and hurtful words and actions? No, it isn’t. Yet, in every case you have the responsibility to go to God for help and strength or you can choose to try to “tough it out” on your own. And you also have the choice to speak disparagingly about them.
Seriously, how else are you going to be a true disciple of Jesus if you don’t take on His attitudes? And when you are teaching someone else about how to walk with Him, don’t you think that your attitudes are obvious to them as well?
I admit that David is not a Christian. No one became a Christian until after Jesus died on Calvary. Yet, didn’t God work on the characters of His own prior to the Cross? Didn’t He teach these men and women in the OT that what really mattered was pleasing Him? Go back mentally to men like Noah and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Job and Ruth and Esther and Sarah. If you do, I will guarantee you that you will see that what God always does in His dealings with people is to show them the right way and then call them to task, so-to-speak. It’s never easier to give in to the spirit of anger and bitterness when it comes to how some people deal with you. It could be a boss, a co-worker, a quote “friend,” a neighbor who is not very neighborly, someone who sues you. It’s actually much harder to live your life when your spirit is angry or you are bitter than it is to yield yourself to the LORD.
Listen carefully. It’s not the other person’s fault that you are where you are. It’s God’s hand upon your life. And you are called to be like David and to humble yourself beneath the mighty hand of God that He might exalt you in due time.
So, in the present, choose a Davidic attitude which is really a Christ-ic attitude in the face of that King Saul-like person in your life. None of us wants to face some of the things we have to face in this life with people who have something against us. But, we still must walk with the LORD.
God is always after our hearts. He was always after his heart.
It’s your choice. Deal with God right now. Let Him deal with you. Make a decision today that will show the LORD that you mean to have the right attitude towards those who are you enemies. And just watch what He’ll do on your behalf. It may not be today. He may, like He did with David, have you wait until that soul has departed this world. But, in the mean time, you’ll be learning to lean on someone else’s strength. My question for you is this. Will you surrender your all to Him? Will you pray the prayer of surrender today and mean it? Or will you stay in the same place you were when you arrived today?
Now as a Christian, in order to effectively live in light of words, you’ll need to pray this prayer. I call it the Prayer of Surrender. It’s a wonderful prayer and I’m sure it honors the LORD when you pray it and truly mean it. "LORD, I submit all that I am to you; my spirit, my soul, and my body. Do with me what is most pleasing to you. Work out Your will upon me today."
It’s possible that some of you have read “The War of the Worlds” published all the way back in 1898 by H.G. Wells. It’s a story about people from Mars leaving Mars and coming to live on Earth. And, in order to take over the earth, they declare war on us. Well, among other things, it’s not one book. It’s actually two books. Book One covers the initial invasion and Book Two ends up with all the Martians dying and Earth being saved.
Now, what has “The War of the Worlds” got to do with the Bible? This.
There are a couple of the books of the Bible that are, for all intents and purposes, “Book One” and “Book Two.” When God established the nation of Israel, He placed it into the hands of a man named Saul. Saul was Israel’s first king.
And in the Hebrew Bible you will find there are two books of Kings. We call them first and second Samuel. Book One is first Samuel and presents us with the life and rule of King Saul. Book Two is second Samuel and presents us with the life and rule of King David. I want you to open your Bible with me today to Book Two. We call it II Samuel. Please open to II Samuel chapter one.
Now if I read to you the first chapter of Book Two, “War of the Worlds,” you’d probably have no idea what is happening without just a little background information. The same would be true if I read to you the first chapter of Book Two, 2nd Samuel. So, in just a few words, here’s what has transpired in I Samuel and brings us to the events of Book two - II Samuel.
The nation of Israel insisted on having a king like all the nations around them. God gave them King Saul. And if you’d take the time to read I Samuel today, you’d learn that, though Saul has the high position of King over God’s people, Israel, he chooses self over obedience to the LORD. The result? Saul simply loses his way spiritually. And, by the way, you lose your way gradually when it comes to spiritual things. Some would say it’s often determined by just one poor decision. But as you read King Saul’s story in I Samuel you will see that it was a number of poor decisions that led to his spiritual downturn.
Do you remember the story of David and Goliath? That story is found in I Samuel chapter seventeen. King Saul liked the sixteen year old shepherd boy who defeated the Philistine Goliath until --- until he saw David being respected and appreciated more than he was. David simply became more popular than King Saul. And the king took it personally; evidence, as you know of Saul’s spiritual decline.
From that point to the end of I Samuel, David is hated and pursued and, by King Saul’s own words, marked for death. As one writer says it, “Saul put David on his Most Wanted list.” [Found on www.bibleteachingresources.org]. And yet, God’s plans cannot be foiled or defeated by the lack of spiritual maturity, the sins, or even the plans of man. God, as you know, is sovereign and He intends that David become Israel’s next king. That’s what Book Two, II Samuel, is all about.
In a word, seeing I Samuel from David’s perspective, Book One is “David’s Preparation,” days and years when David is learning to lean on God. On the other hand, Book Two, II Samuel, is “David grows into a mature man of God. Here you’ll see that God’s Life Purpose for David is that he spend forty years of his life quote unquote “in the palace”.
We all have enemies of some sort, don’t we? But, as you are about to see, what you think and say about your enemy says more about you than it does about them. David saw his enemy, King Saul, as the one God had placed into the position as leader of the nation of Israel. And as such, King Saul was to be honored as the man God had chosen to reign over His people.
So, what I want to focus on today is David’s attitude while under the hand of an oppressive and truly unspiritual man, King Saul. Look with me at II Samuel chapter one and verse one.
II Samuel 1:1 “Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; (2) It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. (3) And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. (4) And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. (5) And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? (6) And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. (7) And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. (8) And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. (9) He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. (10) So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.”
As you read this passage, did you notice that every verse begins with the word “and”? Well, almost every verse. And the reason is simple. This is a narrative. It’s a story. And, as God often uses the simple story method to teach His ways, the word “and” is found everywhere.
Now, let me tell you what this first chapter of Book Two is about. The chapter contains just three main things. Here they are.
1. An unnamed Amalekite comes to David’s camp with news that King Saul was dead and that he was the one who took his life. That’s verses one through ten. An Amalekite, folks, is a descendant of a man named Esau. Do you remember Esau? He was the twin brother to Jacob. So, The Amalekites are “near Jews.” But, if you know your Bible history, you know that the Amalekites chose to stand against Israel whenever they could. They were the first nation to take a stand against the Jews. And God predicted their demise. Today, there are no descendants of Amalek (Ex. 17:16; Nu. 24:20).
(1) An Amalekite brings sad news to David and his men.
(2) David reacts to the news. And, as you are about to see, this is one of the main lessons in this story. David, along with his entire army, mourns and weeps, and fasts over the death of his enemy; verse twelve. And he proceeds to put the Amalekite to death. That’s verses eleven through sixteen.
(3) David writes what we might today call an Eulogy on the lives of King Saul and his son Jonathan. In essence, it’s a funeral sermon. And, as you read it this week, notice how much love David has for his enemy. That’s verse seventeen through the end of the chapter.
Now here’s what I want to show you today as we prepare our hearts for the LORD’s table. I want you to see David’s attitude towards his enemy. Thus far, since the day David defeated Goliath, he had become more and more hated by the King of Israel. As David learns to lean on God, he spends his days under the hand of an oppressive and truly unspiritual man with just a step between him and death.
If there’s a lesson that everyone needs, it’s this. Your attitude towards those who have made you an enemy is carefully being watched by the LORD. This attitude that David chooses is one that pleases the LORD. Let’s see what it is. It’s found in chapter one verse eleven.
(11) Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: (12) And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. (13) And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. (14) And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed? (15) And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. (16) And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.”
"An officer in the Confederate army once heard General Robert E. Lee speak to the president Jefferson Davis in the highest terms regarding a fellow officer. The officer who overheard stopped General Lee afterward and said, "Sir, don't you know that the man you spoke so highly of in there to the President is one of your bitterest enemies? Don't you know that he never misses a chance to malign you and tear you down before others?" Lee replied, "Yes, I know that, but the President asked me my opinion of that man, not his opinion of me." [Found on www.preacherstudy.com].
1. Why is your attitude so important when it comes to those who have mistreated or hurt you?
Jesus, as you know, had to face this, didn’t He? He did not come to the Jews as an enemy. Instead, what He did was to come to them as the most God-honoring Jew they’d ever met. He kept every single command in the Mosaic Law. He love His Father with all His being. And everything He did was out of pure motives and based upon truth. Yet, such a man became a quote “enemy of the state.” His love, His healing ministry, His directness, His compassion, His servant’s heart became despised. And He was so despised, they killed Him. And yet, throughout His life, He promoted and preached while He practiced these words. Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;…”
But David didn’t have the access to the LORD Jesus like you do, right? Here’s what he was practicing. Proverbs 24:17 “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: (18) Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.”
Now why? Why should you hold this kind of attitude towards your enemies? After all, aren’t your enemies in the wrong? What gives them the right to say and do the things they have done to you? Shouldn’t they be punished?
Listen again to Jesus. Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;…”
There will always be something you give to your enemies. Otherwise, they will take more than your dignity away from you. They’ll take your soul. You’ll become like them. These are four things that you need maybe more than they need. You need to love them, bless them (say kind things about them), do good to them, and to pray for them. You see, Jesus knows your heart. He knows that your attitude towards people and things is really what you are like in your character. And He’s always been out to convert a man’s character.
And somewhere along the way in his walk with the LORD, David had learned that what makes him the happiest and the holiest is when his attitudes towards people and events that come into his life is honoring to the LORD. Folks, this is what God is really after in him.
Now, I’m not giving any creditability or freedom to your enemy to mistreat and abuse you. What I am saying though, is that you have the ability to choose how you will respond to your enemies. You see, even in this God has not left you empty-handed. Here’s how David viewed the man who despised him. Look with me at the phrase “the LORD’s anointed” in verse thirteen.
The words are found ten times in the Bible; all ten of them are in first and second Samuel. And, what’s astonishing to be is that the first time it’s found in the Bible, it’s used by the Prophet Samuel when God is directing him to the successor of King Saul. That man was David, although David didn’t know it at the time. Every other time, it was spoken by David himself and, in every single case; he expresses how he viewed King Saul.
How many times have you had people in your life that were like King Saul in his oppressiveness, his truly unspiritual character, and his jealousy and hatred? And just how did you see them?
We all know that everything in life is dependent upon our attitudes. But there is far more at work than just “accepting” the ignorance and downright meanness of spirit that you might have to experience from some people in this world. What’s going on is that the LORD is at work, the LORD, Who is faithfully working on your character.
You see, what you say is a reflection of what you really believe. And what you say about the person who has hurt you will probably determine your entire future. Certainly it will affect your day as well as your night when you lay down upon your pillow.
Here’s how David saw King Saul. Twice he was given an opportunity to kill King Saul. And twice David let King Saul live. And on both occasions you will find David’s attitude expressed in the way he spoke about King Saul. Both stories will be found this week when you read through in I Samuel.
1. Your attitude is important to God. He’s watching you.
2. Your words show your true attitude.
3. Let God work on you and you can count on the fact that, in His time, He will handle the ones who have wounded you and declared you their enemy. Think carefully about what you read here in the Bible. David stuck with it through the entirety of Saul’s hatred towards him. His attitude carried him and strengthened him all the way to the end of King Saul’s life. And now, after his death, David still shows love and honor towards his enemy.
Your attitudes towards those who hurt you can be seen in the way you speak about them, whether they are living or dead? But, who really is it than can change either your heart or the heart of those who have taken advantage of you? It’s the LORD. All of us have been hurt. You’ve been hurt. You’ve been wounded by someone. But who has power over you? The One with the true power over your life is God. Jesus words are “All power is given unto Me…” And when you have to face your Saul, remember this, your attitude is reflected in your words. And your attitude will determine your future. So, let God have His way with you.
And your attitude is what God is working on even as we speak and as you read these words in your Bible. I think that it may be the main thing that God is looking at when He reads your heart each morning as you wake up. Now, is it ever easy to deal with oppression and hurtful words and actions? No, it isn’t. Yet, in every case you have the responsibility to go to God for help and strength or you can choose to try to “tough it out” on your own. And you also have the choice to speak disparagingly about them.
Seriously, how else are you going to be a true disciple of Jesus if you don’t take on His attitudes? And when you are teaching someone else about how to walk with Him, don’t you think that your attitudes are obvious to them as well?
I admit that David is not a Christian. No one became a Christian until after Jesus died on Calvary. Yet, didn’t God work on the characters of His own prior to the Cross? Didn’t He teach these men and women in the OT that what really mattered was pleasing Him? Go back mentally to men like Noah and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Job and Ruth and Esther and Sarah. If you do, I will guarantee you that you will see that what God always does in His dealings with people is to show them the right way and then call them to task, so-to-speak. It’s never easier to give in to the spirit of anger and bitterness when it comes to how some people deal with you. It could be a boss, a co-worker, a quote “friend,” a neighbor who is not very neighborly, someone who sues you. It’s actually much harder to live your life when your spirit is angry or you are bitter than it is to yield yourself to the LORD.
Listen carefully. It’s not the other person’s fault that you are where you are. It’s God’s hand upon your life. And you are called to be like David and to humble yourself beneath the mighty hand of God that He might exalt you in due time.
So, in the present, choose a Davidic attitude which is really a Christ-ic attitude in the face of that King Saul-like person in your life. None of us wants to face some of the things we have to face in this life with people who have something against us. But, we still must walk with the LORD.
God is always after our hearts. He was always after his heart.
It’s your choice. Deal with God right now. Let Him deal with you. Make a decision today that will show the LORD that you mean to have the right attitude towards those who are you enemies. And just watch what He’ll do on your behalf. It may not be today. He may, like He did with David, have you wait until that soul has departed this world. But, in the mean time, you’ll be learning to lean on someone else’s strength. My question for you is this. Will you surrender your all to Him? Will you pray the prayer of surrender today and mean it? Or will you stay in the same place you were when you arrived today?
Now as a Christian, in order to effectively live in light of words, you’ll need to pray this prayer. I call it the Prayer of Surrender. It’s a wonderful prayer and I’m sure it honors the LORD when you pray it and truly mean it. "LORD, I submit all that I am to you; my spirit, my soul, and my body. Do with me what is most pleasing to you. Work out Your will upon me today."