Walk Like an Egyptian, or Be Propelled into the Promised Land?

I love being a dad.

I believe of all the "hats" that I wear through every given day of my life, this is one that I cherish the most. I am not the best dad, and I realize that years from now I will be able to look back and see many things that I would have done different if I had known better, but at this stage of my life I am honestly able to say that I have not regretted any choice I have made regarding my time with my children.

This picture that I have posted on this blog tugs at my heart because I cannot even remotely imagine what must have been going through the mind of Moses's mother as she looked into the eyes of her little boy while gently surrendering him to the forces of the Nile river. The Bible tells us in Exodus 2:2-3 that she is the one who made the ark for little Moses and that she is the one that laid him into it.

Can you imagine how she must have felt walking away from the river bank that afternoon. How empty did her house feel that day?

Where was God?

The question that stands out above all others is this: Why would anyone be forced to make a decision like Moses's mother was forced to make?


The answer is found in the first chapter of Exodus.

"Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive." ~Exodus 1:11-14,22 

Pharaoh did not want to lead these Israelites as much as he was just out to exploit as much as he could get out of them. He really did not care about them as people as much as he cared about what they could do for him. He wanted them to build an empire for him and he wanted them to create his legacy. His empire and rule at the time seemed to appear successful and if you were to pass by in front of the palace at the time of his rule, it would appear to be successful according to the world's standards. Please be aware that even the pharaoh would be blind if he could not see that the palace he stood in was built on the torn up bodies of those he used to get to where he was.

Why was he so consumed on wasting God's people?

"And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land." ~ Exodus 1:9-10

Pharaoh was insecure and he was afraid. He could justify the trail of dead bodies that he left in the wake of his "growth" with the fear that these people may turn on him and destroy all that he had worked to build. If you rule with a whip, then that fear is a legitimate concern.

But how could he be so cruel to be willing to sacrifice children for the sake of his empire? The reputation of the pharaoh and his empire was more important that the life of a child?

When a person becomes power mad they have simply chosen to let: 1) What they do 2) What they have 3) What others think of them   determine their identity.

It is ugly to watch and it is costly for the people that are involved with them. I wonder how many of God's people must have thought to themselves while they were building the monuments to pharaoh, "There is something wrong here, but I just cannot put my finger on what it is. I just feel that there is something wrong going on here." or maybe the thought was like this, "I feel something is wrong, but I have been at this for so long that I am not really sure what is right?".

Pharaoh's are just as common now as they were in exodus. They always meet the same end. God takes them down and their empire becomes a dusty property that the decedents of that pharaoh could not sell even if they wanted to and could not afford to even keep up the repairs.
Other Pharaohs stop and look at the ruins and try to decide if they can use their slaves to rebuild them to be monuments in their likeness but more often than not, they decide that the cost would be too great and seek to build fresh monuments. Usually these dusty ruins become a sort of tourist attraction  for special events for a while, but in the end it is a just a massive tombstone to another person who thought they were a god.

I read exodus one and I see this man Pharaoh, and I see his actions of cruelty against God's people and I look even today at the way that a modern day Pharaoh abuses and misuses God's people and I have to ask, "Why is this allowed?".

The trail of bodies turn up unexpectedly in the grocery store aisles or at the restaurants. The style of brick and mortar was different but the principle behind the abuse was the same.

I was at the post office some time back when I heard a person call my name. I turned around and they ran up to where I was. "I thought you had moved away Dan, it is so great to see you again!" They gave me a hug and when I asked about how their family was doing, they began to cry. They told how some circumstances had arisen in their life and a "Pharaoh" that had done some major damage to them.

I got in my car to leave and I asked, "God, why do you allow people into positions of power that literally waste people?"

You read about Pharaoh in Exodus and the babies being thrown into the river, and you see people today that are in positions of power and have the ability to do good but instead they choose to hurt and it makes you question.

Moses was in the middle of it and finally when the day came that he could condone it no longer, Moses left. Pharaoh was relieved and I imagine as he left, Pharaoh may have even called out, "You're easily replaced!!!"

While God was introducing Moses to freedom and to a clear instruction of his purpose, the people's abuse just got thicker. Some recognized it I am sure, and others just thought that this must just be the way life was supposed to be, at least they had leeks and garlics right?

So why was this allowed by God again?

GOD IS IN CONTROL!

He answered the question long before we were around to silently think or even loudly wonder it.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth." ~Exodus 9:13-16

God had a promised land of freedom waiting for His people. He was the one who would rule and not a Pharaoh. The problem was that God's people were so conditioned to being ruled by Pharaohs that they did not know how to leave. The situation was abusive and they were being used and beaten, but they just sort of seemed to accept it.

God intended for His people to be free. He intended them to worship Him freely and to be able to move when He said move and go where He said go. He wanted the best for them.

Freedom was something they could not recognize without being made so uncomfortable that they had to cry out for it. They had to thirst for it and hunger for it. You won't truly seek anything with all your heart unless you truly want it with all your heart.

God's plan all along was mentioned over and over again every time that Moses stood before Pharaoh and said, "Let my people go, that they may serve me."

God made His people then just as He makes them today, to be in His presence!

So why does God allow people to work their way into bondage that costs them everything? Why does He permit Pharaohs into the lives of His kids? Doesn't He know that these Pharaohs hurt and destroy His people?

Paul throws out Romans  nine for us to be reminded.
 "For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." ~Romans 9:17-18 

Pharaohs do what they were put in place to do. They push a Moses into freedom. That is the function that they serve. A pharaoh is allowed into a person's life to propel that person into a promised land!

Has God allowed a Pharaoh into your life?

Has God allowed a Pharaoh into the life of a loved one of yours?

If it was not for the Pharaoh then Moses would be another stick man on the wall of another tomb in hieroglyphics.

Don't be too angry at the Pharaohs. They don't last and the purpose for which they were allowed rule is going to be fulfilled. They will drive people to the promised land of freedom In Christ. Will people wither away and die in the process? Yes, and the Pharaohs will answer for it. God is the judge, not you and not me.

We tend to want to trash people in leadership who hurt the people that they lead but Paul goes on to say in Romans thirteen:

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." Romans 13:1-4

Paul was writing the Roman church where persecution was the new normal.  He was reminding them that God allows who He will into offices of authority and they are serving His purpose whether they know it or not. Paul refers to them as ministers OF God and not always ministers FOR God.

God allows those people their position to point His people back to Him. Facebook is full of the latest atrocities of our national leaders and it is infuriating at times to see how quickly our country is falling apart, but can I just remind you that God allowed our leaders to be where they are? We don't have to approve of the stuff we see, but if you truly are praying for God sent revival is it really that hard to recognize God's answer to that prayer? He allows Pharaohs for the purpose of propelling His people to a promised land. It just may be that the time spent berating a leader could be spent thanking God for giving us the tools we need to help us desire a promised land.
We get so focused on the allowed wrong doing of a Pharaoh and completely miss the fact that God is going to be true to His word in Romans 8:28 and He will use that circumstance for our good. Pharaohs go back to the dust only after they have filled God's purpose.

Moses knew Pharaoh's purpose on the day that he confronted the pharaoh for the last time face to face.

"And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth." ~Exodus 9:16

I imagine as he left that Pharaoh's office for the last time he thanked God for placing the only man in the world that could have opened his eyes to see God so well in that office.
 How long had Moses been in the palace and been content to watch an empire be built before he could watch no longer with a good conscience. He knew something was wrong but it was not until he turned aside to see the burning bush out in the wilderness that he met the great I AM and knew that the thing that he needed to see most was God. He was no longer in Egypt not because God hated him, but because God wanted to introduce Himself to him.

I received a phone call today from a friend who reminded me of this truth when I needed reminded of it the most. "God is in control and if you have found freedom then remember that God gave you the freedom for the purpose of enjoying your relationship with Him."

Who needs leeks and garlics of Egypt  when you can have milk and honey of freedom in Christ? Once you see God, you will never want to see another pyramid again not even for the tourist real estate tour!

Climbing with you,
~Dan

Coming to Life

 

 

We had been walking for quite a while and we needed to stop for a minute and just catch our breath. I say "We" but in fact "he" was riding in the comfort of a stroller and I was the one that needed to rest for a minute.

 

I was taking pictures of the botanical garden that we were walking in and I looked over to where he was patiently sitting while waiting on me. I caught him just looking at me and right when he knew I had seen him, he flashed me his smile. I caught it deep and I also caught it with my camera.

 

I was looking recently for a picture to draw and wanted to create a piece that would inspire me whenever I looked at it, so I chose to draw the smile of the little guy who calls me "Daddy".



 

 

Choosing the right pencils and tools for a task like this is always crucial. I use many "Traditional" art tools that you might expect to find in any art studio as well as many far from traditional tools and I think I got my ability to use a multitude of different tools from years of watching my own father paint and draw. (He is so much better than me with art although I would never want him to know I think so)

 

As soon as the sketch was laid out on the table I knew within my heart that this was going to not only tug at my heart while I worked on it, but that it would perfectly capture my son in the way that I think I will always see him no matter how old he gets. Innocent, and perfectly happy to just know that his Daddy sees him.



 

 

As I applied the different layers of color to the picture I was blown away as I always am to see the picture that was once just a thought, turn into a sketch, then depth is added and suddenly thought becomes a perfect expression. It is an emotion that is expressed in an image. The more color that was applied, the more the image "Came to Life".

The eyes are my favorite part because they are windows into the soul of what you are drawing. The eyes of a picture can seem to speak to the person who looks at it. They convey the true intent and feelings of the creator that were held as the portrait was being created.

It makes me think immediately of the first account of creation mentioned in the book of Genesis.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:..." ~Genesis 1:26a 

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." ~Genesis 2:7

God placed his tools on the table and He began to create. He was creating something far different from anything else He had ever made. It was a personal expression so far beyond the realms of anything He had ever made before, because He completed His creation by personally breathing Life into the nostrils of His creation and I cannot help but think that the first thing that God did when Adam's eyes fluttered open was to look deeply into them to see directly into his soul.  

The color was in place and the portrait God made was complete. It was not Man and God, but rather it was us in complete and perfect fellowship. The depth and richness was in God's creation and we were in His likeness. The picture was perfect.

Then a lie was introduced and lie was believed in. The lie was subtle and crafty. "Here is something that you can do to be godly." Man believed the lie and operated in that lie and the color picture became an image that was based on it's own identity and it was now a creation with an identity separate from the identity of the creator. It was an identity based upon their own efforts and strength and no longer was it upon their creator.

 

The resemblance was still there, but it no longer was able to contain the same depth and richness that it did before. It went from portrait back to sketch if you will. The color of God's presence and indwelling was not there.

 

The incredible thing about salvation is that Jesus, through His death on the cross, enabled us to be saved and in that salvation, we now have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us today!

 

 

Once again, the black and white lifeless sketch has life placed within it! Life that was traded for a lie in the garden is now restored.

 

Jesus said;

 

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." ~John 10:10

 

We are continually in the presence of God now and His life is within us!

 

I am so blown away by that! God is ever present and there are no more rituals to go through to get "Daddy" to smile at you. He is always looking at you and if you are His child, He is always pleased with you!

 

For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled   In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:" ~Colossians 1:19-22

The picture is color folks and it is because of Him and it has nothing to do with your own efforts.

 

The lie is still in place today, and there are people all over that would like you to believe that there are things that you can do to add color to the picture yourself. (this usually entails helping them build their own empire in their image)

The result of that thinking is you trying to do the work of God on your own portrait. You are trading away your identity in Him and basing your identity on (1. What you do. 2. What you have. 3. What others think of you.) You have His color in your picture and that will never go away, but you have chosen to try to manufacture what He has already given you. Life and Identity!

 

Nothing has to be manufactured. When you understand that God has made you complete in Him it is a constant state of Him revealing to you what you already have been given in Him.

 

You don't have to go out of your way to "appear to love others" or go to a conference that will show you in 6 easy steps how to love others. You have it already in Him! He is Love!

There is not formula or program for you to follow on how to let what He has placed within you be seen. It is natural and anytime we try to program or formulate His working in us and through us, it will always have the "Son's of Skiva" outcome.

 

 You either have a firm understanding of who you are in Him, or you do not.

 

 I find it amazing that Paul wrote the early church and had this to say:

 



"And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:"           ~Colossians 2:10
 
That statement alone would bar him from teaching in most churches today.
"If people really understood that they were complete in Him, then how would we get them to build an empire that we can base our identity on?"
Hmmmm... I wonder if this is why God had Paul mention this. Christianity is not about programs or how massive the church is. Christianity is about a living God expressing Himself to through you to the world around you!

Repeat this out loud:

"I, _(Insert your name here)_ , AM COMPLETE IN CHRIST!"

Did that feel strange to hear yourself say that?

Did you know that is what God says about you? If God says that, why would you listen to a man's opinion of you that differs from it? The Holy Spirit teaches and matures us as He reveals what we already are in Him! If you notice that anytime Paul wrote to the churches who had drifted away, he never referred them to a law or a list, instead he would say things like, "Know ye not?" or "Don't you already know?". He always referred them back to their identity in Christ.

Look what else Paul said to the Christians at the church of Philippi.

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church," ~Ephesians 1:17-22 

He was praying that they would come to the knowledge of what they already had in Christ!

The portrait is "on the table" and creator is busy revealing to you what you are in Him. In the post "What is it?" I made a list of what God says you are to Him. There is nothing you can do to change His mind on the subject. You are His complete master piece!

Today I want to challenge you to just ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and reveal to you what you already have in Him! Once you see color has been applied to the picture, you will never want to settle for the black and white sketch again.


Climbing with you,
~Dan

 



Living in the Land of Limbo (Part 2)

 

Have you ever found yourself on the brink of a circumstance that is about to spiral you completely out of your comfort  zone?

This past Wednesday in the post "Living in the Land of Limbo", I presented a point in the life of King David where he found himself precisely at such a point. 

He had been anointed to be the up and coming King of Israel, he kills a giant that brings him into the immediate attention of an insecure king by the name of Saul, David then is invited to live in the palace, and I believe it would be safe to say that he may have believed that this was going to be his "on the job training" for life in the palace.

Saul went absolutely nuts and David's life becomes a wild roller coaster ride of twists and turns that would make even the strongest stomach queasy.

He is hunted like an animal, betrayed, accused, and escapes death more times than James Bond.
 

He was living in Limbo!!!

 I mean he was anointed for the throne right?

 What did any of this have to do with being King?

 Did David have all of 1 Samuel to read so that he could fully grasp what we know?

 So would David have known why Saul was acting the way he was?

 

You and I have the entire Bible, we see what David could not see, and we know more than David did about the Why’s. We know that David did become the greatest king that Israel ever had. We know that his adventures as King were much greater than the lion and the bear ever could hope to be.

We know that Goliath was not the only big man that David fought and killed, in fact there were several more that came down the road.

But Chapter 18?

 

What did any of this have to do with the kingdom he would one day have? In chapter 18 David was living in limbo.

I guess the message would be this.

We are going to have times as a Christian that things do not seem to make sense.

We are going to have Chapter 18’s in our life.

During financially hard times you hear of people Filing chapter 11, or 13

You may find yourself someday soon, or maybe this past year you have found yourself filing a chapter 18 with God

I mean when you are saved you become a child of God. A joint heir with Jesus, and one day we will rule and reign with Christ. The back of the book tells us that and we know it deep down in our heart, but the fact is sometimes all we see is the Chapter 18 front and center.

Our days with Jesus will be the greatest days that we will ever have, and anything that happens to us then will far out shadow anything that could ever happen to us on this earth.

 

The bible promises us all of that as Children of God, but the bible does also promise us as children of God, that there will be times that we will find ourselves living in limbo.

There will be times when we as future royalty will find ourselves looking around and saying “what does this have to do with the future kingdom?”

In fact, the apostle Peter said this;

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." ~ 1 Peter 4:12-14

 

You may have this year already, or may very soon find yourself like David was in the middle of his chapter 18 asking yourself, "What is going on here? I am trying to praise the Lord, and I am pulling javelins out of the wall. I want to do what he has anointed me to do, to become what it is I am supposed to become, but what does anything that has happened have to do with the throne?"

LIVING IN LIMBO

Wanting to do God’s will for your life, but finding yourself the more you seek it, having doors open that are just plain crazy!

Your family changes dramatically .

You lose someone you love, when you prayed for them to get better.

Someone you are close to lets you down.

You feel like nothing you are doing good is being noticed.

The people you are trying to be a testimony to are just not being very testimonized.

God is calling you out of your comfort zone to serve him in a larger capacity.

 

LIVING IN LIMBO

What do you do?

It has everything to do with the future that God has for you. Everything that you do will add to or take away from your effectiveness for God in the role that he has for you to fill.

If you are there, or find yourself living in limbo some day, let me throw something at you that the Lord threw at me. (Kind of like a Spiritual food fight of sorts)

 "And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him."

                                                                                                      ~ 1 Samuel 18:14

 

Seek God’s Wisdom

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." ~ Psalms 111:10

This was something that David had learned while he was a teenager.

Someone once wrote: "A bible with words of Christ in Red that is never read is of no spiritual value."

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." ~Psalms 119:11

 

Seek to Recognize God's Presence

"Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul." ~ Psalms 25:1

"Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; ..." ~ Psalms 28:1a

 "O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me." ~ Psalms 30:2

"I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication." ~ Psalms 30:8

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." ~ Psalms 121:1

David was not perfect, but he did seek God’s presence!!!

The world may be falling apart around you, but if you could realize that salvation in Christ has placed you in the presence of God.

 

Stop the activity for a moment and realize that you have access to the very presence of the God of the universe.

Seek to Recognize God’s purpose.

"I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works."

                                                                                                             ~Psalms 119:26-27

If you are in a place where things have gotten eerily calm and you feel as though you are slowing creeping into a place where things are about to fly out of control, you are in the perfect place to see God in a way that many others will not be in the position to see. Don't cringe. Don't cry. The car will NEVER leave the tracks and He will NEVER leave you.

The Land of Limbo is not a way of life, it is only part of it, and it is there to prepare you in more ways than you can imagine for the Kingdom that you belong to.

Climbing with you,
~Dan

 
 

 

 

Living in The Land of Limbo (Part 1)

 

I am not a big fan of making changes.

 

I never have been.

 

My kids are growing more and more each day and I am having a very hard time with that.

 

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE watching them grow, but to be honest with you, I do not always do so well with the idea of them actually getting bigger.

 

I do not think I will ever fully be able to come to grips with there being a day that they no longer reach for my hand in the store, come up and kiss me for no reason, ask me to read to them, ask me to help them perform some simple task or even let me hold them as they fall asleep on my lap.

 

I know those days will come to end with the smaller ones because they have really changed with the older one. The thing is, changes are like the twists and turns on a roller coaster. They are guaranteed, they are often unexpected, and depending upon how soon you just ate when they hit, they can make you sick.

 

I am quite sure that if we were to go throw out an invitation to everyone online and ask each one of you to tell the rest of us something that has happened in your life this year that was a change, that you could come up with something that has happened that maybe you have asked the Lord in the privacy of your room, or when you were alone… “Why?” or "I never planned on this. Did you know this was going to happen?"

I was reading something this past week that I wanted to show you. If you have had a “Why Lord?” moment recently, I think this will resonate with you.

"And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent. And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.
And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. " ~ 1 Samuel 17:54-58

Goliath the giant has just been killed because as we all know, giants were made to be killed right?

Actually, David had brought some supplies to his brothers who had become increasingly famished while being cursed at by this giant. (Being cursed at by a giant can take a lot out of a fella)
David is enraged and demands the opportunity to kill this giant and the King Saul who has shaken so hard in fear of the giant, has actually shaken his armor off. He offers it to David who ignores the offer, and chooses five stones from a creek bed and rocks the giant to sleep!

 

What an awesome story!!!

The armies of Israel were afraid of this Philistine, but David saw the odds as they really were!

He saw a big drunken Giant, and a massively bigger sober God!!!

As soon as the king hears of David, he tries to discourage him. If you want to do something for God because of a God placed opportunity and desire, rest assured that there will be people who will try to discourage you.

David does not try to reason with Saul. He simply states the facts about what God has already allowed him to do and what God has already done through David. He tells Saul about the lion and the bear

Then after Goliath is turned into an ugly bearded bobble head, Saul asks who this David is. We know from reading the prior chapters that Davis already was in Saul’s palace, but now an interest is taken in him, and when the dust settles David is living in the King’s house on a full time basis.

"And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house." ~ 1 Samuel 18:2
 

Things seemed as if they were good in the hood for David!!!

 

David no longer was following the sheep. He took his harp and began to sing what I imagine was the precursor to the hit song “Were moving on up, to the east side!!!!”

 

"And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." ~ 1 Samuel 18:5-7

Then add to the new housing, a new job, and with the new job, a few songs written in your honor and I think that David must have thought that God was allowing this for his future role as king. It would seem as if all the doors were opening for David right?

Based upon what you and I know of the story up to this point, lets ask a few questions.

Q: Now it was back in chapter sixteen that the prophet Samuel came to Jesse’s house and anointed David King of Israel. If you were David, what would you think was happening when the King pulls you into the palace, and the people love you, and songs are being sung about you in the streets???
 

Q: Would you think that you were being prepared for the day you would be king?

Q: Would you think that maybe Saul would prepare you to be the next king??? A little on the job training perhaps???

While it was true that God indeed was allowing this change of events for David's preparation for the throne it would not be in the way that David may have thought it would be.

Sound familiar?

 

Did you know that the one thing that makes God laugh is our plans?

 

You know that part on a roller coaster ride where the car just sort of climbs ever so slowly to the first peak? The clicking that the car makes as it inches up that incline seem as though they will put you to sleep. Just then you crest the peak and plummet out of your wits!

 

That in fact was what was happening in the life of David at this point in the story.

You see Saul was in a battle of rebellion with God at the moment, and he began to take it out on the new guy.

"And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?" ~ 1 Samuel 18:8

While it is true that you should never throw stones in a glass house, there really is no written code of conduct for throwing spears in a castle.

 

Saul loved to throw spears.

 

More to the point, Saul loved to throw spears at David, and try to kill him on a daily basis.  

"And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.  Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him." ~ 1 Samuel 18:9-15
"And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.  And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually. Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by." ~ 1 Samuel 18:28-30

The climb up the roller coaster vanishes suddenly and the drastic scream your lungs out plunge happens. Things went crazy!!!

Saul tries to Shish-ka-bob David!

David is hiding statues in his bed!

Climbing out widows, and sneaking around alleyways at night!

Dodging pointy spear shaped flying projectiles by day!

Hiding in caves and meeting people in fields by way of Arrows, the really old fashioned text messaging!

Being hunted like an animal, and gathering an army of beggars and wanted men who coincidentally happened to smell like animals!

This was far from the practical training for up and coming royalty... or was it?

Have you ever found yourself on a roller coaster of activity that was one loop too many? Did you ever want to just ask, "God, what does this circumstance I am in have to do with what you made me to accomplish in my life?"

If so, then I can promise you that this Saturday's conclusion to "Living in The Land of Limbo" is going to be a timely blessing! I cannot wait to show you what David learned that allowed Him to thrive as the next in line as royalty!

~Dan