Key Verse
“And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him” (2 Samuel 5:10).
Text: 2 Samuel 5:4-10
The New York Times bestseller, “Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard”, is the inspiring story of a woman detailing her journey from homelessness to attending Harvard. Her story is one of overcoming adversity through faith, determination and love. David’s life as an outlaw had appeared bleak, but God’s promise to make him king over all Israel was eventually fulfilled. He had to wait for many years for the fulfilment of God’s promise. This waiting period developed his character and prepared him for what God had planned. A waiting period should not be a wasted period.
Jerusalem (or Zion) was still occupied by the Jebusites, a Canaanite tribe that had never been expelled from the land (Judges 1:21). The Jebusites had boasted that David could not dislodge them because they thought they were safe. However, David led his troops to Jerusalem to fight against them, defeated them and captured the stronghold of Zion, which he renamed as the City of David. David then made Jerusalem his capital because of its strategic advantages. He grew great because the Lord was with him. The Jebusites had a clear military advantage, and they boasted of their security behind the impregnable walls of Jerusalem. But they soon discovered that their walls would not protect them as David caught them by surprise, entering the city through the water tunnel.
Only in God are we truly safe and secure. Anything else is false security. Whether surrounded by a fortified fence, a cosy home or a reliable means of income, no one can predict what tomorrow may bring. Our relationship with God is the only security that cannot be taken away.
David’s relationship with God enabled him to overcome daunting challenges, triumph over formidable adversaries, and kept waxing stronger and stronger in his journey through life. How is your relationship with God today?
Thought for the day
No war can consume the person that has God on his side