Where Are Our Davids?

Can you hear the smack talk of the enemy? The taunting to be afraid … very afraid?

Our good and God-created world has metamorphosed into an evil dominion as more and more, mankind is turned over to his own sinful nature (Psalm 81:12). I think of the days of Noah when God regretted handing His virtuous world over to man’s management. So disappointed was our Lord, He destroyed all things living, save Noah and his family and reproducing pairs of creatures.

We’ve circled back to the days of evil but this time, we’ve been warned. Christ, the answer to man’s follies of heart, has been given the ruler’s scepter and He’s instructed His own about the days at hand. I feel confident we are witnesses to the events He spoke of when He addressed His disciples concerning the timing of His return: world famine, earthquakes increasing, wars and rumors of wars and kingdom rising against kingdom. Similar to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37).

JUST GETTING STARTED

But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains, He explained. After giving the above signs, in Matthew 24:9-12 Christ goes on to say:

Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.

While Christ addressed His Jewish followers in the city of Jerusalem, the above warnings apply to all believers. True, Israel will be the scorn of the world, but in the bigger picture, Christ followers will be the albatross tied around unbelievers’ necks. As God’s adopted family, we represent everything God’s enemies hate. And because Satan does not hold the power to change the order of prophesied events, his tactic will be fear. Destroy trust. Lead the sheep to faux safety as a false shepherd, laughing all the way to hell.

TAKE HEART

Simultaneously, while evil cries for one-world orders, new and government-controlled economies, and self-glorification through worldly—eh hum—knowledge, Jesus, in that still small voice, whispers stand up child, I’ve got this.

His parting gift to His followers was the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; Mark 13:11) who will impart the needed wisdom when perilous times arise. We are not left as orphans (John 14:18). We are equipped with power during these anticipatory years.

CHRIST’S WARNINGS

After giving the disciples tangible signs of His return, Christ continues to open their minds to coming events. He shares the fig-tree parable explaining that while we cannot know the exact hour of His return, there will be warning signs so we can be prepared. I love the parable of the fig tree as budding spring leaves usher in the beautiful expectations of life after a dormant winter. We’ve been promised new life after the dormant years of evil rule. But what are we to be prepared for? If the rapture is pretribulation, then we’ve nothing to worry about, correct?

But His parables indicate we will live through the darkening signs of His return (Luke 12:35-38; Matthew 25:1-13). We may not live through the Great Tribulation, but we will certainly live through the tribulations of the onset or the birth pains. The Covid pandemic, rising inflation, and all the talk of gender fluidity are just a few examples of what the pretribulation days will be like. Circumstances mirror Christ’s words in Matthew 24 and the signs are here. We’re to be prepared.

PREPARED FOR WHAT

Our Jesus made it clear that His return will happen just when we have decided it won’t (Matthew 24:44). So why the signs and markers? Look at the last verses of Matthew 24:45-51:

Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time, and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk; then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, and he will cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Tucked into the parable about a master (Christ) who leaves his household (budding believers) under the charge of a faithful and sensible slave (you and me), is an amazing command: give them their food at the proper time.

Christ is consistently referenced as the bread of life in multiple passages and I think John 6:55 makes it clear what “food” we are to be sharing during the coming perilous times:

“For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.” – Jesus at the last supper.

There it is. As the signs of the times increase in urgency, we are to be sharing Christ, offering His sacrificial love as the true sustenance of life. As the battle intensifies, we as the faithful slaves are to represent Christ in all things. No fence riding. No ducking out of bold encounters. No watering down our faith.

BATTLES OF OLD

This amazing revelation leads me to a particular battle from the Old Testament. When literal giants still walked the land, one of these large men, called Goliath, taunted the army of Israel. For forty days, He strutted around yelling blasphemies at the Israelites quivering in fear in their tents. Because literal stories in the Old Testament serves as foreshadows in the New, Goliath represents the enemies of God and Israel represents … well, Israel but also the grafted-in Gentiles.

But then David arrives.

David, the shepherd boy sent to the front line to share food (there’s that revealing food metaphor again) with his brothers in battle who where cowering in their foxholes. Hearing Goliath’s scoffs, David declares he will defeat the enemy. No one believed him, but they sent him out to Goliath anyway.

Looking back at Matthew 24:45, David represents the faithful and sensible slave who was put in charge of the household.

You see, at the time David delivered his father’s food, he had already been anointed as king of Israel. Sammuel had sealed the deal when the Lord sent him to Jesse to pour oil (a symbol for the Holy Spirit) on one of Jesse’s sons. Interestingly, God selected the youngest and puniest of the brothers—David.

Fast forward to the battle, and David, equipped with food (the bread of life) walks into a precarious situation and David, understanding His royal and anointed position, declares he will defeat the giant.

You know the story, David selects five stones and places them in a pouch at his waist. I believe these five stones represent grace and the favor of God. But selecting just one of the five, David slings the rock at the large and loud target on the other side of Elah valley. Though Goliath is covered in bronze armor, helmet included, that stone cuts through the clutter and smacks Goliath center forehead.

I love this truth! Truth cuts through to find the enemy’s weak spot every time.

The strutting giant goes down with one single blow.

And David, completely understanding his royal position, runs over to the knocked-down giant and with the giant’s sword, removes his head.

David decapitated the enemy. Put an end to the taunting and threats.

Today, as the enemy gains momentum and struts around on the battlefields of our lives, I’m asking where are our Davids?

Guess what.

You are one of our Davids. As David lived and accomplished phenomenal acts for the Lord, he serves as your metaphor.

Your royal position has been sealed by the Holy Spirit in Christ, and you are the faithful and sensible slave in charge of the household. You carry with you the bread of life and stones to sling at the loud-mouthed giant.

Oh beloved, (and I mean that word), if you could see yourself as I see you. As young in the faith and as puny as you feel, you are, in God’s eyes, a warrior.

GO AHEAD

As the giants taunt, pick up your weapons—stones of truth and hurl them at your enemies. Of course I speak in a spiritual sense but I’ve found speaking truth into the natural world can be equally as powerful. In today’s climate, truth, we’re told is relevant. But I say truth is absolute and the more we speak truth, the more battles we will win and the more people we will bring into the kingdom.

After all, that’s our ultimate goal—to be kingdom builders.

You might like my latest Bible study: God’s Will: Unraveling the Mystery. This study is about God’s over-arching will to have His family members subdue and rule the earth.

For more insight, dicover your Stones of Truth here.

Carry your stones, my friend/warrior. Be prepared in season and out (2 Timothy 4:2).

Be Brave.

If I perish, I perish,

Laurie

Scripture References

Psalm 81:12 nlt – So I let them follow their own stubborn desires, living according to their own ideas.

Matthew 24:37 niv – As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

John 14:26 – nasb – But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.

Mark 13:11 nasb- And when they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you at that time; for you are not the ones speaking, but it is the Holy Spirit.

John 14:18 nasb – I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.

Luke 12:35-38 esv – Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.

Matthew 25:1-13 – Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us. But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Matthew 24:44 – Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

2 Timothy 4:2 – preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.