Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: DEVOTED (02/04/21)
-
TITLE: David Wanted What? | Previous Challenge Entry
By John Custer
02/10/21 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
His friends were quite loyal to David and decided to give him his desire. At great peril to their lives, they went behind enemy lines, got him the water he requested and returned to David.
David, however, refused to drink the water and poured it on the ground.
Frankly, I know I would have been angry with David for not drinking the water that I had risked my life to get for him. “Why would he have made such a flippant request if he didn’t intend to drink it,” I would have reasoned.
We must keep in mind, however, that David’s friends did their deed for David because of their devotion to him. The fact that David’s conscience did not allow him to drink the water did not dimiinish the devotion they had for him.
Likewise, when God requests us to do something, whether we have astounding results or no results at all, God will judge us on our obedience and devotion to Him.
Perhaps you became a minister and the churches that you pastored did not grow. Maybe you were a sunday school teacher and your students did not respond; maybe you were a missionary with few converts. The important question is, “did you do what God wanted you to do to the best of your ability?”
I know a man who translated the entire New Testament into an unwritten language. It took years for him to do that. When I asked him after his retirement, how many of those people are serving the Lord, he told me, “Few, if any.”
Similarly, the Scotts, missionaries to Peru, went year after year with little obvious spiritual results. They were so discouraged when they went on a well-deserved furlough, that they did not want to return to Peru. They asked all of their friends and supporting churches to pray. When they did return to Peru, a man who had been so obstinate, repented, and a revival broke out among the Sharanahua people. In God’s sight both are worthy.
Whatever the situation, keep in mind that what we do is devotion to the Lord, just as what David’s friends did was devotion to him. That should be encouraging to us, because when we leave the results to Him, we will neither receive the glory nor the blame for the results.
If the truth were known, however, God is aware of how our life has impacted others for which we have no knowledge. It is so easy to forget that God saves and convicts, not us. Our job is to be devoted servants.
Non-fiction
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
