Call to Worship: 2 Samuel 22:47-51
Songs: Majesty Of Heaven - Chris Tomlin
How Great Is Our God / How Great Thou Art - CeCe Winans
How Great Is Our God / How Great Thou Art - CeCe Winans
Forever - Michael W. Smith
Scripture: 2 Samuel 22:1-20; Psalm 23
Song: By Faith - Keith & Kristyn Getty
Sermon: “At Just the Right Time”
Closing Song: Jesus Lover of My Soul (It's All About You) - Aaron Firth
Benediction: Isaiah 12
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Sermon: “At Just the Right Time”
I want to continue this week focusing on waiting and watching. As we have talked about we must persevere as we wait and wait some more because at just the right time God will fulfill His promises to us. Just because we are waiting doesn’t mean what we wait for isn’t going to happen. At our bible study on Tuesday we talked about waiting and at the right time, going but that is not a decision we make. God will orchestrate that and we will know the right time. We have a site booked to go camping. The dates are reserved and with confidence we will pull into our site and there will be no one else there for the days we booked. Now if we decided that is to far off into the distance, let’s go to that site this weekend, I guarantee you someone else will be on that site. No matter how much we are anticipating going camping, we must wait for the dates we reserved. Now I know this is just a little illustration about waiting and yes potentially there could be a mishap with the system not that we have had that problem, but with God’s timing there is never a mishap and His timing is always perfect and at just the right time he will make everything whole once again and all will see God’s hand at work in our lives. Right now most stand quietly and will not believe until they see. Elijah said “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. But the people said nothing.” Elijah prayed 1 Kings 18:36 “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
I truly believe most people do not wait on God because they don’t actually believe he will answer and come at just the right time. But scripture tells us he will. Psalm 106:13 “But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold.” If we wait, we will see God’s plans unfold. Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” How would our life change if we actually believed what the bible states about God? What would happen if we took hold of his promises? The answer is we are about to find out! As Nehemiah prayed Nehemiah 1:5 “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments.” Psalm 31:19 “How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.” Psalm 119:114 “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”
Do we actually believe that if we put our hope in the Lord, God will open the floodgates as he said or will we by like the man who refused to believe they would be saved in the famine. 2 Kings 7:2 “The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen? Elisha answered, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” Do we actually believe that God will open the floodgates of heaven? The bible says so but most have gone with empty ways handed by our fathers. Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” We do believe so this is why we wait. As we read this verse in Malachi, it is not just talking about finance but yielding our hearts. Yes we need to trust God with our finances but Luke 21:1 “Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” So no, finances don’t tell the whole story. God also isn’t looking at your outward appearance. Over the years people have dressed up for church but God looks past that and looks at their hearts. 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
As we talked about last week, Samuel came along at just the right time, which was God’s time of course! Yes Hannah had prayed over and over but then at just the right time God answered her prayer in a way that still affects us today. At this time the house of Eli was removed. 1 Samuel 3:11 “And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” While this was happening 1 Samuel 3:19 “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.”
When God gives his faithful a promise, he will keep it and that promise will be fulfilled at just the right time. Too many people only believe what their eyes can see so they ignore God’s word. God is still looking for those who will serve him wholeheartedly whether they see or not. 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” satan has so deceived the church that most are not even looking for anything different. They have become content with few visions if any at all and the lamp of God flickering. The powerless church has become the norm and most don’t know anything different and almost out. They don’t even care if God does something that will make their ears tingle because they do not believe it will happen to them. Most in the church are so committed to going their own way they do not give a moment’s thought to the direction they are heading in. Someone said go this way, so they go without ever testing the spirits. Jeremiah 5:31 “The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” They do not want to listen to people who speak the truth of God’s word and to be turned from that end they are heading for. Nehemiah 9:29 “You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’ Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen.” Jeremiah 11:10 “They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them.” Isaiah 30:15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”
We are told how it is supposed to be but most are content going the wrong way. If people would simply turn from their wicked ways Jeremiah 3:15 “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 17 No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.” Earlier we talked about God looking at our hearts. Saul disobeyed and did not follow God’s word. 1 Samuel 13:14 “But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” Acts 13:22 “After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” 1 Samuel 2:35 “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always.” Remember God does not change.
So David is chosen. David is told 2 Samuel 7:11 “‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” David responds by saying “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human.” 25 “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight. 27 “Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”
Now this promise also applies to us because of Jesus. Matthew 1:1 “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.” The promises to both Abraham and David apply to us. David then told his son Solomon 1 Kings 2:2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go 4 and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.” We must do the same. Some of the kings did follow but most did not follow David’s instructions.
You will notice those that followed Solomon as kings, also called David their father. 1 Kings 15:11 “Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done.” 2 Kings 16:2 “Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.” Even Solomon did not follow but God gave a promise to his father that would never be broken. 1 Kings 11:11 “So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” Yes Solomon almost lost everything but there will always be a remnant reserved. This is why we wait and watch. This is why we wait and watch with anticipation. This is why we dare not go until we have been sent. We have been told to wait until we are clothed with power. We have talked about what this clothing looks like and it looks nothing like what the church today is wearing today. It is not the material but the power of the Holy Spirit.
As we talked about on Tuesday, we wait until sent and then we go to the ends of the earth in power but not before. This is what we have been waiting for –the true church. Luke 7:22 “So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” Luke 9:1 “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Once we have been anointed, then we go. You do not go until clothed with power. Remember what I read above is the church and why we are waiting. But then at the proper time God will turn his face to shine on us once again and the power of the Holy Spirit will come on us just as at Pentecost and as the early church experienced. We then will go out in the power and truth of the Holy Spirit. We will then do as Jesus did. Once we are sent out in power, if we wait we will be reprimanded. Joshua 18:3 “So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?” They had already crossed the Jordon and were already in the land but were not taking it. We do not wait but go at that point we are told to cross the Jordon. Joshua 1:2 “Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them.”
We have not yet experienced this true anointing of God. Yes there have been lots of people flopping about like fish in a net, people falling backwards, speaking babble with no results. There have also been miracles and signs and wonders 2 Corinthians 11:14 “and no wonder, for satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9 “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” Yes there are these things happening but not the power described in scripture. The signs and wonders done by satan are not the signs and wonders done by God. There is a huge difference. God’s way is about salvation. satan’s way is to prevent salvation by deceiving you. Hebrews 2:3 This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 “God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” Remember it is satan telling us that God does not do this anymore. Romans 15:18 “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” The true anointing is all the fruit and gifts of the Spirit working together. When those are in full operation, then the church will be the church. Ephesians 4:11 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” This cannot happen without the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is what we are waiting for, the anointing to fall on us once again so that what I just read will happen once again. We can wait and must wait because God does not change and will not break his promise to David. Jeremiah 33:19 “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’” “Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord.” Because of this promise to David we have hope and because of our faith in God’s word, the remnant will rise up and once again do as Jesus commanded. David said 2 Samuel 23:2 “The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, 4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’ 5 “If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire.” This everlasting covenant is what we have put our hope in. As we read earlier David said 2 Samuel 22:47 “The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior! 48 He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me, 49 who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me. 50 Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name. 51 “He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.” The only reason this stopped happening was because we disobeyed the word of God and went our own ways. Because we have turned from our wicked ways, our enemies will once again be defeated and God will show unfailing kindness to his anointed, to his descendants forever.
If God’s love endures forever so then do his promises to His faithful. How is it that we persevere in our waiting? It is because we base our confidence on the promises of God’s word.” When Sennacherib was attacking King Hezekiah he said 2 Chronicles 32:7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.” After this the king of Assyria responded. 2 Chronicles 32:10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 When Hezekiah says, ‘The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ he is misleading you, to let you die of hunger and thirst” 21 And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword. 22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.” Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 13:6 “So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” If your confidence is in flesh, you loose. So many are confident because of what they can see but take it away and they are left devastated. The first bad thing that happens they are finished. They are not like Job who said Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.”
Because of the promise given to David, we wait with confidence but we will also go with confidence knowing that no man will stand against us and every place we set our feet will be ours as per the promise of the land. 1 Kings 6:11 “The word of the Lord came to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.” The same applies to us today. If we want to be blessed by God, we must do as he says. David said, 1 Kings 2:2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go 4 and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.” Solomon then repeats 1 Kings 8:25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.” Then God appears to Solomon 1 Kings 9:4 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 6 “But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 8 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 9 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.’” This must also apply to us.
The church has proven God’s word to be true because the church has gone their own way and have ended up in desolation just as God said we would. 2 Peter 3:17 “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.” We are only secure if we obey. The lies of satan say that you are secure no matter what but we see all through scripture that we must obey to be secure and we must follow God wholeheartedly. David was told in 2 Samuel 23:5 “If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire.”
God will keep his promise to us just as he did in Babylon and now in this abomination that causes desolation we find ourselves in. 1 Chronicles 9:1 “They were taken captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. 2 Now the first to resettle on their own property in their own towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites and temple servants.” This will happen in God’s perfect timing. Just as Jesus came, just as he rose from the dead, just as he will return to take us home. Just as God promised David he will fulfill his promise to us. Just as every promise was fulfilled for Joshua, every promise will be fulfilled for us; we just have to hold on and watch. Matthew 24:4 “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.”
I am still amazed that people would rather see us fail than to stand on the word of God itself and see God’s words fulfilled. They will put more energy into your demise than they will to see and hear God’s word by repenting. So we take the words of Jesus very seriously as we should when he said do not be deceived. Matthew 24:10 “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” We can hold fast because in the course of time, just at the right time God will put His plan for us into place. Do not fear but be strong and courageous. Paul said 2 Thessalonians 2:15 “So then, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”
As we wait we hold fast to the word of God and we do not let go no matter what comes at us. David was chosen by God to be king after Saul. W see in David what it means to hold on until God’s plans unfold. God sent Samuel to anoint David. 1 Samuel 16:1 “The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.”
David was a young man when first anointed by Samuel and Saul was still king. Not only was Saul king, he spent most of his time trying to kill David. So David’s long period of waiting was staying alive until he took the throne but God protected him. 1 Samuel 23:14 “David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.” David had his chances to finish Saul but he would not do it. 1 Samuel 26:7 “So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. 8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.” 9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.” Eventually it was time. 1 Samuel 31:3 “The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically. 6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.” We must always remember when waiting on God there is more going on than just you. At just the right time God’s plan will unfold.
Then we have the first part of his kingship. In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked. The Lord said, “Go up.” David asked, “Where shall I go?” “To Hebron,” the Lord answered.” Then later 2 Samuel 3:17 “Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18 Now do it! For the Lord promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’” 2 Samuel 5:1 “All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’” 3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.”
If God does not change, that means we can trust everything we read. This should not be an issue but remember satan is trying to get you to reject God. His favorite line is did God really say that? Not only can we trust his word, we can believe it will happen as this is why it is there for us to read. Yes there will always be the naysayers who would rather go in their on strength which is founded on the traditions and reasoning of men and women but in the end that's all it will be. To go out clothed in power is something completely different. Matthew 10:1 “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.” David was anointed and “from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.” If David waited on God and God gave him a promise that was forever, then does it not make sense that we too who are children of God can expect the same. Paul said 2 Timothy 2:8 “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.” Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”
As we wait and watch know that God will unfold his plan as just the right time. His glory will once again be poured out on the temple just as it happened in 1 Kings 8 and just as it happened in Acts 2 and in Acts 5:29 when they prayed “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
Once again God will make himself know among the nations. Our benediction is Isaiah 12:1 “In that day you will say: “I will praise you, LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
