One of my favorite people in the Bible is David. I think he was actually convinced that God was with him. That’s huge. Did it keep David from making mistakes? Nope. Despite David’s sins, he was called a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). And I think he was one of the most willing people in the whole Bible—willing to follow God, to worship with all his heart, to lead a nation, to humbly repent when he sinned, to receive God’s forgiveness and go on. He was willing in so many ways.
When Samuel the prophet went to the town of Bethlehem to anoint David as the future king of Israel, he didn’t know yet exactly who would be king. So he went to the home of Jesse because God told him that He had chosen one of Jesse’s sons for the job (1 Samuel 16:1). When Samuel asked Jesse to let him see his sons, Jesse did everything he could do to avoid mentioning David. David was just the shepherd boy, so maybe Jesse thought there was no way he could ever be king.
Pause right here and think about this: before David was King David, before he was warrior David, before he was champion David, before he was musician and psalmist David, he was shepherd-boy David. Before that, he was David, son of Jesse, living in Bethlehem. All his life, from its very ordinary beginnings, David let God lead, and he walked forward with no agenda. That’s why God was able to do through him what only God can do.
Life wasn’t always easy for David. I’ll write about his encounter with the giant, Goliath, in another chapter, but here let me just say that he had to fight a lot of enemies. He did this, of course, as Israel’s king, but he also did it on a personal level when Saul (the previous king) wanted to kill him (1 Samuel 19). In 2 Samuel 22, toward the end of David’s life, he wrote a song to the Lord as he remembered how God delivered him from “all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (v. 1). He said, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation” (vv. 2–3). See how personal these words are? They are the words of someone who really knows God and has a deep, personal relationship with Him.
Later in this chapter, David writes, “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters” (v. 17). You know what that tells us, in the con- text of the rest of his story? Two things: (1) David could depend on God to deliver him because he was coming from a place of already being delivered. The reason he had already been delivered was that he had already fallen in love with who God is. Whenhe cried to God, it was inthe context of a relationship, not merely to save his life. And (2) you can takethis as a promise: God willpull you from the depths ofthe ocean, whatever your ocean is. If it’s feeling left out, not knowing what your future will bring, struggling with some kind of temptation, or something else, God is able to reach down and bring you out. He will bring you back to the top.
This is an excerpt from Sadie’s new book, Live Fearless! Order your copy here
This one really hit home with me today. Good post!
Wow Sadie I needed to hear this I just went through the hardest relationship ever my guy told me he wanted me in his arms and that he loved me then he just walked out of my life like it was nothing Its been really hard and emotional
I have had a stressful week in regards to my future. I’ve had to think about goals and had times of serious anxiety. I had two roads, putting all my faith in one internship which I may not even be offered, or go with my first choice and leave the other behind. The choice was incredibly hard and I had to decide to stay true to myself. I needed to hear this and remember that He will be there guiding me towards where He knows I need to go. That He will pull me from the depths of my ocean and unknowing of what my future will hold. He will bring me to the top and be the guide to take me to where I need to go.
Just in case you missed it, Sadie; I posted this to your Good Friday entry, 3.30.18
I know I’m a little late to the conversation here, but hopefully you’ll see this, and I know it’s not much, but I just wanted to make a few comments on what you asked. I knew there was a reason that I didn’t read this post right away. I’ve read all your posts almost instantly with excitement, however on this one for some reason the Holy Ghost had me put it off until this morning actually that I really read it. Now I understand, it was pretty emotional. In fact, it was the most emotional I’ve been in some time. 18 months ago, I completely surrendered to GOD, and at that time it didn’t matter if I believed there was more, I didn’t really have many options the way I saw it. I got on my knees and with a Judges 6:37 stance, I promise, I only prayed in general for things in life and nothing totally or absolutely specific and asked it in accordance with HIS will to be done:
“Prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised." (NLT) Almost everything has happened that I prayed for.
I said ok GOD: “If you’re GOD and you’re Jesus, show me, I’m all yours, I’ll do whatever you want me to do and since then I’ve lived my best as a Christian so I believe I did and continue to position myself as one of his sheep that hears HIS voice and be able to know from GOD/Jesus what HE wants me to do in life. I really have never done this ever completely before this point.
So, to the question do I believe there is more? Well, recently up to this point honestly, I’m not sure what to believe. I don’t see anything better to believe in and trust other than GOD/Jesus. I don’t see many options other than to lose complete faith. I mean if I can’t trust that GOD has been guiding me and showing me and telling me what to do in my life in the last 18 months, what can I trust? How can I ever trust that I can hear the voice of GOD guiding me in his will?
However, I take heed in all the what if’s you posted and today I refuse to give up 5 minutes before the miracle happens, I can’t say for tomorrow since it’s not here, however I will step out into faith and declare that there is more to my story than there is right now and that if JESUS brought me this far it’s for a purpose. I will continue to have faith that GOD/JESUS knows best and yes, I declare that the power that lives inside Jesus right now as he sits in heaven with our GOD, is the exact same power that can and does live in me now and has sustained me thus far.
What I truly believe is that JESUS is GOD; that, it’s the Father, Son and Holy Ghost and that these 3 are 1 in the Holy Trinity. And that Jesus came to earth as GOD in the flesh born of a virgin to live and die for our sins. That he was crucified on a cross and that he was buried and rose again 3 days later and that he’s currently at the right hand of the father awaiting his return.
I feel like I could write more and actually really want to and I promise to in the future given the opportunity to participate, but I think right now this is sufficient and appropriate. Interestingly, I never thought that I would ever be reading or responding or using anything in such a context as this or getting help in building of my faith or for encouragement from a woman preacher, but like the saying goes, right now; it’s what it is. There’s no denying for me that if GOD is JESUS and He is who He says he is: “I AM that I AM”, that there’s no doubt that I’m here for a reason and there’s more to this story. That our interactions are nothing short of divine appointments. I know that I’ve been led to you and I conclude in praying in Christ Jesus Almighty name, Amen. —NJ.
Sadie, this is a good reminder to know that God will do whatever to save you from your troubles. This really hit home for me when I read this. I know it may be late comment, but I really liked what I read. Knowing that God will pull me out of whatever trouble I’m in, is amazing to hear and know.