Julie Fillinger

God Calls Us to Lean on Him  

I’ve been studying the life of David. When we were kids, the conquests of David made for great VBS adventures. In reality, David reached a pinnacle early in life only to see it stripped away. God took away those things that we too rely on for security and stability in our lives. None of us likes loss. Each of us loses something that is near and dear to us at some point in our lives. We each handle that loss differently. As we see what David lost (and gained), we see God calling us to “ Lean on Me.”  

David’s Life of Triumph and Personal Struggle  

On those hillsides of Bethlehem as a young man watching over sheep, God developed David’s courage and his servant’s heart. When David faced Goliath, he trusted that the God of the army of Israel would deliver them from their enemies, including Goliath. I’m sure that David had some fear, but his fear was overcome by courage because he fully trusted God. 

At this point, Saul had been rejected as king of Israel because of his disobedience and careless attitude toward God’s commands. Once he was rejected as king, the Holy Spirit departed him. This left Saul to his natural flesh, and his natural flesh was an angry, impetuous man. When the armies returned from defeating Goliath and the Philistines, the women sang the praises of Saul, but greater praises for David. This enraged Saul, and he sought to eliminate the threat to his throne and the threat to his pride and renown. 

David had been promised Saul’s daughter, Michal, as a reward for defeating Goliath, but seizing on an opportunity to eliminate David, Saul told him the dowry would be the foreskin of 100 Philistines. Saul thought for sure that David would die trying. But he didn’t!  

David’s success against Goliath vaulted him to an elevated place in Saul‘s army. Saul sent them out to battle against the Philistines further hoping for his demise. However, God was with David and gave him success.  

All the while David continued in his role as musician for Saul. When Saul was tormented by an evil spirit, David was summonsed to play for him and it would calm him. However, it wasn’t long before this no longer soothed Saul’s soul, but instead further enraged and maddened him. One day while David was playing Saul picked up a spear and threw it at him, but David slipped away never again to return.  

Just a short time after David’s success with Goliath, he was taken from his shepherding duties. Not long after that, he had to relinquish his military position because of Saul’s threats on his life. Even his wife, Michal, betrayed him. She allowed David to escape, but when Saul inquired as to why she dealt so treacherously with him, she replied that David threatened to kill her if she didn’t help him escape. This further enraged Saul. 

David turns to his best friend Jonathan. Even though as Saul’s son, Jonathan would have been heir to the throne, he was noble and truly sought the best for David and helped him. As Saul‘s anger towards David grew and festered, they both knew they had to separate. As David went into hiding, he wondered if he would ever see his best friend again. In his desperation, David turned to none other than the Philistines for protection. However, they were very fearful of David and David resorted to feigning mental illness. 

Trusting God in Difficult Times  

David goes through a very difficult time in his life. He embarks on a 13 year struggle to stay one step ahead of death. He had lost his job (shepherd and musician), his position (army commander), and his wife. And except for the vagabonds that joined him, he is also friendless. God removed those things from his life to help David trust Him even more deeply and with even greater faith. Through all this, David never lost his courage or his faith.     

Likewise, in our lives, sometimes we wonder why God takes something from us. Something as good as a spouse, a job, a position, a friend, our health, or a child. God uses those losses to draw us to Himself and to teach us to rely even more fully on Him. He calls us to Lean on Him!  

This is courage – trusting God even when we can’t see. I know He is there and that He protects me and provides for me. As I read many of the Psalms that were written in this dark period of David’s life, I see him praise God for his salvation and his deliverance. 

It is my prayer as you and I face difficult, even gut wrenching circumstances and significant losses, we trust our Heavenly Father is good and He is always there providing salvation and protection and provision.  

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