Pastor’s Corner

Trivia:

In answer to yesterdays trivia, Camels can drink 30 gallons in one setting of ten minutes, and live several weeks without drinking. There is a well known myth that they store water in their humps, but actually they store fat in their humps, but they can if needed convert that fat into water under extreme conditions. With this realization you can see why camels even today are the predominant animal desired in arid climates. No one guessed this one correctly, but there were many good guesses.

Challenge:

Psalm 7:3-5 "O Lord my God, if I have done wrong or am guilty of injustice, If I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause, then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into thr ground and drag my honor in the dust."

This second lesson / section of chapter 7 declares David's innocence during the time that David was fleeing Saul's attacks. After David slew Goliath and freed Israel of the scourge of the Philistine people, who for a number of years sought to defeat and enslave the Jewish people.

This great victory led by David as a teen shepherd boy, angered Saul, even though the nation was freed of this scourge. The people of Israel were so relieved after this victory, from the Philistine people who constantly pursued Israel and threatened them. The Jewish women wrote and sang a song in honor of David's brave stand against Goliath.

I think the thing that frustrated Saul the most was the fact that David was given the victory, without any of his wartime instruments. His victory was the direct result of David being angered by the Philistines arrogance in opposing the armies of the Lord. Then God gave David the victory with the use of a simple sling, which was certainly not a wartime instrument.

This demonstration of a young man simply trusting in God to give him the victory over this mighty man of war, even in comparison to the well trained army of Israel that Saul had lifted up, was an insult to Saul and his men.

This chapter was speaking to the defense of David and his primary instrument of defense being his confidence in the Lord God. When He speaks of his honor in the last phrase of verse 5 he was directly addressing his simple trust in the Lord. He wasn't attempting to lift himself up, though he had been anointed as the coming king. He sought to honor Saul and the nation by justly revering Saul and his armies.

During this time David was attempting to honor Israel and yet remain loyal to God's calling for him to become king in God's timing. He was struggling with this battle of caring for his men, living honorably to Saul, and yet giving his allegiance to his God. This many times is also a most difficult struggle in our lives, and this Psalm addresses this complex, and noble endeavor.

SO GO WITH GOD as David demonstrates the fact that even though the life of following after the Lord can be complicated, none the less, we can fulfill His calling and purpose if we refuse to lose sight of our allegiance and honor to our wonderful Savior. My dear ones, stay on track, live out your calling, for in the end our desire to honor him will be recognized in the most vital place, "The throne room of God".