BY GREG CRUM
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” I Samuel 30:6
One of my favorite Old Testament saints is David. I know I can’t be alone in this sentiment. I mean, who doesn’t admire a man who could kill a lion, a bear, and a giant and then with the same hands, turn around and rip off a harp solo to soothe a savage king?
In all seriousness, David’s life was a tremendous example of faith in God in so many ways. We tend to focus on the great victories that he achieved in his life through that faith, but not every moment of David’s life was a “mountaintop” experience. While it’s true that David had great testimonies that are still shared today, those testimonies were only possible because he faced great tests.
This should remind us of the words of Jesus found penned down in John 16:33, where he states, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Friends, in this life we will face some tough things, and these things can become tests of our faith. Now, some fear tests, they always have from way back in their school days, but there’s no reason to fear test of your faith because in the Lord we always have the correct answers, and when you have the correct answers, you can always pass the test!
So, how can we pass the test of our faith when tough moments interrupt our lives? Well, passing our faith test starts with a heart that trusts in God’s love for us no matter what it looks like and that keeps a mindset that thinks in line with His Word of goodness to us. You see when we face tough things, we are tempted to sink into dark clouds of doom and gloom. The devil tries to get us to pout, to question God’s love and care for us, to become pessimistic, and to begin to mutter, “Why me?” We are tempted to embrace the victim’s identity. This is a trap that keeps us from our victories! We can’t be victims and victors at the same time; it’s just not possible.
What’s the correct answer to this test then? We must force ourselves to think what the Word says about us and believe its promises to us. Things like 2 Corinthians 2:14 (We’re always triumphant), Psalms 16:5-6 (I have a good lot in life), I Thessalonians 5:9 (God’s not appointed me to wrath), and Romans 8:35-37 (We are more than conquerors because of God’s love for us). We’ve got to feed on those thoughts, not on the difficulties at hand. When we feed on God’s thoughts it’s like stockpiling ammunition against the enemy. Then all we have to do is light the fuse and sit back and watch the light show!
Light a fuse on our faith in God’s love and care for us? How do we do that? Glad you asked! We do that by expressing our thanks to God. Thanksgiving is the match that gets the fuse burning and ensures the enemy’s defeat in the current battle we’re facing. Remember 2 Chronicles 20:20-22? The praise of the Israelites put into motion God’s angel armies and the enemy was ambushed. Victory was won through their thanksgiving! Verbally expressing thanks to God for His goodness in our lives disperses the dark clouds and begins to evaporate the doom and gloom. It gets us out of the victim mentality and turns on the switch of faith that ultimately leads to victory.
Brothers and sisters, we must be mindful to express our sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. This simple act can be the difference between victory and defeat as we face the tough times in our lives.
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.