I'm just reaching the end of 2 Samuel and have been struck again and again at the life of David - trying to understand the times that he moved in and why he did what he did. I'm conscious that the line in Judges sums up the world David inhabits - 'every man did what was right in his own eyes'. Even though David is the King - even though he is a man after God's own heart - still wickedness and evil abound - still people live for themselves.
I have been thinking along those lines for a while now - seeing in David's day the picture of our today. The King has taken His place - He is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high - He has defeated death and Satan, defeated every foe, every dominion, every authority - He rules and reigns and one day He will actually stand on this planet and impose His righteousness but until then we inhabit a world where every person does what is right in their own eyes - a world of trial and trouble, of pain and sorrow - a world of wickedness and horror, a world where man's inhumanity to man knows no end.
What then shall we do, those of us who know and love our King, how then shall we live for His glory - how will we show that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, that He is God Most High? How will we make a difference in this world, how will we hold fast until He comes?
This line caught my eye this morning and it reminded me of something I heard a few years ago. In the middle of a list of David's mighty men here is a description of one of them and what he did when faced with an enemy that seemed so strong, when all the people around him were running away.. ' but he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it......and the Lord brought about a great victory.
This is what each of us must do - we must take our stand in the midst of the plot - we must take our stand in our home and our neighbourhood, in our town and in our community. We must stand for the Lord, stand up and be counted. We must make it known that we belong to the King of kings - that He is mighty and victorious and that He really does deliver us. We must make it known that He offers forgiveness and cleansing, that He loves with an overwhelming love and that He strengthens those who come to Him. We must be clear and sure of what we know - able to articulate it and to give an answer to those who question us. We must stand firm and actually live what we say we believe. We must love with His love, show mercy as He showed mercy and above all we must be full of grace and truth just as He was.
Make no mistake there is a war that rages around us and we must take our stand on the plot on which we have been placed. We must understand that our enemy is mighty and he wil come in like a flood but that we serve a victorious King, One who has gone before us, who will stand beside us and who guarantees that we will know success as we stand for Him.
We must fight with the sword of His Spirit, the word of God. We must make that Word the very fibre of our being as we literally put on the new man He has created for us and lay aside the old man that is constantly being corrupted and conformed to this world.
Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite - a man who made his choice to stand in the midst of his plot and fight - a man through whom the Lord brought about a great victory. Will you be that man?.
