Here’s what I want you to know as we begin our time together in the study of God’s Word. I am just a girl who wants to know God and who wants to lead others to do the same. I’m not a biblical scholar, nor do I have a high propensity for retention. My daily walk with my Father is exactly that…a daily walk—an obedient pursuit of the God who holds my deep affection. I love to ponder him. I love to study his Word, and at a very early age, I discovered my love and capacity for writing. Put all that together and you get this…
A blogging look at Jesus and his magnificent story.
Why do I tell you all this? Because I want you to know that God’s presence is as available to you as it is to me…as it was to the saints and scholars of biblical yesterdays…as it is to the Billy Graham’s and Beth Moore’s of our today. The same Spirit that rests within them is the same Spirit that resides within us as believers in Jesus Christ. We have the capacity to know and understand the only God who can be known (Jer. 9:23-24). It is his promise to us, and if God longs to reveal his secrets to me (1 Cor. 4:1), then I want to hover within earshot for the listening…for the receiving…for the transformation.
I think you want the same or you wouldn’t be here, and I need you to know that I take your being here very seriously. I have printed out your comments, and I have prayed over your hearts this morning. Not because it is the right and religious thing to do, but because it is my privilege as a child of God to do so. I want my little corner of the world—my tiny confinement within the four walls of this bedroom—to exceed its parameters for God’s kingdom agenda. It is all that I know to do this day. It is what I have been given, and somehow, even now, it seems huge…more than enough…just exactly what my Father would have me to be doing.
That being said (and I realize that you’re nearly worn out with the saying…), let us get to our “doing.” Take a few moments to read our scripture focus for this, our second look into the life of the shepherd boy, David, who has much to teach us about Fighting to Win.
Please read 1 Samuel 17:1-28 (aloud if possible), paying close attention to the many schemes that the enemy employs against God’s people. This will be our focus today.
“Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah.” (1 Samuel 17:1).
Kingdom perspective (part one) should always precede kingdom work because kingdom work is not only God’s prioritized agenda, but it also holds priority with the enemy. Whenever kingdom business is on the table, a battle brews just beneath. It may not always flesh itself out within the literal realm, but it most assuredly fleshes itself out within the internal realm…the spiritual realm…where battles are often won or lost in quick order.
When God musters his saints for his agenda, Satan gathers his forces to thwart that agenda. Every time. Take it to the bank. There is nothing new about his schemes, but the masking? Well, that is his specialty, for he is the author of lies and liars have perfected the art of cover up.
He tried his schemes with boy David, and if we read the story as we always have, we will miss it. We will focus on the usual—the giant and the sling and the swift victory. Good things…perhaps the best things about this story. But if we miss the schemes of the enemy, then we miss a great opportunity for application in our own lives. Satan desires for us to skip over this portion of the story…to remain ignorant about his wily ways. Why?
Because the enemy understands that if we become wise to his schemes, the battle will be hard fought. And our enemy isn’t into hard. He’s after easy, and his greatest hope for an easy victory harbors within those moments that precede direct contact. He targets our perspective…our kingdom calling…because he knows that skewed perspective births a wavering faith that falls prey to surrender, even before one sword is drawn. (Remember my son?).
So let us pause to consider his multiple maskings of an old agenda that hasn’t changed since the days of the garden. Let us diffuse its mystery and get on to the victory that is ours through Christ Jesus.
The enemy…
Knows where to position himself for the battle…a place where he can best be seen and heard (1 Sam. 17:1-3). In David’s story, he found a hillside opposite his opponent. He didn’t cower behind his troops or cloak his presence with darkness. He assumed his position in the light of the day. He postured himself for a frontal assault. As it was with David, so it is with us.
The enemy…
Understands that sometimes a valley stands as an obstacle to our victory (1 Samuel 17:3). And we are not a people prone to valley walking. How often do we forsake God’s victory in our lives because our preferences lead us elsewhere? Valleys are deep and a sometimes, treacherous embrace. But to know victory, it is often a required grasp. As it was with David, so it is with us.
The enemy…
Always chooses his best to do his bidding. A champion named Goliath (1 Samuel 17:4). Your “giant” is well chosen by the enemy. His name may be different, but he is crafted with you in mind…a nine-foot lot of big! Satan is well aware of your Achilles’ heel. He has spent your entire lifetime watching you, and while your Goliath may not be mine, you can be sure they come from the same family. As it was with David, so it is with us.
The enemy…
Dresses to impress (1 Samuel 17:5-6). Cloaked in burnished bronze, Goliath’s appearance was striking. Imposing. Enticing. Almost worthy of beholding. Almost. How often do we know defeat because we are fooled by our enemy’s appearance? As it was with David, so it is with us.
The enemy…
Arms himself with heavy artillery (1 Samuel 17:6-7). A javelin. A spear. A well-defined point. A shield to walk ahead. The enemy comes well-armored to the battle, and rarely does he come alone. As it was with David, so it is with us.
The enemy…
Taunts with partial truth (1 Samuel 17:8-10). “‘Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine and are you not the servants of Saul?’” The enemy voices just enough truth to draw us into a fight, but he stops short of full disclosure, for he knows with full disclosure, we will remember our perspective–the perspective that reminds us we are not the servant’s of any man. Rather, we are the servants of the Most High God, and with this perspective, our enemy falls prey to defeat. As it was with David, so it is with us.
The enemy…
Limits his prey to “one” with the hope of enslaving the “many” (1 Samuel 17:8-10). Goliath proffered his challenge to a single man, knowing that a nation’s slavery stood to be gained with David’s defeat. By defeating one, the enemy would secure a kingdom as plunder. As it was with David, so it is with us.
The enemy…
Commits to the battle with long-term perspective. (1 Samuel 17:16). His endurance is long. Relentless and daunting. For forty days and beyond. As it was with David, so it is with us.
The enemy…
Loves an inside job (1 Samuel 17:28). If he can’t wear us out with all his other schemes, he often uses those who surround our lives…those who know us best…to limit our perspective and to focus our attention elsewhere. As it was with David, so it is with us.
There you have it. Nine schemes of the enemy as scripted upon the hillside of Judea within a day that might as well be today. Perhaps your pondering has led you to discover more. Not a lot has changed over the course of time…just the masking. The same enemy who was alive and prowling about in David’s era is the same enemy who prowls about within our generation, seeking his prey…still hungry to devour. Today, we have unearthed some of the timeless strategies that he employs for the feeding.
Let it not be from your flesh. Let it not be from mine, and so I pray…
How is God speaking to your heart this day in regards to the enemy’s schemes? Can you find yourself within the story…within the schemes? Please leave your comments below (remember the give-away). Let us pray for one another. Let us take seriously this walk that we have been given. Let us spur one another along, encouraging each other in word, in thought, and in deed so that our Father looks on with approval, as our enemy cowers in the corner with disdain. Let us find our fight and get on with doing! As always,
(allrightsreserved, elaineolsen – 2008)
“Taunts with partial truth.”~ This scheme seems to work the best on me, unfortunately.
I have mentioned to you before that we are waiting on a promise now; we have been for almost 7 years. We have both had different medical professionals(who of course know nothing of our promise) tell us of “problems” that we have physically. These “problems” make our promise even more impossible (from a human perspective). Satan has let the words of these professionals (who have no knowledge or intent of doing so) cloud over what we KNOW that God said was possible. He uses this “medical information” to cause us to doubt our “spiritual information.”
Satan is very good this way. He uses smart, educated, well meaning physicians to cause us to “rethink” what God said.
We know what God says is TRUE, but in moments of spiritual weakness, the devil knows right where to strike.
Thank you for this today, Elaine.
God Bless,
Amy:)
Hi Elaine:
Thanks so much for this study. This is a lot of fun and I appreciate your taking the time to organize and put your thoughts down for us to glean from.
One thought I had in reading chapter 17 was in verse 40. How David didn’t go out and fight with the armour and weapons of a traditional soldier. He fought with the equipment he used as a shepherd. He used the equipment he knew how to use.
In verse 47 David makes his point.. “Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
We don’t have to be professional fighters to fight the fight. We can use the knowledge and talents that God has given us, no matter how ordinary or common, to fight and let God deliver the enemy into our hands.
Blessings,
Marita
After reading this today and letting the verses fall on my heart… I kept thinking about how Satan’s ultimate fury is at God and that he (Satan) desires to use us, God’s people, to fight his battle with God. I also know that Satan will paint sin in pretty colors. After all, could we really be tempted by something as hideous as Satan himself? I think of Eve in the garden. That fruit, so pleasing to the eye… and Satan creeping around her and hissing “Did God really say, “You must not eat from and tree in the garden?” ~Genesis 3:1 – at that moment doubt crept into the women’s heart and mind and the response changed history. Our response to Satan’s schemes change the path our lives take as well. A season of sin could result from one bad decision.
We mean nothing to Satan… he wants to use us and then throw us away. The exact opposite of what God desires…
I pray daily for the discernment to see the attacks before they happen. To have the trust that when God tweaks my heart and tells me something is not right here… that I listen to Him. That I do not fall into the lies of the deceiver. I know that Satan has studied me meticulously. He knows my weaknesses and if he sees a crack in the armour – he’s ready to attack. I was thinking about v 28 and David’s oldest brother burning with anger. How Satan tried using David’s brother Eliab to circumvent what God had planned for Goliath. What would anyone of us do if our oldest brother or sister said those words to us? I cringe just thinking about someone I look up to uttering those words to me. That’s what Satan desired… that Eliab’s harsh words would have sent David running back to the sheep! Would I have stayed to fight? Or would I have run back home to what was easy… comfortable?
Satan knows scripture and he knows his time is limited. Tonight I pray that we recognize Satan’s schemes and we call him out for what he is – a liar, a deceiver and ultimately defeated! God wins!
Elaine, I am thanking God this evening for you… for this study…and for the fresh look at a man after God’s own heart… David!
I enjoy beginning each morning in the Word through your blog. Thank you for your time and willingness to share your gift with others.
Kim
wifeforthejourney:
From my desk to yours, I am so proud of you for your willingness to provide this new, interactive approach of studying God’s Word. What we have here is not a personality driven site; if people come and visit they have to really be looking for an oasis.
Thank you for studying to show yourself approved. PhDs will never trump the Holy Spirit!
Have a great day, love ~ Billy
Hello my friend,
I have some catching up to do! I have my Bible and plan to print and work through your last post on my bus ride home from work today. Can’t wait!
I love that you shared the photo of the place where you and Lord meet together as you bring these awesome lessons to those of us eager to partake in a portion of in God’s Word.
I appreciate your comments. I need to be more consistent in honoring my Mom and the other special people in my life, too. (Not just on birthdays or Mother’s Day…)
I smiled at what you shared about your son. I know exactly what you mean about that yard work and gainful employment! It’s nice to let the rest for a few days, though. My son called just a short time ago to say “It’s official! He’s finished!” He started working part-time for my brother-in-law’s commercial lawncare & landscape business a few weeks back. Tomorrow, he starts full-time. (He’s eager to increase his income.) If it were up to my husband and I, we would have rather seen him take a week to rest, relax and sleep in! (I have a feeling later, he’ll wish he did! ; )
Blessings,
Tracy
P.S. Your husbands beautiful affirmations are such a blessing.
Oh how I need to watch out for the enemies schemes. He has recently caught me in one of them and I am having a time getting out of this pit. Thank you for your words and for following the Lord’s leading to nudge us closer to him.
Hi Elaine,
I sent you an email, but my computer messed up.:(
I will write you again when I get a minute, but I just wanted to say thank you for all of your sweet and encouraging comments. Also, I am honored that you would add me to your blog roll. Everything you share is such a blessing to me. When I get back from my trip, I will contact you and share with you about our “promise.” (Like all of God’s stories, it’s a good one!) 🙂
God Bless,
Amy:)
Thanks for letting us see your “think tank”. I can almost visualize you there reading verse by verse in the Bible and then typing on your lap top the thoughts that God gives to you to share!
I also read each of the comments and enjoyed the one that your husband, Billy wrote, especially when he said, “PhDs will never trump the Holy Spirit.”
I also want to thank you for the comments that you left on my blog, although I’m a little late expressing my appreciation.
You know, Elaine, I don’t think that God allows even our sorrow to be wasted. I heard one speaker say, “Where is the place of your deepest hurt? That is where God wants to use you.”
Hello, first time here. I’m familiar with Asbury because my pastor went there! Loved your posts. Your blog is much deeper than mine; mine is full of silly stuff. So it’s good to get a little substance once in a while!
Elaine, thanks for your encouragement on my blog. I connected with your thoughts on Van’s site too about moving. To be honest, I haven’t read the passage on David yet, just your posts, but I hope to get to that in the morning. That in and of itself is a huge struggle right now. I’ve visited your site at just the right time. I know the Lord will use this study to pull me back into the fight!
Thanks again for inviting me in!
shanda
Elaine-one of the best Bible studies I ever did was Beth Moores study on David (your give-away-book). He is so real to who we are today with faults, weaknesses, strengths and gifts. I learned so much through his life in this study and practical application for my own spiritual walk. He was so much more than the Bible stories I grew up with as a child. If I take anything from your post and that study, David walked with God. Even in the times when he tripped or stumbled, he knew where to go to get back on his feet. Satan got his attention a few times but God always won out in the end because David’s heart was for his Lord. May we honor our Lord with our lives…
In His Graces~Pamela
Elaine, I am saddened to say that I have fallen victim to all of these plots at some time or another in my life. I’ve read and studied the life of David many times and I have to say my focus was on the usual and I missed the “meat” of the word. Please pray for me to read God’s word and get more out of it that the “usual” lesson. I want a fresh word from Him, one that will move me forward in my walk with Him.
Thank you, for taking the time to point them all out to us. I have written them down and placed them in my bible. I plan to look at them often and write them on my heart. I do not intend to let the enemy continue to enslave me. I want so much to live the victorious life that God intends for me to live.
Today’s been a rough day. Thanks for ministry to my tender spots. Just like neosporin….
I love your blog – the whole idea of it speaks to me! Seems like we have a lot in common, as I often make my writing desk in bed, too! lol.
Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving your sweet comments. I will be back to yours for more!
Thanks Elaine.
Some days the ‘should’ves’ take over the heart and battle with the ‘have-tos’…and it seems it should all get easier…
Hugs are always helpful. Especially all the way from NC.
🙂
This is so good…so very good…
No wonder you were called from an early age. I love your ponderings, and the portraits you paint with words. Beautiful!
Whoa!! What a powerful Word. Several thoughts spoke to me…
“our enemy isn’t into hard. He’s after easy” And I make it so easy for him sometimes. It only takes one lie to lead me down a wrong path anyday. Not to mention the fact that all “fleshly” things are the easy things. It takes alot more work on our part to do the right thing.
“your giant is well chosen by the enemy”
“crafted with you in mind”
“he has spent your entire lifetime watching you”
I fall for the same tricks time and time again. He knows exactly where to attack me and where I am not covered with my shield of faith.
Thanks so much for bringing this to the forefront of my mind again.