“When the Philistine’s heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they mobilized forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he marched out to meet them.” (verse 6 NLT)
“So David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear him.” (verse 17 NIV)
Two thoughts came to my mind in today’s reading. The first is fear. Fear is a motivator. In playing the game risk, when an opponent is in the process of establishing a fair sized army, the usual response is to take them out before they’re too strong. In a game like hockey, a coach will select certain players to cover specific players on the opposing team, for fear of what their abilities are and how they can often dictate the outcome of the game.
As David’s kingdom was established, the Philistine’s fear of David increased along with it, causing them to search for him in hopes of capturing him. This caused me to think of fearing the Lord. When our hearts are in the right place, we can accept the fear of the Lord and the benefits associated in doing so. However, when our hearts are hardened and we resist His fear, we face a battle like that which the Philistine’s did, which will not end up well for us.
The second thought was this: David’s kingdom was built up, not for his sake, but for the sake of the Israelites; to protect them. And this was not of David’s doing, but the Lord who used David’s hands to fulfil His purpose. How or what is God calling us to? And are we being obedient to His calling?
Lock Your Wings 
“So David and his troops went up to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “God did it!” David exclaimed. “He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!”
1 Chronicles 14:11a NLT
We can’t defeat our own “battles” on our own but God can. David sought out God’s direction, was obedient, and achieved success. May we also seek God’s direction, follow His direction, and glorify God when He delivers us.
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