Thanksgiving, The Minority Rules

Luke 17.11-19

We are told that in this scripture of the scarcity of Thanksgiving.
Jesus used this incident to show the disciples what they would be dealing with.
People getting healed and only a small percentage thankful. God giving gifts, life changing gifts, to people and most not taking time out to thank Him
The questions He asked were piercing.

Luke 17:17-18 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” We will look closer at them in a moment.

We have a National Day of Thanksgiving which will be celebrated this Thursday.

Here in America:
Our country's heritage has had in it a Day dedicated to giving thanks to the LORD God Almighty... from the very foundations of our nation, in its infancy.

George Washington's First Thanksgiving Proclamation

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

(Can you imagine that happening today?)

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, Who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks--for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

We ought to be the most thankful people on the earth. What happened?
Well not too far from the place where Washington signed this first Thanksgiving Proclamation in New York City there was a terrorist act on September 11, 2001... just blocks away. What was/is God saying?

Afterwards Ann Graham Lotz had this conversation:
She spoke with the Early Show's Jane Clayson on Sept. 13, 2001 to offer some comfort to the families of the terror victims.

Jane Clayson: We've turned to your father, the Reverend Billy Graham, so often in times of national crisis. What are his thoughts about what happened on Tuesday?

Anne Graham Lotz: I turned to him also. In fact, I called him last night
after you all called to arrange for this. He's reacting like a lot of
Christians around the country, we're all praying. I think about those people you just showed. I wasn't sure I'd be in control when you came on because it just provoked such emotion to see these people carrying pictures of their loved ones and knowing they don't know if they're alive or dead.
And at a time like that, I know the families and the friends of the victims
can hardly even pray for themselves. They don't know what to say or how to pray. I want to say to them - families and friends of the victims, that there are thousands of people in this country who are carrying you in prayer right now. And we're praying for you with hearts filled with compassion and grief and just interceding on your behalf, asking the God of all peace and the God of all comfort to come down in a special way into your life and meet your needs at this time. My father and mother are also praying like that.

Jane Clayson: I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?

Anne Graham Lotz: I say God is also angry when He sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, "God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace." And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing His Hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.

Luis Meza speaking to our Bible Study on Thursday about our heritage, spiritual heritage.

Luke 17:17-18 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”

1. Were Not All Ten Cleansed?
Their cry, standing at a distance, in a loud voice was ( Luke 17:13) “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

They asked God for help, for deliverance. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem for the final time, for the Passover Feast.
Their plight:
They could not come near anyone, no less participate in the Passover Feast!
They had to yell out, "Unclean!"
They were cut off from family and society.
They had no hope until they heard about Jesus.

All ten were cleansed.
They were cleansed as they went to show themselves to the priest at Jesus' directive. The priest was the only one who could give them a certificate of cleanliness which would enable them to return home.
They all had faith. They all were healed.

My daughter Theresa worked in a leper colony in India one summer. I don't think we realize when we read this what this healing meant to these ten lepers.

Jesus points out and begins building His case for the ingratitude. He faced it but was pointing out I believe that followers of His would face, not just in the areas of physical healing but in all areas of God's gifts. Take just the food we enjoy here in the United States! Abundance and yet very few pray a prayer of thanks anymore publicly. Almost like Daniel in Babylon.

2. Where Are The Other Nine?
This question is haunting. Not because it does not have an answer but because:
* It had to be asked.
* We pretty much know the answer. They got to the priest, got their certificate and ran home to their families, began celebrating.

We can fall into their error if we allow the gifts of God greater place in our lives than Him! Days which are designed to celebrate His goodness (every day and the special ones) can be reduced to pure secular days if that happens. It is incredible when you think what Thanksgiving has become today from when George Washington first gave that Proclamation 234 years ago here in New York.

Jump back to the first Thanksgivings... Pilgrims... even the one Washington made the first proclamation for... many people giving thanks. Scarcity but thanksgiving... abundance often=equals forgetting.

Where are the other nine?
They are too busy to give thanks.
They are too excited over the blessing of healing.
Their priorities are messed up.
They forgot God.

3. Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?
He was a Samaritan.
Widely despised by the Jews because of the mixture of race and religion with non Jewish this Samaritan, like the one in Luke 14 and John 4 were spot on. They understood the law of love more than most Jews.

The healing mercy of Christ not only made this Samaritan very thankful, it also made him humble. "He fell on his face at His feet." Humility and thankfulness are characteristic of those saved by the grace of God.

Jesus spoke of this one leper as the disciples viewed him, "a foreigner".

I see the pictures of the kids with the Shoeboxes from last year. Smiles, waving, hearts full of gratitude for a bunch of stocking stuffers. I remember my Dad telling about Thanksgivings during the depression, about the Christmas when he got his first gift (I have that gift in my living room) I remember how thankful he was.

I see something missing among us today. There is a scarcity of Thanksgiving in our nation like there was outside that village where Jesus healed those ten lepers that day. Be in the minority! Be thankful to the LORD for all He has given!!!

We will gather Tuesday Evening to share specifics...
Generally
Our Salvation
God's Word
Fellowship of Believers
Food
Clothing
Homes

We will gather around tables this Thursday with family. Let us give thanks!

Psalm 107:1, 8-9 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing loveand his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirstyand fills the hungry with good things.

A Heart For Those With Special Needs Among Us

II Samuel 9

I have some close relationships with families and people with special needs.

We see David's heart
*Towards Jonathan's Descendants/ but also representative of the House of Saul. In chapter 7 he asked, "What can I do for God?" Now he is asking, "What can I do for others"

David's question showed a great love because Saul made himself an enemy of David. It was customary in those days for the king of a new dynasty to completely massacre anyone connected with the prior dynasty. David goes against the principle of revenge and against the principle of self-preservation and asks what he can do for the family of his enemy.

*Towards One With Special Needs II Samuel 4.4

This is a lesson in grace and compassion.

This is a picture of the Gracious treatment of the LORD toward us.

Those with special needs whether they be children or adults are to be objects of our love, support and affection. One of the ways to measure the strength of a church is by how it treats its weakest physical members.

David is shining example here! Notice his relationship with Mephibosheth.


1. He had compassion on him.
He was heir to the throne because of Saul and Jonathan's death.
v.4 Lo-debar= the barren land, no bread

He saw his grandfather go practically insane and lose control of himself and his kingdom. He may not have completely understood what was happening at the time, but he knew that something was desperately wrong in the palace.

He received the news that both his father and his grandfather had died. His home was shattered. He had no father to guide him, no grandfather to shower him with love and affection. Who would take care of him? Who would feed him, clothe him, or put him to bed at night?

Mephibosheth also lived with the constant fear for his own life, because David was getting stronger as king. Mephibosheth’s family was getting weaker and dying off. Would he be next? Any day he could receive a knock on the door and be taken away to be executed or tortured or both.

When Fiorello LaGuardia was mayor of New York City during the worst days of the Great Depression and all of WWII, he was called by adoring New Yorkers 'the Little Flower' because he was only five foot four and always wore a carnation in his lapel. He was a colorful character who used to ride the New York City fire trucks, raid speakeasies with the police department, take entire orphanages to baseball games, and whenever the New York newspapers were on strike, he would go on the radio and read the Sunday funnies to the kids. One bitterly cold night in January of 1935, the mayor turned up at a night court that served the poorest ward of the city. LaGuardia dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself.

Within a few minutes, a tattered old woman was brought before him, charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She told LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick, and her two grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop the charges. "It's a real bad neighborhood, your Honor." the man told the mayor. "She's got to be punished to teach other people around here a lesson." LaGuardia sighed. He turned to the woman and said "I've got to punish you. The law makes no exceptions--ten dollars or ten days in jail." But even as he pronounced sentence, the mayor was already reaching into his pocket. He extracted a bill and tossed it into his famous sombrero saying: "Here is the ten dollar fine which I now remit; and furthermore I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

So the following day the New York City newspapers reported that $47.50 was turned over to a bewildered old lady who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving grandchildren, fifty cents of that amount being contributed by the red-faced grocery store owner, while some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations, and New York City policemen, each of whom had just paid fifty cents for the privilege of doing so, gave the mayor a standing ovation. This is similar to this account in God' Word of David and Mephibosheth.

The biggest challenge to Mephibosheth personally was his special needs. It came about by an accident by someone caring for him. Fanny Crosby's story. We do not always see God's purposes immediately, some we will have to wait to get to heaven to understand.

I am certain Fanny Crosby's parents were devastated. Their six week old little girl was blind. What kind of a life would she have?
She would become the most beloved female hymn write the church has ever known! over 12,000 hymns were written by her including one used by Billy Graham for 60 years entitled, Blessed Assurance.

Losing her sight at 6 weeks of age, then her father a few months later, I am sure her mom, who went to work as a maid, wondered if her daughter would become bitter.
At 8 she wrote:

Oh, what a happy soul I am,
Though I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy,
That other people don't;
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't."


In her own words concerning that action by a fraud doctor which took away her sight: "I have not, for a moment, in more than eighty-five years, felt a spark of resentment against him; for I have always believed that the good Lord, in His infinite mercy, by this means consecrated me to the work that I am still permitted to do. When I remember how I have been blessed, how can I repine?"

2 Samuel 4:4 describes what happened to Mephibosheth. He had fallen and hurt his feet. Probably the bones broke and did not mend properly. He had to live with someone who could help him. Lo Debar was on the east side of the river Jordan.

People with special needs ought to be objects of our compassion. Not that we feel sorry for them but that we treat them with dignity and as a person.

Mephibosheth could not walk so he did not have a normal life. Life is often very difficult for people with physical problems. A dead dog (verse 8) has no value or use. That is what Mephibosheth referred to himself as.

That I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake: David did this because he remembered his relationship and covenant with Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:14-15). His actions were not only based on feelings, but also on the promise of a covenant.

To whom did Jesus minister to? Many of the people we would term special needs today: The blind, the lame, those with leprosy, those with debilitating medical conditions . Now you are the body of Christ! (I Corinthians 12.27)

2. He made him feel welcomed.

In his home
Mephibosheth had no claims to the kingdom but David treated him as a son!

He was adopted. "He shall eat at my table as one of the king's sons" (v. 11). Although he was lame on both his feet he sat continually at the king's table. His table of mercy covers many an infirmity (1 John 3. 1, 2).

He was made an Heir. David said," I will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father" (v. 7). From poverty to plenty through the grace of the king (1 Peter 1. 3, 4). By grace

Making a special needs person feel welcome is important to them. So many times their inabilities to function fully leaves them on the outside, on the sidelines of the group. Being included is huge. That is our call!

Mephibosheth was getting the King's undivided attention. It was not a political move on David's part to curry the favor of voters until after the elections are over , rather a heartfelt gesture which would last a lifetime.

At his table "eat bread at my table continually v.7, 10, 11, 13
This was not a photo op type of thing at all. Mephibosheth was seated at the same table as David and his sons.

Eating together in the Far East and Middle East is a much more intimate and meaning action than here in the West. The common bowl, the length of the meal, Mephibosheth could say every night, "That was a dinner fit for a king!"


In his presence
Enter their world! David inquired where Mephibosheth was living and found out it was the barren land. He changed that for him and brought him to a land rich for growing.
I believe we can enter the world of special need people. We need to understand their situation. When I was in Bible College, I would listen on Sunday mornings to the radio. The early service of the Presbyterian Church there was broadcasted. Dr. Stevens would give such excellent illustrations. and insights. He said one time, if you want to understand a child, get down on your knees and walk around. You will see the world ad they see it." So true!!!

We need to humbly get down on our knees, close our eyes, not use our hands, not walk to see how it feels for these dear folks. David had this in his heart.

3. He took care of him.

4. All of this because David believed in keeping His Word.
II Samuel 20.12-16
Jonathan was dead but David remembered his friend and how if it were not for Jonathan he would not have escaped from Saul.
Are there some promises we have forgotten, if the LORD brings the to mind how good to act upon them as David did.

What great kindness!
What a wonderful fruit of the Spirit!
Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Mephibosheth had nothing to give but his gratitude, but that was huge! Those who have special needs are often the most appreciative of the simplest kindnesses we show them.

Mark 2:1-5 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Let's be among those who help those to Jesus. According to Jesus we will see Him in them.

Jesus' Words to us: Matthew 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Putting God's Kingdom Before My Interests

II Samuel 7.1-2

This man after God's own heart, David, had a heart for God's Kingdom and glory. How that is reflected in the Psalms.

Psalm 115:1 Not to us, Lord, not to us but to Your Name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness.

Psalm 20:6-7 Now this I know:The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from His heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of His right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the Lord our God.

Psalm 149:4-5 For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory. Let His faithful people rejoice in this honorand sing for joy on their beds.

Psalm 118:15-16 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”

Now that God had given Him victory he was able to rest. v.1

He was comfortable, settled and in the place of ruling. He is in a palace fit for a king! Cedar is rare and valuable wood.

He noticed the situation of the worship and honor of the LORD. He determined to change it, make it better.

1. A concern for the LORD. v.2

David was settled.

to rest, be granted rest, settle down and remain
to repose, have rest, be quiet, set down, be left, open space

God had brought David to the place of King over Israel. He had subdued his enemies. After 10 years of being on the run, 7 1/2 years of contending with the remnants of Saul's loyalists, David ceaseed to be a fugitive and nomad and ruling over a portion of Israel and has a peaceful magnificent home In Jerusalem.

It must have seemed odd at first not to have to be moving at a moment's notice and hiding out in caves. It must have seemed wonderful.

Yet...
David was unsettled in his heart and mind
He was in the palace. The Ark of God in a tent.

What unsettles you?
David reached a point in his life when he could sat back and enjoyed his situation. Some might even say he deserved it or earned it. Some might have said, "No one is going to blame you." Be careful when people say that to you!

He would not entertain the thought. He knew he was where he was because of the LORD!

David had become rich in earthly goods but he unlike so many others had not forgotten the LORD Who had brought him to this place.
Jesus spoke of the possibility of this happening in a believer's life.
Luke 8:14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

David was unsettled because of the House of the LORD!... its situation.
Are we?
Are we upset enough over the persecution of the church around the world?
Of the spiritual condition of the church in the United States?
Of the lack of salvation in loved ones and friends and neighbors?
Are we at ease in Zion?
Amos 6:1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
Are we in danger of becoming indifferent to the sinners plight?
Are we more annoyed with them than burdened for them.
We need a holy dissatisfaction.

Once again, as the Bible regularly does, we are warned not to get too comfortable with our gifts and privileges from God.

2. David wanted to do something about it. v.2

It was his desire and God's will to make Jerusalem the center of worship. His city, the city of David was located down the hill of the Temple Mount. He was putting God's kingdom first in his heart and on the landscape.

He had brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. c.6

He knew it was the LORD Who brought the children of Israel into the Promise Land and that it was the LORD Who brought him to the position of King of Israel.

David's heart overflowed with gratitude to the LORD.

In bringing the ark to Jerusalem he was establishing as the center of worship for the young nation.
Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for his inheritance.
David was making the place of his rule, the headquarters of His administration, the center of worship of the LORD. This was God's choice but David made it so. He was a man after God's own heart.

The city where decisions would be made affecting all of Israel would also be the place where the people came to worship at the feasts, the place where daily prayers were said, where sacrifices were offered and where sins were atoned for.

David brought the spiritual worship together with the leadership of the nation. The King's Palace was just down the mountain from the place where David wanted to build the temple. His neighbors were the priests. The worship could be heard from the temple mount in the palace. Visits to Jerusalem by Israel's citizens and foreign dignitaries showed that David put the Kingdom of God ahead of his own.

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

By wanting to build a house for the LORD David was showing his desire to be under God's authority. Wise leaders put themselves under God's authority. They lead the people in worship of Him Who sits on the Throne of Heaven, to the King of kings an LORD of lords.

Wise leaders worship the LORD and honor His laws.

Hebrews 7.1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,


3.God had greater plans, much greater plans! vs. 4-17

He always does.
Bob Pierce
Billy Graham

Your life.

Our lives as a church.

Ongoing work ... things done for Him are Eternal

His work goes on around the world. What a privilege to be part of His Everlasting Kingdom. What a blessing to put it first!
1. It puts everything in proper perspective.
2. It helps you focus on the the eternal and not the temporal
3. It gives order to priorities.
4. It brings joy and satisfaction. It does not let you down.
5. It is the only way to live.

Mary's song

Understanding the Work Of God In Your Life

2 Samuel 5:12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

Seventeen and a half years had passed after David had been anointed by Samuel in Bethlehem until he took the throne as King over Israel. The waiting took place in caves, in the area of the Dead Sea called En Gedi and in Philistine territory. He was on the run from Saul, his father-in-law and king of Israel. Saul's jealous heart drove him mad. David had some narrow escapes. His feelings on some of these occasions are chronicled in the Psalms.

I am sure at times David wondered if taking the throne would ever come about. Certainly he cried out, "How long O LORD?"
Psalm 13:1-2 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Psalm 94:3 How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant?

Psalm 119:84 How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors?

God has now accomplished His Promises in David's life. The Shepherd has become King over Israel. You could not make this stuff up. It is beautiful story of the underdog triumphing. It is a story of the Making of a Man of God. It is an account of the work of God in David's life.

It is important we always see attempt to see God's Hand in our lives. To understand His working is important. We may like David have questions along the way. We don't understand God's ways. They are beyond our finding out. There comes a time along the way where we see His Purposes in our lives being fulfilled. The Psalmist wrote, Psalm 119:49-50 Remember Your word to Your servant, for You have given me hope. This is what comforts me in my trouble, for Your promise revives me.

God fulfills His Word, that personal word to us. He did so with David. He will do the same with us. When we understand it is Him, His working it is good to do like David and attribute it all to the LORD. We are told why this is the right thing to do:


1. It gives Him Glory

Look at verse 11
2 Samuel 5:11 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

David had been the family shepherd. When Samuel went down to Jesse's house in Bethlehem to anoint Israel's next king, David's 7 brothers passed before him. None of them were the one. Samuel asked if they were any more sons. I love there answer, 1 Samuel 16:11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “but he is tending the sheep.”Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

Fast forward about 20 years. Now David, after wondering if he would survive at times the jealousy of Saul, is king over all Israel. One of the tangible proofs is that the king of Tyre sends materials and craftsman, as a gesture of good will, to David. Their assignment: Build David a palace. It seems here he goes into some reflection on how he got there. A wise thing to do when the blessings of God come, when His purpose for you are accomplished.

Six miles away, in the hills of Bethlehem, he was tending sheep. He was low man on the totem pole in his family. Now he is the ruler of the whole nation!

David did not let success go to his head. He humbled himself. He knew where he had come from and understood the work of God in his life to the extent he realized fully it was the LORD Who did this. It wasn't his wit, his cleverness, his ability. God had anointed him, brought him through a horrific decade of being the hunted, and had established his throne.

David never got away from this. He understood it was God and he took this to heart. It is reflected in his Psalms, in his life and in his rule. Even though the people remembered and complimented his military victories, David understood that "The Battle is the LORD's" and gave God glory.

When we understand, like David did, that the work of God through us is just that: God' Work, we give the glory to Him. We refuse to touch it, to take credit for it.

Because of this all along David never spoke a word against Saul, he honored him and his family in death. He led the people following him in mourning. David's rule could have been ushered in with revenge, hated and bitterness. No one would have blamed him. He, however, was different. He was a man after God's own heart. What wise decisions he was making even before he became king. When you love and live like that you naturally give the glory to God because you know it is the LORD Who exalted you. The blessings of God follow a man or woman who live like that.

Understanding the Work of God in our lives...
2. It Prevents Us From Believing Our Own Press.

David celebrated the LORD's work in his life but he remained a shepherd at heart. He was forever a shepherd.

2 Samuel 6:13-15 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

Psalm 78:70-72 He chose David his servantand took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

1 Samuel 18:6-7 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang:“Saul has slain his thousands,and David his tens of thousands.”

Proverbs 27:2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;an outsider, and not your own lips.

David wisely did not embrace the praises of the people. He didn't let it go to his head. He was a man after God's own heart and a servant of the LORD and his people, Israel. He understood the workings of God in his life.

He never left, in his heart and mind, the sheep pens. I was in one this past week. My grandson Timmy had a field trip to the Queens County Farm Museum in Floral Park. For over 50 years, never knew it was there! 3/10's of a mile off the Grand Central, south on Little Neck Parkway is a full blown farm, vegetables, tractors, hay rides and animals. I went into the sheep pen with my grandson. Not the cleanest place but the gentlest of the animals. Providing wool. Needing help to find food, needing someone to watch over them and protect them. David experienced this first hand as did Moses. Of course Jesus is the Good Shepherd, that Great Shepherd of the Sheep.

Understanding the work of God in our life also...

3. It Lets Us See The Big Picture.

There is always a bigger picture, a much bigger picture.
Mature Believers see that.
People Who have experienced much suffering can see the bigger picture.
David suffered. Suffering purifies our heart, burns away the nonsense of life.

Suffering in the fiery trials personally enables us to hold on very loosely to the things of this world, to grasp the eternal things and let them captivate us.

We need to learn how to look for the Hand of God and the larger view.

*Read God's Word, search for the stories and verses like this one which point this out.
*Pray for the LORD to open your eyes. One of the reasons He came was for this restored vision.
*Be still and meditate quietly.

It is Not All About Us. God was blessing David so he could be a blessing to Israel. Most tragically never get this. They fail to see the bigger picture.

James 4:1-3 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.


Understanding the work of God in Our Lives...

4. It Settles Us Where He Wants Us.
David had been a vagabond fugitive. He had been on the run for years.
Beware of restlessness. Beware of not being setttled.
I watched the Memorial service for Pastor Chuck Smith on Sunday evening and one of the testimonies given by a pastor was advice Chuck gave him years ago when he was starting out: " Stay the Course".

When we understand the work of God n our life we give Him glory for the things done through us. We realize that work is part of His kingdom coming to earth and we rest in the work He is doing.