BOLD Daily Devotional- Walking by Faith When God Redirects

Great morning, family.

Today we're jumping into 1 Samuel 29.

We're going to take a different approach than most days.

So I'm so, so, so excited.

So today we're going to dig into walking by faith when God redirects you.

Okay.

Now, in this text, God has shown or God is showing sovereignty, protection through divine redirection.

God is still sovereign in his protection, even through redirection.

So God faithfully protects his people in purpose, right?

In our lives, often through doors he closes, delays he allows, or even directions we don't choose, right?

But walking by faith means trusting his wisdom over the under over our own understanding.

And we know as well, he tells us that in his word.

So and I'm going to jump around a little bit, but in 1 Samuel 29 and 6, it says, As the Lord lives, you have been upright, and you're going out and you're coming in with me in the army is good in my sight.

What are we reflecting here?

In this story, of course, well, not in the story.

Well, in the story, but in the text, although David was living in a difficult and imperfect situation, God did not abandon him.

Instead, God's sovereignty or he sovereignly redirected him through or to uh persevere in greater purpose.

So sometimes we're we're trying to just get it all perfect, figure it all out, wait till we get to this arrived moment.

God is like, listen, I'm not gonna leave you, I'm not gonna forsake you.

So I'm just gonna overview just a little bit because we're gonna do something again very different today.

I'm so excited.

David, um, overall in this text had been fleeing from King Saul for years, right?

To survive, he sought refuge among the Philistines under um King, was it Arches?

I messed up names, so forgive me.

So when war broke out between the Philistines and Israel, David expected to march with the Philistine army against his own people.

Now, the Philistine commanders um object to David's well, they objected to David's presence.

They remembered that he was Israel's greatest warrior and feared he would turn against them in battle, right?

And so the um arches defended David, but the commanders insisted that he leave.

So what happened?

David was sent home, and so here it looks like it was just uh rejection that happened, but in reality, as we know more about the text, it is divine protection.

So here we're gonna just highlight on God's protection and a little bit more, which will be foreshadowed, that you'll see the setup for our next chapters.

So let's dig in.

We're gonna look at this from a lesson perspective.

So now lesson number one: God protects who he has called.

It's always that scripture, um, Isaiah 46 and 10.

It says, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish my purpose.

It is the word, it is so.

Also reflected in Romans 8.

We will uh we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love him.

David could not accidentally destroy God's plan.

I love you.

You don't have that power, neither can you, right?

God is calling uh the God is stronger than any man's rejection.

Never forget that.

And so, how do we apply that today, right?

Because a lot of times we're just approaching the word.

We hear the stories about what happened to someone else, but God's word also today has a way that it can apply to you or it speaks to you and what you need to do, a further instruction.

So instead of just saying, why is something happening in your life, take the moment to ask God, what are you protecting me from?

Okay, now the second major lesson that I want to point out today is closed doors are often divine mercy.

We know that we have we serve a God that sees all and knows all.

But when we think about our daily situation, sometimes it's like, man, we get so frustrated.

So in scripture, Psalms uh 38, sorry, 84 and 11, it mentions that no good thing does, no good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly, right?

Sometimes we mourn over doors that are closed, right?

It could have frustrated us, we could have really wanted it, but later we realize that if we would have gone through outside, if we would have gone through those doors, it would have led us outside of God's will.

Sometimes we don't get that realization, obviously, till later.

But when we choose faith, faith trusts the God who chooses or closes the doors just as much as the God who opens them, right?

So if we're trusting God to be author and finisher, the head of authority in our lives.

We understand that anything that happens, God knows.

Of course, we have accountability, we're not going to leave certain things out, but let that be known.

Um, lesson number three: your character opens more doors than your talent.

So in the word, it says, I have found no fault of you.

This was a testify, uh, this was the artist in the story here or in the scripture testifying.

But in scripture, Proverbs 22, it says, A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.

And in Colossians, whatever you do, work heartedly as for it, as for your work is unto the Lord.

And so David had a reputation honoring God, even amongst unbelievers.

Like they knew who he was, they knew he was about this business.

However, um, our witness should also reflect Christ in every environment, right?

I like to say the good, bad, and the ugly.

Your character should be consistent in representing who you are in Christ.

Lesson four, God sees you.

Excuse me, God sees what you cannot see, right?

David here, um, well, a little bit of foreshadow for chapter 30.

Um, David did not know what is coming, right?

Well, what we will talk about later tomorrow later today, but God did.

Like you don't know everything that is coming to your next step, your morrow tomorrow, your later today, your next year.

But God does.

So in Isaiah, even reflecting, God says, My thoughts are not your thoughts.

So when we set our mind to God ideas, God thoughts, to say, God, your way, not my way.

And even as we study here in this bold group, do we submit to saying, hey God, uh, your way, not well, excuse me, Yahweh's, not my way.

Because it's very important that we understand that our steps are being ordered.

So faith isn't just trusting God's um, faith isn't just trusting God's perspective over my own.

Excuse me.

Faith is trusting God's perspective over my own.

So it's just not me trusting my personal perspective, right?

We serve a God who sees all and knows all.

And my last point that I really want to point out is don't force what God isn't blessing.

David in this text accepted the redirection.

He didn't argue.

When he got rejected, when he got sent out, he accepted it.

And we know in the scripture it lets us know Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, it says, Trust the Lord in with all your heart.

Sometimes striving is evidence we're trying to open a door that God has closed.

Right.

Instead, we're gonna now look at a very, very brief practical way that we can walk out these steps every day.

So step one, begin every morning surrendering your heart and plans.

We don't want to leave this out, right?

Ask the Lord, Lord, interrupt my plans if they are outside of your will.

Step two, ask God every day, every for every day for every major decision.

Whether it's, you know, how does it glorify Christ?

How does it align to God's word?

Um, does this produce peace?

And does this require compromise?

Right?

As well, step three, refuse to interrupt, delay, or interpret delay as denial.

Okay.

God often prepares us before he promotes us.

When we're doing steps, uh the other two steps, this one becomes a bit more clear.

Step four, thank God for every closed door.

Instead of complaining, remember you have life and death in the power of your tongue.

Instead of complaining, identify and say, Father, thank you for protecting me from what I cannot see.

Give him credit for who he is.

Step five, protect your reputation.

You know, people should trust your word, your integrity, your work, ethic, your character.

So that means you should be producing fruit that looks like Jesus, right?

The fruits of the spirit.

You should represent that.

And as well, lastly, trust God more than circumstances.

I can't stress this enough.

Circumstances change.

It is inevitable, but our God does not.

And Hebrew 13, 8 says, Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forevermore.

Man, I have such peace to understand that we have a uh unshakable, unwaverable, oh, unwavering, a consistent God that I can lean on him, trust on him, and in any time, he will be the same.

His word is the same, his love is the same, right?

So having those things before you and everything that you do will really set a tone.

So, in closing today, be reminded that you have God has given you authority as a believer.

And so one of the greatest truths in 1 Samuel of 29 today is that God's people, as God's people, we don't walk through life as victims.

You know, we walk as sons and daughters in his authority.

Our confidence is not in ourselves, but in Christ.

So who has given us spiritual authority to live faithfully and victoriously?

So when we walk in this authority of God's will, we have to understand that this authority is not about controlling people, it is about standing firm against the enemy schemes and walking confidently in obedience to God, as well as just understanding that we have authority through our identity in Christ.

Your identity is no longer determined by that rejection, by delay, or by your past, it's rooted in Christ.

And our authority over well is to resist the enemy, right?

And so when we resist, we have to notice uh the order that we're submitting to God, that we are resisting the enemy, and then the word lets us know the devil will then flee.

Hold your ground.

And in this context or in this uh reading today, David's life illustrates this exact principle.

So God's protection came through David's submission to God's um provision.

So as you get ready for a closeout today, we want to just simply just acknowledge to walk by faith.

Faith is choosing to dress trust God's character when you cannot see his purpose.

And I yell.