The Shepherd Who Encouraged A King

While praying earlier, God revealed something in His Word that I never noticed before. I love reading about David and Goliath and the lesson it teaches us about trusting in God's ability. Against all odds, God brought victory for His people by the hand of a young shepherd boy. What interests me is how this victory was achieved.

In studying the story, we see that David was given ample opportunity to doubt a triumphant outcome.

And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." (1 Samuel 17:33)

Instead of being moved by fear and unbelief, David recalled how God had delivered him in times past from the lion and the bear.

"Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God." Moreover David said, "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:36-37)

What I never realized before is that he was not only encouraging himself, but also those around him who heard his words. Think about it. Here we find King Saul carrying the weight of a difficult decision. If he sends David to meet Goliath only to fail, then Israel would be made the slaves of the Philistines.

Then he (Goliath) stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, "Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us." (1 Samuel 17:8-9)

This wasn't about the fate of one man, but about that of an entire nation of people. Of course, we know that David went forth at Saul's command, defeated Goliath, and spared all of Israel. This was accomplished through the faith of a shepherd boy who encouraged the heart of a king.

What You Say Is What You Believe

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe and therefore speak. 2 Corinthians 4:13

What you are speaking is what you believe. If you speak positive things, you believe and expect positive things. If you speak negative things, than obviously you believe negative things and expect a negative outcome. Perhaps it is time to have a mental check up?

Luke 6:45 tells us that “…out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks”. By studying the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 we know that the heart of man is the soil where seed (good or bad) is sown. The seeds sown are words. Just as good soil is necessary to produce a good harvest; good seed is also important. Your good soil (heart) can only produce after whatever seed has been sown.

Let’s look at the full text of Luke 6:45(AMP):

The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.

What seed are you sowing? What kind of seed are you allowing others to sow?

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23 (AMP)

For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. Philippians 4:8(AMP)

Once you have received good seed, be sure to water it by meditating on the Word of God. Feed the seed! In time you will see the benefits of a good and bountiful harvest in your heart and in your life.

The Power of God’s Word

…The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63

Notice in this scripture that Jesus didn’t say that His words contain life, but that they are life. Think about that. When you receive God’s Word, you receive life. When you speak God’s Word, you speak life whether it is for your benefit or the benefit of those listening. Jesus spoke God’s Word (John 12:50), and His Word is life.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Now, according to Strong’s  the word “powerful” comes from the Greek word “ energes” which denotes something at work, active, and effective. God’s Word is alive and active. Therefore, when we speak God’s Word out of our mouths, we are releasing an active, living energy. In Isaiah 55:11 God tells us, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” The word of God released from His mouth (it must be released) will accomplish its purpose. We know that to accomplish something requires energy or power. This scripture proves that God’s Word is powerful. As long as it is restrained, it cannot accomplish anything. However, when released, it can literally change your atmosphere, your circumstances, your life, and your world. As Jack Hayford said, “The power in His word will always fulfill the promise of His word.”

Now, in order to release something, you must first possess it. Although the blessings of God belong to us as His heirs (see Romans 8:16-17), we cannot utilize them until we have taken ownership of them. The land of Canaan belonged to the children of Israel during the time that they were in Egypt and also throughout the years that they wandered through the wilderness, but, until they claimed the land, they could not enjoy the benefits of owning it. In the same manner, we must take possession of God’s promises to us. We begin by finding out what the promises are in God’s Word, allow His Word to build faith in us through meditation (Romans 10:17), and then release the Word (promises) out of our mouths. When we do that, we are speaking the life of God into our situations. The more we speak it, the more it will reshape our circumstances for good.

Promises to live by:

For salvation – That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10

For healing – Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

For prosperity – I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. Psalm 37:25

There are so many great promises in God’s word that it is hard to list them all here, so it is vital that you search the Word for yourself. Just remember that “…all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him amen, to the glory of God through us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20. Also, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

My First Hands-On Bible - review

My First Hands-On Bible is a perfect choice for any parent who wants to introduce God's Word to their early learners. I love how it is written in a real Bible text (NLT). The activities, discussions, etc... are simple, easy to understand, and a fun way to ignite your preschooler's enthusiasm while learning valuable lessons. I know that I am going to have a great time sharing my faith with my 3-year-old daughter using My First Hands-On Bible.

Thank you, Tyndale House Publishers, for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Final Summit by: Andy Andrews (review)

I found The Final Summit to be very interesting. I don't read a lot of novels, but I found myself lost in the story almost immediately. I love how historical figures are included in the story line and I even learned some things from history that I was not aware of happening. This is a novel that I would recommend to anyone who has any interest in history.

Thank you Book Sneeze for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Secrets of the Vine for Women review

Secrets of the Vine for Women is an easy read based on John 15. I have read Secrets of the Vine and enjoyed the women's version since it goes into more depth on how it would apply to me as a woman. The study guide is a nice addition for studying individually or in a group. The reason I would not recommend this book is because I cannot agree with the teaching that sickness is a form of discipline from God. Other than that, it is a good book.


I received Secrets of the Vine for Women free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

The Power That Works In Us

Ephesians 3:20 NKJV

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

I read this earlier today and started thinking, “What is the power that works in us?” Well, we know that it is the power of God that Paul speaks of here, but how much of that unlimited power have we allowed to actually go to work in us both individually and corporately?

While I pondered these things the Holy Spirit reminded me of another scripture. James 5:16 (amp) says that the earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. We see here that power is made available through earnest prayer. In Luke 24:49 (amp) Jesus tells his disciples to remain in the city [Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from on high. Also, Acts 1:8 says, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And then, in Acts 2 we see the manifestation of the promise when they were gathered together in the upper room and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

So now we have seen in Scripture that the power of God is made available to us through prayer and the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at Ephesians 3:20 again. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, ACCORDING to the power that works in us. We know God is able. What is He able to do? Exceedingly, abundantly above ALL that we ask or think. But that is ACCORDING to the power that works in us. God made the power available to us. Now we just need to put it to work in us by spending time in prayer and allowing the Holy Spirit to move.