ICS Daily Devotions
The Secret of David’s Success
Psalm 34:1-8 (NKJV) I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
It is wonderful to have friends who can weep and rejoice with us through the different seasons of our live, but there is someone who will always be a friend and sticks closer to us than a brother in good and bad times, and that’s God! It may seem a bit far-fetched for some who have never gotten to know God at a personal level, but it is possible if we are willing to let Him walk with us. The Bible says in Daniel 11:32 that the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.
Many of us like to learn from successful people and know what the secrets of their success are, but there is no better person to emulate the life of adventures and exploits than King David because he knew God. He is known as a man after God’s heart, and shouldn’t that be our aspiration too?
The background of Psalm 34 is when David was running away from Saul following Saul’s multiple attempts to kill him. In desperation, David fled to the King of Gath and his people hoping that they wouldn’t recognise him, but only being forced to flee again by faking insanity. David had nobody to turn to for help except God who is faithful. This Psalm records David’s real-life experience with God, and we can all draw courage and faith from the revelations that he had about the character of God, because the God who journeyed with David is the same God who still journeys with us.
David’s life was marked with victories as well as many low points. However, someone who truly knows God will be able to deal with the high and low points in life with the Lord’s help, and that’s when they can truly taste and see that the Lord is good. This Psalm contains many faith-building words that came out of David’s mouth, just like when he was the only person who spoke out in faith regarding what their God can do when fear permeated the Israelites camp due to Goliath’s threat. He brought faith and hope to them, and through this Psalm, he is building our faith too.
You and I can also be like David, to be men or women of faith to our family, cell group, company, and church. Faith arises when we know God, have experienced His faithfulness, and know that we are in Christ.
Sermon Series: Great Adventures and Great Exploits
