ICS Daily Devotions
Know Your Covenant Rights
1 Samuel 17:26 (NKJV) Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
If we want to blaze a trail for others to follow, the key is to drive out fear and develop faith.
A covenant is an agreement or contract between two people or two groups. It entails that all debts are shared equally, which is why God sent forth the Messiah, and He will face all challenges with us. Also, all assets and possessions are shared equally, which explains why we are stewards of God’s money. Thirdly, all talents are shared, which is why we can ask God for wisdom. Fourthly, the two natures will become one, so we have God’s nature now. Finally, the covenant is the channel through which God meets all our needs. A blood covenant between two parties is the closest, most enduring, most solemn and most sacred of all contracts. It absolutely cannot be broken.
It is with this understanding of the power of the covenant which the Jews had with God that allowed David to have such great faith in God when he took on the challenge against Goliath. David fully depended on God to honour His covenant obligations with him. Because David was able to invoke His covenant rights for protection against the bear and the lion when they attacked his sheep, he was convinced that it made no difference for the Lord to deal with Goliath. David wasn’t looking at his own abilities, but to His God who watched over His covenant with him.
Unfortunately, the entire army of Israel including King Saul did not have this revelation, conviction, or experience to believe that their God could deliver them from Goliath. If it wasn’t for David’s conviction, they probably would have had to endure prolonged humiliation as they tried to hold their ground in the face of Goliath’s daily intimidation. Worse still, if they had dispatched a trained warrior who had no confidence in God, they may have also lost the fight with Goliath and served the Philistines for a period of time.
Likewise, if we are not aware that we can have faith in God and that He is dependable, we would live in fear and intimidation when dealing with challenges. David’s victory teaches us to never underestimate the power of faith in someone, regardless of age. All it took to overcome and triumph over Goliath was a person who knew God and his own covenant rights. David was the man in this situation, and you can also be the one who knows your covenant rights and walk in victory when faced with your own “Goliath”.
Sermon Series: Trailblazer
