Psalm 27:3 -Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. NKJV
Have you ever stopped to think about the thing that you really believe about God? David sure did! David decided early on that he would not walk in fear because of His relationship with God; and the Bible records many instances of that truth!
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27: NKJV
David wrote that the Lord was his light, salvation, and the strength of his life. Knowing this to be his truth, David wondered who could cause fear to erupt in his heart? When he was a shepherd and predators would come after his sheep, David described how he handled the situation in a conversation with Saul:
But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
1 Samuel 17:34-35 NKJV
Wow! You have to be pretty courageous to go against a wild animal and take your sheep out of its very jaws. Then when it turns on you, grab it by the beard and kill it. David could have easily said, there will always be loss of sheep in the sheepherding business. The lion got what he wanted, the bear got what he wanted, and it is what it is. But that’s not what he said. David had a warrior’s heart! Mess with me and you’ll not mess with anyone else! Neither the lion or the bear got to enjoy their meal of the sheep, and they didn’t live to try again!
When evil men come to destroy me, they will stumble and fall! Yes, though a mighty army marches against me, my heart shall know no fear! I am confident that God will save me.
Psalm 27:2-3 TLB
When evil men come to destroy me, they will stumble and fall! Who was David thinking about when he penned these lines? Maybe it was Goliath!
So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
1 Samuel 17:48-49 NKJV
Goliath thought that he had a sure win against David. He had counted David as an unworthy adversary. But the truth was, David had counted him an unworthy adversary and not only expected a win, but obtained a mighty victory! He rushed towards Goliath in confidence, believing that the end would happen as he saw it! And it did! He even cut off Goliath’s head with his own sword! Pretty bold for a ruddy youth!
Though an army march against me, David declared, I will not fear!
And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
1 Samuel 23:5 NKJV
David was a warrior! He fought many wars and won them. The women of Israel sang songs about David and his many conquests, attributing tens of thousands of soldiers slained by him! But he didn’t do these things in his own strength. He tells us how he was so victorious!
Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
1 Samuel 17:45 NKJV
David’s courageous attitude was in God! Even in Psalm 27 David’s focus was in God and not in himself! David said that he was confident in God!
My favorite testimony involving David was Ziklag! The Amalekites had come to his camp while he was out to battle. They burned it with fire and took all of the people who were in the camp. When David and his men saw this, their hearts were broken and they cried until they couldn’t cry anymore. Then the men started talking about stoning David. David was just as heartbroken as they were. Just as stunned about this turn of events as they were. Then David did what he knew best!
But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV
David turned to the Strength of his life! He sought the for the Light in the midst of the darkness! He sought salvation in the only place he could find it! Then he asked the Lord what to do?
And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
1 Samuel 30:8 NKJV
David’s battle against the Amalekites lasted through the night and most of the next day! Nothing was easy about it! But he was victorious!
This got me to thinking! What thing am I absolutely certain about in regards to God? What causes faith to rise big in my heart? What can I look over my life and say I have great confidence in God about? I have several, but for today, I will choose the one that popped in my head, money!
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:10 NKJV
I was a teenager when I first heard a message preached from this scripture. But I was a young woman when it made a believer out of me. I began tithing as soon as I started working. It’s never been a struggle for me. But one day, in prayer, I tried God based on the tithe!
I was spending time in prayer when suddenly I had a great desire to cry out to God for a husband. I spoke words similar to these:
Lord! You promised me in your word that if I would tithe and make sure that your house was taken care of, that you would bless me to where I would not have room to receive it. Lord, where is my blessing? I still have room!
August, 1986
About a year before this incident, I had met my husband in an airport in Sicily. We talked for several hours and went our way. I remember thinking that I had just met the man that I could spend the rest of my life with! Several months later he called me on a whim at my base. I just happened to be passing the phone when it rang, and it was him. We talked for a few minutes and he shared with me that he was returning to the states and would be stationed in Florida!
So here I am crying out to God! Where is my blessing, Lord! I still have room to receive, Lord! I heard Him speak to my spirit as he told me to call my husband! We married in Jaunuary of 1987! I don’t have the space to go into all of that right now, but suffice it to say, 35 years later, my cup overflows!
As we have been committed to tithing, we have seen God’s hand on our finances, on our lives, on our children’s lives! David’s confidence in God helped him to be both warrior and king! Our confidence in God regarding money has taught us to trust Him with the 90%! What is it that you absolutely trust God in? It’s something to think about! Wonderful Jesus!
Wonderful Jesus! 