Fight and Find Out
 
FBC-FightAndFindOut.jpg

The season of David's life described in 2 Samuel 2-5 raises some questions.  

For example, "Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned TWO years. But the house of Judah followed David.  And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months." (2Sa 2:10-11)

There are two numbers here that baffle me.  First, the seven years and six months where *most of Israel does *not come under David's kingship.  Second, the five and a half years where *most of Israel is under no king!  See that?  7.5 yrs - 2 yrs under Ishbo' = 5.5 yrs free'n'easy!

What were they doing?  For years and years, Israel was hesitating to affirm their clearly (So clear!  Remember the "David and Goliath" thing?) anointed king.  What were they doing?  Hedging their bets.  Hesitating to see how things would go.

Reminds me of what Joshua said a few generations earlier: "If it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Jos 24:15)

And what Elijah said a few generations later, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." (1Ki 18:21)

If David is God's man, then put your whole heart in submission to him and your whole strength in support of him.  And how much more so with Jesus?  How much more are we to put our whole hearts in His hands and our whole backs to His labors

G.K. Chesterton said, "There is no such thing as fighting on the winning side; one fights to find out which is the winning side."  

Friends, it's easy to bemoan the church's ineffectiveness, the culture's sinfulness, etc.  So, what?  So fight for Christ.  Like Jonathan did in 1 Samuel 18:4, give Jesus all your glory and strength.

Is your faith going to grow to maturity?  Fight and find out.  Is your family going to be healthy and Christian?  Fight and find out.  Is your marriage going to endure?  Fight and find out.  Is your church going to grow and prosper?  Fight and find out.  Is Jesus going to "win" in your town?  Fight and find out.  Is Jesus going to "win" in your generation, and the generations after you?  Fight and find out.  Is the cause of Jesus in our region going to succeed?  Fight and find out.  

This surely won't happen by us sitting at home for 5.5 years being critical and frustrated and not giving or doing.  Enough belly-aching-pseudo-spiritual-pseudo-prayer.  Tip the scales.  Up and to arms.

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