Lessons For Today

God never intended for His children to learn by trying something and then discovering whether or not it was the right thing to do. He wants us to learn by reading His Word. In the scriptures, we can read about people from all walks of life. We can look at their victories and see their mistakes. This kind of observation shows us what works and what doesn’t.

The life of David provides tremendous lessons for us today. He began to be promoted because he was a man after God’s own heart. That is the reason he found himself walking in God’s plan. Samuel the prophet anointed David to be king of Israel. This was a surprise to David’s father and seven brothers. But David’s heart spoke volumes to God. David loved God and he walked in the light of God’s covenant. He was only a teenager when he heard Goliath’s challenge. He was fearless because he saw himself the way God saw him. David knew that the giant did not have a covenant with the living God. That changed everything. Because David knew of his covenant with God, he ran toward the giant speaking words of faith. David was bold and courageous that day because he had faith in his covenant.

Another lesson that we can learn from David’s life is how to deal with criticism. At the request of his father, David went to visit his brothers that were engaged in a battle under King Saul’s leadership. When he arrived, his oldest brother began to hurl accusations at him. His brother, Eliab, was there the day that David was anointed to be king of Israel. Eliab was still upset and very jealous. But David didn’t allow that criticism of affect his life. He turned away and didn’t let his brother’s words change him.

Finally, David had a confident testimony. He had proven the faithfulness of God time after time. He had a history. He knew what to do as he faced Goliath. He had already killed a lion and a bear. He believed the Word and declared the outcome as he ran toward the giant. The things that worked for David will also work for us. Those things are having a heart for God, seeing and knowing about our covenant, dealing with criticism, and having a confident testimony.