DAILY VIDEO DEVOTIONAL
Our study of “Victorious Men and Women” now moves to the life of David. The Bible describes him as a man after God’s own heart. He was a great man of faith and passion for God. When a person thinks of David, usually two things come to mind: the boy who killed a giant and the king who committed adultery and murder. That is enough to cause us to proceed with caution in the Christian life. But there’s much more in the history of David that should make us, as leaders, careful in our walk with God.
It’s important to understand how David became king. To understand that, we must look a little at the life of Saul. The people of Israel had demanded a king. They told Samuel the prophet, “We want a king over us” (1 Samuel 8:19). God then told Samuel, “Listen to them and give them a king” (1 Samuel 8:22). God selected Saul. He was a man who stood out physically; yet he was spiritually humble. According to the Bible he was “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites — a head taller than any of the others” (1 Samuel 9:2). Yet Saul displayed humility when he was initially selected as king. He said, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21).
The great tragedy in Saul’s life is that the sense of power and authority went to his head. It produced insecurity, jealousy, and a host of other character flaws that would result in his disobedience to God and fall from leadership. God would eventually say of Saul, “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions” (1 Samuel 15:11). Saul’s disobedience would lead to David becoming king.
I have known people who loved God and at first walked humbly with Him. But after being in a position of authority, they lost their sense of humility and disobeyed the Lord. I believe with all of my heart that these men and women who began well but finished poorly were at one point in their lives truly people of God. They loved God. They sought His face and desired to please Him. But something happened to them, just as it happened to Saul … and even David. Authority went to their heads.
There’s much talk in the church today about the “power of God.” We hear quite often phrases such as, “he has God’s anointing” or “the power of God is really on that person.” I tremble when I hear people say those things, because so often it’s said without any understanding of the absolute necessity for the leader to walk in utter humility and obedience to the Word of God.
The church today is riddled with men and women who started well and finished poorly. God exalts people into leadership because of their hearts of humility. But according to the Bible, pride always comes before a fall. It happened to Saul, David, and a host of others. Why couldn’t it happen to you or me? As we begin a study of the life of David, I issue one word of warning: Proceed with caution.
1 Samuel : Chapter 8
10) Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11) He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12) Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13) He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14) He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15) He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16) Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17) He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18) When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” 19) But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20) Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 21) When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22) The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
1 Samuel : Chapter 9 1) There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 2) Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
Book of the Month
Sammy Tippit told his fiancée, “I can’t promise we’ll be rich, but life won’t be boring.”
Sammy had no idea what an understatement that would become. Beginning in the bars of Baton Rouge and the nightclubs of Chicago, Tippit has shared the news of life-changing faith in Christ all over the world – including in the middle of a revolution in Romania, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, and war in Burundi and the Congo.
Sammy’s lifelong adventure has come at a great price. He’s been cursed, threatened, arrested, deported, and blacklisted. He’s also been personally broken, ravaged with illness, and devastated by grief.
Yet he continues to preach to in stadiums, in open fields, and via satellite technology to hundreds of thousands around the globe. For all other books…
About Sammy Tippit Ministries
STM has been providing inspiration and help around the world for nearly 50 years. Sammy Tippit, founder and president, is a world renowned counselor, teacher and evangelist with experience serving and helping people in over 80 countries. Sammy provides materials that help people tackle a broad array of social, societal, psychological and spiritual issues. He is particularly passionate about making materials accessible to other countries around the world. Sammy is married to Debara “Tex” Tippit, and they have two children and five grandchildren.
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