Day 196

1 Chronicles 19:1‐21:30; Romans 2:25‐3:8; Psalm 11:1‐7; Proverbs 19:10‐12

Leave the Results to the Lord

King David is seemingly on a roll! He has come against formidable foes and defeated them in rapid succession. He has defeated the Amorites, the Syrians, and even the Philistines with their giants! Through his military might, his training, and his leadership, he successfully led the armies of Israel against their adversaries. He seems to have a tried and true battle strategy: he gathers his troops, he is prepared, he is strong and has studied his opponent. He has assessed their strength and his strength, their weaknesses,  and I am sure, his own weakness. Then he leaves the results to the Lord: “May the Lord do what seems good to him” (1 Chr. 19:13).

However in Chapter 22, the adversary changes. This time the leader of the opposing army is Satan himself! David fails miserably and then, to add insult to injury, is then called upon to select one of three punishments for the nation for his offenses. He chooses pestilence and some 70,000 men die as a result.

In the very next chapter David gathers materials to build the House for the Lord in Jerusalem, a task that will ultimately be passed on to his son, Solomon. He took his eyes off of his successful strategy and that is when the problems appeared.

Seek to find a plan that the Lord blesses and refine it, practice it, honor God through it, and yet leave the results to God. Often when we try to start tweaking successes, it is then that we shift our attention to “what seems good to us.” It is then that troubles are surely just around the corner, Satan shows up, and pestilence can’t be far behind!

The Rev. Scott T. Holcombe