God Honors People of Integrity
-When God Gives You A Dream He Helps You Fulfill It-
I Samuel 16:1-13
David is an example of a person of integrity who God gave a dream and helped him fulfill the dream as David faithfully followed the Lord.
King Saul was disobedient to the Lord and was rejected as King. The Lord told the prophet Samuel that He was going to anoint a new king in Saul¡¦s place. The Lord¡¦s successor to Saul was to be found among the eight sons of Jessed from Bethlehem. Jessie was the grandson of Boaz whose wife, Ruth was from Moab. The mother of Boaz was Rahab of Jericho, the woman who helped Joshua¡¦s scouts escape from Jericho prior to the Joshua march around the city and the fall of Jericho into the hands of the children of Israel in their march into the land of Canaan.
The transition of Kingship from Saul to David was filled with trauma and took many years. Young David received a calling and dream from God and he did not give up on that dream. He did not allow adverse circumstances to shatter his dream. He remained consistent and faithful in his commitment to the Lord and followed God¡¦s guidance.
We can learn lessons from the life of David on how to be a person of integrity.
I. David Received His Calling from the Lord.
David didn¡¦t seek the office of king. He was called and anointed by God for the position. In the calling and anointing of Dave we realize that Character counts with the Lord.
Samuel traveled to the house of Jesse as instructed by the Lord and asked to see his sons. He wanted to interview them and seek God¡¦s guidance in selecting the one and only candidate to become King if Israel and replace King Saul.
Jesse called his oldest son, Eliab, and Samuel thought surely this oldest, tall, dark and handsome son was the one the Lord was looking for. ¡§But the Lord said to Samuel, ¡¥Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.¡¨ (I Samuel 16:7)
Samuel interviewed all the sons Jesse brought to him and asked: ¡§Are these all the sons you have?¡¨ Jesse answered: ¡§There is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.¡¨ Jesse didn¡¦t even bother to have David in the house at that time. He probably thought David was too young and he was just a shepherd and didn¡¦t have the stature of his older brothers.
Samuel said he would not leave until he talked to David. Jesse brought David into the house. The Lord spoke to Samuel, ¡§rise and anoint him; he is the one.¡¨ ¡§So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.¡¨ At that moment a dream was birthed in the life of young David. ¡§I¡¦m going to be King.¡¨
The Lord knows the thoughts and intentions of a person¡¦s heart. The Lord knew the character of David was one of integrity. David possessed the qualities needed to lead the people of Israel.
Aren¡¦t you glad that God¡¦s doesn¡¦t judge you by your outward appearance? People tend to look at the outward appearance ¡V the clothes you wear so you need to dress for success. Image is everything. You need to drive the right classy car. You need to keep in shape and bulk up. Spend all your time on the outside and neglect your character and heart. Too often you can get caught up in carrying for the outward and allow the inner part of your life gets neglected. The next time you chose an activity and neglect building your inner character remember the words of the Lord to Samuel: ¡§The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.¡¨
You true character is who you are when you know no one is looking. Your character shows when you all alone and in a place when no one knows who you are.
Young Joseph showed his true character first when he was sold by his brothers into slavery. He didn¡¦t become bitter when be became a servant in the home of the Egyptian official Potiphar. He also showed his true character when he was tempted time and time again by Potiphar¡¦s wife to commit sexual sin. Joseph refused to yield to lust and ran from the house.
Even when sent unjustly to prison Joseph remained true to the Lord. God saw Joseph¡¦s heart and in time elevated him to become second in command to Pharaoh in Egypt and save his family from years of famine.
David was anointed King because God knew David had the character and quality of life to serve as King.
Today God is still looking for people of character who will serve and live for Him. A solid Christian character is something that you develop over time.
You develop Christian character by developing habits of the heart. A high priority for character development is accountability. Jesus called 12 as his disciples and worked with them on a daily basis. He held them accountable to his teachings.
John Wesley the founder of Methodism was a genius at helping new Christians become mature in their faith. He formed small cell groups for mutual care and discipling. When the cell groups met they would ask each other five questions:
1. What sins have you committed since our last meeting?
2. What temptations have you met with?
3. How were you delivered?
4. What have you thought, said, or done of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?
5. Have you nothing you desire to keep secret?
Wesley believed that every member should be responsible for every other member. The style of life they sought to share with each other was characterized by openness, transparency, a caring community and submission.
You can find some degree of accountability in one of Christian Life Classes that meets every Sunday at 10 am, or a home Bible Study Group, or some other small group. I encourage you to take the initiative and get involved in a small group or one-on-one discipleship.
God called David and David was accountable to the Lord.
II. David didn¡¦t give up on His Calling.
God gave David a promise ¡V a life goal- a dream- to become King of Israel.
To look in from the outside at David¡¦s life after his anointing one might ask, ¡§How did David keep his dream alive?¡¨ Time and time again David is seen dodging Saul¡¦s spear and being hunted down like an animal.
David kept his dream and calling alive by trusting the Lord through prayer and keeping a prayer journal. He wrote in his journal songs and by keeping a spiritual diary of God¡¦s guidance and protection. The book of Psalms is the result of David¡¦s spiritual journal.
Have you had exciting goals in life and dreams only to have your dreams shattered? Joseph did. David did. But somehow they kept their life goals and dreams alive. They patiently waited on God¡¦s timing.
Joni Erickson Tada had her dream shattered when she dove in water that was too shallow and had her neck broken and became paralyzed from the neck down. But by the grace of God she began to dream again and now has a world-wide ministry.
Shattered dreams help us discover a deeper relationship with the Lord. If you have had shattered dreams in your life I recommend a book by Larry Crabb, A Christian Psychologist titled, Shattered Dreams ¡V God¡¦s Unexpected Pathway to Joy. He writes that shattered dreams bring deep pain, but you can find a way to handle the pain. You need to find some way to keep going in spite of the hurt. You can find help by reading the biographies of people who have worked through shattered dreams like Joni Erickson or Helen Keller.
Shattered dreams force us to our knees and cause us to renew our hope in the Lord. Look at the life of David, I Samuel 16 to chapter 24 and you see the life of David being refined and prepared by the hurts of life to become an outstanding king of Israel. You see David sinking low from time to time but one thing David did not give up on was Hope.
Dr. Larry Crabb gives these helpful words: ¡§Shattered dreams open the door to better dreams, dreams that we do not properly value until the dreams that we improperly value are destroyed. Shattered dreams destroy false expectations, such as the ¡§victorious¡¨ Christian life with no real struggle or failure. They help us discover true hope. We need the help of shattered reams to put us in touch with what we most long for, to create a felt appetite for better dreams. And living for the better dreams generates a new, unfamiliar feeling that we eventually recognize as joy.¡¨ Page 35 Shattered dreams ¡V God¡¦s Unexpected Pathway to Joy.
Especially at the end of his earthly ministry Jesus offered hope for all his followers. He told them that in this world they would experience trials and tribulations, but be of good cheer He would give them hope and inner peace. He gave them the hope of heaven and eternal life.
Jesus would say to each of us this morning: ¡§If the deepest part of your soul, you long more than anything else to be a part of My plan, to further My kingdom, to know Me and please Me and enjoy Me. I will satisfy that longing. You have the power to represent Me well no matter what happens in your life. That is the Hope I give you in this world. Don¡¦t lose it.¡¨
The good news of the Gospel is not that God will make your life easier, but that he will make your lives better. It is often during the times that God seems the most absent from you that He is doing His most important work in you. It isn¡¦t always good to be blessed with the good things of life. Bad times provide an opportunity to know God in ways that blessings can never provide.
During the dark days of David¡¦s life many things that happened to him didn¡¦t make sense but he hung on to the promises of God. While David was living in the midst of shattered dreams he was catching a glimpse of a better dream.
III. David Put His Future in God¡¦s Hand
David waited on God¡¦s timing. He put integrity and honor above his personal desires. He didn¡¦t try to force his kingship prematurely.
I Samuel 24 tells how David could have let integrity go by the wayside and step in as King. But God honored David for his integrity and loyalty to King Saul.
David and his band of followers, 400 men that grew later to 600 traveled together to flee the wrath of King Saul and his army of thousands. David and his rag tag army often hid in cares in the region of En-gedi, located close to the west shore of the Dead Sea.
Saul learned of David¡¦s hiding place so he took 3,000 hand-picked men and traveled to En-gedi to find David and him small band of men. I Samuel 24:1-7, tells the story that King Saul arrived in the area and needed a rest stop so he went into the cave where David and his men were hiding. There were no public restrooms so any cave would do. David and his men saw Saul near the entrance of the cave while they were hiding at the back in the dark part of the cave. David¡¦s men said: ¡§This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ¡¥I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.¡¨ (I Samuel 24:4) David¡¦s men were ready to make their move and kill King Saul, but David stopped them and said they would not lift one finger against King Saul, the Lord¡¦s anointed. Instead David crept up quiet as a cat and cut off a piece of King Saul¡¦s robe that Saul had laid to one side.
After Saul left the cave and was down the road a ways, David stood at the mouth of the cave and called out to Saul, ¡§Why do you listen to those who say, ¡¥David is out to get you.¡¦ This very day God put you in my hands, but I spared your life and only took a piece of your robe that you can plainly see.¡¨
Saul knelt down and said, ¡§Can this be the voice of my son David?¡¨ And he wept aloud. ¡§You¡¦re in the right and not me.¡¨ Saul admitted that David would become King and asked David to spare his family when he took over the throne and David promised he would.
Because David honored the Lord and had respect for King Saul, God blessed David and gave him the assurance that he was fit to be the new King of Israel.
It might be that God tested David in that encounter with King Saul. Saul¡¦s choosing that cave at that time was not a coincidence. God in his Providence brought David and Saul together for a purpose. David had the assurance that God was protecting him and watching over him. David did not need to force taking over as King. All he needed to do was to be patient and trust the Lord to work out the details.
After his cave experience David wrote Psalm 57 when David fled from Saul into the cave. (Verse 1), ¡§Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. (Verse 2), ¡§I cry out to God, Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends his love and his faithfulness.¡¨
You may not have the calling to be King or President, but God does have a calling and wants to give you a dream for your life. As you wait upon the Lord and walk faithfully with Him He will reveal your calling and dream.
Your calling might to be a contagious Christian at your place of work and in your neighborhood.
Your calling might be to live a consistent life at home and be a light shining with truth to your children and family.
God may give you a dream of developing a ministry for Him. He will guide you into the right training and help you accomplish your dream.
Find someone to be your accountability partner and team up with you to carry out your dream.
Whatever your dream don¡¦t let Satan cloud and dampen your dream with challenges and hard times. Satan is out to shatter dreams. Stay close to the Lord and know that He is still with you during dark days and in the valley of stress and tribulation. Wait patiently for God¡¦s timing and Open Door. Put your present and future in God¡¦s hand and look for the ways He Providently guides and leads you to fulfill His plan for your life.
In the days ahead work at pinpointing the times that God is involved in you life and know that when God is leading and you are obediently following Him. There are no accidents or coincidences with the Lord. Whatever happens put your hope in the Lord.
ľ God has a special calling on your life.
ƒæ Don¡¦t give up on that calling during hard times and dark days.
ƒæ Put your present and future in God¡¦s Care
Hymn # 45 ¡§Surely Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life.¡¨
