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Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living From David
Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:47

The Lord's Battle

1 Samuel 17:47

"Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands."

The Lord’s Battle

When King George VI gave his Christmas address to the British people in 1939, World War II had just begun. The German armies had conquered northern Europe and a long war lay ahead. In his speech the king quoted these words from a book by M. Louise Haskins: "And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied, ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’"

As David faced the prospect of confronting a seasoned warrior nearly twice his size and vastly more experienced in battle, he also knew where to place his faith—not in the security of swords and spears but in the power of God. David knew that his skill would not save the day. Instead, the Lord would be the deciding factor. It was His battle.

Life is filled with giants that are bigger than we. Seemingly insurmountable obstacles can dog our every step. But when faced with overwhelming odds, it’s comforting to know that the outcome doesn’t depend on us. Of course, we must be obedient and do our part. Whatever skills or gifts that God has given us must be used. But having put forth our best efforts, we can be assured that God will be the One who ultimately determines the battle’s outcome.

Rest in the knowledge that the battle is the Lord’s. He is the One who gives the victory.

The Lord’s battle is our victory.

Gift of You!

Do you know someone caught in the addiction of alcohol or drugs? Or maybe you find yourself in that spot and you don’t know where to turn . . . what to do to free yourself from the addiction.

As Christians, we’re so good at asking God to free us from our problems and our issues, and when it doesn’t just happen . . . when we wake up the next day and the addiction is still there . . . we wonder why God didn’t answer our prayer and come to our rescue.

The fact of the matter is, He presents the solutions to us and we don’t recognize them. We don’t recognize the solutions because they take work, and we want our solutions instantly . . . we’re looking for a quick fix. So we walk right by them. Stop for a minute and think about this . . . “faith” is a verb, not a noun, and the only evidence of our faith is if we do something . . . if we act on it! You see, you’re waiting for God to act...and He’s waiting for you to act first.

Well, Christmas is coming, and if you want to give a gift that matters, what better gift can you give to someone than the gift of you!

It requires that you do something—pick up the phone and call 1-800-NEW-LIFE and ask about the program at the Calvary Center. Whether it’s for you, your spouse, a child, a friend, a co-worker, a parent . . . give us a call . . . take that first step and see how God works. Call 1-800-NEW-LIFE today! Help someone give “the gift of you!”

You can find treatment for substance abuse in the Calvary Center’s 30-day residential program. And, beginning December 1, Calvary will also be accepting admissions for treatment of Compulsive Gambling.

It's a Christ-centered program that changes lives. See what people who have been through it say:

In a card with a picture of his family, Hugh wrote: "Take a good look at this family. The work you do everyday helped to save it. Many, many thanks."

Derek wrote: ". . . Then there's the staff. All I can say is Wow! They are an incredible group of people. They are talented and helpful. I have been fighting my alcoholism for years now without success, and I have learned more in these 30 days than all those years combined . . . "

Rhonda wrote: "Before I came to Calvary Center, my life was consumed by my addiction to pain pills . . A few lead to overmedication, loss of interest in my personal life and my children's school activities. My marriage was literally falling apart. I crashed myself right into paralyzing self doubt and anxiety. When I finally reached bottom, my family stepped in and told me I needed help. They found that help at Calvary. It has given me a new life without my addiction to those pain pills! What an incredible life changing experience that opened my eyes to the cause of addiction and the destructive life of being dependent on drugs . . . I am now set free from the life cycle of addiction. The chain is broken and my children won’t have to endure the curse of an addictive life. Thank you Calvary!"

Liz wrote: "My life consisted of daily drug use, no friends, no school, no job, and no hope. I had completely shut myself out from my family and anyone else who might make me stop using drugs . . . Something began stirring in me and for the first time in a while I felt hope. I heard a commercial about the Calvary Center while listening to your show one day. I looked forward to hearing the stories just like mine and I felt convicted not condemned for the first time in my life . . . I was frightened . . . I know in my heart the Lord was preparing me to receive His gift by speaking His hope and truth through people like you all . . . When I decided to make the call to get help this time I chose to go to a faith based treatment center because after all was said and done I knew that I needed to deepen my relationship with Christ if I was ever going to have a real chance at staying clean and sober. Calvary Center richly blessed me with truths about myself and taught me how to become an over comer in Christ . . . It's been almost two years since I have picked up a drug or a drink. I am so blessed to have been given another chance, and believe other Christians out there struggling with this very real issue, need to know that there is hope in God. Most importantly there are options and they don't have to fight this alone."

Call 1-800-NEW-LIFE today and ask about the Calvary Center, so that you can give the gift of you this Christmas. It's a gift that matters!

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living From David
Scripture: 1 Samuel 20:3 Psalm 34:6-7 1 Samuel 18:6-8

Living on the Edge

1 Samuel 20:3

Then David took an oath again, and said, "Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he says, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death."

Some people live on the edge because they choose to. They bungee jump, sky dive and engage in other extreme sports just for the thrill of it. Others live on the edge not by choice, but because circumstances have placed them in dangerous places.

David fell into this latter category. He had sought to serve Saul faithfully and defend his country and his king with passion. But his success in these efforts only managed to arouse the king’s jealousy. When women came out of the cities singing David’s praises (1 Sam. 18:6-8), Saul became enraged and began to plot to do away with the young man he now viewed as a threat to his throne. David soon found himself only one step ahead of a king who was trying to kill him. But in the midst of these circumstances, David knew that God was with him and would preserve him (Ps. 34:6).

Many Christians today also live on the edge. They live in countries where the penalty for being a Christian is death. They live in nations where famine is claiming the lives of thousands. They live in drug-infested neighborhoods where drive-by shootings and gang killings are commonplace. Yet they also can claim God’s presence and protection (Ps. 34:7).

Perhaps you live on the edge. Though your life is not in danger, you may be living on the edge in terms of your job, your family or your marriage. Perhaps you feel that at any moment one or more of these could fall apart and leave you helpless. Put your trust in the God of David. Let Him provide what you need to move away from the edge.

Christ can take the edge out of living.

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