Category: Obedience

When the Insignificant Leads to Victory

Tim Dilena 90x115By Tim Dilena

We all know the story of David — the young shepherd who became a hero when he defeated the Philistine giant named Goliath. David was the youngest son of Jesse, whose three oldest sons were serving in King Saul’s army. Their father Jesse sent David out to the battlefield to check on his brothers and take some provisions to them.

Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah[a] of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance[b] from them. They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.” Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. ” (1 Samuel 17:-20).

David’s father asked him to do something small and he obeyed, never imagining that this insignificant task would lead to a great victory for himself, for the Israelites and for God. David was bold and he ended up killing Goliath, who had been taunting the men of Israel relentlessly — a feat that would define his life (read the full story in 1 Samuel 17:23-51).

Think of it. The Holy Spirit was not moving on David to take cheese to his brothers, he went because his father told him to. David was making a cheese delivery, a menial act of service, when he was supernaturally positioned for the destiny God had planned for him.

Hudson Taylor , British missionary to China, said, “A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in little things is a great thing.

Your entry ramp into your destiny starts with humble tasks that may not even match what you want to do. You must pass the humility test. Many people are never selected to fight the giant because they didn’t want the cheese assignment!

Go from the beginning of the Bible to the end and over and over you’ll find the stories of men and women with servant hearts, minds and spirits who made the world a much better place:

Moses didn’t say, “I don’t do deserts.”

Ruth didn’t say, “I don’t do mothers-in-law.”

Noah didn’t say, “I don’t do boats.”

Mary didn’t say, “I don’t do virgin births.”

Paul didn’t say, “I don’t do letters.”

Jesus didn’t say, “I don’t do crosses.”

Be the believer who does the seemingly insignificant act of service on your way to finding your destiny in Christ. Deliver the cheese!

By Tim Dilena

The Other End Of The Leash

Jonathan Cahnby Jonathan Cahn

When I was growing up, I used to take my dog, ‘Pudgy,’ for walks. Whenever Pudgy saw something of interest, another dog, a rabbit, a mailman, she would take off after it – or she would try. I was on the other end of the leash and it was my job to restrain her. Either I was going to be pulled by Pudgy, or Pudgy was going to be led by me.

It’s the same way with our feelings, our emotions, our desires, our lusts, even our thoughts. Our thoughts and feelings tend to go all over the place, and to things they have no business going after. And most people are led by their emotions and their thoughts, even many believers. But that’s like a man being led by a dog. God has called us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Messiah. That means you can have victory over every thought, every whim, desire, lust, and feeling. But you have to choose to take control. The next time that thought, that feeling, that temptation comes up, you reign it in to the obedience of God – just remember whose on the other end of the leash.

Today’s Mission – Today make it a point not to be led by your feelings, or your flesh. Learn to not be led, but to lead these things, even your emotions as you are led only by the Word and Spirit of God.

by Jonathan Cahn