In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. (1 Sam. 18:14)
Expanded Passage: 1 Samuel 18:14
When I first began serving as a part-time pastor, I was given the opportunity to preach the sermon for our Sunday evening services. I was twenty years old, confident, and excited, and I believed I was ready to preach with fire. However, when the Sunday came for me to deliver my first sermon, I was frozen with fear. The idea of getting in front of that small congregation terrified me. I was afraid they would judge me or not like what I had prepared. I feared my sermon was inadequate.
A close friend of mine saw that I was nervous and said to me, “Why are you scared? You’re not preaching alone; God is up there with you.” That small statement has stayed with me because it is true. No matter what, God is with me.
David had been anointed the next king of Israel. He was serving under King Saul and he had, through God, defeated the giant Goliath. Because of all of this and because of Saul’s fear, David was appointed commander of one thousand men. He and his army had great success because the Lord was with them.
When God has called us, we do not need to fear or be troubled by the task at hand. Instead, we can move forward, confident we have God who goes with us.
Go in confidence, knowing the Lord is with you.
Andrew Christman, a proud veteran of the US Army, serves as a hospital chaplain in Columbia, South Carolina. He is a graduate of Wesley Seminary and an ordained Wesleyan pastor.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
