Commitment

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” –Hebrews 12:1 & 2



True commitment is so rare in our culture. It's difficult to find someone who will do what they say – and stick it out until the end. Commitment is hard. You have to be one of 2% that will truly follow through with pursuing the things they say they want to, whether it’s building a business, launching a career, losing weight, or staying married for a lifetime.

I believe commitment is the defining factor between someone who will fulfill the desires of their hearts and someone who won’t.

When you're committed, you work hard.  You persevere.  Commitment takes courage. It’s not dependent on circumstance. Commitment says, “I will do this, even though ‘this and that’ may happen, and they may do ‘this or that’.” Commitment takes looking at the hard things in life. Maybe we fear failure, and that's why we don't commit. Maybe it hasn't worked out before, and that's why we don't commit. We need to get past our insecurities and take action! We need to set the course for our lives.  Only then will we be able to see what God may have in store.

When we’re faithful to God and His plan for our lives, we will find Him to be faithful to us. “To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless…” (2 Sam 22:26, Ps 18:25) We have to discover where our dreams and God's plan align.  We need to be moldable and shapeable through the twists and turns of life, but still remain committed.

Are you able to commit to a dream, a job, a goal, a relationship? Maybe you need to commit yourself fully to your heavenly Father. Whatever it may be, ask God to help you. In Christ, we can do all things. (Phil 4:19)

Understanding Covenant

David asked the men standing near him, “…Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” -1 Samuel 17:26

David was the youngest of 8 sons.  His 3 oldest brothers were off to war in King Saul’s camp.  During this time, the Philistine army had been camped at Sokoh in Judah.  The Israelites were camped in the valley of Elah, with just a valley between them and the Philistine army.

David was young, probably around 17.  From time to time he went back and forth to the Israelite army to bring food to his brothers and see how they were doing. This particular time, when David went to bring food to his brothers, he heard the giant Goliath from the Philistine camp shouting at the Israelites and challenging them.  He had been doing this for 40 days.  The Israelites were all afraid of him because he was so big.  No one had yet had the courage to challenge him, and when the Israelites saw him, “They all fled in great fear.”  (v.24)

Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” (1 Sam 17:8-9)  It’s interesting to note that Goliath wanted to make the Israelites think they were just serving their leader, Saul.  But David had a different perspective. As people overheard him asking questions about what would be done for the man who killed Goliath, word was sent to king Saul who sent for him.  “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him,” David said. He explained to Saul that he had good training killing lions and bears tending sheep, and this would be no different.  Probably because he had run out of options by this time, Saul let David try. 

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel  (v.45-46).  And so, David used a stone in a slingshot, and killed him. 

Often the story of David and Goliath is taught with reference to having courage in God.  But, it was because David understood God’s covenant with the Israelites that he knew he could defeat him and had courage. Like marriage, a covenant is a promise broken only by death, whereas in a contract, the obligations of that contract must be met by both parties for the contract to remain in effect.  In David's day, covenants were very serious matters.  No one broke a covenant, even if the other party didn't fulfill their end of the bargain.

When we serve God, we have God’s protection. We should therefore place our trust in God’s faithfulness and promises, as His word is true and can never return void.  Have you recognized the power in God’s covenant with his sons and daughters?  May it be a reminder and an encouragement that we can overcome anything that comes in our path, because we are sons and daughters of the living God.