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Today is Tuesday April 06, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of I Samuel, chapters 17-18. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-april-6

Title: Bible Study: Bringing God to Work
It is said that true Christians are some of the best workers on the planet. Why? Because true Christians are honest, loyal, faithful, and believe in the Word of God. How can believing in the Word of God make someone a better worker? Because when you believe in God's Word, you follow God's Word and learn that even the most tedious job in the world can be one of joy through the Lord. Everything that we do, including our jobs, we need to do in the will of God, even if we are working for worldly people. Being obedient to God, especially through the most difficult circumstances, always keeps us right with God and the reward is much greater than anything we will ever receive here on earth.

David, was the youngest of eight sons, he was the smallest of them all and of all jobs, he was a sheep herder. God chose David to be the king that would reign over Israel because of Saul's disobedience. Now, the amazing thing about God is that He does not always do everything immediately, although Samuel anointed David to be king, he did not reign right away. God was actually preparing David to become a great king and in order to do that he had to be trained. God may have some strange ways of training people, but what seems strange to us is a blessing to God. To train David properly, God placed him in Saul's life, first as a musician, then as the man who would stand up to Goliath. “Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.... And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.” - I Samuel 17:12-14,32-36. David was not afraid to take on the Philistine because he had faith in God, He knew that if God pulled him out of the paws of a lion and a bear He could certainly defeat a giant. As Christians, we may be daily facing the giants of the world, but as long as we have faith in the living God He will help us defeat the biggest of giants.

David was the talk of the town because He defeated Goliath, as soon as Saul heard that the people were cheering him he became very jealous, to the point of wanting him dead. “And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.” - I Samuel 18:10-12. The evil spirit from God is actually the devil and this does not mean that God Himself caused the evil, it means that He allowed the devil to cast it upon him. The devil was once an angel of God, but he was not satisfied with that and wanted control so, God cast him out of heaven and that is why it says the evil spirit from God came upon Saul. (See Isaiah Chapter 14). Saul's jealousy caused him to fear David, the more David trusted in God, the more fearful Saul became of him. Why? Because Saul knew that the root to all the good in David was God. You know, because we are loyal and faithful and have God on our side it will cause some strife between those who are not, especially in the work place, even leaders have been known to fear their jobs. I remember trying to get a part-time job as a cashier once just to make some extra money, the manager bluntly said I can not hire you because you are not going to take my job. The truth is this, a person that is not doing the job they are supposed to be doing always fears losing it. Saul knew he was not being the king that God called him to be and he feared that. If he was doing the job right God would have not replaced him. God is in control of all things, no one on the earth is irreplaceable and if we are not doing our jobs, we will be replaced.

This was only the beginning to the troubles that David would face before he even became king. Despite all the jealousy and the deceitfulness from people, God uses all of them for our own good, He not only tests our faith in Him, He also strengthens it as well as blesses us through them. “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” - II Corinthians 4:15-18. Every thing we go through is for our own good and God's glory. Think about it. Every day things come to pass and we rarely acknowledge that it is God, but something that comes to light by the power of God we know is from God and we praise Him for it. Every time we face affliction we are strengthened and become a better Christian and learn of the greater eternal rewards that we will receive beyond the surface. Praise God! If you are facing trials today at your work place, remember, Jesus is with you and God is renewing you and strengthening your faith in Him. Just keep doing what you are doing, knowing that, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” - Philippians 4:13. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and rest of the week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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