In 1st Samuel 22 there’s an obscure verse that happened to catch my eye while studying the bible with a handful of men.

While David was hiding from Saul in the cave of Adullam, with his motley crew of 400 misfit men, he sought to find a place for his parents with the King of Moab.

“Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me.” (1 Sam 22:3)

What stuck out to me about that verse was the last two words: “for me“. A lot of people would have excluded those two words and just said: “Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do.”

But David added those two little words to the end of his sentence.

And if you look, you’ll find that David often talked this way. In fact when writing a psalm when he was in the cave, he used similar language. He closed the psalm with these words:

“for you will deal bountifully with me.” (Ps 142:7)

David was waiting in that cave with confidence that God would “deal bountifully” with him. David believed what Paul would later write in Romans: that God is for us, and “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31) Even though he was sure that his enemies were pursuing him, he was more sure that goodness and mercy would pursue him all the days of his life (Ps 23:6).

What about you?

When faced with difficult trials in your life, what do you say?

“We’ll see what God will do” or “We’ll see what God will do for me“?

The question is really more about what you believe about God.

Do you believe he’s distant and aloof, indifferent to you and your situation?

Or…

… do you believe that he’s for you, that he’ll deal bountifully with you, and that it’s a sure thing that goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life?

Two little words make quite a difference.

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1 Comment

  1. Derek Cook March 6, 2014 at 7:51 AM

    A radical thought. That the God of the universe will literally change events and situations for my good (and His glory)!