David recognized that there were some things he could fix and affect…and there were some things that only God could do. Instead of operating in ego, fear, inadequacy, and human wisdom…he instead sought God and trusted God to do the things that only God could do. And God heard him!
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Scripture
2 Samuel 21:1
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
2 Samuel 22:7
“In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears.”
Observation
David was a very capable guy, and able to handle a lot of issues. He was a warrior and a shepherd–accustomed to thinking on his feet, responding to the developing crisis, and creatively handling every problem that came up.
A lion attacks the sheep? No problem! Kill the lion, problem solved.
Over and over we see David creatively solving problems with God’s help, using his skills and strength to resolve every new emergency.
Now David is settled in as king, and suddenly a problem comes up that he can’t solve or fix. A famine has hit the land, and there’s simply nothing that a shepherd or a warrior can do to fix a famine. David could have fallen back on all of his talents and abilities to try to fix the issue on his own. He could have begun a nationwide effort to raise herds of sheep more quickly, and search for pastureland. He could have organized the army into raiding parties, to steal food from the surrounding nations. He could have pulled out all the stops, and just started trying everything that came into his mind to solve the issue…instead, he “sought the face of the Lord”.
David recognized that there were some things he could fix and affect…and there were some things that only God could do. Instead of operating in ego, fear, inadequacy, and human wisdom…he instead sought God and trusted God to do the things that only God could do. And God heard him!
Application
I don’t like ‘having’ problems, but I do like solving problems.
Flat tire? Inconvenient, but no problem–I can fix it!
Burnt out light bulb? Irritating…but I can fix it!
Broken shower valve? Frustrating…but I can fix it!
When problems come up, my first response is to begin looking for a way to fix the situation. Some things I can fix…but there are some things that I’m simply unable to fix or even significantly affect. Like David the warrior facing a famine, I look at the problem–then I look at my abilities…and realize that there’s simply nothing I can do.
When these moments come, it can be easy to go into crisis mode. Lose sleep, toss and turn, brainstorm, research, hash it over, waste energy trying things that won’t work…and then find myself back where I started.
Like David, I need to recognize that God allows me to face things that I can’t fix. God’s intention is not to destroy me, but to cause me to ‘seek His face’. When I seek the face of God, He gives me insight and understanding that I didn’t have. When I seek the face of God, He provides resource that I lacked. When I seek the face of God, He fights battles on my behalf. When I seek the face of God, He turns famine into fruition.
Prayer
God, thank you for hearing my prayers! Thank you for being greater than any issue I could ever face. Help me to remember to seek your face when problems arise–that you would be my first reaction, rather than my last resort. I choose today, to lay my problems at your feet instead of trying to scheme and strategize my way to a solution. I need your strength and your provision, and I choose to walk in the peace of knowing that you love me and you will never let me down.
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