Passion

One of my favorite characters in the Bible is David.  I love his tenacity!  His attitude ran through his whole life forming his heart and life decisions, both good and bad.  Can you hear him?  “I will fight a giant with a rag and rock if I know God’s on my side!”  I’ve met people like this being willing to shine shoes, mow lawns if they know God is on their side.  It is this selfless life of living not for themselves, but fully for God, always asking, “Should I go up, down, out, be still or speak?”

David is a man of passion!  Whatever he did, he is passionate about it.  If he sang, he sang with passion.  If he fought, he fought with passion!  He not only played instruments, but made them.  Wrote poetry while sitting in a tree.  You’d think he would be soft if you didn’t read the rest of the story.  The one who was soft enough to write and sing, cut off the foreskins of a hundred Philistines and threw them at the foot of the king.  So passion can go both ways.

Passionate people can walk into an empty room and see it filled.  They can take a nothing job and turn it into something.  They can take a blank piece of paper and create it into a placemat covered with a dream inspired by something bigger than themselves.

You’d think with David’s track record with the Philistines would cause them to never think about fighting him!  Can you hear David saying, “You picked the wrong person to fight!”  Ever meet a person who punches you and says sorry?  That’s David!  I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened, didn’t mean to cuss you out, and then calls out to Jesus!

Saul hired David to fight, so he takes a bunch of rejects and makes them into a mighty army.  But the first thing he does is drop to his knees.  He refuses to go forward on his own strength or ideas, but humbly asks God, “Should I go up?  Do You want me to whip them?”  The reason why; he associates success with prayer.  Not power, numbers, anger talent, ability or force.  Not influence, money or recognition but prayer!

That’s why I love David so much.  He’s not just a hot head but a tender warrior with heart.  His thoughts are; I don’t want to engage the enemy without God!  I want to be sure God is on my side.  Because if He is on my side, I don’t care how big the enemy’s army is, how tired I am, or the obstacles I am up against!  If I know He is on my side both to do and to will according to His own good pleasure, I will run anywhere and fight anyone even if it’s all alone!

My wife has this heart!  She will take anyone, even if they are a heroin addict, but only if she knows God is on her side.  She always goes the extra mile after asking God, “Should I go?” and waits for his answer.  Could it be passion?

Something is about to happen in all of our lives!  When it happens, we must go, but first we must stop, knee down and ask, “Should we go up?”  And then do it God’s way!  It’s the only way to victory!

So God says to David, “Go up and I will deliver your enemy into your hands!”  David goes up and defeats his enemy, but as he does it, they hear him chanting, “The Lord has delivered you into my hands!  I rejoice and celebrate His Holy Name!”  It’s one thing to realize you are being defeated, but another to hear your enemy taunting you with praises to God!

So don’t ever fight the enemy with your mouth closed!  Give the Lord your praise!  Give Him the glory!  Give Him the credit and lift Him up while you defeat the enemy!

The secret: Wait on the Lord.  Ask Him what’s next?  Believe in His promise of victory!  Go forth with passion, praise and thanksgiving!

Bless you today!  Love you!