Thursday, November 13, 2025

           1 Samuel 16 tells us the story of God choosing David to be the king of Israel.  David was not the first king of Israel.  That distinction went to Saul.  But Saul lost the throne almost as quickly as he gained it.  He disobeyed God’s instructions in a battle against the Amalekites.  Samuel delivered the news to him that God had rejected him as king and stripped the throne from him and his descendants.  The Bible says, “But Samuel said to him, ‘I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!’” (1 Samuel 15:26).  Saul’s loss would become David’s gain. We immediately learn that God often works through losses and failures to bring forth His purposes and glory.  
            Shortly after Samuel anointed David to be the next king, the Bible says that the LORD was with him (see 1 Samuel 16:18 and 1 Samuel 18:12, 14 and 28).  God spared David’s life when Saul intended to kill him.  God equipped David to stand tall in his battle with Goliath and defeat the Philistine giant.  All that David achieved in his many pursuits and all that He was on a personal level were due to the presence of the Lord with Him. The secret of David’s greatness, the cause of his victories, the source of his overcoming Goliath, the reason for his wise behavior and the strength of his comforting words in the Psalms were all found in the Lord’s presence with him.  David was certain of God’s presence in his life.  He wrote of this great comfort often in the Psalms.  For example, David wrote, “For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you” (Psalm 71:5-6). 
            David knew he was never alone.  He tasted the Lord’s goodness and grace on many occasions in his life as a shepherd, a king-in-waiting and finally as an entrenched king over God’s chosen people.  Loneliness is a real emotion.  People can feel alone in the workplace or in a hospital room.  People can feel alone in a restaurant crowded with other people. Jesus reminded His disciples (and us) that He would remain with us always even to the end of the age.  There is no expiration date on that promise—Christ remains with His people through every avenue of life and then calls His people to the home He has prepared for them.
            The approaching Thanksgiving holiday is an occasion for us to do a spiritual inventory and assessment of all the times and places where we have experienced the power and grace of God.  His goodness abounds to His people.  We can trust Him in times of loneliness, fear, uncertainty and dread.  Yet, we can also trust Him in times of celebration and victory.  God was with David in the lean times and the bountiful times.  May we never forget that our circumstances do not dictate whether God is with us or not.  He is.  He is always with His people.  His presence does not fail us or depart from us.  His presence is never contingent upon our feeling it emotionally.  We trust the
promises that He has made to us.
            We can begin each day reminding ourselves that God is with us.  May we always abide in that truth.  The world changes.  Trends come and go.  Life can change with one phone call or text.  But we take joy in knowing that the Lord does not change.  He does not abandon His people or His promises.  The God who walked with David walks with us.  The beautiful promises we find in Psalm 23, a beloved chapter written by David, are promises that we can claim today too.  Perhaps our first and greatest reason for giving thanks this month (and always) is the presence of God with us.  Have a great Thursday!