The life of everything created is in seasons and phases, and each phase or season has its own peculiarities and challenges. That is the case with the conception of a life, the gestation period of the newly conceived, the birthing of the life, infancy etc. As a matter of fact, a great king who was said to be the wisest man in his time once said: “There is a time and season for everything under the heaven, a time to be born, a time to die, a time to build and a time to destroy….” These seasons and phases often come with their own peculiarities and challenges; a tenable and appropriate solution for a particular season or phase may not be tenable or appropriate for another season. In essence, how you deal with a particular challenge in a season may necessarily not work in another season.
Quite often, we find ourselves faced with such seasonal peculiarities or challenges that leave us at a crossroads, which requires that we make adequate decisions. The decisions we make under such circumstances can either take us back or move us forward.
So what do we do when we find ourselves in such circumstances? We can either choose to learn from those who have gone before us and act on their wisdom or rely on our own wisdom, which most times is limited. A foolproof source of wisdom is the Bible, which is the timeless word of God. In it, we see the lives of men laid bare before us—their weaknesses, failings, strengths and successes.
One of such Biblical characters we can draw lessons from their lives is David, a very familiar figure in the Bible. At different points in his life, we see him faced with different challenges such as having to confront the lion and bear as a young shepherd boy while tending his father’s flock, his encounter with Goliath, King Saul’s relentless attempts on his life, his own son evicting him from his throne etc. But he came out victorious in all his travails.
If people were randomly chosen to summarize or describe the life of David in a phrase or sentence, they will tell you he was a man after God’s heart, which indeed is the truth. I am of the view that one of the striking characteristics that endeared Him to God, and made God say that he was a man after His heart, was because of David’s total dependence on Him regardless of the circumstances he found himself in. He so much relied on God that he never acted without seeking His counsel. He always enquired of God and followed His instructions. He did not rely on his prowess, strength or past record of victory; for him, that was a deal breaker. He was always confident of the Almighty, the only wise God, as His help and counselor. He fought many wars—personal and on behalf of his beloved nation Israel, but never lost any battle.
This reminds me of a story I once heard about a very successful businessman who never made the wrong investment or lost money all through his lifetime because he learnt early in life to trust and rely on God’s guidance. He would always seek God’s face for direction concerning any investment, irrespective of the outlook of the investment. If God told him to go ahead, even when it looked like a bad business deal, he went ahead and vice versa. He never regretted hearkening to God’s voice.
It is our month of total recovery, as God as declared through the mouth of his servant. But we also have a part to play by taking time to seek God’s face over whatever challenges or issues we may be faced with, and we need to carry out His instructions concerning those issues. As you obey, you will recover all in Jesus name.