Shepherd To King-Day 12

09 Sep Shepherd To King-Day 12

Scripture: 1 Samuel 21:10-13 – NLT: “So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. ‘Isn’t this David, the king of the land?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t he the one the people honor with dances, singing, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?’  David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him.  So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.”

Read the full story here in 1 Samuel 21!

Observation: Fear happens to many and in many different ways. When we are fearful, we may act out of character or do things, such as lie, because we do not want to face what we are scared of. 

Application: When I was younger, I knew who God was and the impact on my life he would have, but that actually made me afraid. Fearful that every mistake in the future would cost my relationship with Jesus— too scared to live like him because I believed that if I tried and failed, God would punish me as a sinner. Out of that fear, I ran and did not pursue my relationship with God.  I stopped going to church and was stuck in this phase where I was just a believer of Christ rather than a follower.  This caused me to feel guilty, and unsure of how to face my fear or have a real relationship with God. I was asking God to help me and to show up in my life, yet I lived my life with no regard to his Word.

Last year, a great friend of mine invited me to The Journey so I decided it was time to look beyond that fear, and put more time and effort into my relationship with God. With the encouragement from my friends, I decided to join in the gatherings every week, and not run away from my fear, but instead, confront it and run to God. Week after week, I realized that this relationship was not just about effort, but about my faith towards Jesus. I was so drawn into the way that The Journey taught from the Bible as the Word of God. I discovered so many new ways to praise and learn about God: going to Journey Students every Tuesday night, worshiping through music, and serving in a place of interest every weekend, such as the Communications, Impressions, and Journey Students teams. It took time, but I noticed myself listening to worship music at home, opening my Bible app first thing in the morning, telling my friends who didn’t know God about the love of Jesus, and eventually getting baptized.

Looking back, I realize that I was doing the same thing as David when he was fearful of King Achish of Gath— I ran. While there was still apprehension, this time I faced it and dove in head first. This time was different. My fear of the world that had come from my lack of trust in God, turned into a reverential fear of God that was born out of my trust in him. Proverbs 9:10 explains it perfectly. It says, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” It is perfectly normal to have fear of the Lord, but it is what we do with it that is most important—whether we choose to embrace that or let worldly fear run our lives, or chase down that worry until it no longer holds power over us. It all starts with acceptance and putting that faith in God and running towards him, leaving every worry that comes from the world behind. I am so happy to have faced my fear  and to see the outcome it has had on my life within a year. God will give you peace from that fear too, if you earnestly seek him through reading his Word, practicing a slot and spot, and putting your full trust in him!

 Prayer: God, thank you for leading me on such a great path to faithfulness and meeting you. I want to thank you for never giving up on me when there were times where it seemed like I gave up on you. I pray that you see others’ fears of the world and their lack of trust in you, and turn that into fear from their faithfulness in you. I pray you see and put a hand on everyone who is in their journey towards meeting you and knowing you better. I have faith that you will patiently help and guide so many others to come to know you and live like you. Thank you, God, for being patient and loving unconditionally. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Next Steps:

• Read your Bible: Start with a slot and spot! If you’re having trouble with consistency, just start somewhere- even just a few minutes a day of intentional time with God will have a major impact on your life! Find a quiet and comfy place, pray about what you need to hear, flip open your Bible or a Bible plan and allow God to work through you to give you wisdom!
• Try something new: Try to incorporate God into your everyday life! You can listen to worship music in the car, on your way to work, or even while you’re cleaning. Serving is another great way to meet others who are on a journey with Jesus as well. You can serve in many different areas and learn more about how through us, we can spread God’s love!
• Listen to past messages: Everyone starts somewhere! A great way to get more involved with the Word of God is to find a series that you think will truly speak to you. Here is one of my favorites by our Lead Pastor, Mark, from the Gratitude Adjustment series.
• Read tomorrow’s devotional: Hear from other individuals on their path and journey they took with God and how it led them to their faithfulness and where they are today!

Arianna Baez/Communications, Journey Students and Impressions J-Teamer 

Arianna Baez has been attending The Journey since October of 2021. She started serving on the Impressions Team as she loves to meet new people and encourage others. She branched off into the Communications and Journey Students teams where she can show off her creativity and help other students find Jesus like she did. It’s a passion of hers to encourage and lead other people to find Jesus and their calling from him!