David 3 - When things go wrong
David 3 – When Things Go Wrong NV 7/1/01 pm
OS: A The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat is a part of living.(bowl a strike/gutter; homerun/strikeout; birdie/double bogie;)
I. When it happens in a sport its one thing, but when it happens in life it’s a whole other ballgame altogether.
A. From the promotion to the loss of job, from the month it seems you are getting ahead to the month you can’t seem to make ends meet.
B. From being on top of the world to going under a rock is quite a change of scenery.
C. Life is like a roller coaster. Exciting, scary, thrilling, bruising, and fun all at the same time.
II. Tonight we come to a place in David’s life when his ride of life is beginning to bruise and become scarier than anything else.
A. Up until now everything has been going David’s way.
1. He was strangely anointed by the Prophet Samuel.
2. He is selected to play his harp for the king.
3. He wins a crushing victory over the giant Goliath.
4. He is given a place among the leaders of Saul’s army.
5. He is victorious in every campaign or battle, and his reputation spreads.
6. He marries one of the King’s daughters and now he has a wife that actually loves him.
7. He has discovered that once in a lifetime friendship with the king’s son of all people. (Now his brother-in-law)
B. David had it all going for him. All that any young man in David’s day could hope for was his.
1. From time to time the softball team enjoys this kind of success. Everybody hits, everybody catches, everybody feels good. And then it’s like a light switch.
III. All that David has is taken from him.
A. 1 Samuel B 18:8-9, *28-29; C 19:1;*21:10; *22:1
B. Position, king, friend, and wife are all taken.
C. The way David handled this turn of events will surely hold some lessons for us.
D. So let us ask David, “How do you handle it when things go wrong?”
I. D Tell God about it.
A. *Psalm 142:1-4
B. E Philippians 4 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1. There is something about telling our story that relieves the pain.
C. There is a king in the making here, and the number one rule to be a good king is to depend totally on God for everything.
1. God has placed David in a position to learn that lesson.
2. “It takes a hard cold winter to prove that a tree is an evergreen.”
3. “Smooth seas do not make a skillful seaman.”
4. *Psalm 57:1-2
II. F Be thankful for every blessing.
A. *Psalm 34:1-7, 18
1. David became afraid in Gath (21:12), and certainly feared for his life.
2. As David foamed at the mouth and pretended to be a mad man, I’m sure he was praying for deliverance.
III. G Accept the ways that God delivers.
A. *1 Samuel 22:1-4
1. God did not return David’s position, or anything else, but he surrounded him with people who cared.
2. Remember Psalm 142:4, “Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me.”
IV. H Be Active in doing what you know to be right.
A. We tend to sit around and rehearse our woes. (Pity Party)
B. 1 Samuel 23, David saves Keilah.
C. The alternative is to become bitter, and bitterness never made a problem go away.
Tell God about it, be thankful for every blessing, accept God’s way of deliverance, and keep on doing what you know to be right.
I Sometimes when we peer through the window of our heart and look at life everything is crystal clear and just right. But, suddenly, out of nowhere the window of our heart is shattered. Days, months, sometimes years when nothing seems to go right. They key is being able to see Go through shattered glass.