If you were to study the life of David, you would find that throughout David’s life he experienced many life challenges. He slew a lion and a bear (both of which attempted to kill some of his father’s sheep). He stood against Goliath (being the only one willing to fight Goliath on the battle field; God giving David the victory). King Saul threw javelins at David while he played the harp and sang comforting songs to sooth Saul’s heart and soul. After David was anointed to be the next king, Saul searched far and wide seeking to kill David (no doubt to stem the tide such that Saul’s son could become the successor of his throne). After David did become the king of Israel, he had to lead the Israelites into battle against several nations (such as, the Philistines, the Amalekites). One of David’s own sons turned against him and tried to take David’s throne by force. One of David’s close counselors even turned against him.
In reading the summary above, one might ask David how he coped with all of his life experiences; especially some of them which nearly cost him his life? But you might also ask David, “how did these life experiences help in his dependency upon the Lord?” Likewise, you might ask David, “did your praise of the Lord suffer during these life experiences?” For you see, we can allow life experiences to affect us in two ways: 1) we draw closer to the Lord; knowing that He is molding and making us after His will, and that all of our life experiences are designed to increase our faith in Him; 2) we run away from the Lord; because we start to challenge the Lord’s methods, and cry that our life experiences are too hard; and if the Lord truly loved me, He would never let these life experiences come my way.
However, we should not forget what the Apostle Peter wrote concerning our life experiences and God’s intended purpose for allowing them to occur.
1 Peter 1:3-9 states,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
As you can see from the Scripture above, the “trials of our faith” (that is, our life experiences), though they may seem heavy at times are intended to increase our faith, praise, honor and glory unto our resurrected Savior Jesus Christ – for whom we will one day get to spend all of eternity with.
In case you are wondering as to what David’s resolve was with regards to his continual confidence in the Lord through his life experiences, let’s take a look at some of his words from one of his songs as recorded in 2 Samuel 22.
2 Samuel 22:1-7,
“And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.”
2 Samuel 22:31-33,
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.”
2 Samuel 22:47,
“The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.”
So, how do you deal with life experiences? Trust in the Lord.
