Struggle, Battle, Tribulation

# 367 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 26:19 "Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.' ( 1 Sam 26:19) In hindsight, we know the answer to this question is that God allowed a distressing spirit to come upon Saul because of Saul's own disobedience. It was this distressing spirit of jealousy that had riled up Saul and caused this life and death cat and mouse game with David. Why would God, in His sovereignty allow such a thing to happen to His anointed? (David) It's so tempting to ask that question of God in the midst of our own trials and temptations and begin to doubt the love of God, but if we study this portion of Scripture and read the Psalms that David wrote because of this experience we can see that God desires to teach us the realities of the spiritual warfare involved in following Christ. It's true, following Christ involves struggle, battle, tribulation! Yet, if we are willing, we can learn with David that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28) And no matter the struggle, God's love for us is not diminished. Ro 8:35-39 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Please note, these are all things that David experienced in his struggle with Saul) 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Be a conqueror! Cling to the cross, and know that in all your perils God never ceases loving you, and never ceases His desire to spend eternity with you. Father, help me through my trials today. Conquer my fears through Jesus!