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Casting

Champion Day 10 Casting Out The Shadows

June 10, 2022 by Jami Stroud Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Samuel 17:16-50
2 Samuel 5:1-5
2 Samuel 11
Psalm 51
Romans 8:38-39

Champion, Day 10

A repentant, handsome poet, and songwriter with charm, intelligence, and swagger – a man after God’s own heart.

An adulterer, polygamist, and murder conspirator with a tendency to ignore important issues, and do whatever it takes to get what he wants – even at the expense of others.

These descriptions sound like two completely different men, and I don’t know about you, but I am more interested in being associated with the first guy than the second.

But all of those characteristics describe one real, historical person, King David.

Most of us are familiar with David. He spent his early years shepherding as the youngest of 8 brothers, bravely taking down the menacing giant Goliath as a teenager, and eventually rising to power as king of the Isrealites. It’s common for us to uphold David as a hero and shining example of who we should be as God’s people and gloss over the corruption of power, flagrant misconduct, and general carelessness that also characterized this Biblical man.

In a way, I understand the value of seeing David through grace-filled eyes, as this is how God sees us, thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

However, without discussing the full truth of David’s wrongdoing, we falsely believe David possessed innate righteous heroism, and, in comparison, we have nothing to offer because we could never be as brave, upstanding, or godly as David.

In reality, David was a complex, complicated human just like you and I, yet God still called him a “man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) and chose him as the king of the Israelites. The hero of David’s story is not David, but God.

David’s story seems like the plot of a movie.
A shepherd boy who defeated a giant and was anointed as the next king at a young age.

A musician and songwriter who gained the favor of King Saul, only to be hunted by him soon after when jealousy took root in King Saul’s heart.
Taken with one of his men’s wives, he called for her, had an affair with her, and
got her pregnant, then had her husband killed to cover it up.
Married multiple women and did as he pleased.
Refused to discipline his children which led to turmoil and trauma within the family.
And woven throughout each of these moments are David’s prayers of repentance and psalms of praise to God.

David’s story is not linear or straightforward. It is complicated and wrought with bad decisions, devastating loss, incredible favor from God, humility, and repentance. He wasn’t redeemed from a tragic past before God chose him to lead. His sordid stories and the ups and downs of his life happened alongside his journey from shepherd boy to anointed king to warrior to leader of Israel.

What matters about David and his story, and what is the most compelling, is that over and over, God redeems his story. God relentlessly pursued David’s heart, and continued to use him to unfold God’s plan for Israel.

As I reflect on my current lot in life, I am in a valley moment, where David found himself countless times. (Psalm 23:4) I feel far from God and hope has become overgrown with loss and disappointment and unmet expectations. I feel like David, hiding away in a cave wondering if God will rescue me, or turn me over to my enemies.

If I am honest with myself, the darkness feels safer.
In the darkness, no one expects me to be more than I am. Nothing changes for worse or for better. Simply existing on my own seems like the best possible option.

Without looking at the entirety of David’s life, we miss the significance of how each moment prepared him for the next and how God’s sovereignty and mercy covered every transgression.

We have the advantage of seeing David’s life from a young boy until he dies. We can see the arc of God’s Sovereignty made clear through his stories and psalms. We can see how God chose him and worked through him to accomplish salvation for all people through David’s lineage. We can see how, in spite of and because of David’s scandals, God showed us His unyielding pursuit of our hearts. We can see how much God desires a relationship with us – children after His own heart.

We don’t get to see the full picture of our own story, but God already knows.

And so, in the midst of our valleys, or when we feel safer in our darkest moments than in the light of day, we can rest assured that God is not finished with us. There is no barrier too big, no sin too wicked that can separate us from the love and power of our Champion.

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(Romans 8:38-39)

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Champion Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Posted in: God, Humility, Jesus, Love, Power, Redeemed, Sacrifice, Shepherd Tagged: Casting, champion, chosen, David, God's Heart, Grace-filled, repentance, Shadows

Open Day 8 Casting Out Fear

August 7, 2019 by Audra Watson Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 8:14-17
1 John 4:18
John 8:36
Isaiah 61:1

Open, Day 8

Freedom. Such a profound word, but it carries a vague meaning when it comes to my mind.

When defined, freedom means, the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

Initially, when I read that definition I thought, “I’ve always acted in freedom”, but as I look back on my life I see a different story, I see a girl who was very afraid.

Afraid to talk to people.
Afraid to speak my mind.
Afraid to use my God given gifts.
Afraid of being vulnerable.
Afraid to get hurt.
Afraid to truly live.

Fear has always crippled me.
Even though I gave my fear other names, like being shy.

As Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Meaning that my spirit of fear was a stronghold the enemy had in my life and was using against me. Satan had me where he wanted me, cowering in fear and not living up to my call.

But, though the years, the Lord has been chipping away at the enemy’s territory.
He has been cutting out all the things I was afraid of and replacing it with His perfect love.

I was afraid to sing, yet God has placed me on stages leading worship.
I was afraid to speak, yet God has placed me in front of audiences speaking.
I was afraid to write, yet God has placed me in this ministry writing His word.
I was afraid to be vulnerable, yet God has allowed me to open my heart to others.
I was afraid to make mistakes, yet God has redeemed those mistakes for His glory.

I have been engulfed by a love so captivating, welcoming, and endearing that my fears are swallowed up by it.
This love fills all voids.
This love transforms.
This love empowers.
This love casts out all fear.

Through this vast love, the Lord has shown me the truth of John 8:36,
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!”

A few months ago, I was meeting with a brother and sister in Christ as they shared some things they felt God pressing upon them for me. They described the image of a heart completely black, but then God took a paint brush and painted the heart completely red as the once-black-heart began to beat.

This was my own heart.
Black from my sins and brokenness, but God didn’t allow my heart to stay that way He took His time to repaint my heart, giving it color and new life. He pursued me, chasing away my fear, and bringing me freedom through His love.

That is true freedom. Being transformed from the inside out.
God’s sweet love cascading into our lives radically shifts our hearts, overflowing into our everyday lives.
Freedom is allowing God to remove you from bondage and give you a new life!

I had been walking into freedom for years, but in that meeting, I was shown how God wanted me to claim the freedom He had already given me.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Which means I can say in full confidence that God has freed me from my spirit of fear.
This doesn’t mean that I never get scared or think fearful thoughts but it does mean I’m not in bondage to those fears. I can point out when Satan is trying to attack me, and I have strength through the Holy Spirit to walk in the freedom afforded me through Christ.

How does this transformation connect to living with open hands,
ready to live out the hospitality of Jesus?
Because I’ve experienced this love, I am deeply passionate about sharing it, helping others to experience God and His perfect love in the same way I have.

In Matthew 8, Jesus performs another miracle and heals Peter’s mother in law. After she is healed, she gets up and begins serving Jesus. That night, many people were brought to Jesus and also received healing of their bodies and souls.

This woman encountered the perfect love of Christ and gets up, goes out and serves Him. And her serving results in others encountering that same love.

Sisters, this is our call as believers!
We are not simply to help people meet the Christ who profoundly loves us, but also be small streams of Christ’s love flowing outward onto others.

Isaiah said, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”

Sisters, what has God healed you of or freed you from?
How have you allowed this good work to transform the way you serve and love and live and operate with openness?

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Open Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Open!

Posted in: Captivating, Freedom, God, Jesus, Love, Open, Power, Truth Tagged: afraid, bondage, Casting, empowers, fear, new life, Out, Perfect Love, right, Self-Control, transforms

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