There is a passage of Scripture that I have been "chewing on" a lot lately. It's found in 2 Samuel 24 where David decides to number the men of Israel to find out just how many soldiers he had. Joab advises against it (and, the passage makes it clear that David also knew that he should not have done it) and, in the end, the nation reaps some serious consequences.
The MacArthur Study Bible puts it like this in it's commentary on verse 10: "David's insight saw the seriousness of his error in relying on numerical strength instead of on the Lord, who can deliver by many or few."
I find myself often in David's shoes. No...I may not be counting an army...but there is always something else that I want to know about. While I know that I can fully trust God's promises, trust His leading and plan....and know that He will take care of me and my family and give us what is best I find that my flesh is quick to rear it's ugly head to want to "know for myself" to "be sure" to "be in control"...and often it does not look as ugly to me as it should. It is often cushioned in..."I just want to be a good steward" or "I want to plan wisely" but, in my heart, it is nothing more than a lack of trust in God...a questioning of His Sovereignty in all things.
God took David's "questioning" seriously and a lot of lives were lost as a result. My prayer is that the Lord would help me to take MY "questioning" seriously and be quick to repent instead of quick to excuse my thoughts. That I would be quick to be satisfied completely in Christ come what may!
Spurgeon had some sweet words of encouragement this morning and I thought it was a fitting way to end this post:
"The Lord is my portion, saith my soul."—Lamentations 3:24.
It is not "The Lord is partly my portion," nor "The Lord is in my portion"; but He Himself makes up the sum total of my soul's inheritance. Within the circumference of that circle lies all that we possess or desire. The Lord is my portion. Not His grace merely, nor His love, nor His covenant, but Jehovah Himself. He has chosen us for His portion, and we have chosen Him for ours....The Lord is our all-sufficient portion. God fills Himself; and if God is all-sufficient in Himself, He must be all-sufficient for us. It is not easy to satisfy man's desires. When he dreams that he is satisfied, anon he wakes to the perception that there is somewhat yet beyond, and straightway the horse-leech in his heart cries, "Give, give." But all that we can wish for is to be found in our divine portion, so that we ask, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee."
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