This is the Sunday sermon at Calvary Temple, India, delivered by Dr. P. Satish Kumar on August 25, 2024.

When David was about 17 years old, God anointed him as the king of Israel! At the same time, Saul, who had also been anointed as king, was ruling in his own way, which God could not bear to see. But in reality, God wanted Saul’s reign to last forever. “The Lord had sought to establish your kingdom over Israel forever” (1 Samuel 13:13).

Dear brothers and sisters, it is not God’s will that we are blessed temporarily, or that we see temporary progress, get a job for a short time, escape financial troubles temporarily, have a temporary family, or be temporarily settled! God’s intention and will are that we are blessed for eternity, that we are blessed as long as we live, and that the generations after us are blessed too! God had the same will for Saul’s life as well. However, because Saul lived a life against God, God grew weary of him and warned that he would lose the throne and the privilege of ruling. “Samuel said, ‘You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue’” (1 Samuel 13:13).

Do not lose God’s intentions for you by willfully sinning! When you sin, your spouse, parents, or children may not see it, but God, who created you, sees it. If God sees you sin and cannot bear it, and rejects you, will you have the strength to bear it? If God grows weary of your life and says, “I am done with you,” is there anyone in this world who can save you? Think about it once!

God rejected Saul when He grew weary of his life, and at the same time, He chose David, who lived according to His will. “The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you” (1 Samuel 13:14).

There are two wills in this world… The first is your will! The second is God’s will!! If you follow your own will, you will invite trouble upon yourself. If you live as someone who pleases God, your life will be a blessing to those around you.

Saul lived according to his own will and brought trouble upon his family. Ultimately, he destroyed his entire family. David desired to do God’s will. Therefore, he was able to protect his family and later ascend to the throne! If God rejoices when He sees you, your life will become greatly blessed. If God is grieved when He sees you and the works you do, your life will crumble!

Saul’s life crumbled! The throne fell! He lost his life! The reason… Saul’s self-willed life!

Because Saul lived against God, he even lost his children.
Dear father and mother, please do not live against God. Your contrary way of life can turn into a curse for your children. David went into the presence of the Lord, realized his mistakes, repented, and prayed, thereby protecting his wife and children. If you are someone who prays in the presence of the Lord, you will be able to protect your family and your children!

☛ David was able to protect his family! 👉 Saul was unable to protect himself, and he could not protect his family. ☛ David became a blessing to his family and those around him. 👉 Saul became a curse to his family and those around him. ☛ The sun set on Saul’s life. 👉 The sun of righteousness rose in David’s life. ☛ Saul’s life came to an end. 👉 David’s life began with a wonderful new beginning.

When Saul died, David did not celebrate; he lamented and wept greatly. The reason… David had a wonderful heart that loved even his enemies! Good days were coming in David’s life. As a result of his perseverance, his faith, and his trust in God, good days were on the way.

Before David began his reign, he prayed! “It happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Go up.’ David said, ‘Where shall I go up?’ And He said, ‘To Hebron'” (2 Samuel 2:1). David prayed in the presence of the Lord, and God told him to go to Hebron. Going to the place God directs and doing what God says is always a blessing!

☛ Hebron is one of the oldest cities in the world! ☛ Hebron is the city where Abraham built the altar! ☛ Hebron is the city where Sarah was buried! ☛ Caleb and Joshua brought magnificent clusters of grapes from Hebron when they went to see the Promised Land! ☛ Hebron is the city Caleb desired! ☛ Hebron is 30 km away from Jerusalem!

It was to this city of Hebron that God directed David to go. We must go to the city God directs us to and do the work He tells us to do. That is our blessing!

David took his family and the 400 men with him to Hebron. Who were those 400 men? “All those who were in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him” (1 Samuel 22:2). Those 400 men with David were not rich or prosperous! They were people who were distressed, going through financial difficulties, and struggling in all ways. David was driven by fear of the enemy, had no permanent place, no food to eat, no shelter, no proper clothes, and was fleeing with his life in his hands. These 400 people came to David because he appeared as someone who understood their struggles. The reason was that David was also going through similar hardships.

At one point, a boy went to a shop that sold dogs to buy a puppy. Among the various beautiful puppies, he chose a small one and asked for it. But the shop owner said, “Son! You can buy any of these dogs, but don’t buy this puppy. If you buy this, it will be more trouble than you can imagine! This puppy has a bad leg and can’t run fast when called. It can’t run with you wherever you go. If you buy it, you will not be happy. So buy a healthy puppy, and you will be happy.” The boy replied, “I still want this puppy; I will buy it. I am the only one who can understand this puppy because I, too, am crippled! So I am the right person to buy and love this crippled puppy.”

Dear brothers and sisters! We are sinners, and the sinless Lord Jesus Christ, who understands us, became a sinner for us. He laid down His life on the cross for us. There is no one in this world who can understand us except Him. He bore the punishment for us, came into this world in our place, and in our form.

When we carefully observe David, we see that those around him were going through troubles, sickness, and various difficulties. Those 400 people stood by David in his time of trouble. David was about to become the king of Israel, and those who stood by him in his tough times would become rulers along with the great king David.

The Bible says that if we endure hardships and struggles on this earth with King Jesus, after this earthly journey, we will live with Him eternally and also rule with Him when He comes to this earth.

Even the 400 people who went through hardships and difficulties were about to experience good days because they followed David, who was being blessed, and he transformed those who were with him into blessings!

When you are blessed, do not forget those who stood by you in your tough times! When you are blessed, do not forget those who helped you and prayed for you! Live with gratitude!

David did not forget the 400 people who stood by him during his difficult times. When he was going to be anointed as king, he took those who stood by him during his tough times along with him. “And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in the towns of Hebron” (2 Samuel 2:3).

If you are going through struggles, illnesses, or financial difficulties in your life, understand that God is allowing these things in your life because He is preparing you to become a blessing to many through your experiences!

Do you feel, “Why is this happening only to me?” Know that behind your situation, there is God’s great wisdom and plan. Your troubles may turn into a blessing for many!