Real Life Radio

Jack Hibbs: Christians, the only time we get pressured is because we've allowed ourselves to be pressured. We're not trusting in the Lord. You've got to get it now. Do you think God's like that? Oh man, this has got to happen today. Gabriel, Michael, we've got to get this thing to happen today on Earth, because if it doesn't happen on Earth today, it isn't going to happen at all. God's not like that. He's not up there wringing his hands. Oh, man, do you realize what tomorrow is? He's not like that.

David J: Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I'm David J. Thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's word, the Bible.

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David J: On today's edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack now continues his series called First Samuel with the message titled, "David: A Lapse of Faith." Now, Samuel of the Old Testament was the last judge of Israel and the first of her prophets. So, here in chapter 29, we'll consider how David's fear-based choice led to a lapse of trusting God for protection and provision.

David made the decision to live with Israel's enemy, the Philistines, but God steps in and David is sent back to Ziklag, preventing him from having to fight against his own people. So today, Pastor Jack teaches us that a lapse of faith often begins when we slowly stop seeking after the Lord and try to start managing our fears on our own. David pulled himself into the light of God's will, even in the midst of darkness, and that is a profound way in which we need to live. Now, with his message called "David: A Lapse of Faith," here's Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs.

Jack Hibbs: Chapter 30, verse 1. Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south and Ziklag, and attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire. So David's in route, going back to the Philistine stronghold. In route, they come to Ziklag. They see it destroyed, attacked.

Verse 2. And listen to this. And had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great. They did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. So David and his men came to the city and there it was, burned with fire, and their wives, their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more power to weep.

And David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, remember her? The widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. Then David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people were grieved, every man for his son and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Mark it, please. Circle, please. Underline that. You need that verse at the end of verse 6. Mark that down. This is tremendous. Everything's gone.

How'd this happen? If we were going to do a forensic study on this, let's back up. How did this happen? It all happened because David, in his lapse of faith, thought for a moment, "God will not fulfill His promise toward me. I've got to seek shelter under the protection of the Philistines because Saul's going to kill me."

How does that apply to our lives? When you and I feel like we're backed into a corner, church, listen, when you feel backed into a corner, the temptation is so strong to do something. When I was in high school, during the summer, I used to work for a contractor, and he said a lot of things that I'm still trying to get out of my head. But one of them was, he would pull up in his car, look around, and he'd say, "What's going on?" And maybe at that moment we didn't know what to do, or maybe the stuff didn't arrive, and we're waiting. And he would say, "What are you doing?" "Well, we're waiting." "You're waiting!" Now, this is bad counsel, but listen.

He would say, "Don't stand around. The meter's running. The clock is going. You're being paid. Listen, do something, even if it's wrong." He would always say that. So guess what I used to say? Because then I wound up being a supervisor of a couple of those trucks. "Hey, what's going on?" "We don't know." Don't stand there umming and ahing. Do something, even if it's wrong. And it's like, what did I say? Well, I don't know, let's just start something on fire then. Let's just knock the place down. "Do something even if it's wrong."

When you get pressured into a corner, you say stupid things. You do stupid things. I don't know, honey, we should get it. The guy said it's the last one on the lot. And right now with zero APR and 60 months, no charge, the rate, interest rate, the resale... and all of a sudden, you get genius on the resale value of this vehicle. It's fantastic. Like you feel in thinking you're going to sell it soon. No, you're thinking, "I'm taking this car to the grave with me." It's black, or it's orange, or it's hot pink. Not a guy car, but look at this. And the guy said it's the last one on the lot. Corner, corner, corner.

Hey, don't do that. Don't get into that place. "Well, you know, buddy, you better buy this house because this is a market and I got 25 people that are lined up to buy this house right now. And there's people that are just offering, they're just throwing out the offering price right then and there. So you better... don't you bargain with these people. You better take it." Listen, if God's in it, that guy might give you the house. Oh, could such a thing happen? Watch out. Such a thing could happen.

Don't get pressured in. Christians, the only time we get pressured is because we've allowed ourselves to be pressured. We're not trusting in the Lord. You've got to get it now. Do you think God's like that? Oh man, this has got to happen today. Gabriel, Michael, we've got to get this thing to happen today on Earth, because if it doesn't happen on Earth today, it isn't going to happen at all. God's not like that. He's not up there wringing his hands. Oh, man, do you realize what tomorrow is? He's not like that.

So David's in the panic. That's how this whole thing began. It evolved in a path that is now leading from compromise to destruction. And all that is precious to them has been taken away by an enemy power, by an enemy force. And so they're thinking of stoning him. This is their great leader. I tell you, we so easily glance over, we don't think about it. Remember, David is the Army Ranger, Navy SEAL, Marine. He is it. There's nobody in Israel who can fight better than David. I mean, his men could probably take him on and he could probably carve them up.

He's so down. He's so low, and he is so in trouble that his own people said, "You know what? There's rumors. Hey, you know what? I lost my son. I lost my daughter. I lost my wife. Their bodies are not here, so they must have been taken captive." That's almost worse. There's no closure on this. We're just a bunch of ragtag guys. What can we do? And plus, you're our leader. What are we doing? We're hiding out with the camp of the Philistines. That's really inspiring.

See, when the chips begin to tumble, popular opinion will shift in a second. The tide can change so quickly. "David, we love you! Oh man, Saul's killed his thousands but you, David, you've killed ten thousands. You're our man! David, David, you're the man! David, David, if there's a giant, who can kill him? You can!" Then they come home and their houses are all ripped up, torn up. And what do they do? They're just people. "Somebody find me, give me a rock. All those in favor of David, raise your hand." Your polls are slipping. They're going to kill him. Do you think he's low? That's why you can correlate in the book of Psalms how he pulled out and he wrote Psalms at times like this. You want to read Psalms that will bless your heart when you're down and you feel outcast? He strengthened himself in the Lord.

David J: You're listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. To learn more about this ministry or to catch up on some previous episodes, go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. And now, let's get back to today's message. Once again, here's Pastor Jack.

Jack Hibbs: Turn and we'll end with this. Turn to Psalm 139. I know what time it is, but I'm still on Hawaii time, so we're going to go another three hours. No, I'm kidding. we're almost done. He strengthened himself in the Lord. Psalm 139. "O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off." Why did he write that? Nobody understands David at this hour. He doesn't know if he's going to be alive the next hour.

God knows everything. Christian, hey, for that matter, non-Christian tonight, God knows everything about you and He loves you silly. He loves you much. It always blows my mind to think that God loves people who are sinners, too. And then the Lord says, "But Jack, that's you." And I say, "Well, yeah, I know, Lord, but You forgave me all my sins." "Yeah, but I loved you, Jack, before you came to me." And then I start... and He says, "You know what? Just put a sock in it, Jack. I have loved you, and with an everlasting love have I drawn you. I've been doing that in your life, your whole life."

He understands my thought afar off. I wonder if David thought he was going nuts at this point. "What have I done to my family, to my friends, to my soldiers, to my future? What have I done?" You comprehend... the word comprehend is a bizarre word in Hebrew. God knows everything so much about us. This kind of fries our circuits. He not only knows what we're going to think, say, and do tomorrow, but He also knows things that we will not say, think, or do tomorrow. He knows both the actual and the probable. Isn't that weird?

Like, okay, if I'm going down that road and I choose to go left and I wind up at this beautiful spot, what would have happened if I would have went right? God knows. "Yeah, but I didn't go right." Yeah, but God knows what would have happened if you would have went right. Isn't that weird? In theology, it's called the decree of God. He knows all things actual and probable, or what is not happening or did not happen or will not happen, but He knows the outcome if they were to happen. Isn't He big? Doesn't that just kind of... poof.

You comprehend my path and my lying down, You are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before. Do you think David needed God's help right now from his own people? You laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it's high, I cannot attain, I can't get to that kind of knowledge.

Where can I go from your... look in your Bible, it's a capital S. That means Holy Spirit. Where can I go from Your Holy Spirit? See how he strengthened himself in the Lord? He's preaching to himself. Where can I go from Your Holy Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," listen, verse 11, that's his heart. People, listen, this is David talking to David. This is the best-selling book, New York Times best-selling book, David on David. He says of himself, "If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me,' even the night shall be light about me." That's a man pulling himself into the light of God's will, even in the midst of darkness.

Christians, we need this bad. Don't take this pathetic teacher's inability to communicate the magnitude of what that verse means. People, if you're having a problem or if you intend to have a problem, you better mark this verse and preach it to yourself. Meditate on it. "Indeed," verse 12, "the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You." Why is he saying that? Because he's in darkness. He needs the Lord's presence like never before in his life. I need help.

For You have formed my inward parts and You have covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You. Oh wait a minute, David, I can give you ten thousand reasons why you shouldn't. No, I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows right well. My frame was not hidden from You. You are in control of everything. When I was made in secret, in the womb of my mother, in conception, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. By the way, that's a reference to his mama's belly.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. Wow. Modern-day Christian biologists and chemists are saying that this could possibly be a reference to God revealing to us His understanding... of course, I'm not coming to this, but He's sharing with us now through this passage with what we've come to know of DNA. God knows the freckle you have, and He knew before you were conceived. And at the moment of conception, when it came together, He knew where that little birthmark was going to be, and He knew the color of your hair. It's all coded in the DNA. Your hair color, your height, your everything, it's all there.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book, they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. Verse 17, church, listen. "How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more than the number of the sand; and when I awake, I am still with You. Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men! For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain."

And now he's not talking about his men, but now he's going beyond his dilemma, and he's going over the dilemma of his immediate situation and he's going back to the enemy. He's now coming not only out of the hole, but he's starting to take flight. Verse 20, "For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with complete or absolute hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Is that not real? What a man of God. You say, well, he's got warts. Yes, so do you. And so do I.

Father, we thank you, Lord, for your word. Let it be an encouragement to us. And Father, may Your Holy Spirit be getting through more effectively every day. Lord, cause us to slow down and to listen and to take You in, to apply You to everything. Lord, let us not go to work, let us not go to play, let us not, Lord, in our leisure or in our sweat, Father, let us not forget that You are the engineer of the moment.

And how we choose, what we choose, will matter. And Lord, so often times in our lives, we have made decisions that were wrong, foolish and stupid. And yet You never give up on us, You never stopped. And Lord, I just wonder, do You shake Your head at us? Do You hide Your face in Your hand when we do something stupid? Do You say things like, "When's he going to learn?" Or is Your view and attitude of our blunders so very different?

That when we blow it, Your application may very well be, "Well, he just opened up a door that's going to cause him to be a little bit better, more acquainted with my patience, my mercy, my grace, my forgiveness, and my healing as a good shepherd upon his soul." Father, teach us more Your love for us in every situation.

Thank You, dear God, that You're not a God of happiness, or a God of political correctness, You're not a God of popular view, You're not a God of trend, or You're not a God of a democracy. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. And nothing sways You. And we're grateful tonight because Your Bible tells us that You love us with a perfect love, and that neither death nor life, nor any created thing shall separate us from the love of God.

So, Lord, if we find ourselves tonight like David, running, confused and goofed up and even in the point now of being under attack, may we strengthen ourselves in the Lord, in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

David J: Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio and his message called "David: A Lapse of Faith." You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called First Samuel, a series highlighting the prophet Samuel, who was called by God during one of Israel's darkest times to bring the people back to a heart of true worship. And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.

So as you've heard from our broadcast, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And if you'd like to know what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life personally, we would love to help you out with that. Go to jackhibbs.com/knowgod. That's K-N-O-W God. And there you'll be guided through what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life and the freedom that you'll find in knowing God. Don't miss out. That's the Know God tab at jackhibbs.com.

Hey everybody, have you ever thought about what's after life? Do you know that the Bible teaches life is after life? If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, my good friend Philip De Courcy has written a great book, and that's the title: *Life After Life*, exploring the Bible's wonderful promises about heaven and eternity. Published by Harvest House Publishers, get a copy for yourself. *Life After Life* by Philip De Courcy, exploring the Bible's promises about heaven and eternity. It's available for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com.

Hey, thank you again so much for listening. And if you'd like to hear or see more of what we do here, you can always go to jackhibbs.com for all the latest on what's going on with this ministry. And please, if you're ever in the Southern California area, come see us at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. We'd love to see you there in person. It has been so good to be with you today, and I pray you find yourself in the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. See you on the next episode.

This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His word. We'll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.