The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went.
Surprising. Sensational. Shooting Star. That’s Linsanity. Giving Knicks eight wins out of ten games since his stunning February 4 feat, he became a viral name. With half a million twitter followers and paparazzis digging his roots, he recently pleaded for his family’s privacy. But what he won’t seem to mind being talked about is his Christian faith. He actually prefers to be defined by it. To others, it may seem like an overnight fame, but he saw it as God’s blessings, one after the other. Even his season of being undrafted, overlooked and cut twice were to him training days, spiritually, and by default, skillfully. With their loss last Friday night, which snapped their seven straight winning streak, it all the more proved his humility, and maturity. He knows he’s a work in progress. It’s just exciting to see him greater still considering Who’s behind his road to completion. That’s worth watching :>
Seeing chapter eighteen as another almost copy-paste account from 2 Samuel, my top question all morning yesterday was: so why was this story chosen in light of the remnants? How could David’s war victories be of relevance to the homecoming, ex-slaves? Wouldn’t it highlight their low status all the more? For those who would not guard his heart from despair and envy, probably yes. But to those whose heart is seeking God and His ways, this was the perfect answer. God wanted them to note that He gave David victories because he went, wherever needed. The golden age of Israel wasn’t an overnight sensation. There were long, tiring, bloody battles that David had to go through. The victory was promised but he had to claim it. One unique inclusion here was the mention of the great quantity of bronze that was brought to Jerusalem. God wanted the remnants to have a trace that even the beautiful temple that Solomon built had roots here. His provision for the temple wasn’t a one-time, heaven’s-floodgates-widely-opening. Those treasures had been saved and kept ‘til the appointed time. So as much as God would want to build Israel anew, they needed to actively work on it, not passively wait on it. They had to start somewhere.
In our church bulletin last Sunday, there was a challenge to start on a discipline. It could be a diet, a new hobby, or some family project. Anything. The point is to move those feet from plain wishing to actually doing it. Laziness and idleness according to the Bible is sin. It directly negates the God who is productive and all-powerful. For how could anyone see the greatness of God’s working to and through us if all we do is wait and wonder for a miracle from heaven? His promised blessings of strength, wisdom and success are all in the context of mobility. Not that He can’t do it apart from our inch-contribution, but more for us to experience His grace in detail. Jeremy Lin saw God in his every game. His praise wasn’t after shooting those straight wins. It has always been one game at a time. The ruins of life can be so overwhelming we’re clueless where to start. From today, we heard Him say: just one stone at a time. And when do we start? How about now.
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