Behave Yourself Wisely
More than ever
before, as we all know, this is a perilous season. Satan is aggressive and like
a roaring lion, he is seeking whom to devour, but at the same time God in His
loving kindness is seeking whom to deliver. That is why there is a tremendous
increase in the activities of leadership in the household of faith today. God
called the leaders of this season to be town criers that the kingdom of God is
at hand. They are endowed with wisdom to organize various prayer meetings,
office and house fellowships, men and women fellowship, Bible Studies, Christian
breakfast meetings, prayer night vigils, internet ministries, etc., so as to
give people the divine information they need to live through the perilous
season. In 1st Samuel chapter 18, David was reported that, he behaved himself
wisely. This statement appeared in 4 verses in the chapter – namely verses
5, 14, 15 and 30. It was not a coincidence that this happened in only one
chapter in the book, I believe it was divinely arranged because God is giving
the whole world the message of the season.
The first
contact of David with King Saul after Samuel had secretly anointed him as the
king in Israel was when he was invited to the palace of King Saul to play his
harp so that the king could be relieved of the evil spirit from God that was
tormenting him. From then on, David was going in and out in the presence of the
king. He saved the face of the King and all the people of Israelites from the
forty days harassment of Goliath when he fought him and became victorious over
the war giant of the Philistines. He became an armor bearer of King Saul. His
friend Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved him with passion and with all his heart.
Saul promoted David to be a captain over a thousand and David behaved himself
wisely and the Lord was with him.
After David
defeated and demoralized the Philistines in battle, the women took to the street
to rejoice upon the victory their men had over their enemies. They began to sing
songs of joy, praising their warriors. They sang to each other saying, Saul kill
his thousands and David kill his ten thousands. When King Saul heard this he was
enraged with envy and jealousy. He said, “They have credited David with ten of
thousands but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom. Saul
became tormented again with the evil spirit. And David was playing the harp for
him so that he could be relieved. Two times the king attempted to kill David. In
hateful rage Saul threw javelin to David in attempt to kill him but David was
evasive on the two occasions. And yet, David behaved himself wisely. Saul became
afraid of David because he knew that the Lord was with him.
King Saul had
earlier vowed that anyone who can defeat the Goliath the Philistines giant would
be given the daughter of the king. When it was time for the king to honor his
vow, he gave his eldest daughter, Merab to Adriel the Meholatite to the
detriment of David. But David behaved himself wisely.
After this,
David fell in love with Michal another daughter of Saul. The news came to the
king Saul and he sent message through his servants that he will give Michal to
David. He even assured him that he would not ask for bride price. The only
humble request of Saul in lieu of bride price for Michal would be 100 foreskins
of Philistines. The disgraceful removal of the foreskins of the war-heroes of
Philistines was intended to be a scheme of hatred of the Philistines towards
David so that they could determine with vengeance to kill David at all cost.
Think of this beloved of the Lord; the heart of man is desperately wicked. Saul
intended to use the relationship of David and his daughter to ensnare David that
Philistines might kill him. David behaved himself wisely again and the mighty
hands of God were with him. Instead of 100 foreskins of the Philistines he
brought 200 to Saul and Michal was given to him to be his wife.
David had every
reason to revolt against King Saul for his ingratitude after he removed the
reproaches of the giant Philistines against the Israelites. He had every reason
to be angry with King Saul for not living to his word as a king when he gave his
daughter Merab to Adriel the Meholatite. David had every reason to defend
himself when King Saul attempted to kill him with javelin. David was aware of
the evil intentions of King Saul when he asked for 100 foreskins of Philistines
as bride price for Michal. Saul did not hide his evil schemes; with 3000
soldiers he pursued David to eliminate him. Two times God delivered Saul into
the hands of David when the king slept off in the Valley of Engedi but David
behaved himself wisely, he did not kill the king. David said, “Who can kill the
anointed of the Lord and be guiltiness?
Perhaps we
ponder and ask ourselves, what is it to behave oneself wisely? The
interpretation of this phrase is that when we allow the counsel of God to rule
in our life even in the face of tribulation. It could mean upholding
righteousness against the wickedness of this world and humbling oneself in
obedience to the law of God. Or in simple every day saying, it could mean,
“Take life easy as it comes.” Better still it could mean, “Let God have His own
way in the situation of our lives. Whatever may be our own interpretation of
this phrase, let us learn that we are to behave ourselves wisely in any
situation we find our self as long as we know that God is in that situation with
us.
We may be
wondering why David behaved himself so wisely. Among other things the answers
were that David knew that the covenant of God is upon him. Secondly, he knew
that his loyalty was not limited to king Saul who made him a captain of a
thousand but principally unto God Almighty who had began a good thing in his
life from the shepherd field of his father, Jesse in Bethlehem. Thirdly, it was
not in the interest of Satan that the will of God might manifest in the life of
David, because the Bible revealed the 3-way attack of Satan, “the thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy
. . .” (John 10:10) Regardless of the obvious wickedness of Saul, David humbled
himself before the king and obeyed him.
Even if you did
not realize this before now, you are called out of the wicked world and the
covenant of God is upon your life, in the same way the covenant of God was upon
David’s life. Perhaps for a laudable purpose which God is yet to unfold to you,
He is protecting and preserving you daily. You have been anointed to
specifically function in a unique way for the glory of God. Therefore, your
faithfulness, your commitment and righteous attitude to the calling of God upon
your life and the way you touch others with the beauty of Jesus Christ will
determine your promotion and how far you will go in the ladder of life.
When you are
over 500 miles away from your family and friends, alone at the battle line of
this wicked world, away from members of your church and your pastor, you are
expected to behave yourself wisely under the fear of God in all righteousness.
Do not dipping your hands into sinfulness of this world and do not participate
in their abominable activities so that you will not become a hindrance in the
manifestation of mighty hand God in your life. If those who know you do not see
you in far away country, the eyes of the Lord is watching over you.
God expect you
to behave yourself wisely in your relationship with your spouse and every member
of your family, by fixing every faulty foundation of your family and live an
exemplary life. When God commanded His children in the book of Ephesians,
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord,” and “Husbands, love your wives,
just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her,” God is telling the
couples to behave themselves wisely by honoring His laws in their homes. God
expect to see oneness in the spirit between husband and wife so that their
prayers will not become an abomination.
In this world of
unprecedented hostility towards righteousness when the children of God are under
constant persecutions, God expect you to behave yourself wisely. Let the mind of
God be in you. In the face of anger take counsel from the wisdom of God that
says, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the
patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit
to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8-9) “He
that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit
than he that taketh a city.” (Proverbs 16:32) “He that hath no rule over his own
spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls.”(Proverbs 25:28)
There could be a situation whereby you are sure that you are absolutely right
and that you are not at fault at all. If at this very point you decide to follow
the path of peace, your actions is not tantamount to weakness. Like David you
are simply behaving yourself wisely leaving the vengeance in the hand of God.
Brethren, in any
situation you find yourself in this New Year, always rest assured that the eyes
of God are upon you. In our environment where people show off with their
personal-right legally and thereby relegate the righteousness of God to the
background. Because you are no longer operating as the worldly people, learn the
important fact that you do not possess any personal right that you can lay claim
upon as your own because your righteousness is of the Lord. Always allow the
mind of God to be in you and subject yourself to the wise counsel of God and
behave yourself wisely in all situations. The year will surely yield its
abundance of prosperity to you and the peace of God that passed all
understanding will be your portion, in Jesus name, Amen.
Michael A.
Eleyinafe
