Read 2 Sam. 5:1-7,10, Ps. 89:20-22,25-26, Mark 3:22-30
“So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.” (2 Samuel 5:3-4)
Finally, David becomes King of Israel. David’s rise to the throne is a story of determination, hard work, and righteousness. Yes, as a little boy, David was anointed by Samuel but it wasn’t until he was thirty that he became substantive King of Isreal. David did not go to sleep hoping that with the anointing he received, everything would just magically fall into place.
Anointing without sweat only amounts to failure. As the saying goes: “Pray as if everything depends on God but Work as if everything depends on you.” God blesses the labor of our hands, He does not provide food straight from the sky. Like a horse led to the river, God does not force us to drink. There is nothing wrong with spending long hours in prayer but something is wrong if we do nothing afterward.
Another lesson we get from David’s ascension to the throne is PATIENCE. Honestly, this is one virtue that is lacking in today’s Christians. We live in a world of fast food, fast internet, fast transport, and fast everything. We want everything to happen immediately. We believe that if things are not happening according to our own set pace, then our enemies are responsible, that God is asleep, or that our prayers are not working.
God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes God grants our prayers immediately, sometimes, God takes us through a process to teach us some lessons while working out the answers to our prayers. Whatever be the case, we must continue to trust God and walk as children of the light. Keep doing what is right, who knows, your current situation might just be a test.
Before you begin to feel that your enemies are in control of your life, why not take out time to count your blessings and acknowledge what God is doing? Why do we fear demons more than we fear God? In today’s Gospel passage, the scribes falsely accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul. These scribes, despite being religious leaders believed more in the power of demons than in the power of God. What a shame!
It can be very painful when you are doing something good only to hear people speaking calumny against you for your good deed. Jesus experienced this pain. He asked them a question: “Can Satan cast out Satan?” If satan begins to fight himself, then he is finished. Satan may be strong but the truth is that God is stronger. Stop ascribing everything to the power of Satan, remember that God is still in charge of your life.
Finally, as one great Saint said: “if you have nothing good to say about someone, then please keep quiet.” Why do we derive pleasure in running others down while presenting ourselves as perfect, complete, holy, and wonderful? Bear in mind that people carry stories about others out of sheer jealousy. Do not be a rumor-monger.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, I trust in you, I know that you are the Almighty Power, free me from the fear of the devil. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor. Bible Study: 2 Sam. 5:1-7,10, Ps. 89:20-22,25-26, Mark 3:22-30).