TOUGHEN YOURSELF

December 23, 2024

1 Samuel 23:12
“Then David said, ‘Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?’ And the LORD said, ‘They will deliver you.’”

Life is not fair, and human beings don’t play fair. To put it mildly, humans are unpredictable and will surprise you when you least expect it. Toughen your heart and expect the unexpected. If you don’t, you will end up in despair.

It’s not easy to love and serve people only to find out that these same people turn around and betray you. It can be heartbreaking, but that is the way of Man. Again, I say, toughen your heart because people will stab that heart repeatedly.

I have wept tears many times because I felt abandoned and betrayed by those I loved. And even when I thought it wouldn’t happen again, it repeated itself many times. I don’t want to sound pessimistic, but fully trusting people is hard.

The Bible says that because Jesus knew what was in Man, He refused to trust the people. The same people who shouted “Hosanna to the son of David” also shouted “Crucify Him.” That’s the human species for you. Untrustworthy.

Despite the pain and disappointment Jesus must have felt, He kept His eyes on the Father and submitted to the Father’s will. In addition to toughening your heart, keep your eyes on your heavenly Father and follow His directions.

David had just saved Keilah from the Philistines, but when he heard that Saul was coming to attack him in Keilah, he asked the Lord if the people of Keilah would deliver him to Saul. And the shocking answer was affirmative. Imagine that!!

David must have been shocked by that response from God, but he did not waste time brooding on that or feeling self-pity. He took the necessary actions to save himself and his men. Don’t brood about betrayal. Move.

So, feeling self-pity won’t help you or change anything. Expect the betrayal. That’s just the reality of life on earth. But toughen yourself and move forward irrespective of what men do to you. That’s what David and Jesus did. That’s what you must do also.

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