Daily Devotions

1 Chronicles 21:1-7 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. 2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. 3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? 4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword. 6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.

The life of David was one that took many twists and turns. From the life of a shepherd boy to the throne in Israel. The man who by the power of God slew the giant, yet one known for his gentleness as the one who calmed king Saul with soothing music. Above all David was a man after God’s own heart according to the testimony of Scripture in the book of Acts. But he was one also that faced constant attack from Satan as all Christians do. Two times we can think of when David fell in that spiritual battle. One was the sin recorded in 2 Samuel 11 and the other is here in 1 Chron 21. Satan in an open attack moved David to a terrible sin and then sins in 2 Samuel. But here the tactic is different. Satan here appeals to David’s pride. Would it not be a good thing for all to know how mighty and powerful Israel was? Would it not be a good thing for all to know how many David commanded? David was provoked into thinking it was a good thing but God thought otherwise. You see God wanted David to depend upon Him and not his army. God wanted to be the strength of Israel and not its military. When David numbered his army he was showing the world just how strong he was. In reality he was showing off his pride and a dangerous spiritual weakness. God wants us to depend on Him for our strength today, for our wisdom today, for Him to guide our steps today. We are not to number our days or order our steps. Something are better left in the hands of God. We all will come uder the attack of Satan today. Will we allow him to provoke us or will we allow God to order our steps?

This entry was posted on Monday, November 7th, 2011 at 6:14 am and is filed under Daily Devotions. You can skip to the end and leave a response.