May 9, 2017. 2 Samuel 8-9, 1 Chronicles 18

In Order.  Give Credit.

Imagine you are at work, and you have been working so hard on a big project.  You finally come up with an amazing idea for the presentation, but before you can pitch it to your boss, your coworker gets to him first. 

Bummer, you worked your tail off coming up with that idea, and now you are not even getting the credit for it.  How does that make you feel? Angry? Hurt? Disappointed? Maybe even like you don’t even matter?

Imagine now how your Lord and Savior might feel when he has brought you yet another victory in your life.  It may even be a small one that you did not even think was that big of a deal, and yet you did not give credit where it was due. 

2 Samuel 8 gives an account of some of David’s amazing victories, from capturing chariots, to foot soldiers, to how he dealt with those he captures.

2 David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.

3 Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah,when he went to restore his monument at the Euphrates River.

4 David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

David was well respected and feared among all the nations.  If you went up against him you were sure to fail.  It was obvious God was with him. God continued to be by his side, bringing him out countless battles, and always providing for him and his men.  But watch how David reacts to all of this:

11 King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: 

12 Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

14 He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

King David dedicated everything that was given to him or won in battle back to the Lord.  He did this for every victory. He give credit to the One who brought him out of each battle, and God continued to bless him. 

Take this as a challenge for yourself, when ever you have a victory in your life, whether great or small, acknowledge the One who allowed for that victory.  Give credit where credit is due.