Having Done All

Having Done All

“Put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to
  stand your ground, and after you have done all, to stand.”
                                                   Ephesians 6:13

If ever a story was to inspire us to give our all to the things of God, to seasons of committed prayer and fasting, and to going after God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, David’s intercession for his ill child is certainly one. The Bible gives us this account, in II Samuel 12, of what David did when his son became sick:

“David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted…. he spent nights lying on the ground…refused to get up from the ground….and would not eat.”
 

That David was willing to do all that for his child is not the surprising part; we would expect that from a “man after God’s own heart”. But still it stands as an incredible example of how we are called as believers to respond to the deepest and most difficult trials we face. “Having done all” is a phrase taken from Ephesians 6:13 above; it is a place of peace that enables us to stand confidently knowing that we have done all we could on our side of the equation of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, that dividing line between our part and God’s part in dealing with life’s problems. In the face of difficult circumstances and discouraging odds, David prayed and interceded with all his heart for God to be gracious to his little child.

The child died on the seventh day of David’s intercession and David’s “having done all” opened the door for him to see the loss of his child in the light of eternity. His servants were worried about him, saying, “he may do something desperate” but he got up from the ground, changed out of his mourning clothes and worshipped before requesting food and eating. His simple explanation of his actions after the death of the child culminated with “I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Having done all, having given his best, David was able to stand again, living in the light of eternity.

In every situation we face today, let’s set right priorities so that we too can say that we have done our all, and from that, find the strength that comes from a life of no regrets, a life that is focused on eternal things.

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church