All Washed Up

“So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.”

 2 Samuel 5:20

There is an old expression, “it came in like a flood” to describe an event that occurs suddenly and usually without notice. The Lord came to the defense of David and the children of Israel like a flood against the Philistines and is exactly what the Lord did against the forces of hell when Jesus gave His life for us on Calvary’s Cross. Are you aware that the Lord still comes in like a flood for His children? He does, but like most floods, we aren’t prepared and the Lord catches us by surprise. Surprises can be good or bad, it just depends on what type of surprise it is, and, or which side of the flood you find yourself.

Unfortunately for the Philistines, they were on the receiving end of the flood, the good news for the children of Israel and for king David, and for us too, all their woes were washed away with the flood! David’s were washed away in a flood and our’s were washed away when Jesus shed His blood. The Cross came in like a flood and washed us and separated us from our sin. It’s why millions love the old hymn, “Nothing But The Blood of Jesus”. Read the lyrics here and you too will understand why.

“Nothing But The Blood of Jesus”

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

 
What we have to love about David here in 2 Samuel 5 is how he learns to wait upon the Lord. David is learning not just how to depend and trust in the Lord but David is learning how to obey and wait on God simultaneously. Tough lessons for you and me to learn in a world that has all but replaced the crock-pot with the microwave. For the child of God, patience and dependence allow God both the space to move and the glory to reveal. 2 Samuel 5:23-25 explain the relationship that we can enjoy with the Lord. “Therefore David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.”

Sometimes God says ‘no’ to us when we enquire of Him because He has a bigger ‘yes’! Have you ever considered that when you enquire of the Lord and He says ‘no’ that He does so because He has something better for you? Do you wait and listen for the Lord’s bigger ‘yes’ or do you turn and walk away because you didn’t get the answer you were seeking? God instructs David not to attack straight on but to come around from behind. God fights the battle for us and He will take on our enemy head on and while we reap the benefits bringing up the rear and reaping the victory that He has won for us. There is no defense against the Lord. Fighting against God is like fighting against the wind! Next time you hear the wind roar through the trees be reminded that it is the Lord who fights for you, beloved, and that He is an ever present help to you in your time of trouble.

All of creation is subject to the Lord and He comes in like a flood then and still today God comes to us like a mighty rushing wind. David learned that God is everywhere and in everything and I pray that you sense His presence in everything and everywhere you go today. Be still and know He is God as you listen for that still small voice that speaks to us and leads us to victory that is ours in Christ. Remember, the battle is the Lord’s!

 
“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”

1 Kings 19:11-12

 I LOVE YOU!

Michael Osthimer

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