II Samuel 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said
Would you prefer a life of significance or a life of meaninglessness? To ask is to answer that question. All of us want a life of significance. We want a life that means something. Can you name a great person in the Bible you can account for apart from God? No, you cannot. We read of a lot of mighty people in the Bible who did great things, but these great people are the result of a great God.
For instance, in II Samuel 23 we read about a mighty and great man named David. In verse 1 we are told the following words are the last words of David. Then in verse 8 it says, “These be the names of the mighty men whom David had.” So, in verse 1 David was a man, a king, the psalmist of Israel, then you read about his mighty men. David was a great man who had mighty men.
Now, the Bible is full of absurdities if there is no God, but if there is a God, that accounts for the great people of whom we read in the Bible. The Bible is a book of miracles. You can’t explain the Bible apart from God. If there is a God, then this is exactly what you might expect to read about. If there is no God, then it doesn’t matter in the first place. Verse 8, for example, talks of David’s mighty men and speaks of a man who “lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.” That is not possible or even likely. This is only one sentence in the Bible, but there are so many things we read of that are impossible to explain apart from a living God.
There are other times you read of people like Jonathan and his armorbearer who defeated great odds. I think there was a lot of strategy involved, nevertheless it was an act of God. It was a story of God’s great working. So, you can’t think of any great people in the Bible apart from a great God, and the measure of your might is how much of God it takes to explain you and understand you.
How much of God does it take to explain you or to understand you? Are you merely a person of accomplishment in some way, or are you a person measured by your relationship with God? Think about your words. In verse 1 it says, “Now these be the last words of David.” Then in verse 2 it says, “The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.” So, David was a man whose words can be explained by God Almighty. Does that describe you? Can your words be explained other than that there is a God who animates and governs what you say? Left to your own devices, you can say the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong people, but if God is controlling and animating your speech and your words, what a difference that makes. The measure of your might is how much of God it takes to explain and understand you.
What about your actions? On two occasions, in verses 10 and 12, the Bible speaks of some of David’s mighty men who had victory against great odds. In both cases, there was a great number of enemies that these mighty men fought and “the LORD wrought a great victory.” So, did God defeat the enemy or was it one of David’s mighty men? God won the victory, but he did it through one of these men. How many of your words and actions can be explained apart from the governance, power, and leading of God Almighty.
What about your attitudes? In verse 16 there is the story of David longing for the water from the well at Bethlehem, a well under Philistine control. Hearing David’s longing for this water, some of his men snuck down to the well, breaking through the Philistines, drew out water, and brought it back to David. Talk about courage and bravery! What did David do when he got that precious water? The Bible says, “Nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.” David did not feel entitled, as if he was the leader and the others were just his men. No, David realized that he had much for which to be grateful and his attitude was an acknowledgement of his attitude toward God.
Ultimately, the Bible is not a book of absurdities; it is a book of God. I want to live a life for God, not a life of absurdity. I want a life of greatness in the sense that I am doing what God made me to do. I do not want to live a life of futility. So, let God animate your life today. Be willing and obedient so He can guide your words, actions, and attitudes because the measure of your might is how much of God is takes to explain and understand you.