3 Day Devotional: I Insist - Day 1

Scripture
2 Samuel 24:1-4 (NIV)
Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.” But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.

Reflection
Most of us do not think of ourselves as rebellious people. We love God. We pray. We worship. We try to make good decisions.

Yet rebellion often appears in subtle ways. Sometimes it shows up when we refuse wise counsel. Sometimes it appears when we make plans without seeking God's direction. Sometimes it happens when we become more confident in our abilities than in God's provision. Often, rebellion looks less like openly defying God and more like insisting on having our own way.

That is what happened to David. Instead of trusting God's provision, David insisted on having his own way. He insisted on conducting a census, even when Joab questioned him. David's problem was not counting people. The problem was what the counting revealed. Somewhere along the way, he began trusting numbers more than God.

We may not count soldiers, but we count plenty of things—money, accomplishments, influence, and possessions. The danger comes when we begin trusting those things more than we trust God.

Faith often requires surrendering our way so that we can embrace God's way.

Reflection Questions
Where am I tempted to trust what I can count instead of trusting God?
Have I been insisting on my own way in an area of my life?
What warning signs or voices of wisdom have I been ignoring?
Prayer

Lord, forgive me for the times I trust my own strength, resources, or plans more than I trust You. Help me surrender my will to Yours. Teach me to seek Your direction before insisting on my own way. Amen.