Circle of Grace

David’s Story

“…And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? And David said, What have I now done? Is not there a cause? And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, they servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defiled the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.” (1 Samuel 17:28-37)

What is meant by ‘frame of reference’? According to the Collins English Dictionary, a frame of reference is a particular set of beliefs or ideas on which you base your judgement of things; a set of basic assumptions or standards that determines and sanctions behaviours.

When I read David’s story as it relates to him making the decision to go out and fight Goliath, I was encouraged. For everything that I have faced or will face in life, there must be a frame of reference that I can look back on. There must be something that I have experienced or read in the Bible that will inform my decisions going forward.

My Story

Quite recently I had one such experience. For a couple of years since moving to a cooler climate I was afflicted with pain in my right knee. The diagnosis was that I might be suffering from arthritis or rheumatism. I didn’t want to believe that and I wasn’t going to accept it. I have always been an active person and added to that I travel a lot. I have no time for pain.

Long story short, one day I was reading Mark 7 during my devotions. I came to verses 32-35 where Jesus healed this deaf and dumb man and although I’m sure I’ve read that particular scripture before, this time something was quickened in my spirit. Faith arose in my heart. At that time my knee was really hurting me to the point of tears. I simply could not go on like that anymore.

The other thought that was stuck in my mind, was how God had miraculously healed my brother from a tumor that he himself didn’t know was growing in his brain. The real miracles were him being able to function as long as he did with it, coupled with his speedy recovery.

Those two accounts were my frame of reference at the time and I brought them to the fore of my consciousness. By this time I was in the tropics and knew that I would be super active. And like the kids of today would say, ‘ain’t nobody got time for a bum knee’. So I laid my hand on my knee and I began to rebuke the pain, rebuke the swelling, rebuke the stiffness and I told it to go in Jesus’ name – just like Jesus did in Mark 7. As my prayer wound down I realized, with astonishment, that the pain was slowly dissipating. By the next morning I could wear 3 inch heals without even a pinch of pain. Praise God!

Today, I have one question for you. What is your frame of reference? Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 said, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.”

My declaration today, even as we struggle to get a handle on what is happening with Covid-19, is that the same God that delivered David from Goliath, Daniel from the Lion’s Den and helped the Israelites to cross the Red Sea, is the same God that I serve today. And He is able to deliver us from this as well.

What’s even better, I have a long list of experiences that rises up as memorials and that bears witness to the Greatness of my God, Jehovah. I know that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I am able to ask or think, according to the power that works in me, and I’m working that power sister/brother. Wouldn’t He do it? Yes He Can, and Yes He Will!

Your Story

What is your story based on your frame of reference? It is waiting to be told. It is waiting to be written. What are you waiting on?