Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
We love to hear the story of David and Goliath, over and over, how he slew that giant with his well-aimed pebble (and the giant's own sword, of course). What was it that motivated young David to do this great deed? (The New English Bible says that young David had "bright eyes," clear vision, 1 Sam. 16:12.)
It's easy to understand: David's motive was not a desire to marry the king's daughter Michal, nor any reward King Saul could give him. He was thinking only of the honor of the Lord: "Who is this pagan Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" He told Goliath, "I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, ... whom thou hast defied ... that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel" (1 Sam. 17:26; 45, 46).
Why do we serve the Lord, keep holy His true Sabbath, pay our tithe to the church, do missionary work, obey Titus 2:12 (NIV) by saying "No!" to ungodliness and worldly lusts? Is it that we are scared to give in to these lusts? Is it fear? Or has the Lord delivered us from this Old Covenant motivation of self-seeking? Are we now thinking of the honor of Jesus Himself? (It's so painful to Him, to be ashamed of us!)
The New Covenant motivation takes us to the cross of Jesus where we see for ourselves "the breadth, and length, and depth, and height" of the love of Christ (agape), "which passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:18, 19).
What joy, to forget self and serve the Lord motivated by His love!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 30, 2008.
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