And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David. (1 Chron 11:5)
Jebus was the name the inhabitants gave to Jerusalem before David arrived in the city. Apparently they had an advanced copy of The Lord of the Rings because they tried to stand at the bridge like Gandalf and say, "You shall not pass!" Unfortunately for them, they did not get the memo about God's word which said, "Oh yes, David shalt!"
We can use dramatic words to declare something but without God's will and word backing us up they are just weak human words. Our shalt is only as strong as we art, and that shan't add up to much. I can stand up like the Jebusites and say, "Thou shalt not come hither!" But, if you have God's will and word on your side, then the weakness of my word will quickly become apparent to all as you stomp right over my hither regions. Since neither I nor you want to be found on the historical footnote side of a biblical nevertheless, we like to discover God's will before we try to say, "I will do this or I will do that."
God's will is of course found in His word. Does this thing we want to speak or do abound in the love of God and our neighbors? Will our words or deeds help to build God's kingdom? Are we, heaven forbid, standing in the way of God's work; in which case our hither is about to be hounded forth? These can be tough questions to answer in many a circumstance. So, we need to obey what many before us have found helpful, including our friend David, and come to the Lord in prayer and supplication. The discovery of God's will is a blessing indeed!
Enjoy the break from the heat of July; we are grateful to God for His blessings!
Bucky
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