A Time to Go Forth

Friends 2012 has ended and the New Year is already underway. I hope all of your hopes, your goals, and your aspirations were met this past year. However, even if they were that success is in the past and will not get you through this New Year. That’s why they call it a “New” year. The year 2013 is going to have “New” objectives, “New” obstacles, and “New” opportunities that you will be confronted with. The only way to deal with 2013 is to diligently “Go Forth” and tackle this New Year head on.

II Samuel 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

Here in this text we see that the year had expired and it was time for kings to go forth to battle. You see during those days there was a time for kings to stay at home to rest and to take care of the duties of the monarchy. It was now a New Year, rest time was over and it was time to go forth to battle. However, in this text we see King David staying home at the palace instead. Why did this mighty and Godly king stay at home during this New Year? In other times when kings went forth to battle David had always led his people into war. Many of us know David as the gentle poet, psalmist, and musician. However, David was also a man of war who knew how to fight, how to kill, and how to win battles.

Too many times today we Christians find ourselves “staying at home” instead of serving the Lord the way the Bible teaches us to. Instead of being at church for Sunday school, morning and evening worship, or mid-week prayer time and Bible study; we find ourselves staying at home for whatever reason. Instead of engaging in the many spiritual and moral battles that attack our country and our families today; we find ourselves staying at home and doing nothing. It is our duty to the Lord to be completely faithful and obedient in our service to Him.

You may be thinking like David did and looked to your past service in your excuse for not “Going Forth” in your service to the Lord today. However, you need to learn from David that it is not about your past service that pleases the Lord, but the service you are doing now. You may be thinking like David did and feel like you are too tired in your excuse for not “Going Forth” in your service to the Lord today. There will be plenty of time to rest when the Lord calls us all home to glory. God would surely be pleased if He would find all of His children diligently being warriors, worshipers, and workers of the Lord when he did call us home.

In closing I would like you to ponder on this little fact. We do not know exactly why David stayed at home and did nothing during this time. However, what we do know is that the cost of doing nothing during this time affected David greatly. We know that David commented a great sin that the commentators say he never fully recovered from, though fully forgiven by God. He lost a son and his family was forever in turmoil because he did nothing when it was time to go forth. The Lord speaking through the profit Nathan had this to say to David in II Samuel 12:10,11 “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me…I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house.” What a great consequence for doing nothing!

Friends 2012 is over, but a new season is dawning before us. No matter how old or young you are if you can understand these words, it is time to go forth in 2013. Remember there are consequences for doing nothing when there is work to be completed, wars to be fought, and worship to be made. Serve the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind during this New Year.

Happy Hunting and God Bless

Posted by Mark Newell