Originally posted: 4/27/2020

“Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight,” (19:13).

[The events presented in today’s reading, as reported to the returning exiles, are echoed almost verbatim from the writings of the prophet, Samuel. “Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight,” (2 Samuel 10:12).

I always feel a sense of excitement and expectation when God repeats Himself. With that in mind, and especially in light of the uncertainty of our times, I couldn’t help but reconsider the One Who Does What is Good in His Sight. Today’s post is echoed verbatim from my previous post on 2 Samuel 10.]

David’s desire to show kindness, twisted by skepticism and mistrust, results in humiliation and retaliation. And David’s army is once more sent to the battlefield under the competent charge of Joab. And Joab understands… he is surrounded, at the front and the rear.

As a strategic commander, Joab devises his calculated tactic to conquer the enemies. And in the midst of his military planning, he encourages his soldiers and expresses his ultimate hope for victory, “and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”

Ultimately, in this scenario, the enemies were defeated; many fled, while some made peace. But I kept coming back to those words of Joab, “and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” And I too was encouraged as I was once again reminded, no matter what is going on, no matter the battle against us, no matter the outcome, He Does What is Good in His Sight.

Consider Him Who Does What is Good in His Sight

• By His Wisdom He Does What is Good in His Sight.
  • This also comes from the Lord of hosts,
    Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great, (Isaiah 28:29).
  • In all wisdom and insight ⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will… that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, (Ephesian 1:8-10).

• By His Will He Establishes What is Good in His Sight.
  • “Declaring the end from the beginning,
    And from ancient times things which have not been done,
    Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
    And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
    ¹¹ Calling a bird of prey from the east,
    The man of My purpose from a far country.
    Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
    I have planned it, surely I will do it,” (Isaiah 46:10-11).
  • “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. ³⁹ This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day,” (John 6:38-39).

• By His Way He Proves What is Good in His Sight.
  • “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
    Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
    ⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    So are My ways higher than your ways
    And My thoughts than your thoughts,” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
  • Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).

• By His Word He Declares What is Good in His Sight.
  • “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
    It will not return to Me empty,
    Without accomplishing what I desire,
    And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it,” (Isaiah 55:11).
  • “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life,” (John 5:24).

How do we respond to Him Who Does What is Good in His Sight?

• Let us grow to trust His Wisdom.
  • Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; ²⁴ but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord, (Jeremiah 9:23).
  • For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; ²⁷ but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no man may boast before God, (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

• Let us grow to trust His Will.
  • “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope,” (Jeremiah 29:11).
  • The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV).

• Let us grow to trust His Way.
  • Teach me Your way, O Lord;
    I will walk in Your truth;
    Unite my heart to fear Your name, (Psalm 86:11).
  • Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).

• Let us grow to trust His Word.
  • How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By keeping it according to Your word.
    ¹⁰ With all my heart I have sought You;
    Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
    ¹¹ Your word I have treasured in my heart,
    That I may not sin against You, (Psalm 119:9-11).
  • “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock,” (Matthew 7:24-25).

As we grow and are strengthened in faith to trust Him Who Does What is Good in His Sight, He will also strengthen us for the sake of His people and His kingdom.

“Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight,” (2 Samuel 10:12 and 1 Chronicles 19:13).

For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.⁶ For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ, (2 Corinthians 4:5-6).

Let’s Grow Together!