The one whom the Lord is with and triumphs over
Scripture
NIV (New International Version) 1 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines. 2 David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to David and brought him tribute. 3 Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, in the vicinity of Hamath, as he went to set up his monument at the Euphrates River. 4 David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses. 5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand Arameans. 6 He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went. 7 David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Tebhah and Kun, towns belonging to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea, the pillars and various bronze articles.
Meditation and application
Written by Dallas Willard “You cannot fully receive and enjoy the power of the Lord without letting go of what the world asks of you.” 1 Chronicles 18: 8 | The victories and accomplishments of the world have real value and meaning when they are presented to God. For David, the battlefield was not just a site of victory, but a quarry for the temple to be built. The bronze, a weapon of the enemy, became a bronze vessel in the temple that served God through the hand of David. Your achievements in the middle of the world shouldn't be looted just for you. When we are willing to give God our hard work and priceless victories, our lives are used as sacred ingredients to build the Church.