“Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels…thought he could kill David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him.” ~ II Samuel 21:16-17
REFERENCE:
Exhausted and alone, David’s back was against the wall, cornered by a Philistine giant. He was too weak to lift his sword to fight because of age, and death was imminent. Ishbi-Benob must have relished the moment; he could avenge the death of Goliath, the former Philistine champ. Would that be David’s end? He found himself in a fatal situation, but what happened next?
The giant lifted his sword to deliver the death blow… ‘clang!’ Abishai showed up from nowhere, blocked the blow with his sword, and parried it away. He covered David and fought and defeated his adversary. Ishbi-Benob failed to see that God never leaves His own unprotected and that they are still under God’s care, even in their weakness. You may push them to the point of surrender, but it does not mean you will prevail over them. They are divinely covered.
Abishai’s name means ‘the gift of a father.‘ What a timely gift from God the Father he was to David on that day. At that point, Abishai’s presence meant more than ten buildings, a Rolex wristwatch, 30 gold bars, Maybach Mercedes Benz, etc. Life meant a lot to David then, which was the gift God gave him in Abishai—a second chance at life, an extension of his life.
Are you in a place where you feel exhausted? Have you run out of breath, valuable lifelines, or ideas and feel exposed? The enemy may think he has you cornered, but don’t forget, God has you covered. The enemy may have thrown you into a lion’s den, but God has you covered. He may have pushed you into a fiery furnace, but God has you covered; bitten by poisonous snakes and the venomous words of men, but you will come to no harm, for God has you covered.
You may be dealing with a terminal illness, financial deadlines, an unjust judge about to pass an evil sentence on you, or a gang up in your workplace that threatens your job. You may feel pushed to a wall with no help, exposed to the power of hell and the wickedness of men. Fear not! God has you covered. Your Abishai, Jesus Christ (the Gift of the Father), will come. He will parry off the death blow, defeat the enemy, and bring you out in Jesus’ name.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Daniel 6:19-22, Acts 23:12-22, and II Corinthians 4:8-9
PRAYER:
As this new week commences, God will send you Abishais to parry away the enemy’s blows and bring you out of difficult situations. Angels will show up for you and stop the rage of satan. May Jesus, the Father’s gift, protect and give you second chances. Anything working against you now turns in your favor. You may feel cornered, but you are covered by God, in Jesus’ name.
Hallelujah
Hallelujah!!!