Godly Convictions

Psalm 132:1-12

1 Lord, remember David

and all his self-denial.

2 He swore an oath to the Lord,

he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3 “I will not enter my house

or go to my bed,

4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes

or slumber to my eyelids,

5 till I find a place for the Lord,

a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 We heard it in Ephrathah,

we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:[a]

7 “Let us go to his dwelling place,

let us worship at his footstool, saying,

8 ‘Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place,

you and the ark of your might.

9 May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;

may your faithful people sing for joy.’”

10 For the sake of your servant David,

do not reject your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore an oath to David,

a sure oath he will not revoke:

“One of your own descendants

I will place on your throne.

12 If your sons keep my covenant

and the statutes I teach them,

then their sons will sit

on your throne for ever and ever.”

Dodgeball is one of the hardest games to police with a large group of students. When we play in

the Youth Chapel, there are a lot of teens (and adult leaders) in a small space, lots of balls flying

back and forth, and (if I’m in charge) loud music and flashing lights just to make things more

chaotic. Because of all these factors, it’s nearly impossible to see every player that gets hit,

every thrower that gets caught out, even the occasional student sneaking back into play. We

largely rely on our students' conviction to follow the rules....which we often find to be unreliable.

I get it. No one wants to be out. That means you don’t get to play and have fun. But, that’s the

only way the game works.

Our walk with God is often similar to following the rules of dodgeball. You don’t always want to

do the hard thing. You know the right course of action laid before you, but you just don’t want to

follow the rules. You want to find an easier way. You want to stick to your simple life. You want to

follow your own rules.

When I sat down to choose today’s passage I was presented with three options: 2 Kings

22:1-10, the story of King Josiah; Acts 7:54-8:1, the story of The Stoning of Stephen; and Psalm

132:1-12, a psalm telling of David’s passion for the Lord’s dwelling place. Ultimately choosing

Psalm 132, I saw a strong theme between these three men.

David had a great love for his God. He had a passion to worship Him. He yearned to give the

God of Israel a permanent dwelling among them.

Josiah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father

David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” He committed to repairing the temple. When

presented with the scrolls, he burned with passion at how Israel had strayed from their calling

and tore his clothing.

Stephen had no fear except his fear of God. He knew nothing more true than that the man

named Jesus was more than just man but the very being of God. And, as he faced death, his

instincts were to look upon the Lord. Not to be rescued from his imminent death, but to praise

Him for His being.

These men knew the Lord and they had conviction to serve him. David felt the conviction to

bring God’s kingdom to earth in the temple. Josiah heard the conviction of the Lord in His word

and cried out in repentance and called on Israel to see their wrongdoing. Stephen felt conviction

to spread Jesus’ name and work, even unto death.

These weren’t monumental events that these men lived out each and every day. David didn’t

build a temple every day (or at all really...); Josiah didn’t redirect the nation of Israel every day;

and Stephen didn’t stand before the mob every day. It was their daily lives that brought them

one step closer each day, their simple decisions that focused them on God’s will each day. The

time they spent worshiping God and hearing His word each day.

I don’t know what convictions God has laid before you but I am sure that something is coming to

mind as you read these words. What are you doing with this call from God? Are you taking the

time to listen to what He has called for your life to be? Are you seeking to live obediently to the

convictions He’s placed upon you to live to the glory of His name? Or, are you more like my

students who just want to keep playing dodgeball, and stick to the simpler life?

God didn’t promise that following Him would be easy. But, when Jesus said that His “yoke would

be easy and burden light”, this is because we know that through the Holy Spirit, God has given

us the power to live obedient lives. If we continue to seek God and take the exciting, scary, hard,

confusing, bold steps forward, He will guide us to His glory.

So as you continue about your day and your week, I leave you with these questions. What

conviction has God placed on your life? What is your step today to live obediently to this calling?