11-09-23-ENG.

"Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. "

Psalm 37:5 
BIG BROTHER

Read It: 1 Samuel 17:28-30
Did you know there are some people out there who don't want to see you carry out your commitment to God and tap into His power? You can see this very clearly in today's reading, an interesting exchange between David and his older brother Eliab. David was only in the camp because Jesse had sent him there with food for Eliab and David's other brothers. And David was only upset about Goliath's challenge because Goliath was making God look bad. But Eliab wasn't plugged into any of that. So he challenged David. "Now, boy, you know you belong with those sheep. Leave this mess to the men. What are you doing down here anyway? You and I know that you think you are something. You think you can do a lot. I remember when you were little. You would be running around the house talking about what you could do. Go home." Now you ask, "Where does it say Eliab said all that?" It's in the Hebrew Eliab was burning with anger against David probably because he was burning with embarrassment that he didn't have the guts to face Goliath. See, Eliab was utterly powerless because he wasn't plugged into the power source.

All he could see and hear was big, bad Goliath. So he tried to deflect the attention away from his inadequacies by attacking David and accusing him of having all kinds of wrong motives. But when you're thinking with God's mind, you don't have to be intimidated idated by anyone-be he a giant or big brother! I love the way David answered Eliab in verse 29. You can see right here why God wanted David to be His king. I mean, this cat wasn't taking any stuff even as a kid. David protested that he was just asking a question, and then he checked again to make sure the others hadn't heard him wrong. Now Eliab probably didn't know he was stifling the work of God in David's life and in Israel. So he wasn't the real enemy, and neither is the person who may be trying to hold you down. Think About It Sometimes the people who want to stifle you are in the enemy camp. Sadly, at other times they may be in your own household. Either way, you can't let them intimidate you.