1 Chronicles 18

1Ch 18:1-3 After this it came to pass that David attacked the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines. (2) Then he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became David's servants, and brought tribute. (3) And David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his power by the River Euphrates.

David was a warrior. This was his occupation. He grew up as a simple shepherd. He never had that much action as a kid. His only training was wild beasts. Yet when it came time to go to battle, David knew exactly what he was doing. We are all born with some sort of natural talent. Whether we practice or not, we are good at it. David was a natural warrior.

Let us examine some natural warriors throughout history. Ghengis Khan, great warrior. He took over China. Died falling off his horse. Julius Caesar was a warrior. Julius claimed that “He came, he saw, he conquered.” Julius was stabbed in the back…and the front…and everywhere else. Napoleon is one of the greatest military leaders in history. He was exiled to an island. He came back, took over, was redefeated and reexiled. Then he died.

David died not in battle, but “in a good old age” (1 Chronicles 29:28). Why was David spared? After all, Jesus tells us, “Mat 26:52 But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

David was spared because he did not rely on his natural talent instead he allowed God to use it. Read verse 6, “So the Lord preserved David.” All of you have incredible natural talents the Lord has given you. Some of you can make people laugh while others can play music while others are athletic. Hand your gifts over to Jesus. Allow Him to have complete control of your life. If you hold on to your gifts and rely on them, one day you will find they will fail you. Jesus never fails us!