Is There Not a Cause

1 Samual 17:29-30 ESV
“Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”

We have people in our lives that always remember the bad we have said and done. They also may just remember what they want to remember even if we did not say or do anything wrong.

David had already been anointed as the next king over Israel and I believe his oldest brother resented it. So in an outlash Eliab hurls insults at David in front of the soldiers, his way of taking a jab at David.

The New King James Version gives David’s response; “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” My interpretation, since I’m the youngest of six boys in my family? “Really? I can’t even walk in the room without you jumping down my throat.”

I believe these five words would end up haunting Eliab, “Is there not a cause?” or, “is there not a reason for me (David) being here, right now, on this day, at this hour, for a divine purpose?”

In just a few hours David would do something unbelievable and at the same time shut the mouth of his worst critics, his family. David would kill Goliath, the Philistine giant, with a rock and then finish the job with Goliaths own sword.

Don’t glory in the shutting of the mouth of David’s family, and miss that there was a cause, and David would go on to work that cause for the rest of his life and be known as the man after God’s heart.

Are we cause driven? God has a destiny and we have no idea what Giant He may have for us to slay. In the might and the power of God today, let’s go out and fulfill the cause that God has laid before us.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, our cause that we have in our minds is not as great as the cause you have placed in our hearts, our destiny. We want to fulfill Your cause today. In Jesus name, Amen!