Multiply

"May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?" -- 2 Samuel 24:3

The story of David is extraordinary. At one point, God said to David, "Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth." (2 Sam 7:9) And on this day, in 2014, on the other side of the world, we all know his name. Even people with no knowledge of the Bible know the "David and Goliath" story. God did indeed make David's name great, like the names of the greatest men on the earth.

All through David's life, God flourished him and gave him success wherever he went. At one point, God is recounting all the good things He's done for David and He says this: "I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more." (2 Samuel 12:7-8) David's successes didn't come from himself, they happened because God was making them happen.

But at the end of the book of 2 Samuel, David wants to count his fighting men. Joab, the commander of David's army, rebukes him like this: "May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?"

Joab saw that David's desire to count his fighting men came from wanting to rely on the resources he could see, instead of God who he couldn't see.

What a temptation that is! I badly want to rely on my own resources, things I can count and see, rather than on God who I can't see or hope to control. Do you relate to this?

But Joab's rebuke calls to me. I think about what he knew: that God can "multiply the troops a hundred times over," to deliver victories and untold treasures into our lives. And I want that. I want that kind of magic and supernatural multiplication of my resources from God. It's not like God could help just a little—He could multiply my resources a HUNDRED times over. What would it look like if God multiplied your resources by one hundred?

And I love that Joab said, "and may the eyes of my lord the king see it." This is not just a pie-in-the-sky hope. This multiplication is something we'll see, physically, in the here and now where we live today.

Here's a painting I made to capture this concept: "Multiply." I didn't mean for it to turn out quite this way, but I like it. Notice that there's a lot of motion and movement in the dark, stormy skies and seas. Notice the leaves kind of blowing around the edges of the tree, hovering there, suspended in the wind. Notice how small the tree is in a big stormy world. Multiplication from God is something we can't control, we have to just go with it, wherever the winds of His Spirit blow us. But that's where we'll encounter magic and a supernatural multiplication of our resources from God.
 

Jill Addison
Online Video Producer
www.JillAddison.com

He’s Closer than You Think

This week, our family made a quick trip to the mountains of Virginia. As the land began to rise around us, I was smitten with its beauty. I always am. The Blue Ridge Mountains intrigue me with the beautiful blue haze that covers them. The lighting casts shadows. The trees add texture and dimension.

I sit in awe as I stare out the window – probably because I see God when I look at the landscape around me. I see His creativity. I see His whimsy. I see His majesty and might. After all, He spoke it all into being and set in motion the seasons and cycles that we see each day.

And so, when I feel distant or question God’s presence, I simply go outside. I watch the sunset or look at a delicate flower. I look at rugged rocks and hilly terrain. I see Him right before my eyes. And, if I’m very still, I can almost hear the trees singing His praises.

I pray that we take time to see His beauty each day, find renewal as we sit in His presence, and sing praises to Him who loves us.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord. Psalm 98:7-9

Cindy Schufflebarger
Author and Speaker
www.cindyshufflebarger.com