II Samuel 10; I Chronicles 19; Psalm 20

In these accounts David defeats the adversarial Ammonites subjecting them to Israel by striking with a strong and mighty arm. Now the Ammonites resided in the land east of the Jordan river and are the descendants of Abrahams nephew Lot, they are a people that God warns Israel not to intermarry with. The beginnings of the Ammonites pick up in sin where Sodom and Gomorrah leave off through incest and as we will see in Solomon's time the progression is downward. Specifically child sacrifice through the worship of Moloch. YAHWEH detests this idolatry. 

Psalm 20:6 (NIV) "The LORD gives victory to his anointed."

This truth simply inspires fresh hope in the confident and mighty King David who smites all enemies surrounding Israel. Over and over it is reiterated that the LORD gave David victory wherever he went (II Samuel 8:14) and this is because God blessed and anointed David for such a time. As God's anointed, grafted into the family and heritage of Abraham, Christians can live and lead according to the anointing of God in a powerful way advancing the kingdom of God here today and tomorrow. Hope is defined as a settled confidence in a secure future, believers can know certainly that the victory is already ours. Like I mentioned yesterday, we fight from victory not for victory because the battle is the LORD's and it has already been won! We must be faithful with our time, talent and treasure that we trust in the LORD with all our heart mind soul and strength seeking first the kingdom of God in all things. 

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