Walking To JerusalemSample

Gath – The City in Hell’s Backyard

God often uses your enemies to let you know you have arrived. Sometimes you don't even know you have reached the next city—the next stage of your development—until you discover your enemies have already heard of you. David was so naïve about his own fame that he thought he could go back to being unknown. He did not realize he had an international reputation and that the Philistines were describing him as royal. At times, our self-doubt blinds us, and we need the outside perspective of our enemies to help us to know that we are progressing.

Recently, one of my friends who pastors a large and growing church came under the withering attack of a blogger. This nameless and faceless fraudulent Internet blogger set himself up as a committee of one and began to post falsehoods and outright lies about my friend. Those of us in ministry often have to deal with bloggers trying to gain “views” by posting libelous claptrap about us and our work.

I was upset by these unfair criticisms and called my friend to offer support, but I was blown away by his response. I was going to pray with him, because most people in ministry are completely blindsided by these attacks. They are usually counseled to endure in silence rather than draw unnecessary attention to the lies by engaging accuser. This is both painful but prudent because all these people typically want is for others to notice them. I expected this pastor to be sad, but he was elated.

"Chris," he said, "I finally made it! I am finally doing enough damage to the kingdom of darkness that the darkness has finally noticed I am here."

He felt his enemies were the warning system indicating his efforts to build the church—to feed and help people—was finally working. The devil now had to use someone to fabricate lies. I called him to pray off sadness, but we ended up praising with gladness. The enemy had told my friend he was in his next city.

How many times have you allowed people’s jealousy to cause you to hide your light? How many times have you allowed people to tell you that you were conceited or proud, causing you to dumb down your abilities and gifts? Instead of allowing these caustic people to discourage you, let their words and deeds encourage you. You are firmly and publicly on the right track.

Not only did the Philistines know David on sight, they also knew what the women of Israel and Judah had been singing about him. Likewise, sometimes people sing our praises to others and we don't even know it. Just because one person wanted to harm you, it could be that a whole nation is singing your song. You can be so disheartened by individual rejection that we don’t hear the sounds of those who recognize our steady successes.