How to Thrive When Life Throws You Off Course

Let's be honest: the Christian life is not always smooth and predictable. Some days feel less like a peaceful journey and more like slogging through a swamp of unexpected, unpleasant, and downright discouraging things. But what if we saw these moments not as obstacles that finish us, but as temporary obstacles that must be overcome on the way to God fulfilling His bigger promises in our lives?  This article is for anyone who's ever been knee-deep in the "crap of life," wondering how to keep going as King David and his men did in 2 Samuel 5:6-8 and I Chronicles 11:4-6. Find out how God can help you navigate the inevitable roadblocks in your life. 

When we pick up the story of King David in 2 Samuel 5:6-8 we see he is, once again, in an adverse and difficult situation. David had been chosen to be the next king of Israel fourteen years prior to this moment, but had to endure many hardships along the way. He had navigated an epic battle with Goliath, the betrayal of king Saul, living as an outcast and fugitive, death threats, family strife, and misunderstanding with those around him. Yet, he is right on the very doorstep of something big happening in his life and becoming king over all Israel. What happens next gives us a great picture of the "crap" we sometimes have to navigate as we follow God's purposes in our own lives. 

The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.”  Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.
On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.” 

The word for water shaft here is the Hebrew word "tsinnor" which refers to a water shaft, watercourse, conduit, pipe, or sewage system. In short, the only way to get into the well fortified city of Jerusalem was for one of David's men to crawl through the piping or sewage system of the city. We see in I Chronicles 11:4-6 that person was a leader named Joab:

 David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem. The Jebusites who lived there said to David, “You will not get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David. David had said, “Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander in chief.” Joab, son of Zeruiah, went up first, and so he received the command.

Here are three big take aways from this Old Testament story:

1. Setbacks do not have to be final in our lives. With God there is always a redemptive path if we're willing to move forward. I Corinthians 10:13

2. Many times we have to unfortunately crawl through unpleasant circumstances to receive the victories God has for us. 

3. We must continue to persevere when things get messy. On the other side of messiness is usually growth and expansion. Hebrews 10:36