Laura Ingle

Key scripture- “The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:32 – 33).

David was Israel’s greatest king, a man whom the Bible describes as having the very heart of God. So it may not be surprising that the New Testament both begins and ends with references to Jesus as the Son or Offspring of David. He is the One who fulfilled the promise of a coming King so beloved by God that his throne will endure forever.

Like David, Jesus was born in Bethlehem (the city of David). And like David, who established his kingdom by overcoming Israel’s enemies and uniting God’s people, Jesus would establish His kingdom by defeating the principalities and powers, making a way for us to become part of His kingdom as we confess our faith in Him.

More than once the Gospels link the title “Son of David” to the healing miracles of Jesus.

In one instance, two blind men call out to Jesus as the Son of David.

“As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored” (Matthew 9:27 – 30).

In another, it’s the blind Bartimaeus.

“And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:46-48)

And in still another, it’s a Canaanite woman who begs Jesus as the “Son of David” to cure her demon-possessed daughter.

“And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” (Matthew 15:22).

In each case these people confess two things: both their need and their faith. By addressing Jesus as the “Son of David” they are expressing their faith that He is the Messiah who can provide the healing or deliverance they desire, and none of them are disappointed because Jesus confirms their faith by doing as they ask. Because they believed in Him, they get to experience and display evidence of the new kingdom that is coming.
How can we experience the power of the “Son of David” at work in our own lives? Like the two blind men we need to cry out to Jesus, expressing both our faith in Him and our desire to experience His healing, delivering power. As we do this, we must also seek first His kingdom and not our own.

One way to do this is to follow the advice of A. B. Simpson, who said: “You can take Christ as the King of your life by giving Him your difficulties and adversaries to overcome, and permitting Him to subdue all His enemies and yours and reign as Lord of all. Everything that comes up in your life is but another opportunity of giving him a larger and richer crown.”

Simpson’s words should make you wonder about your own difficulties. What things in your life does Christ want to subdue? Is it impatience toward other people, doubting God, anxiety, unforgiveness, worry, a secret sin, a stronghold, loneliness, sorry, discouragement, despair, fear, pride, independence, lack of self control, lust or ungratefulness.

What would happen if you asked for the grace to see every difficulty as an opportunity, as Simpson says, for giving Jesus, the Son of David, a larger and richer crown, extending his rule in, over, and around you?

Start today by asking Jesus to be the King over your loneliness, your sorrow, your hurts, your problems, your worry, your anxiety, and your weaknesses. Let God’s Spirit uncover areas in your life that are not yet fully under Christ’s rule. Expose each one to him in prayer, expressing your faith that He is indeed the “Son of David,” the Lord who is able to heal and deliver you, the King who wants to extend the boundaries of His kingdom by virtue of what He is doing in you.

You can begin by asking the Lord’s forgiveness for the specific sin that He brought to your mind while you were reading this, and ask Him to reshape that area of your life with His wisdom, peace, and power. Express your faith in God and ask Him to extend His reign and rule over all areas of your life as a way of extending His kingdom in and through you.

Pray this – My Precious Heavenly Father, forgive me for thinking that I could fix myself and my problems. Thank You for bringing me to the place where I see that I am weak but You are strong, and that I cannot conquer sin and my problems on my own, but I can do it through the power of Christ in me, whose power is unlimited. I confess that there have been times in my life that, because of what I was facing, I doubted Jesus’ power and His desire to help me. Please forgive me for those doubts and not truly understanding Your goodness and Your love for me. Please forgive me for focusing on my circumstances, and staring at the wind and the waves in my life, and not on You. I know that nothing is impossible for You and that I cannot even comprehend what You want to do in my life which is exceedingly and abundantly beyond what I could ask or think. I want You to reshape my life and expand Your kingdom through me. I want to be filled with Your grace, wisdom, peace and joy. Father, show me any area in my life that is not yet under the rule of Christ and I will give it to You right now. Strengthen my faith in Jesus, the Son of David, and it is in His Name I pray, Amen.

Laura Ingle