We often tell ourselves things that cause us to give up on God’s promises!

Never Give Up On God

Susie thought about her marriage proposal from Ralph. Sure he was 79 and she was 29. He wasn’t exactly handsome. Actually he was ugly.

But Ralph had one thing going for him. He was breathing. And Susie really wanted to get married. REALLY wanted it. She said to herself, if I don’t take this chance I may never get another one.

(A little word to singles here: there are things that are worse than being by yourself. As I’ve noted many times, if the only thing keeping you from happiness, young lady, is a husband, there are thousands of women who would happily donate their husband to you. They would even gift wrap him.)

Now, back to the article.

Susie said in her heart, “Ralph is okay. I’m not crazy about his false teeth, hearing aid, silly-looking toupee and who knows what else? It bothers me a bit that he has grandchildren older than me and that he has already purchased his gravestone in the cemetery. I really want to get married, though, and I may not get another chance. 

“So, Ralph, ‘yes!’”

We need to watch what we’re saying to ourselves in our heart.

David’s Conversation

David was sick and tired of hiding out in desert caves and running from Saul. The deranged king wanted to separate David from his head. After yet another narrow escape, David had a talk with himself and ending up giving himself some bad advice.

“And David said in his heart, ‘Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.’” (1 Sam. 27:2 NKJV)

God had promised David that he would be king of Israel and look what he’s saying to himself, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul.”

What’s more, it seems to me that God had told him through a prophet to stay in Judah, the southern part of Israel. “”Now the prophet Gad said to David, ‘Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.’ So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.” 1 Sam. 22:5

Because of that little conversation with himself David left and resided in the land of his enemies for 16 months. There he lied often to stay in the good graces of the Philistine headman of the area of Ziklag where he and his men lived.

Even worse, he basically became a warlord, raiding people and not leaving anyone alive to tell the headman what he had done. I know people looked at things differently 3000 years ago, but David was cruel to these tribes he attacked.

We never read of him doing this while he was in Judah.

And it seems he came within an inch of going to war against his own people, Israel.

All that started with a conversation he had with himself.

Been Talking To Yourself?

I’ve got a question to ask you: what sort of things have you been saying to yourself lately? Have you decided that doing things God’s way isn’t working so you’re going to try it your way for a while?

 That’s what David did and it almost ended in disaster for him. At one point it wasn’t Saul who talked about killing him. Even his own men were talking about stoning him!

That little conversation with himself didn’t work out too well.

Advice On Personal Conversations

Most of us talk to ourselves. Can I give you a little advice on how to do it?

–Find a place alone. If people hear you talking to yourself they are going to think you weird.

–We have all kinds of debates in our heart but make sure the voice which wins is the one in agreement with what God has told you. The prophet said, “Go to Judah.” 

–David obeyed for a while but when it got tough he said to himself, “If I stay here Saul will kill me.”

–Make sure the last voice is in agreement with God’s written Word and in agreement with what is right.

–Listen to that voice. Is it the voice of faith, trust, confidence in God and in His ability to use you? Or is it the voice of desperation that says, “God is not showing up, so I’ve got to do something myself.”

–Let some other mature Christian friends in on your conversation. In our made-up illustration at the beginning what do you think Susie’s friends would have counseled her about Ralph? What would her daddy have said? 

–Don’t let any voice steal what God has promised you. (Note: make sure God has promised you and that you haven’t used “spiritual ventriloquism” to make God say what you wanted Him to say.)

–I’ve got the feeling that some of us have given up and are starting to tell ourselves things that aren’t true. You might want to do some talking with that voice in your heart and tell him how things really are.

Hmmm …

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes and one of them was going too fast. There’s the Lord’s calling and then there’s the Lord’s timing. And I should have waited longer; I should have been under godly spiritual authority — for Grace and I to be under a godly couple that was senior pastor, so that we can learn and grow. My character was not caught up with my gifting and I did start too young, he said.” Pastor Mark Driscoll