And David Went On

2 Samuel 5:10

And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.

A critical statement that shows why David became a great man whom God used is found in the verse above. It says about David, And David went on. David had just been anointed king of Israel, but instead of dwelling on becoming king, he went on. It says about David in 1 Samuel 26:25, So David went on his way. This statement came when David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but instead, took his spear and the cruse of water that Saul had. David could have stopped and dwelt on Saul trying to kill him, but instead, David went on. The reason David grew great was because he went on.

When you study great men of the past, one thing you will notice about them is that they had the ability to go on despite the hardships, trials, and victories they experienced. Many people have missed the greatness that God had planned for them because they stopped instead of going on. When Nehemiah faced the enemy's threats and offers to compromise, he went on with the work, and it resulted in the wall being completed and Nehemiah being considered one of the great leaders in the Scriptures. Peter, after denying the church, his faith, and his God, got right with Christ and went on and was used in a great way. H.G. Spafford experienced the loss of all of his children, but he went on, and the Lord used him greatly to write the song, It Is Well With My Soul. Charles Weigle experienced the great loss of his wife walking out on him after he chose to serve God over her, but he went on, and God used him to write the great song, No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus. All you have to do is look in the past and see those people who went on after some great or tragic event in their lives, and see that God used them greatly because they went on. Let me share some times in your life when you need to go on.

First, you need to go on after heartache. No matter what your heartache is, you cannot stop and dwell on if for the rest of your life. Many people have stopped at the heartache and missed the greatness that God had planned for their lives through that heartache. Dr. Lee Robertson went on after the heartache of losing his daughter, and God used him greatly to start Camp Joy. This camp has resulted in thousands of children getting saved. Never let heartache be the stopping point of your life; instead, go on, and you will see that God can turn your heartache into a great victory.

Second, you need to go on after a great victory. Many people have experienced a great victory and stopped, and had they continued, God would have given them greater victories. Just because you won a battle does not mean it's time to stop. Just because you had a big day in your church does not mean it's time to back off. Great lives are the result of several great victories. When you've had the victory, move on because there is another victory ahead.

Third, you need to go on in the battles. Do not let the attacks of enemies cause you to stop and address your enemies. The greatest way to silence the enemy is to go on. All the enemy wants to do is to get you to stop; therefore, keep doing what brought the criticism, and you will see great victories ahead. “They went on” should be the mantra that epitomizes your life. No matter what you face, do not stop, but go on because God has something greater for your life if you keep going.