ESOCS Devotional 1 September 2025 – The Secret of Success
MEMORY VERSE: “Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.” 2 SAMUEL 8:6 KJV
TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 8:1-18
After this it came to pass that David attacked the Philistines and subdued them. And David took Metheg Ammah from the hand of the Philistines.
2 Then he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his territory at the River Euphrates. 4 David took from him one thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.
5 When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought tribute. So the Lord preserved David wherever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 Also from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.
9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, 10 then Toi sent Joram his son to King David, to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi); and Joram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold, and articles of bronze. 11 King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued— 12 from Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 And David made himself a name when he returned from killing eighteen thousand Syrians in the Valley of Salt. 14 He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.
15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people. 16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 17 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; Seraiah was the scribe; 18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers.
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An old farmer was frustrated with his new-fangled saw, and there was no way he could cut two cords of wood a day as promised.
“This saw is broke!” he exclaimed, as he sat it on the counter, demanding a refund. The puzzled store owner applied the choke and pulled on the handle and the chainsaw roared to life.
We are designed by God to depend on His great power.
“What’s that?” asked the old farmer. He had been operating the saw the entire time without the use of the engine. Just as a chainsaw is designed to be used with the engine running, we are designed by God to depend on His great power.
Before defeating Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, David told him, “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands…for the battle is the Lord’s.” In 2 Samuel 8, we continue to see David’s reliance on God’s power in his successful military pursuits. He knew that God’s power was greater than his own and that his success was not because he was great, but because his God was great.
As absurd as it seems to use a chainsaw without the power of the engine, we often try to control the circumstances of our lives without relying on God. Our power is limited while His power is limitless. God wants us to rely on Him in all areas of our life, so that His power can be felt by us and seen by others. Let’s turn our lives and daily circumstances over to God and let His power create our success.
CHALLENGES
- What area of your life are you reluctant to turn over to God?
- Why do you feel you are so resistant to relinquish control to Him?
- What is one thing you need to do to give God control of that area?
PRAYER POINT
- Father, help me resist relying on my own strength and to trust Your power in my daily life.
FURTHER READING: 2 Samuel 9:1-13; Romans 2:1-16; 2:17-29
ESOCS Devotional 1 September 2025
