2 Samuel 5:6–9   “And the king and his men… spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” … Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).”

Did you see it? Most hurry past it. Let’s not. Pull out a pen and underline this twelve-letter masterpiece: Nevertheless.

“Nevertheless, David took the stronghold …”

Wouldn’t you love God to write a nevertheless in your biography? Born to alcoholics, nevertheless she led a sober life. Never went to college, nevertheless he mastered a trade. Didn’t read the Bible until retirement age, nevertheless he came to a deep and abiding faith.

We all need a nevertheless. And God has plenty to go around. Strongholds mean nothing to him. Remember Paul’s words? “We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4). You and I fight with toothpicks; God comes with battering rams and cannons. What he did for David, he can do for us. The question is, will we do what David did? The king models much here.

Two types of thoughts continually vie for your attention. One proclaims God’s strengths; the other lists your failures. One longs to build you up; the other seeks to tear you down. And here’s the great news: you get to choose which voice you hear. Why listen to the mockers? Why heed their voices? Why give ear to pea-brains and scoffers when you can, with the same ear, listen to the voice of God?

Do what David did. Turn a deaf ear to the old voices. Open a wide eye to the new choices. Who knows, you may be a prayer away from a nevertheless. God loves to give them.

Peter stuck his foot in his mouth; Joseph was imprisoned in Egypt; the Samaritan woman had been married five times; Jesus was dead in the grave … Nevertheless, Peter preached, Joseph ruled, the woman shared, Jesus rose – and what about you? You fill in the blank. Your nevertheless awaits you.

What’s holding you back from achieving your full potential as a reborn child of God?