Our text for today’s meditation is built around the thought that to break barriers, we must conquer intimidation. The Jebusites tried to intimidate David from taking Jerusalem. They dismissed his entire army by saying their lame and blind would be enough to ward them off. The Jebusites spoke with history on their side. Their land was first allotted to Judah under Joshua’s leadership, but up until David, no generation of Judah was able to conquer it. “As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.” Joshua 15:63 NKJV. The Jebusites had over 500 years of history in their favour that Judah could not conquer them, and they spoke to David with that confidence. David broke barriers, doing what his fathers could not do. 

…to break barriers, we must conquer intimidation…David broke barriers, doing what his fathers could not do…You can overcome forces of intimidation by drawing strength from the Lord.

We all will have things that will try to intimidate us into submission. Intimidation appears in different shapes and sizes. When Jeremiah got introduced to the plan of God for his life, his young age was going to intimidate him. “Then said I: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”” Jeremiah 1:6 (NKJV). When he learned that he had been sanctified and made a prophet ever before he was born, he could not fathom such a divine scheme. He saw himself very small compared to God’s grandiose plan. He tried to push back, basing his reason on his youthfulness. God emboldened him and he made a huge success of his prophetic ministry. You can overcome forces of intimidation by drawing strength from the Lord.