Who is Your Advocate?

“He is my advocate….”  [1 Samuel 24:15]

Have you ever been in a courtroom? I have on many occasions! After arresting individuals for a crime they committed, we would eventually end up in a courtroom where the defendant would be found guilty or not guilty. At some point in this process, I would be summoned to testify as to the evidence against the defendant. While on the stand, the defense attorney would get an opportunity to cross examine me. At times, it was grueling, but I had the prosecutor acting as my advocate. He would stand and object to the line of questioning from the defense attorney and I felt strengthened and encouraged at that moment. I knew I could keep going because my “advocate” had my back.

David was not yet the king of Israel, but the current king, Saul, knew it was only a matter of time. Consequently, despite David’s innocence and loyalty to the king, King Saul sought to kill him. He had been chasing David for a long time. One day, King Saul gets close enough to David’s hideout, that David begins yelling to him from a hidden location. During this “conversation”, David tells King Saul, “May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!”  David announces his confidence that God is his advocate and therefore has his back.

During my research for definitions of “advocate”, these are a few I liked:

• “one who contends on my behalf”

• “one who presents my case”

• “intercessor”

• “a person who pleads for or in behalf of another”

Who is your advocate? Who has your back? Who is representing your case?

The Psalmist said this:  “The Lord is for me; I will have no fear. Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.” 

Do you believe that God is FOR you? Is He your Advocate or Adversary?