Sunday, July 28, 2019
Strength in Numbers
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 22:23, “Stay with me; do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe.”
What made David so confident that Abiathar would be safe with him? After all, he too was avoiding the same enemy. David’s confidence came from knowing that God was protecting him from Saul. God had already proven to David that he could trust Him to keep him safe from Saul’s attempts to capture and kill him. Having this confidence, he was able to encourage Abiathar during this rather stressful time. In reading this verse, I am reminded today that God calls us to do that same today as David suggested to Abiathar. Hebrews 10:23-25 tells us, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” The days we live in today are getting worse and worse, as people are becoming more and more corrupt and persecution in many places continues to increase. This should not come as a surprise for any of us. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 cannot be any clearer in stating this, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” As the Lord’s return draws closer, our common enemy the devil will ramp up his attacks against God’s people. 1 Peter 5:8-9 warns us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” Too many Christians fall for the devils’ greatest strategy…isolation. We allow ourselves to be discourage by the behavior of other Christians, or we experience some kind of hurt and decide we no longer want to gather with others in the local church, and the devils have a field day with us. Sadly, the devils are more organized and unified than we are as God’s army. This results in loneliness and defeat amongst God’s people, contrary to what the Lord desires to see happening within His Body. David knew that Abiathar’s only way to survive was to join David and the other 400 who were following him, under the protection of the Lord. The best place any one of us can be is in fellowship with those who are of like mind, under the protection and guidance of our Lord. Psalm 46:1-3 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah” Brothers and sisters, let us not be ignorant of the fact that we need to be encouraged and to be encouragers. The only way to accomplish this is to gather with one another and together pray for each other and exhort each other with God’s Word and testimony of His goodness. The devils may launch their fierce attacks toward us, but let us never forget what we are told in 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 still ring true today, especially as the spiritual battle rages around us and in our personal lives. Those verses read, Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. “But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Jesus Himself promised us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” The bottom line is that when the attacks come, and the enemy pursues us, we will find strength in numbers, especially under the protection of our Lord and Savior.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Saturday, July 27, 2019
We Are Not Our Past
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 22:22-23, So David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 Stay with me; do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe.”
Here is the sad truth of what we read in this chapter…we never escape the consequences of our decisions. Whether good or bad, our choices come with consequences. Far too often we make decisions without thinking through the possible repercussions, not just for us, but others as well. David chose sinful behavior in lying to Ahimelech. His choice to rely on his own wisdom, rather than trust God to protect him, cost Ahimelech, the others priests, and many men, woman, children and livestock, their lives. Here, David is both regretting and lamenting his decision. Galatians 6:7 reminds us, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that also he will reap.” Sadly, there are many times that we anticipate that our choices are going to result in a negative outcome, but we choose what is best for us at the moment, even if it is sin against the Lord. When the consequences come, they are often painful for us and those that were affected by our sinfulness. The one quality that David had that made him a man after God’s own heart was the fact that he truly repented whenever he sinned against God. In this case he did, but the consequences still came. That is how sin works. We may be remorseful and repent, but we must know that the consequences of our choices may live on for a time and maybe even a lifetime. The secret to moving forward from a bad decision is simply to repent, confess, accept God’s forgiveness and move on. David could not go back and change what he did that led to the death of God’s servants and other innocent lives. He could, however, move forward from here and do what was right to do in the moment. The Apostle Paul put it this way in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” David could not go back and fix what he did. He could not go back and relive the moment in order to make different choices. He could not go back and bring all those people back to life. He could, however, begin to make right choices now, and do what was truly right in the moment. He did just that for Abiathar. All he could offer was to keep him safe now and offer him sanctuary along with all those who were now following him. There are too many of us who are not only lamenting the past, but spending far too much time living there. When we live in the past, we become stagnant in the present and miss out on future blessings. The devils want us to live in our past mistakes, regrets, and rebellious choices. God wants us to repent, confess, and continue moving forward with Him. 1 John 1:9 cannot be any clearer, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God has given us example after example of people who made bad choices, sinned against God, but the Lord used them anyway. God does not give up on us when we have these moments of failure. On the contrary, He wants us to allow Him to use those moments to teach us, shape us, and mold us into the servants we need to be in order to glorify Him. David could have chosen to just sit in the cave and lament his life away. There may be no escaping the consequences of our bad choices, but we can certainly learn from them and move forward for the glory of God. Do not let the devils convince you otherwise. God is a God who restores what is broken, and as long as we have breath He want to put the pieces of our broken lives back together again, better than it ever was.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, July 26, 2019
He Is Always Just
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 22:18-19, And the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod. 19 Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword.
Why? How often do we ask this question when we see or hear about something tragic that happens to someone we know, whether family, friend or acquaintance? How often do we ask this when we hear news of some tragedy where innocent lives are lost? A young person seems to die before they have the opportunity to really live, or some accident happens that takes the life of entire families at the hands of some careless or cruel person(s). Why does God allow this? Well, the honest answer is that we may never know while we are here on earth. What we do know is that God is in control of all that He allows. Quite often we see events take place and do not understand why they are happening, but God knows every detail and knows why He is allowing what He is allowing, because He has a purpose in allowing such events. We may not agree, in our own limited way of thinking, since we have a limited perspective on the circumstance behind what is taking place, but God sees the whole picture. He accomplishes His plan and purpose in what He allows, and He often chooses not to reveal what that is to us. Does this make Him an unjust God? Certainly not! God is always just, regardless of the circumstances. Quite often we want God to take vengeance on those we think deserve His vengeance and want God to eradicate evil, but we overlook the fact that if God were truly to do that, He would have to destroy us as well. Wait! What do you mean? “I’m not like these people who are committing all kinds of crimes and hurting others!” “I try to live a good life and I try to be good to others.” These statements may be true, but God says, “There is none righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10). Because this is true, Romans 3:23 also says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The consequences of this truth are found in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…” So, if we want God to eradicate evil and stop bad things from happening to “good people” we must start with our own unrighteousness and go from there. I cannot think of anyone that would want that. Praise be to God that He has given us eternal life in Jesus Christ, as we know from the second half of Romans 6:23, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” In Romans 9 we see God’s perspective on His justice and our opinion of His justice. Romans 9:15 states, “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’” Romans 9:20-21 also states, “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” In this particular instance, God allowed Doeg to kill Ahimelech, other priests and a number of men, women, children and livestock. What exactly was accomplished by all of this? On the surface we see nothing but tragedy. We see the consequences of Saul’s wickedness and what happens when we move further and further away from the Lord. We see the long reaching consequences of man’s disobedience to God in the Garden, and the overall wickedness of men. However, there is also another side to this coin. God, in 1 Samuel 3:11-13, reminded us that He would keep His word concerning what He said about cutting off the descendants of Eli for his failure to intervene in his sons’ sins against God in their service to Him in 1 Samuel 2:31. To us this may seem unfair because of the “collateral” damage suffered in everyone else who was killed, but this was part of God’s judgment on Israel for their rejection of God and their choice to have a king rule over them instead. Much of what happens in our lives are the consequences of sin and man’s rejection of God. We may want to point a finger at the Lord and blame Him for all the wickedness that happens in the world, but the truth is that regardless of what God allows, and how things work out, He promised that they all work out for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). The bottom line is that no matter what God allows, He is always just in allowing whatever He deems to be right in order to accomplish His will and plan. He will always fulfill His Word and promises, even if we do not understand why He does it the way He does it. He is God and many times we just have to remind ourselves of that, trust Him, and lean on Jesus to find the comfort we need in those times of tragedy.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Your Own Little Universe
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 22:8, All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”
Here is a place where any one of us can find ourselves in. It is the place of “me, me, me”. It is that selfish place better known as “your own little universe”. This is the place where we believe that everything that happens around us revolves around us. This is what King Saul suffered from. We, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, should live in a place that is just the opposite of this. As God’s children we are called to put Christ and others first. We must realize first and foremost that this life is about Jesus and our service to, and life for, Him. Our goal should be that others see more and more of Jesus, and less and less of us; thereby being like John the Baptist who said “He must increase, and I must decrease”, in John 3:30. When we make this life about us and how we are affected by what others do, we become the victim of every situation, even though it may not directly affect us. We begin to formulate stories and make false accusations so that others will feel sorry for us and allow us to have our way. When we put ourselves before others, in order to “be happy”, all we will find is misery. Why, you ask? Well, because we then begin to point out all the things that people do to “me”, even though it may not be directed at “me”. “Me” becomes the center of the universe we live in, and that is a most miserable place to be because we never learn to be content with whatever state God allows us to be in (Philippians 4:11-13). Even Jesus Himself, being God, did not make Himself the center of His universe, and I need not remind us that He is both Creator and Owner of the universe. In Matthew 20:27-28 Jesus said, “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” In Mark 9:35 Jesus said to the twelve disciples, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Saul became so self-absorbed that he began to make false accusations against his own son, accusing him of conspiring with David against him. This could not have been further from the truth. Rather than being overly concerned about self, we would find greater satisfaction with serving, and doing for, others. In Philippians 2:3-4 the Apostle Paul wrote, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” The greatest danger we face in becoming self-centered is the danger of becoming ungrateful. If we have called upon, and know, Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord, then we are already blessed beyond what we deserve. Anything beyond that is “icing on the cake”. Yet, when our life is lived “all about us”, we become discontented and disgruntled because God is not some genie who is obligated to give us everything we want; neither is He obligated to shield us from every trial or troubling circumstance we might face, just because we are Christians. On the contrary, He wants us to see the trials as a blessing and a benefit (1 Peter 1:6-9). If we find ourselves being affected by the “woe is me” syndrome, the best cure is to start looking outward toward others by first surrendering our life and service to Jesus, and then letting Him guide us to those He wants to use us to be a blessing to.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, July 19, 2019
It Takes Faith
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 22:5, Now the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.
If we read this verse too quickly, we will miss the fact that David took a great step of faith here. We already discussed how David waited to hear from the Lord before he took his next steps. He made sure his parents were going to be well cared for, and then waited to receive his marching orders from God. What is interesting is that David obeyed without complaining, making excuses or debating God. Why do I say this? Well, because God’s first communication to the David by way of the Prophet Gad was to head back in the direction where Saul was located. I believe many of us would be confused and would even question whether this was really God directing us. Why would He not call David to go in a direction far from Saul? Every step David was taking was a test of his faith and obedience. It was not meant to hurt David, but to teach him how to trust God implicitly, even when it did not make sense, humanly speaking. How often do we find ourselves in situations where we find God leading us in a direction that just does not make sense to our human and carnal minds? It is easy to exercise faith when we are operating outside of the “danger zone”. It is a completely different story when God calls us to operate right in the center of the “danger zone”. The one thing David was sure of was that God was faithful. If we are going to trust the Lord, we must be fully convinced that He is faithful and can always be trusted, regardless of what circumstance might look like to us. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” We must put aside our own wisdom and trust His. Proverbs 3:5-7 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Living by faith does not always mean that we will escape difficulties and persecutions. If anything, because we live in a fallen world that calls right wrong and wrong right, there is a greater probability that we will face persecution and trying times, the more we set out to live for the Lord. It is just a fact of living the Christian life. Nonetheless, when we face these difficulties, rather than focus on the trouble itself, we must focus our attention on Jesus and be reminded that our suffering here is only for a short time. If we remain steadfast there is heavenly reward that awaits all of us who trust Him and remain faithful to Him. 1 Peter 1:6-9 clearly states, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” In order for us to exercise the kind of faith we see David exercise, we must allow the Holy Spirit to help us see what is unseen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 puts it this way, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” If we expect to truly stay and walk in the center of God’s will and plan for our lives, regardless of what it might look like to us, it is going to take faith.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Thursday, July 18, 2019
If the Lord Wills
Verse
of the Day: 1 Samuel 22:3, Then David went from
there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my
father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.”
I
am afraid that far too often we make plans for the future with such certainty
that we forget that tomorrow is not guaranteed. We make OUR plans, and forget
that God should be the One who determines what the plan is and how it is going
to play out. David, in spite of having to run for his life, is not remiss in
acknowledging that God must be part of his plans going forward. He is dutiful
in making sure to honor his father and mother by making sure they are well
taken care of before he continues down that path of preserving his own life.
However, in his attempts and plans to survive, he makes it clear that God is
the One in whom he will need to depend on when he states, “Till I know what God
will do for me.” David’s statement was not just a bunch of lip services as we
read verse 5 of this chapter, which states, “Now
the prophet Gad said to David, ‘Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and
go to the land of Judah.’ So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.”
David left his stronghold only after hearing God’s instructions by way of the
Prophet Gad. For us today, we have the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to guide us
along the path God has set for us. In our attempts to live out God’s plan, as
we plan for the future, we must rely heavily on prayer, God’s Word, and the leading
of the Spirit. James said it best when he wrote this in James 4:13-17, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such
and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; 14 whereas
you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your
life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes
away. 15 Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall
live and do this or that.’ 16 But now you boast in your
arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who
knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” David did
whatever good he could do for the moment, which in this case was to make sure
his father and mother were well taken care of. He left the future for the Lord
to decide. In making sure that his parents’ needs were met, he was being
obedient to the Lord’s command to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12). If we
were to stop right now and examine our plans for today, tomorrow and the years
to come, would we be able to honestly say that we prayed about those plans
before we made them? Would we be able to say that we have left room for God to
change those plans? Did we make our plans in pencil and give God the eraser? A
good test for whether we really included God in our plans is the attitude we
have when things change and do not work out exactly how we planned them. If we
get angry and throw a pity party because something we planned was changed, and
we seem to hold on to the disappointment and bitterness, then we would have to
conclude that the plans were really ours and God was not included in our
thinking and planning. We must make it a habit to always pray, seek God’s
guidance, then as we discuss those plans remember that those plans should
always be finalized with, “Lord willing”, and mean it. God desires the best for
us, but He is the One who knows what is truly best for us as we live out this
short life here on earth.
Today,
God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom
6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance,
confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him,
and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Monday, July 15, 2019
Some Lead Some Follow
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 22:1-2, David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.
In yesterday’s devotional I pointed out that when we turn to God first in our times of despair, He will send the people He chooses to be a blessing in our lives, and by the same token we are to be ready to be the ones He sends to be a blessing to someone else. After David’s time in the cave, God first sends all his father’s house to be with him. This is a blessing. As we might recall, when Samuel was looking for Israel’s next king, under God’s direction, Jesse, David’s father, did not even consider presenting David before Samuel (1 Samuel 16:11). Later, when David took a stand against Goliath and his threats, his brothers were not pleased with him (1 Samuel 17). Here, their attitude toward David had obviously changed, and now they were on their way to support him. Next we see the people who came out after David, to follow him, a group of stressed out, debt-ridden, bitter people. Stop and think about that for a moment. If we were living out some of the worst days of our lives, would these be the kind of people we would want to have responsibility over? Would we welcome people who might only add to our misery as we try to overcome our own? Humanly speaking, and if we were honest before God, we would have to admit that this would not be acceptable. Yet, this is exactly what God did. As absurd as all of this may seem, it is actually a perfect arrangement. David was called by God to be the future king of Israel. These very people who have fled to David would be the very same people whom David would eventually lead as king. This was the perfect training ground for a future king. As a matter of fact, if we just take a step back, we can see a picture of the church. The Lord Jesus Christ is our King of kings and Lord of lords. He died to give us eternal life and now wants all the lost and broken to come to Him, to follow Him and serve Him as He prepares us for His coming reign. There are many in the world today who are stressed out, in debt, broke, and bitter. The Lord desires that we come to Him with all our despair and hopelessness, first believing that He is Savior and Lord, accepting His free gift of eternal life, and allowing Him to change our life and circumstances (Matthew 11:28-10). I am not saying that life will suddenly be easy simply because we accept Jesus. What I am saying is that in Jesus we can deal with anything this world throws at us. These people were the last people that the world would choose to be qualified to serve David and be an encouragement to him. The fact of the matter is that not all of us are called to lead. Some of us are called to follow, and if we do this faithfully, we can be a blessing to those God has chosen to lead. Sadly, we have too many within our midst that are more like Korah, who formed a rebellion against Moses’ leadership in Numbers 16, than they are like these 400 whom God has directed to David. A God-ordained leader cannot lead if he has no followers. If God is leading us to follow, then our obedience in following is just as important as the role of the ones called to lead. These people, with all their troubles were actually an encouragement and blessing to David, for he was no longer alone. The kind of people that God sent to David was also a real test of his character, as he could have easily formed a group of rebels to attack King Saul. Instead, he chose to continue to honor Saul as king, and preferred to stay on the run. Along with David being tested, those who chose to follow David were also being molded and tested. Imagine leaving your home to follow one who was on the run, who rather than turn around and take back what was left behind, chose to stay on the run honoring the one who caused all this to begin with. The loyalty of this bunch to their future king was surely being tested. Their journey with David would serve to be a testing ground and preparation for the coming reign of this chosen man by God. Contrary to what we see here, these men, with all their baggage, proved to be mighty men of valor who served David faithfully as he sought to serve the Lord. 1 Chronicles 12:8 tells us, “Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains”. Many of us came to the Lord, stressed, broke and bitter. God is working in us, preparing us not only for our service to Him here on earth, which can be quite challenging beyond what we might imagine, but He is also preparing us for the time when we will come back with Him to rule and reign when He establishes His Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Where Shall I Go?
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 22:1, David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.
Many of us can relate to what David is now going through. We can relate to the despair of feeling like we are all alone in dealing with our trials and troubling circumstances (whether created by someone else or by our own choices). David went from shepherd to serving in the palace. He went from being a lowly shepherd to a hero of the people. In the blink of an eye, he found himself fleeing from the man he was committed to serve, leave his home, and leave a dear friend who was more than a brother. He could not even turn to a spiritual leader, Samuel. Here, he finds himself alone, in a cave, with no one to help him. He tried using the methods of the world, being dishonest, running to the unsaved for shelter and help, but finally turns back to the Lord, as the Lord delivers him from the hands of the Philistines. The word Adullam means refuge. He is in a place of refuge, a place where he must be still and stop trying to use his own ways and wisdom to resolve the issues that were not instigated by anything he did, other than be faithful. There are times when God will allow us to wander with no one to help us because He wants to teach us to be still and trust Him to deliver us. He wants us to come to Him to be our Refuge. Psalm 46:10 tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” When the Israelites found themselves trapped at the shores of the Red Sea and panicked, Moses reminded them in Exodus 14:13-14, “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.’” In Psalm 142, David wrote of his despair, as no one had acknowledged him, and how he could not find refuge even though God knew what He was going through. In Psalm 57 we see David’s humility, prayer and ultimate praise to the Lord as he fled to the cave he found himself in. How often have we found ourselves trying to resolve our own problems, our own trials, and life’s challenges? How often have we turned to the world and even resorted to the world’s ways, only to find that there was no help for us, and only made our circumstances worse? Sadly, we would have to admit that even our brothers and sisters in Christ have often failed us. Why would God allow this? 1 Peter 5:6-7 reminds us, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Philippians 4:6-7 also reminds us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Ultimately, the Lord wants to be our Refuge. His desire is that we first turn to Him and allow Him to be our Comforter. He will be faithful to bring those people into our lives that He will use to be a blessing. By the same token, we must also put ourselves in a position to be available to be used by Him to be a blessing to those who are also hurting and needing comfort. David was in a very difficult situation, but all along the way, even when he strayed from the Lord in his ways, God never forsook him. We can find comfort in knowing that no matter what God allows us to go through in life, He will never ever leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). When all is said and done, and we find ourselves asking, “Where shall I go?” I pray that the answer will always be, “I will go to my God who is my Shelter, my Refuge, and my Strength.” (Psalm 46)
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Better Than We Deserve
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 21:14-15, Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? 15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
David seemed to go from one place to another, making the most unwise decisions. However, before we criticize him, many of us would, and have, done the same if we felt that our lives depended on it. He first lied to Ahimelech the priest, and now he essentially delivers himself into his, and Israel’s, enemies hands. In spite of what we read here, we are not really given a snapshot of where David was emotionally. If we read only this passage, we will also misunderstand where he was spiritually. For all intents and purposes, we could easily conclude that David’s heart, because he lied and now made such an unwise decision, was far from the LORD. However, I warn us to take caution in jumping to such a conclusion, and remind all of us why it is dangerous to make assumptions about where someone is spiritually, solely based on what we think we see. In order to have a better understanding of where David was spiritually, we must read the Psalms he wrote while going through this ordeal. In spite of having to run from King Saul, convincing himself that he had to lie and use deceit in order to survive, we see David’s heart in Psalms 56 and 34. In Psalm 56 he wrote, after being captured by the Philistines, about his prayers to God and how he was confident that God had not forsaken him, but was for him. In verses 8-11 he stated, “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book? 9 When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me. 10 In God (I will praise His word), in the LORD (I will praise His word), 11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” In spite of what we see of his actions, his heart was with the LORD. This is part of the reason God called him a man after God’s own heart, even in spite of his imperfections. In Psalm 34 he wrote praise after praise about God’s goodness and how He delivered him when Achish, king of the Philistines, cast him away, convinced that David was really insane. Although we cannot excuse David for his sinful behavior, what is most important in all of this is God’s mercy, grace, forgiveness, patience, and love for David. This is the same mercy, grace, forgiveness, patience, and love, that has been extended to us in Christ Jesus. We can learn many lessons from David’s victories and failures, but the most important lesson we can learn is about God’s faithfulness. In Psalm 34:8-9 David wrote, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! there is no want (lack) to those who fear Him.” David’s choices and actions, on the surface, appear to be those of one who completely lacked faith in the LORD’s ability to protect him and deliver him. Yet, when God gives us a glimpse of what was in David’s heart, we see a man who was human, made some mistakes, but whose love for God never wavered. Note also that in all his troubles, we never see him blame Saul for having to run, nor did he blame God for allowing all this to happen in his life. We can learn a lot about what our attitude should be, and what our prayers should be, when we find ourselves in the midst of trials and tribulations. The most important thing to remember is that in all we suffer in this world, we have a God who sees it, and though He may allow us to go through it, even if we make mistakes along the way, He is always better to us than we deserve.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Saturday, July 6, 2019
It All Belongs to Him
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 21:9, So the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
This may seem like an odd place to talk about giving to the LORD, but when we consider what was taking place in David’s life, this is actually a very good place to talk about just that. In chapter 17, verses 50 and 51, the account of how David used Goliath’s own sword to behead him is recorded for us. We know at that time that David fought against Goliath using a slingshot and a few stones. This victory began to elevate David’s popularity in the eyes of the people, much to King Saul’s dismay; who became fiercely jealous of David and the fame he was gaining. In the king’s service David went out to battle and slew many, but we never read anything about what weapon he used. The assumption being that he went to battle armed with a sword and armor. However, here we see that even though David could have kept Goliath’s sword and carried it into battle as a trophy sword and possibly as a token of fame and popularity before the people, he chose instead to give it to the LORD to be displayed in the House of God. In essence, what David did was give honor to whom honor belonged for his victory over Goliath, the LORD God. He took what God provided for him in this life and death battle, and rather than keep it for himself as a treasure and token of his victory, he chose instead to give the honor to God and give back to the LORD what He provided for David in that crucial moment. In this lies a very important principle about what it means to give back to God what belongs to God. In John 3:30 John the Baptist told us that, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” In other words, as we live for God, people should see more of Him than they see of us. One of the ways to do this is to take every opportunity to give God the honor that belongs to Him when He accomplishes both great and small in our lives. Is God jealous in respect to His own glory? The short answer is, “yes”. Acts 12:20-23 we read, “Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country. 21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. 22 And the people kept shouting, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ 23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.” Yet, how often do we take credit for our accomplishments in order to satisfy our own pride, without a second thought about what God thinks about our foolish boasting? Every time we accomplish anything that is acknowledged by others, it is an opportunity to lift up the Name of Jesus before them. Not only did David give honor back to the LORD, but he also gave up something that would have been beneficial in the battles he fought going forward. Now, while he is on the run from Saul and has nothing to defend himself with, God has once again given him the sword that he laid down before the LORD. What are we holding back for ourselves that belongs to the LORD? Before we answer that question, let us be reminded of one thing…everything we have and see around us belongs to God. Deuteronomy 10:14 clearly states, “Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it.” So I ask again, “What are we holding back for ourselves that belongs to the LORD?” When God has been so good to us in giving us His only begotten Son so that we can have eternal life (John 3:16), how can we deny Him anything He asks of us? Can we in all good conscience hold back our tithes and offerings? Can we hold back our service? Can we hold back our lives? In Romans 12:1-2 the Apostle Paul makes this plea, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” When we freely give back to God what rightfully belongs to Him, beginning with His own glory, we give Him the opportunity to glorify Himself and bless us by blessing others with what we give to Him wholeheartedly and cheerfully. The one thing we can be sure of, as David experienced in that moment, is that when we give to God what is His, He will never forsake us when we are facing our time of need, no matter what the need might be.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, July 5, 2019
Pharisaical Christianity
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 21:6, So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.
Are we Pharisaical Christians? Are we more concerned with keeping religious rituals and traditions than we are with being compassionate and showing true love toward others? Have we allowed our religiosity to make us judgmental and arrogant about our so called “faith”? Ahimelech did something that was contrary to God’s ceremonial law, not moral law, and was blameless in his actions. If you just read what I just wrote in the previous sentence and your head exploded because I said he was blameless, then you just might be that Pharisaical Christian. Ahimelech knew that the showbread was to be eaten by Aaron and his sons, according to Leviticus 24:9, but the Law did not state that it could never, under any circumstance, be eaten by anyone else. The Word of God is clear when it reads, “Thou shalt or thou shalt not”. The interpretation will never change, but the application may vary. Ahimelech, before giving David the showbread for him and those he traveled with, who apparently were not present with David during his conversation with Ahimelech, made sure that David was ceremonially clean. Why did Ahimelech do this? He did it because it was not something to be given lightly, since God instructed that it should be for the priests, to be consumed in the house of God. So why was Ahimelech willing to breach part of God’s ceremonial law in this case? Well, I supposed I should let the Giver of the Law explain it Himself. In Matthew 12 the Pharisees were critical of Jesus’ disciples because they plucked heads of grain to eat during the Sabbath. Jesus, in correcting the Pharisees for their judgmental attitude, said this in verses 3-7, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.” In essence, Jesus was confirming, many years later, that what Ahimelech did for David was blameless before God. Ahimelech breached ceremonial law to fulfill God’s law of love. Neither David nor Ahimelech breached any moral law by their actions regarding the showbread. They did not sin against God, but instead did exactly what the LORD expects from us when we are dealing with others; that we have enough wisdom to know that rituals and traditions, which do not supersede God’s Word, are to take a backseat to mercy, compassion and goodness towards one another. Far too often, we put more weight and value on our personal convictions than we do on what God says in His Word. We expect others to live in accordance to our convictions, rather than living in accordance to their own convictions that are based on God’s Word. Even if a brother or sister in Christ stumble in their walk or use their liberty in Christ as an occasion to sin, we are to be careful about how we approach them, and be careful about our motivation in confronting them. Galatians 6:1-3 clearly reminds us, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” There will be those times when we will have the opportunity to show others, who are hurting and in need or have stumbled in their walk, the love of Jesus. Yet, all too often what we end up doing is beating them over the head with our own personal “dos and don’ts”. To add insult to injury, we do it in a mean-spirited manner. Lest we forget, James 1:19-20 commands, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Let us be wise enough to know that when we are dealing with others, if they have done something that is morally wrong before God, we can correct them in love, but if it is a question of violating some religious ritual or personal conviction or preference, then mercy, compassion, and love, must be the priority, just as God made it a priority in forgiving our sinfulness and giving us what we clearly do not deserve, forgiveness and life eternal in Christ Jesus.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
He Remains Faithful
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 21:2, So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.
If we examine the life of David closely, we will see just how amazing God’s grace is in our lives. Here is the “man after God’s own heart”, on the run, as God has allowed it, and one of the first things he does is lie to the man of God, in God’s house. He made the right decision in that his first destination was the house of the LORD, but then he made an unwise decision that would later cost the man who helped him his life (1 Samuel 22). It was obvious from his conversation with Ahimelech that the priest knew nothing of the conflict that existed between King Saul and David. His appearance seemed to raise questions in Ahimelech’s mind, as we see him inquire about David’s solo travels. It would have been unusual for David to travel by himself, especially in service to the king. David’s choice to lie, rather than be honest with the man of God, who could have gone to the LORD on his behalf, demonstrated David’s lack of faith and fear at this moment. However, before we criticize David, many of us would have to admit that we would not have done any better. How often have we resorted to little white lies (which, by the way, are still lies) in order to avoid the consequence of certain situations, or lied in order to avoid admitting responsibility for our actions or failed decisions? The Lord may allow us, at times, to find ourselves in situations where telling the truth may be very difficult. When we find ourselves in these situations, our tendency to want to control the outcome, and not trust God with the it, can lead us down that path that begins with a little white lie, but then will require more lies to cover up the first one. As Christians, we must remember what we are told in Colossians 3:9-10, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him”. The bottom line is that trying times and difficult circumstances can tempt us to stray from being honest or cause us to live, for the moment, as that world lives, without giving much thought to what the consequences of our dishonesty will be. Hebrews 11:6 clearly states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” In spite of David wavering in his faith, God did not see him any less a man after God’s own heart because He knew David’s heart and knew that this was not David’s norm in his relationship with the LORD. The truth of the matter is that not one of us will walk perfectly with the LORD. Many of us truly have a desire to walk before Him in righteousness, but these are the moments when we are reminded that it is only by Jesus righteousness that we will ever be accepted by the Father, who is holy and perfect. It is moments like these that make us realize how much we need Jesus, His love, His grace, and His forgiveness. In spite of David’s actions at that moment, it was not who David normally was as a man of God. This was the exception and not the rule. God saw beyond David’s fear, and momentary lack of trust, and never forsook him. Although God has recorded David’s weaknesses for us to see throughout his life, this is not about David. David’s life is about who God was in his life and who He is in ours. We must do all we can to not falter in our faith and walk with Jesus, but in those moments when we do, let us not measure God’s faithfulness to us by our unfaithfulness to Him. God is God, no matter what, and nothing will separate us from His love, as we are told in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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