Saturday, March 28, 2020
Refocusing on Christ
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 30:6-8, Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
With the tragic event that David faced when he and his men returned to where they were dwelling, it would have been very difficult to focus on the underlying blessing. He was greatly distressed because of how everyone else reacted to this trial, which put him in their crosshairs. Like the prodigal son, God had to allow David to hit rock bottom and allow him to suffer a trial that was too big for him to tackle using his own human wisdom, planning and scheming. So it is with us that sometimes God has to allow a trial that is far too big for us to resolve of our own accord. What choice does that leave us other than to turn back to Him? As we deal with the current world situation, if we fail to put our focus where it belongs, on Jesus, we will miss the blessings that are right in front of our very eyes. My wife and I took the time to pack some snacks and some water, filled the gas tank and went for a ride. As we drove around, we noticed that there was increased activity in our neighborhood that we had not seen previous to all this. I am talking about the kind of activity that actually brightened the neighborhood. Let me explain. We often enjoy taking walks in our neighborhood, and really enjoy the beauty of where we live. Just down the street we have farms and the neighborhoods are quaint and cozy. However, regardless of what time of the day we walked, the neighborhood was lonely; no one outside, no children playing and virtually a ghost town. As we drove around yesterday and the day before we noticed fathers walking with their sons, fathers were playing in their yards with their daughters, a family (grandma, mom, dad, and children) riding their bicycles in a convoy. For many who have been forced to stay home, it has been a time to rediscover what it means to spend time with family. Some Christians are discovering that they did not need that house that was overpriced or that brand new car they could not afford, because now, for the time being they are without a means of making the same amount of money they have become accustomed to. As tragic as this may sound, it is a reminder that we need to be wiser with our finances and be better stewards of what the Lord was already blessing us with. The promises and comforts the world has to offer are proving to be a major failure in the time of testing. Instead this should be a great reminder that we, as God’s children, need to refocus our attention on what is most important for us, as this is not our home. 1 Peter 2:11-12, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” This is a great opportunity for us to really allow our testimony to shine. When the world is in a panic, this is when our godly conduct and attitude needs to shine brightly as ambassadors of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). We must use this time as a reminder of one very important thing we should be looking for…our Lord’s return. In speaking about the end of the age, Jesus said in Mark 13:7-8, “But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.” It is no secret that we are seeing increased activity in respect to natural disasters, famines, and rumors of war. Yet, this is only a glimpse of what is drawing near for mankind. The bottom line here is that as we live through these trying times, we need to be reminded that God wants to use this time to help His children refocus our attention on our Savior. We need to remember that when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in the furnace, God did not pull them out, but walked through it with them (Daniel 3). It is time for us, as born again believers, to stop lamenting the things of the world and refocus our attention on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We need to focus on how we can best serve Him during these tough times and keep looking upward. I will leave us with this reminder from Acts 1:11, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
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, March 24, 2020
Where Are They All Now?
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 30:4-6, Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
Something interesting happens when trouble visits us up close and personal. All of a sudden, that which should have been most important to us, but had been neglected, becomes important again. The one Person who should have had priority in our life has now moved up a few notches to be the most important Person in our life again. Yes, I am speaking of the One who gave it all so that we would have eternal life. The One whose relationship we should value above all else. It is a very sad commentary that far too often it takes adversity for us to make God as important in our lives as He should be. God gave us His only begotten Son (John 3:16), and in Him has given us eternal life. He has given us a very simple command (note that I did not say easy) to tell everyone about what He did for us and what is available in Him (Mark 16:15). Yet, we carry on in life, every day, as if we have forever on this earth, and we spend so much time being friends with the world that sometimes God has to allow something like a worldwide pandemic to get His children’s attention. The thing I would like us to consider today is this one question, “Where did it all go?” What do I mean you ask? Well, where did all those things and all those people we put before God go? Where are all those things and all those people we gave our attention to and gave preference to over God? Where did the job go that we were laid off from? The one on whose altar we sacrificed family for, chasing that all elusive dollar? Where is that sports team we celebrated, as if we were going to be the one wearing the championship ring or as if we were going to get a chunk of the millions of dollars they are banking? How much have we sacrificed, neglecting family, church, and squandering monies that could have been used to support a missionary who is sacrificing to win others to Christ? How valuable was that lesson we taught our family that skipping church service on a Sunday morning for a fishing trip or sporting event was okay? How many of us are in a panic because the investments we were counting on to help us live comfortably are all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, gone? So I ask again, “Where did it all go?” Where are all those people, sports idols, and worldly treasures we made our gods? Why are they not helping us in our greatest time of need? David was greatly distressed. Why? He was greatly distressed because he found himself in a position where his loyal followers now talked about stoning him for the loss they suffered at the hands of the Amalekites. The Philistines, who David ran to for shelter and protection wanted nothing to do with David or his followers. The followers whom David dedicated himself to, and whom he counted on for backup were now contemplating doing him harm. Who does David have left but God? Who do we have left in these dark times? Yes, we have the Lord; the one who promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5-6) The fact of the matter is that God sometimes has to allow adversity to enter the front door of our lives in order to wake us up to the fact that we have allowed the world to consume our time and attention. We have allowed the world to lull us to sleep with its vile entertainment, and draw us to its gods with their empty promises. What will it take to wake us up and realize that there is a great urgency that exists for those who do not yet know Jesus as their Savior? Do we think that we will be here forever? Did we forget that we are only pilgrims here and that this is not our home? What are we striving for? Are we so busy trying to gather earthly treasure that we are forfeiting heavenly reward? Will we later lament the fact that many family members and people we know and love will perish because we were too busy with our video games, social media, television, and sporting events to take the time to share the Gospel message with them? It’s time to stop and ask ourselves, “Where did it all go? Where did they all go?” Once we have, we need to stop and realize that there is only One who is faithful, and there is only One who deserves our faithfulness and total allegiance. We need to turn back to our Savior, repent, ask for His forgiveness and get to what really matters today, during these trying times, and for the remainder of our time here on earth. Like David, this is the time to strengthen ourselves in the Lord, commit to prayer and His Word and stay busy doing the Lord’s work for His glory.
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, March 22, 2020
Trust God First
Verse of the day: Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
In light of what is happening in our world today, I want to remind my brothers and sisters in Christ that regardless of what we face, we need to go to, and trust, God first. The Prophet Jeremiah compares two men. The first trusts in the “flesh”, while the other trusts in the Lord. The first man is cursed and is compared to a shrub in the desert (v. 5-6). The second man, which is the one we want to model, is blessed and compared to a tree planted by the river. What a contrast. The one is pictured as a bush that is wild and frail while the other is strong, vibrant and producing much fruit. The one who trusts in the flesh (his own ideas or the help of people over God’s help) are trusting in man who is often unfaithful and unreliable. Man often lacks wisdom and makes decisions based on emotions, and what seems right in their eyes; rather that what is right before God. In verse 9 of this chapter, the Prophet Jeremiah warns that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? God knows it, and searches it. Although it is wise to seek godly wisdom, the Lord should be the One who gets the last word. The person who trusts in the Lord is one that will endure life’s challenges, being anchored in God’s salvation; a salvation that can only be found in Jesus Christ. Our hope is not a dead hope, but a Living Hope, which is Jesus. When we are grounded in the Lord, we have the Living Water abiding in us (the Holy Spirit). When we take in His Word, which is our spiritual nourishment (Matt 4:4), the Living Water uses it to produce fruit in our lives (Gal 5:22-23). Just like a tree that draws water from the river and its leaf blooms consistently, our testimony, when we allow living water to flow through us, will shine consistently in a dark world (John 7:38-39). When we are firmly planted in Christ, abiding in Him (John 15) and the Holy Spirit is flowing through us, working in us, no matter what storm, trial or tribulation we face, we will stand strong and rooted in the Word. Jeremiah equated this to the tree that is not fazed by the heat when it comes because it is being strengthened and cooled by the water its roots are absorbing from the abundant source of water. However, unlike the tree, whose river can dry up, we have a Source that does not run out or dry up. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that He could give her living water and she would never thirst again (John 4:14). Psalm 1 also speaks of the truth that the man that delights and meditates on God’s Word is blessed and will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth its fruit, and its leaf will never wither. The bottom line is that God will sometimes put people in our lives to be a blessing. However, we end up in dire straits, when we begin to put more confidence and trust in the creation, and the blessing(s), rather than on the Creator who is the One that sends the blessings. Let us use wisdom as we deal with what is going on today, but let us not lose hope and panic. Let us ask God how He can use us right now to be a blessing to others and give us opportunities to tell others about Jesus who give us that peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). The greatest blessing man has received is eternal life in Christ. However, in order to receive eternal life, we must call on Jesus, by faith, repenting and confessing our sins, and accepting His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23; 10:13). Would you call on Him today?
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, March 6, 2020
Merciful Discipline
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 30:1-2, Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.
The time is drawing near for Saul to meet his demise. God’s plan to place David as king of Israel is one day closer. However, David is still in a backslidden state. In order to get David’s attention, the Lord has to allow some harsh consequences as a way of disciplining David. Note how merciful God is in his correction. Although He allows the Amalekites to carry away David’s and the rest of his men’s families, none of them are killed. This was much more gracious than David was when he invaded the Amalekite cities. The discipline he experienced was not without pain. Did God want to hurt David? Of course He did not. Nonetheless, if David was going to be where God needed him to be in order for the Lord to use Him as He had already determined, discipline would be necessary. So it is with us that sometimes the Lord needs to take us out to the spiritual woodshed and teach us some painful, yet profitable, lessons. How do we respond to God when He chooses discipline as a way of getting our attention? Proverbs 3:11-12 reads, “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” Hebrews 12:6 repeats this truth, but continues in verse 7-11 to say, “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Which one of us, reading this right now, can honestly say that we have never been disciplined by God? I would be willing to bet that not one of us could make that claim. I know that there have been times in my life personally when I did not like the form of discipline God chose, but when prayerfully considering His choice and method, I knew that nothing else would have gotten my attention. The one thing that we can be thankful for, as children of God, is that God is merciful in what He chooses, when He has to discipline us. His discipline is not an act of hatred or punishment, but an act of love. It is an act of love meant to bring about blessings. Job 5:17-18 clearly states, “Behold, blessed is the man whom God corrects; therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. 18 For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.” Considering what David really deserved, based on his behavior, God was far more merciful and gracious than he deserved. I can honestly say that all the times I have needed a spiritual spanking, as much as I did not like the methods or consequences, God was always far better to me than I deserved. I am sure that many of you can also say the same thing. Before we get upset with God for those times He has to discipline us as His children, remember that He loves us, and because He loves us, He will not allow us to continue down a path that is leading us further and further away from Him. He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5), and His merciful discipline is far better than what each of us really deserves.
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, March 5, 2020
Choose Carefully
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 30:1-2, Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.
All that befell David in this account was much of David’s own doing. First, he was in a place he did not belong. Although he was fleeing from Saul, he had no business intermingling with the Philistines. His attempt to join the Philistines in battle against God’s people was not where David and his men belonged. If we recall from chapter 17, David referred to Israel as the “armies of the Living God”. How could he now expect that he, himself, would be able to stand against God’s people, even if they were being led by such a sinful king? During his time amongst the Philistines, David led his men on raids in Amalekite cities, showing no mercy on them, leaving no man or woman alive. Did he not expect that there would be some kind of consequence somewhere along the line? In actuality, what we see here are the consequences of two men’s actions. First, we see the consequence of David’s actions while being in a backslidden state, but we also see the consequences of Saul’s disobedience in refusing to completely wipe out the Amalekites at God’s command (chapter 15). Galatians 6:7-8 warns, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” David made many choices while fleeing from Saul, some good and many not so good. With each choice he made, there was a consequence that followed, whether curse or blessing. The point I am trying to make is that we must be very careful about our daily choices. For the child of God, every choice, whether great or small in our estimation, needs to be made prayerfully. We must be continually praying and asking God’s guidance in the decisions we make; in the things we choose. When we find ourselves at crossroads, the choices we make can have long lasting consequences. Abraham’s and Sarah’s choice to not patiently wait on the Lord resulted in consequences that have affected the world, as the conflict in the Middle East continues even today. The personal choices we make today, not only have the potential to affect us, but those around us as well. David, although wrong for leading his followers to dwell amongst the Philistines, suffered from the consequences of Saul’s sinful choices. David’s decision to stay among those ungodly people caused his men and all their families to suffer the consequences of his choices. None of us, regardless of who we are, escape the consequences God allows for the choices we make. There are many people around us who have yet to make the most important choice of their lives; choices that carry great consequences. I am speaking of the people we have been called to lead to Jesus. Our choice to follow Jesus faithfully and live a life that exalts Him in our lives is a choice we should all be striving to live out. Why, you ask? Well, because our choice to live for, or not live for, the Lord can lead to whether someone else chooses to accept or reject Jesus as their Savior. In that case, we will someday give account and stand to lose reward for our failure to choose a life dedicated to Christ, or we will choose what is right and reap the rewards of being a faithful servant of Jesus. On the other hand, the people we present the Gospel to will also suffer the consequences of their choices. If they reject the Gospel we present, and reject Jesus as their Savior, then the consequence is eternal condemnation (Romans 6:23; John 3:16-18). If they choose to accept the message of the Gospel, and Jesus as Savior, then they will gain life everlasting with no fear of condemnation, as we are told in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” David made some life altering choices that affected not only his relationship with those who followed him, but most importantly his relationship with God. We may not give a second thought to the things we choose, the actions or attitudes we choose, but the reality of making choices is that they can have eternal consequences, both for our shame and other people’s condemnation, or for God’s glory. We choose.
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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