Friday, May 31, 2019
Aim for Humility
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 18:10-11, And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. 11 And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.
Once again we see the “distressing spirit from God” moving in Saul’s life. It is a distressing spirit that accentuated Saul’s pride, insecurities and jealousies toward David. Once Saul became jealous of David, his aim became to kill David. However, we will get back to Saul later. Right now I would like us to focus on David and his attitude toward serving Saul. Here we have a young man who was originally brought into the palace to play for Saul, but we soon after find him back at home taking care of his family’s sheep, as before (1 Samuel 16). Then he goes out to the battlefield, challenges and defeats Goliath, and is promoted by Saul (1 Samuel 17-18). He serves Saul wisely, and is successful in leading the men in battle against the Philistines. He earns praise from the people, but it also wins him persecution from the one who we are told loved him, Saul (1 Samuel 16; 18). It is easy to say that David’s life is one of excitement and one that would make any young man be filled with pride. Sadly, I see far too many of us become prideful when God begins to use us and accomplish great things through us. We quickly forget that all our accomplishments are for the glory of God and not self. This is the reason why we must actively remind ourselves that we are to decrease and the Lord increase in our lives, so that others see more of Him than they see of us, in our attitude and actions (John 3:30). David did not see serving Saul, using his musical ability, as being beneath him simply because he was now a successful warrior who had great successes on the battlefield. We go down a slippery slope when we begin to think more of ourselves than we should. Romans 12:3 reminds us, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Galatians 6:3 warns, “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Saul’s aim was to kill David, while David’s aim was to continue serving God with humility, even if it meant trying to serve Saul, the man who wanted to take his life. When we are tempted to see some task or service as beneath us, let us remember James 4:6, “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” Regardless of where God leads us, or how He uses us, our aim in serving should always be to do it with humility; as we are told in Colossians 3:12, Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering”.
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, May 30, 2019
Destructive Jealousy
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 18:8-9, Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 So Saul eyed David from that day forward.
Insecurity and jealousy can be very destructive in the life of a Christian. Saul had every reason to rejoice, as a king. He had gained a man who would lead his men, and country, to victories over their enemies. Yet, he allowed his selfish motives, insecurities, and jealousies lead him down a path of destruction. In verses 5-7 we read, “So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 6 Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. 7 So the women sand as they danced, and said: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.’” We see that Saul was so well-pleased with David’s dedication and service to him that he set him over the men of war. All this was well and good until David began to receive greater praises than he received. How often do we look upon others, whom God prospers, with envy and wonder why God has not done the same for us? How often do we measure our service and success to others, when in fact we should be keeping our eyes on Jesus and stay in our own lane of service to Him? In John 21 when Peter questioned Jesus about John’s future, Jesus responded to him in verse 22, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” That is great advice for each of us. We need to take our eyes off what God is doing in the lives of others, that is none of our business, and simply follow Him. Our insecurities and jealousies can be very destructive to the local church, and even in our personal relationships. 1 Corinthians 3:3 warns, “for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” James 3:14-16 clearly tells us, “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” The devils love nothing more than causing division within the body of Jesus. When we allow our insecurities and jealousies to get the best of us, we put ourselves in a position to be used as tools in the devils’ hands for causing division. Along with being the cause of division, we can also find ourselves on the other side of that coin, as David did. We may find that others will be jealous of how God is using us and blessing us, and find ourselves on the receiving end of the jealous actions towards us. When we do, we must continue to do as David did, whose commitment to God did not waver, and who refused to compromise who he was or what God expected of him, regardless of how much he suffered due to Saul’s jealousy. If we find ourselves on the side of the coin where we are the ones gossiping and causing division because of our insecurities and jealousy, then we need to repent, confess it, and get right with the LORD and those whom we have persecuted. If we are on the other side of that coin, then we need to continue to be steadfast in our service to the Lord and continue living for His glory, trusting Him to intervene and take vengeance on those who choose to persecute us because of their own jealousies.
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).
Monday, May 27, 2019
True Freedom Only Found in Jesus
Verse of the Day: Galatians 5:1, Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Today, in our country, we celebrate those who gave their lives so that we can live free. Someone once said, “All gave some, but some gave all.” There are many who have given their lives in order that we could enjoy the freedoms we have today. However, many are working to take those freedoms away from us and enslave us again; not in way that is noticeable by all, and would cause us to stand up and fight for them, but in a subtle way that will cause us one day to wake up and wonder how it was that we lost them. It is like the illustration of the frog that in placed in a pot of cold water and as the water is slowly heated the frog adjusts its body temperature, not realizing that it is going to eventually meet its demise. The fact of the matter is that there is really no freedom like that which is found only in Christ Jesus. John 8:31-32 tells us, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). The freedom we have in Christ came to us much like the freedom we have in our country came to us; someone died in order that we might have it. John 3:16 clearly states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” As many of us see today, the freedom gained for us by those who died fighting for it can be taken from us if we are not careful to guard it and cherish it. If we are not vigilant, we will find ourselves enslaved to those who want to take those freedoms from us. In this verse, in Galatians, the Apostle Paul admonishes us not to entangle ourselves again, or enslave ourselves again, to the rituals and works that do nothing to earn us the freedom we have in Jesus Christ when we call upon Him, by faith, to be our Savior and Lord. Verse 4 of Galatians 5 reminds us that we do not need to be enslaved to the law if we a personal relationship with Jesus. It reads, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” The bottom line is that the greatest freedom we can celebrate and enjoy is the freedom we gain in having a saving knowledge and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. It is a freedom that we will never lose, because no one can take us out of His hands as we are told in John 10:28-30, which reads, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.” Today, as we celebrate the freedom that so many gave their lives for, let us also remember, and celebrate, the true freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus. We must refuse to give our freedom over to the devils by refusing to be entangled again to sin, rituals, and works that do nothing but hinder our relationship with the One who made the ultimate sacrifice, willingly, and in love, so that we could have the hope of spending eternity with Him and enjoy the freedom, here and now, that we have in Jesus and Jesus alone.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His 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 gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Thursday, May 23, 2019
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