SET FREE TO SERVE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

Moreover, David fought Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control along the Euphrates River. David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. From Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

When Tou, king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze.

King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He put garrisons throughout Edom and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. Joab, son of Zeruiah, was over the army; Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was recorder; Zadok, son of Ahitub and Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, were priests; Seraiah was secretary; Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were royal advisers.

2 Samuel 8

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In chapter 7 of 2 Samuel, the Lord promised David He would “make his name great” while giving him rest from his enemies. As we turn to chapter 8, we see where He begins to make good on that promise.

We know this because David and the Israelite army experience a series of conquests over neighboring nations that ultimately expanded their territory and established the boundaries of the Promised Land…boundaries pledged by God to the Israelites earlier through these words:

“If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him - then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon and from the Euphrates River to the western sea. No man will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as He promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land wherever you go.” Deuteronomy 11:22-25

We read where David first “defeated the Philistines and subdued them”, taking control of Metheg Ammah and establishing control of additional territory to their west.

He also defeated the Moabites, allowing only a third of their people to live and those who did survive “became subject to David and brought tribute”. The land of Moab, coupled with the land of the Ammonites, gave Israel additional territory to their east but they could not extend their boundary to the Euphrates as the Lord stated until he defeated “Hadadezer…king of Zobah”.

And so we read where “David fought Hadadezer…to restore his control along the Euphrates River”, capturing “a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers” while disabling all but “a hundred of the chariot horses”. Despite this, David wasn’t fully victorious yet because “the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer” and they too experienced defeat at the hands of David and his men who “struck down twenty-two thousand of them” before putting “garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus”. The Arameans then also became subject to David and brought him tribute.

Additionally, David also found victory to the southwest by defeating the Amalekites and “became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt” in the south. Scripture tells us that David “put garrisons throughout Edom” and made “all the Edomites” subject to him.

Well, while David was gaining all these victories, the scriptures tell us that “Tou, king of Hamath, heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer”. Of interest, Tou had been at war with the Arameans and was afraid that David might attack him too and so he sought to make peace with David first, sending “his son Joram” to him “to greet…and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer”. We read where “Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze”, gifts intended to show David honor and respect, and the act worked for we don’t read where David attacked Tou or Hamath.

Through all this, we see where David didn’t just gain valuable territory but also valuable plunder and tribute as well. He took “the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer” and “took a great quantity of bronze” from “Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer”, bringing the items to Jerusalem and dedicating them “to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued” such as “Edom and Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines, and Amalek”.

And so there was no doubt that David had great success in all his battles but we know it only happened because it was the will of the Lord who “gave David victory wherever he went”. What an assurance this must have been for Israel’s new king who “reigned over all Israel” and did “what was just and right for all his people” for he didn’t have to worry about his enemies because the Lord was with him…the Lord who promised him rest from them.

In the end translation, David was set free to serve the Lord’s people in a just and right way…while fulfilling God’s purpose because he knew his Lord was with him and for him.

Friends, the good news in this message is that we have the same promised peace and assurance from the Lord…a peace and assurance that the Lord will watch over us, keep us in His care, bring us to victory over our enemies, and set us free to serve Him and others in accordance with His purpose for us. To affirm this, consider these verses:

For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Proverbs 2:6-8

As we strive daily to learn the Lord’s ways through seeking His will and receiving His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, we find ourselves living upright lives…lives that are centered on Jesus and the way He lived in perfect righteousness and holiness. And as we carry out what the Lord wants in life, He rewards these efforts to follow Him faithfully by granting us victory over Satan while shielding, guarding, and protecting us in our walk with Him. It’s this assurance of victory and safeguarding that allows us to boldly go forth to carry out God’s will for our lives…just as David did. Look at these words from the 121st Psalm:

The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm — He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Vv. 5-8

These words, found in one of the songs of ascent, offer us the promise that the Lord is watching over us always…day and night…keeping us safe from all harm while watching over our lives...now and forever.

Are these not awesome words of comfort and peace for us in the midst of a world that can often appear scary and dangerous?

Through whatever comes, we simply must remember that the Lord is indeed Emmanuel…God with us…not just some of the time but all of the time…and He is always working things for the good of those who are devoted to Him. We are guaranteed this in this verse from the Book of Romans:

…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

So…since we’ve been granted victory and given shielding, guarding, and protecting as the Lord watches over us and keeps us from harm, then surely we should know without a doubt that God truly does work for the good of those who love Him. We should also fully realize that we have been called according to His purpose…a purpose that we are to seek…a purpose we are to find…and a purpose we are to fulfill…just as David did…because we, like he, have the awesome promise of guardianship from the most powerful Guardian anyone could ever have.

My brother and sisters, doesn’t this truth liberate us? Doesn’t this truth from God’s Word allow us to go forth in life carry out His will without worry…unencumbered by any burden of fear?

My prayer is that we will boldly live out our lives as the Apostle Paul did for the cause of the Gospel, feeling the same way he did when he penned these words to the Hebrews:

“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’" 13:6

Indeed, what can man do against a God who can do all things…a God who protects those who love and follow Him…a God who has an awesome, wonderful purpose for those who love Him and protects them as they seek to fulfill His purposes.

Today and every day, let’s give thanks to our Lord who sets us free to serve.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

KEY ELEMENTS OF PRAYER

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

"Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family that You have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in Your sight, O Sovereign Lord, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. Is this Your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?”

“What more can David say to you? For you know Your servant, O Sovereign Lord. For the sake of Your word and according to Your will, You have done this great thing and made it known to Your servant.”

“How great You are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like You and there is no God but You as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a name for Himself and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt? You have established Your people Israel as Your very own forever and You, O Lord, have become their God.”

“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise You have made concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You promised, so that Your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of Your servant David will be established before You.”

“O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, You have revealed this to Your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So Your servant has found courage to offer You this prayer. O Sovereign Lord, You are God! Your words are trustworthy and You have promised these good things to Your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of Your servant that it may continue forever in Your sight; for You, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever."

2 Samuel 7:18-29

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

At the beginning of 2nd Samuel, chapter 7, the Lord sends a message to David via the prophet Nathan. You’ll remember that David had spoken to the prophet about an idea he had based on guilty feelings. For David, who was living in a “palace of cedar”, didn’t think it was appropriate that the ark of God was in a tent. And so in his heart, knowing he could command anything to happen as king, David planned on building a structure to house the holy ark and after hearing him out, Nathan encouraged him to go ahead and do whatever was on his mind because the Lord was with him.

Well, while it was true that God was with David, He also reserved the right to dictate what would and wouldn’t happen and David hadn’t consulted Him first before coming up with his grand plan. And so we saw the Lord intervene, sending David a message through Nathan which essentially reminded Israel’s king that He and He alone would choose when, where, and by whose hands the house for the ark would be built.

Further, you’ll recall that He also reminded David of how He had brought him to where he was, taking him from the pasture to become the ruler over all of Israel and blessing him every step of the way. He had also set apart the Israelites to be His (God’s) people and therefore would continue to watch over them. Finally, we saw the Lord assure David that his offspring would be blessed as well, assuming his throne and kingdom with his son being the one who would build the house for His name. Of course, we know this referred to Solomon who would later assume the throne of his father and build God’s temple.

And so as we closed yesterday’s message, David had received this special message from the Lord. So what would he do next?

We see where he did what we all hopefully would do as believers for as we move to the closing verses of 2 Samuel, chapter 7, we see where David turned to the Lord in prayer and teaches us some important elements that we should use in our own prayers anytime we come before the Lord.

First, note how David consistently acknowledges God’s authority.

He calls Him “Sovereign Lord” and “Lord Almighty”, establishing God as being the one true King and sovereign Ruler over all things, a King and Rucker who was Almighty, possessing a power above and over anything and anyone. While David had been granted a powerful, ruling position as king over Israel, he understood that his authority paled in comparison to the King he served and answered to…the King of all kings and Lord of all Lords.

And this leads to the second element we should copy from David’s prayer...humility.

For note the first thing that David says to his sovereign, almighty Lord:

“Who am I…and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in Your sight, O Sovereign Lord, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. Is this Your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?”

Through his words, we see where David saw himself and his family as completely unworthy and undeserving of God’s favor. And yet, God had blessed him immensely, bringing him to be king at the time and place where he was in prayer.

But God didn’t stop there for He also promised future blessings on the house of David well beyond his passing and all this led David to wonder whether or not this was His usual way of dealing with man.

Today, I think we should be able to relate to David wondering why the Almighty God of all creation would even be mindful of him and his family. For as believers today, we know all too well the truth contained in Romans 3:23:

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Confessing this in humility helps us remember our fallen state before a Lord who hates sin…and the great mercy, grace, and love He showed us by offering up His one and only Son Jesus so that we wouldn’t perish but have eternal life after simply believing in Him as Savior. No one has earned this or deserves it and yet God still grants it to us, even going as far to make us His children, now and forever.

Or in other words, the King becomes our Father as well…and like any parent, He has a plan for us in life.

David knew this and acknowledged God’s will and the power of His word over His people…the third important element needed in prayer.

For while we may have our fixations on what God should do for us, we must remember that He will do for us what He wills for us.

In other words, we aren’t in control.

He is…and we are to submit to His authority as the Maker and Master of all created things…our Heavenly Father who loves us and wants to give us the best, even though we so often fall short of living up to His expectations.

Let’s go back to David’s prayer and revisit what he had to say to God:

“What more can David say to you? For you know Your servant, O Sovereign Lord. For the sake of Your word and according to Your will, You have done this great thing and made it known to Your servant.”

Indeed, what more can be said to a God who knows us better than we know ourselves?

In David’s case, the Lord fully knew him and felt he would be a good fit to rule over His people. Therefore, it was His will to appoint David as king and by His will and Word, to bless Israel and future generations of David’s family.

As we go through our own lives day by day, we would well served to just surrender to God’s will and Word instead of resist and fight against it. For if we would only give control over to the Lord and acknowledge that He knows what is best for us…if we would only understand, like David, that He knows us and will use His will and Word to put us in the place He wants us to be in order to fulfill His purposes…then we would find ourselves so much more content in whatever our circumstances are because we have placed our full trust in our Lord…the only place our trust should be.

And when we do this, when we surrender to the Lord fully, placing our complete trust in Him, then we end up in a place where we can praise Him for everything that He does in our lives because we are carrying out His will while following His way every day.

Therefore, we don’t deserve any of the glory but can easily surrender it to the One who deserves all of it. David was brought to this point…the point of praise in prayer, the fourth important element we’ll cover today.

Again, let’s go back to the words of David:

“How great You are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like You and there is no God but You as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a name for Himself and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? You have established Your people Israel as Your very own forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God.”

Here’s we see where David takes time to acknowledge God’s greatness and distinction…and rightfully so for what else would somebody say about a God who created and made everything, speaking it into existence?

If that isn’t great, then what is?

And since God and God alone created everything in Heaven and on earth, then truly He was…and is…in a class by Himself with no rival…not then…not now…not ever.

David went on to extend his praise of the Lord by wondering if there were any other people like the people of Israel, not that they had done anything themselves to be distinguished but only because God had favored them, driving out nations and their gods while redeeming them from their enemies.

If we’re honest today, we see where the Lord still favors His children who should always turn to Him in prayer, offering Him praise while acknowledging that He and He alone is God…infinitely almighty with no equal…and able to do all things in, around, and through us.

With that understanding in hand, we can find ourselves confident as we come before the Lord with any request or petition…the fifth key element of prayer. For when we see God for who He is…Sovereign, Almighty, and Great…and because of this, able to do all things in accordance with His will, way and word for us, then we can approach Him with confidence as we lift up our requests to Him.

Back to David’s prayer again where we read this:

“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise You have made concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You promised, so that Your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of Your servant David will be established before You.”

After  David recognized and praised God’s blessing on him, his family, and his people, we see where he now asks the Lord to forever keep the promise He made. For David knew that when God’s people knew and relied on His promises, then they would ever lift up God as their Lord Almighty…the One through which everything is possible.

The same thing will happen to us as believers today if we follow David’s lead and intentionally seek to identify all God has done and is doing in our lives. In other words, we should be counting our blessings and when we do then we will find ourselves in a spirit of thanksgiving, the final key element that we see in David’s prayer as he finished saying:

“O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, You have revealed this to Your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So Your servant has found courage to offer You this prayer. O Sovereign Lord, You are God! Your words are trustworthy and You have promised these good things to Your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of Your servant that it may continue forever in Your sight; for You, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”

When someone helps us in some way, we typically take the time to thank them for what they’ve done. In fact, it’s been said that the second most powerful set of words after “I love you” are “Thank you” and we simply can’t say them enough…to one another and certainly to our God.

And so David finishes his prayer by thanking the Lord for what He has done for him…for revealing His will and way for him, his family, and the nation of Israel…and for providing the blessings that he (David) and his house had experienced.

Friends, if we would truly sit down and account for all the many blessings the Lord has given, we would always find ourselves in a spirit of appreciation…for God has given us so very much…much more than we deserve…and for that we should give be grateful.

The good news for us today is that our Lord has so much more in store. For we know that through His promises to us…promises that we, like David, know are trustworthy…there is an abundance of blessings yet to come both in this life and the assurance of the better one yet to come through Jesus Christ.

Just one more reason for us to be eternally thankful.

And so as I close today, would you join me in a word of prayer?

Almighty, Omnipotent, Everlasting God,

We draw before You now in humbleness, not worthy to be in Your presence for we are sinners who have failed You too many times. Forgive us, O Lord, for the times we have fallen short of Your expectations and show us the right way to live, the way You want us to go in life. Illuminate us with Your Holy Spirit and instruct is with Your Word…lighting the path that You want us to walk while revealing the things You want us to do. Right here and now, we surrender ourselves to Your leadership and guidance.

And we praise You, O God, for You and You alone have brought us to this place and time after blessing us so richly with each and every day. We’re so thankful to know how much You love us as Your children…because of that, we know You only want the best for us. And so we submit ourselves to You right now and ask that You mold and shape us to be the people You want us to be. Clothe us in Your righteousness, we pray, so that others might see a glimpse of You through the way we live.

Lord, we just love You so much and want to love like You love…unconditionally and eternally. To that end, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts and help us become more like Your Son Jesus…who You sent to die on the cross for our sins and offer us the promise of eternal life. When people see us, we pray they will really be getting a look at who Jesus is.

We thank you God for all this and more. For Your blessings have flowed and continue to flow abundantly to us and we can always trust that You are near…just as You are this very moment as we offer this prayer to You in Your most holy and wonderful Name, the Name that is far above every other. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

IS IT GOD'S WILL?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar while the ark of God remains in a tent."

Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it for the Lord is with you."

That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build Me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as My dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”

“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for My people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over My people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.’

‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord Himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for My Name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But My love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever.'"

Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

2 Samuel 7:1-17

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In chapter 6 of 2nd Samuel, we read where David brought the ark of God to Jerusalem where he had established his throne. As chapter 7 begins, we see where David starts to conscientiously think about what he should do with the ark.

The scriptures tell us that after David “was settled in his palace”, the Lord “had given him rest from all his enemies around him” and it was during this time that he voiced a concern to the prophet Nathan saying:

“Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."

To which the prophet replied:

“Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you."

Now, all this sounded good on the surface for there was little doubt that the ark of God should be treated with reverence and respect for the infinite holiness it represented. There was also little doubt that the Lord was with David. But there was one big problem within the exchange between David and Nathan for neither of them chose to go to the Lord directly to ask whether or not it was His will for the king to build a special structure to house the ark.

And so as we see, God came to them instead, speaking to Nathan “that night” saying:

"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build Me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as My dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”

“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for My people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over My people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.’

‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord Himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for My Name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But My love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever.'"

We see here where the Lord had a lot to say on the matter as He clearly laid out His desires for building the temple He would one day dwell in. If David had asked in the first place, the Lord would have told him directly but since he didn’t, God set him straight by communicating through His prophet Nathan.

We see where God first poses a question to David:

“Are you the one to build Me a house to dwell in?”

In other words, the Lord is essentially saying, “Did I tell you to build Me a house to dwell in?”

We know the answer is pretty obvious because David didn’t ask in the first place. He just assumed he could do whatever he wanted because he was the king.

Next, God underscores His point by asking David if he knew of any time that the Lord had asked any of the rulers of Israel to build him a house of cedar. Of course, the answer was “no”. He had never asked them just as He had not asked David.

So what was the Lord’s point?

He was reminding David that He would dictate what happened. Period.

And with this, David needed to always consult Him before He did anything. It would be the only way that he would make sure that the Lord’s will was being done, something he didn’t do in this case and so God provided correction.

So what was God’s will in this case?

We find Him telling David in the second and third paragraphs of His guidance.

First, it was His will to make David’s “name great…like the names of the greatest men on earth.”

Second, it was His will to “provide a place for (His) people Israel”, planting them “so that they (could) have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed”.

Third, it was His will to prevent wicked people from oppressing the Israelites “as they did at the beginning” and had done ever since the Lord appointed leaders over His people Israel.

Fourth, it was His will for David to have “rest from all (his) enemies.”

Fifth, it was God’s will to establish a house for David.

Sixth, it was God’s will to raise up offspring from David’s body to succeed him David after his days were over and he was at rest with his fathers.

Seventh, it was God’s will to establish the throne of the kingdom of David’s offspring forever.

Eighth, it was God’s will for David’s offspring to “build a house” for the Lord’s name.

Ninth, it was God’s will to punish David’s offspring “with the rod of men…with floggings inflicted by men” when “he does wrong”.

Tenth, it was God’s will that His love would “never be taken away” from David’s offspring like it had been taken away from Saul.

And finally…eleventh…it was God’s will for David’s “house and…kingdom” as well as his throne to “endure forever”.

All told, we see the Lord giving David…through Nathan…eleven assurances as He declares His will…and as we know, His will always gets done exactly as He wishes.

All this got me wondering if we are too often like David in our own lives, developing grand plans without ever consulting the Lord whether those plans are even in His will for us. If we’re honest, I think we do this all the time and it has to frustrate God as much as it did more than 3,000 years ago when he dealt with Israel’s second king.

The remedy to this problem is simple for any believer needs to go before the Lord first, each and every day, and ask what about His will. Then, we need to carry out that will without compromise, even if it deviates from what we would like to do or what we may have thought was the right thing to do.

This process is validated by the following scripture passage found in 1st John:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15

Indeed, there’s a confidence when we approach God to ask about what His will is for us. For when we know His plans for our life and go about executing those plans just as He wants, then we know that those plans will succeed because His perfect will is always going to perfectly happen.

It’s very simple.

Before doing anything, just ask God about what His will is and then wait for that will to be revealed. Rest assured, He will make it known to you…and then expect you to make it happen.  

And so, I close with a question:

Have you asked God about what His will is for you today?

Know and trust that He’s standing by with an answer. All you need to do is ask.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

DON'T LET ANYONE STEAL YOUR JOY

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God because the oxen stumbled. The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

Then David was angry because the Lord's wrath had broken out against Uzzah and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.

David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, "How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?" He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.

Now King David was told, "The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal, daughter of Saul, came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"

David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord's people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."

And Michal, daughter of Saul, had no children to the day of her death.

2 Samuel 6

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Once David had established his throne in Jerusalem, there was one other important item that needed established there as well. For as we see in today’s passage from 2 Samuel, chapter 6, the ark of God was not with David. In fact, the mention of the ark in this chapter is the first since early in the Book of 1st Samuel (Chapter 7 to be exact). There, you may remember that the ark was turned back over to Israel by the Philistines and kept in the home of Abinadab (1 Samuel 7:1). It underscored how much Saul had turned away from God during his rule…that he would give little respect or credence to the vessel that Israel was to revere and protect since it represented God’s presence with them. Instead, he left it sit idle and isolated.

In our scriptures today, we see where this changed with David…the man who after God’s own heart. For we read where he “brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all” and “set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God”.

Once they retrieved the ark from “the house of Abinadab”, they set the ark of God on a new cart guided by “Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab”. “David and the whole house of Israel” were with them, “celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.” The ark of God was on its way to Jerusalem where it could once again be placed in a position of holy reverence and esteem…and this was reason for great celebration.

But then, an issue happened.

You may recall that God had given clear direction as to how the ark was to be moved…that it was to be transported by the Levites who would carry the ark using poles on their shoulders. Unfortunately in this instance, we see where Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the ark on the cart and disaster struck as “they came to the threshing floor of Nacon”. For there “the oxen stumbled” and when this happened, “Uzzah reached out” to take “hold of the ark of God”, an act that brought on the Lord’s wrath. We read where He struck Uzzah dead “because of his irreverent act”…an act that wouldn’t have even taken place if God’s commands would have been followed. But since the Israelites didn’t follow God’s expectations, consequences happened and Uzzah lost his life.

We see where this hot David hard, so much so that he became “angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah”. In the moment, he didn’t fully understand that Uzzah had broken God’s command by touching the ark, leading to the punishment. Instead, he became afraid, wondering if he or someone else might be killed next if they took custody of the ark.

And so we see where David “was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David”. Instead, he “took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite” where it remained for three months during which time “the Lord blessed him and his entire household”. This news reached David who was told:

“The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God."

We read where this report caused David’s heart to soar with praise and he “went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing”. And “when those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf”.

The scriptures tell us that David was wearing a “linen ephod” as he “danced before the Lord with all his might while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets”. Such was the level of joy felt while they were in the presence of God.

Unfortunately, we see where not everyone was rejoicing.

For “as the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, watched from a window” and “when she saw…David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart”. This was definitely a big change within Michal who once loved David deeply (1 Samuel 18) and even helped him escape as her father sought to kill him (1 Samuel 19). Perhaps, she fell out of love for him after she was married to Paltiel and now resented that she was forced to return to him but whatever the reason, it’s obvious that things weren’t well in David’s marriage to her.

Well, going back to David’s procession, we read where the “ark of the Lord” was “set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it” and once there, “David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord”. He then “blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty” and “gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women”, before “all the people went to their homes”.

And with that, David “returned home” as well “to bless his household” and once there, he encountered an unhappy Michal who rebuked him saying:

“How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"

Her words were laced with sarcasm, disrespect, and contempt and while the scriptures don’t specifically say the Lord punished her for the behavior, we do read where she had “no children to the day of her death”.

As for David, we see where he was unmoved by his wife’s words as he replied:

“It was before the Lord who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord's people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."

You’ve got to love David’s response to his wife’s inappropriate remarks. For as she attempts to steal away his joy over bringing the ark to Jerusalem, David simply tells her that he was directing his rejoicing to the One who chose him and appointed him ruler over His people…even over her father…and so he celebrated before God and would continue to do so.

I wonder if this has this ever happened to you. Have you, like David, ever been in the midst of circumstances that brought you to a place of rejoicing with thanksgiving before the Lord, only to have someone or something come and try and steal your joy away?

I know I have.

It happens so how should we respond when it does?

David has shown us the answer. For we need to just stay true to our Lord just as He was and refuse to let anyone try and take away our joy. When we do this, we can celebrate freely and unhindered, bringing Him the praise and worship He deserves as we revel in the life He has blessed us with and the sure hope of salvation that comes through belief in His Son Jesus.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.