THE DANGER OF DECEIT

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Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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But David thought to himself, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel and I will slip out of his hand."

So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish, son of Maoch, king of Gath. David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

Then David said to Achish, "If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?"

So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.

Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

When Achish asked, "Where did you go raiding today?"

David would say, "Against the Negev of Judah" or "Against the Negev of Jerahmeel" or "Against the Negev of the Kenites." He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, "They might inform on us and say, 'This is what David did.'"

And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory.

Achish trusted David and said to himself, "He has become so odious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant forever."

1 Samuel 27

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

Quick question: Would a person lie if they are really after God’s heart?

It’s question we need to ponder as we study from 1st Samuel, chapter 27 where we pick up after David warded off Saul for the second time in chapter 26, an event where Israel’s king admitted his sinfulness while vowing to stop trying to harm David right before they went their separate ways.

As this chapter opens, we see where David doubts that Saul would keep his word. After all, he had promised things before only to break those promises. What would keep Saul from doing it again?

And so David decided to “escape to the land of the Philistines”, a move that led to Saul giving up his search for him. He (David) took his “six hundred men…and went over to Achish, son of Maoch, king of Gath”.

Now you may remember this wasn’t David’s first foray into Gath. While fleeing from the murderous Saul, David fled to the Philistine territory. Afraid that Achish might betray him to Saul, David pretended to be crazy which allowed him to get out of Gath and continue his escape (1 Samuel 21:10-15).

Also of interest, Goliath, the Philistine giant that terrorized the Israelites before the young David killed him with a well placed stone from his sling, hailed from Gath. This reminds us how connectional the Word of God can be as we study it.

Well, as David and his men went to Gath this time, they chose to settle in Philistia. We read where they also took their families this time and David went to Achish with the following proposition:

“If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?"

And with that, “Achish gave (David) Ziklag” where he lived for “a year and four months”…but afterwards, the land “belonged to the kings of Judah ever since”.

Up to this point, all seemed well. David was free from Saul’s pursuit and had his own town to live in with his people. But then something began to happen to David for we see where he began to allow deceit to take root in his heart.

For as David and his men settled into Ziklag, they weren’t just satisfied with having a town to live in for the scriptures tell us that they “went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites”, people who had “lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt”…”from ancient times”. And since these areas were under Philistine rule, David would attack an area and then not allow “a man or woman alive” because he couldn’t afford anyone telling Achish what he was doing…attacking the king’s towns for plunder as he “took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes”.

Then, falling further into sinfulness, we read where David would be asked by Achish:

“Where did you go raiding today?"

To which, David would deliberately share falsehood saying:

“Against the Negev of Judah" or "Against the Negev of Jerahmeel" or "Against the Negev of the Kenites."

In other words, David led Achish to believe that he was attacking his fellow Israelites when he was really attacking Philistine territory. We see where these lies were very convincing for “Achish trusted David” and believed what he said, so much so that he believed he had actually made David an enemy of his own people, something that would make him the king’s servant forever.

Now, on the surface, this lie might seem innocent enough.

David had attacked and destroyed the Philistines…a people who God had already condemned…a people who were the enemies of Israel. But we need to note here that God didn’t tell David to do what he did…nor did David, the man after God’s own heart, ask God whether He wanted him to attack and destroy the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. Rather, David took it upon himself to wipe out three groups of people under Philistine rule, committing total genocide so there would be no witnesses to his sin…and then doubling down on his wrongs by lying to the king about his actions…the first of many future acts of deceitfulness we’ll see from David.

The truth of the matter is that lying is rarely just a one-time affair. Instead, once a person is successful in lying once, they too often allow the seeds of dishonesty to be sown into their character where it begins to take root and sprout into more incidents of deception. And if one isn’t careful, lying can become as common as telling the truth, particularly if being dishonest can help them get what they want or cover up a wrong they committed.

The enemy, the father of lies as Jesus called him (John 8:44), seeks to convince people that a little lie here and there isn’t all that wrong. After all, everyone does it, right? Thank goodness our Lord doesn’t feel the same way. For we only need look into His holy Word to see that deceit isn’t acceptable to Him in any form.

Consider these passages:

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful. Proverbs 12:22

You see, when a person chooses to lie, they allow sin to enter their heart and devise the wicked deceitfulness that soon comes from their lips, an act that’s detestable to the Lord.

In other words, we disgust God when we deceive others and there can be no more dangerous place to be than in the presence of an almighty, infinitely powerful God who is disgusted?

Just the very thought of this should stoke fear in our hearts and deter us from ever speaking a single word of falsehood. For bad things are destined to come upon anyone who willingly chooses to lie.

How do we know?

Again, we go to the scriptures.

A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble. Proverbs 17:20

Indeed, God does not bless sinfulness. Instead, as we’ve seen in the last two messages, He rewards righteousness and faithfulness (1 Samuel 26:23).

A perverse heart…a heart that decides to disobey God and lead the tongue to deceive others…will lead the liar into trouble. For a person who willingly decides to turn away from God’s will and way will not find prosperity…only His disfavor.

One thing we need to always keep in mind. We might be able to easily deceive human beings we will never deceive the Lord. No one gets over on Him.

So what can we do while living within a world filled with so much deception…a world that would try and convince us to do likewise in our own lives?

God’s Word gives us the answer loud and clear for we only need to turn to Him.

I call on the Lord in my distress, and He answers me. Save me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. Psalm 120:1-2

The truth of the matter is that we serve a God who is always there for us…always there to help us from being deceived…and always there to keep our hearts and tongues from being deceitful. We only need to call on Him and He will answer because His Word is always perfectly trustworthy. God doesn’t lie.

So as we consider this passage from 1 Samuel 27 and David’s actions within, let our plea be like that of Agur in his inspired utterance found in the 30th chapter of Proverbs:

“Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” 30:7-8

Indeed, let us give thanks for the Bible, the very Word of God given to us this day…a Word that has opened our eyes to the dangers of deceit…and a Word that has served and will always serve as our daily bread…feeding us and nourishing our spirits and souls so to live in right and righteous ways, every time we turn to it.

And that’s the truth.

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.

THE REWARDS OF FAITHFULNESS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** 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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Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, David my son?"

David replied, "Yes it is, my lord the king." And he added, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly."

"Here is the king's spear," David answered. "Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today but I would not lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble."

Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David; you will do great things and surely triumph."

So David went on his way and Saul returned home.

1 Samuel 26:17-25

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

As we did yesterday, we need to focus in on these key words from David as he addressed Saul, the king of Israel who was intent on killing him:

“The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness.”

We have just looked at the rewards associated with righteousness and today, we turn our attention to what the Lord gives in exchange of faithfulness. Those blessings include:

1. Protection.

“…for He (God) guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones.” Proverbs 2:8

“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3

When we faithfully serve the Lord in every way, then we experience His faithful service towards us as well…a faithful service that protects us in life. For each day, as we set forth to try and be faithful to God’s Word while following the lead of the Holy Spirit, we know that Satan, our enemy, is working hard to try and turn us away from righteousness and toward wickedness.

We can’t afford to let our faithfulness be compromised, not even for a moment, because all the enemy needs is a slight crack in our armor to slip into our heart and mind so to lead us astray and away from the Lord who will always keep us walking the narrow path to life (Matthew 7:13-14).

Thankfully, we serve a Lord who is our Refuge and Shelter, the One we can always run to when the enemy tries to attack. He is indeed our ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1)…the Divine, Omnipotent Protector of those who are faithful to Him.

2. Preservation.

“Love the Lord, all His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud He pays back in full.” Psalm 31:23

So what does it mean to be preserved?

Well, in other translations of this verse, we find the following phrases used instead:

(a) “takes care of”

(b) ”watches over”

Taken in sum, these meanings open a window of understanding in regard to what the Lord is trying to say to us. For the faithful followers of the Lord are the ones who stay ever near to Him, the ones who invite Him into the very center of their beings…into their hearts, minds, and souls. And when the Lord is fully in one’s heart, mind, and soul, then they be assured they’ll be taken care of and watched over…faithfully preserved by the One they are faithful to.

The bottom line is that the Lord and Satan can’t co-exist in the same space. Faithfully fill yourself up with the Lord and there will be no room for the enemy to come calling. This is a deep comfort and peace for any believer, knowing that they have as faithful Guardian in the Lord who is ever with them to protect and preserve when we reciprocate faithfulness back to Him.

3. Love.

“Love and faithfulness meet together…” Psalm 85:10

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:36-38

If we are truly going to serve the Lord faithfully, we must do so fully and without compromise. We have to be willing to love him with every ounce of our being…with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength just as He loves us.

And when we do this, serving Him in full faithfulness, then and only then can we discover the fullness of the love He has for us…and more richly develop our love and appreciation for Him…our faithful Lord who protects and preserves…all out of love.

4. Fear of the Lord.

"Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14

There is no debating that the Lord deserves and expects our full respect and devotion. After all, we wouldn’t even exist (or continue existing) if it wasn’t for Him. The only reason we’re alive…me writing this and you hopefully reading it later…is because He has willed it to happen. For we never should forget that He is in control of all things, the Maker and Master of the created.

And so when we serve God faithfully, we’re not to do it out of a sense of compulsion but rather a willing spirit that puts our heartfelt gratitude, reverence, and faithfulness on full display…before Him and others.

As we serve Him faithfully, we don’t need to wonder what He wants from us for His word fully instructs us and is illuminated by the Holy Spirit. And so as long as we live in complete obedience to the Lord and His desires, then we need not fear Him because we are living a righteous life that He favors. We can’t afford to stray from this life mindset because there is always risk involved when we choose to step onto the path of unfaithfulness. I say this because the Lord God Almighty, the all powerful God who rules and reigns over all things, does not take kindly to being slighted or disrespected. Those who understand the importance of faithfulness toward God understand those risks and adopt whatever measures necessary to live in a way that is favorable and pleasing in His sight.

5. Blessedness.

“A faithful man will be richly blessed…” Proverbs 28:20

When we serve the Lord faithfully, we experience His love, grace, and mercy to the fullest…and this brings our lives to a place that is dominated by joy and happiness…contentment and peace.

What an awesome life it is when we get to experience the full measure of His blessings!

So what rewards do we gain from choosing to follow the Lord faithfully?

Protection, preservation, love, a healthy respect and reverence for the Lord, and all of His richest blessings.

My brothers and sisters, there’s no doubt that God requires us to faithful. Reinforced by His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit, we must have an airtight faithfulness if we’re going to truly show ourselves as God followers. There’s equally no doubt that the only way we can be faithful God followers is to model the life of Jesus, the only human being who ever lived perfectly…the only One who is The Way and The Truth and The Life…the only One who can bring us to God the Father (John 14:6).

Yes…God’s word tells us that He rewards righteousness and faithfulness…and over the past two messages, we have examined the scriptures revealing the rewards we can expect. But as we do this, let’s not overlook the greatest reward that God has ever given, the gift of His Son and our Savior, Jesus. For had He not come and die in our place, purchasing our pardon by paying the sin debt owed on Calvary’s cross, we would have no hope today and all the righteousness and faithfulness in the world wouldn’t bring us salvation.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Today and every day, let’s show our appreciation for all God has done by committing ourselves to righteousness and faithfulness each and every day…the righteousness and faithfulness that He favors and rewards.

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.

THE REWARDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** 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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Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, David my son?"

David replied, "Yes it is, my lord the king." And he added, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly."

"Here is the king's spear," David answered. "Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble."

Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David; you will do great things and surely triumph."

So David went on his way and Saul returned home.

1 Samuel 26:17-25

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

In our passage for today, we find David asking Saul whether his motivation to kill him was coming from the Lord or himself. This moment of self reflection for Israel’s king caused him to realize that he was chasing after his own will and, in doing so, sinned against God. And so we see where he sought and then received David’s forgiveness for acting like a fool and erring greatly.

With this, David returns Saul’s sword to him and then says something very powerful…something that Saul needed to hear…as well as all other believers. Look again at his words here:

“The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness”.

Friends, as we live this thing called life every day, it isn’t hard to understand what the Lord wants from us. Thankfully, there isn’t some complex series of actions we need to complete in order to gain His favor. Rather, as summed up nicely by David, all God expects is that we exercise righteousness and faithfulness, rewarding us when we commit ourselves to both.

Let’s spend a moment seeing what each of these entails so we understand what we should be doing…and then look at the blessings the Lord provides for simply obeying His simple demands.

First, how does one live in a way that would be considered righteous by God?

Well, if we went to the dictionary, we would learn that being righteous means to act in accordance with divine or moral law…to be free from guilt or sin…to be morally right or justifiable. This is a good place to start in knowing how we’re to think, speak, and act as we seek to please our Lord…the Lord who wants us to live in obedience to the scriptures. And to help us do that, He has also given us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who serves as our Divine Advisor and Counselor…an emissary from God the Father to keep His children living right and away from sin.

Or in other words, living in righteousness.

So to remain in God’s favor, we only need to turn to His Word, carry out its instructions, and surrender ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Do this, and we will be living righteously and therefore become worthy of His reward.

The scriptures also tell us that the Lord blesses those who exercise faithfulness in the way they live for Him.

What does it mean to live in faithfulness?

Once again turning to the dictionary, we see that a faithful person is one who is steadfast in affection or allegiance…one who is firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty…one who is true to a standard.

Indeed, the Lord expects us to be steadfast and unwavering in our affection and allegiance to Him…loyal and loving to Him, just as He is to us. And so when we pledge to follow His ways and turn from sin, He expects that we’ll keep that promise…just as He always keeps His promises to us.

In other words, if we want to be fully faithful to the Lord…we have to model the faithfulness He shows us. If we do this, then we can be assured that we will be living a life of loyalty to the One who is most worthy of it…and position ourselves in a place to receive His rewards.

OK…so we know we’re to strive and ever seek to succeed in living in righteousness and faithfulness…and we know the Lord blesses both.

So what rewards can we expect to receive?

Well, God’s word tells us all we need to know.

In this message, we’re going to look at the Lord’s list of rewards for righteous living because God’s word assures us that “…he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward” (Proverbs 11:18).

1. Peace.

“…righteousness and peace kiss each other.” Psalm 85:10

“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.” Isaiah 32:17

How much do you yearn for peace to be in your life?

Indeed, immersed in the day-to-day pressures of family and work, as well as other obligations and/or challenges one might have, things can be chronically chaotic and fast moving…so much so that there seems to be little time to for quiet.

This is why the Lord gave us all a two-verse prescription for peace (Philippians 4:6-7)…and when we dedicate ourselves to follow His Word and way, then that Word, illuminated and reinforced by the power of the Holy Spirit will lead us to true peace….a peace that transcends all understanding. To get there, we simply are told to surrender all our worries, anxieties, stresses, and fears to God, the only One powerful enough to handle them.

And so in sum, when we live in righteousness while partnering with the Lord to do so, He rewards us with peace.

2. Obedience

“Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” Romans 6:16

Here, God’s Word is crystal clear.

Obedience leads us to righteousness and so we need to make sure we are always living in accordance with God’s Word and will. To that end, committing ourselves to behave righteously in all we do will help ensure we remain obedient to what the Lord desires.

And so we need to see that obedience and righteousness go hand in hand with each other.

Want to be obedient? Live righteously in the Lord’s sight.

Want to be righteous? Live obediently through following God’s Word.

3. The ministry of the Spirit.

“Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!” 2 Corinthians 3:7-9

When we live righteously, conscientiously striving to be free of sin through obedience to the Lord’s will and way, then we are rewarded with the ministry of the Holy Spirit who is always there to guide us, comfort us, convict us, protect us, and love us…no matter what.

And just as we see in these three verses, what a glorious ministry this is…the ministry of the Spirit that is granted to us as a reward for our righteousness by God.

4. Discipline.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11

Now I can almost hear you saying, “Wait a minute! Discipline is a reward?”

It is when we consider discipline as it was meant to be.

For when we think of discipline, we think of punishment, an improper definition of the word that has been etched on our brains since childhood. But when we really look at the root meaning of the word “discipline” (derived from the Latin word “disciplina”), we see that it doesn’t mean to punish but rather to teach.

Using this, we can understand that when we willingly receive the Lord’s teaching…teaching that at times needs to be correctional in nature…we are led to righteous living.

Or in other words, the Lord rewards us with discipline so to sow righteousness within us…and we should give thanks for that.

5. A new self.

“…and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:24

“…filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:11

Something awesome happens when we commit ourselves to live in righteousness, being obedient to the Lord’s Word.

We become a new person.

Actually, the scriptures tell is that we put on a new self.

Why?

Because when we decide to pursue righteousness and partner with the Lord in every part of life, then we begin more and more to be like Him…to be an image of Him, just as He created us. And the more we become just like Him, the more we find ourselves living a life filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes from modeling the life of Jesus, becoming a new creation in and through Him who lives fully in true righteousness and holiness (2 Corinthians 5:17).

6. Faith

“I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’" Romans 1:16-17

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:22

The road to righteous living is also paved with faithfulness for we can’t possibly become righteous if we refuse to exercise faith in the Lord. We need to also see that being inconsistent in our faithfulness to God results us as being inconsistent in righteousness too.

In the end translation, true faithfulness requires true commitment…a steadfast loyalty that lets the Lord know we won’t let Him down…just as He never lets us down.

Indeed, we reap the reward of the Lord’s faithfulness when we live in faithfulness toward Him and frankly, there could be no better place for any of us to be in life.

And so there you have it, the rewards of righteousness as spelled out by the Word of God. For the scriptures tell is we gain peace, obedience, the ministry of the Spirit, discipline, the Lord’s faithfulness ,and a brand new self. Because of the blessed ministry of the Spirit, we could also add these:

Love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control...all named as fruits of the Spirit in Galatians (5:22-23).

My brothers and sisters, there’s no question that the Lord blesses those who choose to live for Him in every way…for those who choose righteousness over sin.

So where do you stand in your life?

Have you placed yourself in a position where you are reaping His rewards?

Or have you strayed from using the Word of God and the guiding of the Holy Spirit as your roadmap for life…turning instead towards sin, and in doing so, falling out of His favor?

If you’re counted in the former, then continue to do what you’re doing, remaining devoted to the Lord in everything you do. Conversely, if you have never lived for Him or maybe stopped doing so if you did prior, then it’s time to make a change.

The good news is that you can change that today….right this minute…by either making a commitment or recommitment to God and then stay faithful to that commitment or recommitment, surrendering your life in full obedience to His Word and will for you. Do that and the promised rewards found in the scriptures will be yours.

Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at how He rewards faithfulness.

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.

WHOSE WILL IS YOUR WILL?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** 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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them. He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, "Aren't you going to answer me, Abner?"

Abner replied, "Who are you who calls to the king?"

David said, "You're a man, aren't you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn't you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king. What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men deserve to die because you did not guard your master, the Lord's anointed. Look around you. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?"

Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, David my son?"

David replied, "Yes it is, my lord the king." And he added, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea — as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly."

1 Samuel 26:13-21

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

Earlier in 1 Samuel, chapter 26, we read where David and Abishai had crept into the camp of Saul, Abner, and their army. You’ll remember that Abishai had asked permission to kill Saul as he slept but David refused to allow him to do so. Instead, they took Saul’s sword and a water jug that had been near his head before leaving the camp and the sleeping men behind.

As we continue to study from this chapter, we see where David had “crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away” from the camp. From there, he “called out to the army and to Abner” saying:

“Aren't you going to answer me, Abner?"

Abner then inquires about who is calling to the king (Saul) and in response, we find David saying this:

“You're a man, aren't you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn't you guard your lord the king?”

It’s easy to sense the mocking nature of David’s words after he and Abishai had been able to enter the camp and get close enough to Saul to kill him. David’s words confirmed this as he continued:

“Someone came to destroy your lord the king. What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men deserve to die because you did not guard your master, the Lord's anointed. Look around you. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?"

David was essentially saying that Abner had failed in his duty to protect the king…one of his most primary responsibilities. And to prove his point, David let Abner know that he had been close enough to take Saul’s spear and the water jug near his head.

Well…before Abner had a chance to respond, we see where Saul enters the scene and speaks. It appears that he recognized the voice coming from the hill as belonging to David and so he asks if it was him. We see David confirming this as he responds, wondering why Israel’s king was still in pursuit:

"Yes it is, my lord the king. Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea — as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

David’s words powerfully reflected his dedication and faith to the Lord, something lacking in Saul for much of his reign. Note that David was willing to accept his fatal end if it was the Lord’s will. In that case, he saw himself as an offering that was provided to the Lord by Saul.

However, David countered these words by saying that if man was behind the murderous pursuit, then a curse should be upon them before the Lord for they would have violated God’s will, driving David from his “share in the Lord's inheritance” while telling him to “Go, serve other gods” instead.

And so with this, David forced Saul to acknowledge whether his actions were from the Lord or from his own evil intentions. And as scripture shows us, David’s approach once again drove Saul to repentance, just as at the En Gedi cave, as he said:

“I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly."

Now…what Saul should have said is that he sinned, acted like a fool, and erred greatly…again. For we know this wasn’t the first time he had to apologize to David (1 Samuel 24:16-22).

So what was Saul’s problem here?

The same problem that plagues many believers today…for he (and we) choose to behave way too often according to our own will and way, not God’s. This self serving disobedience not only leads us into sin but also draws us further and further away from being who the Lord wants us to be.

Indeed, it was disobedience that took a once God-honoring Saul and turned him into a murderous king who fell from God’s favor, so much so that the Lord decided to remove him from leading His people. Today, disobedience takes people that God created in His own image and turns them into people who disappoint, disrespect, and misrepresent Him in the way they live.

Friends, the bottom line is that we have a critically important choice to make in our lives in regard to who will dictate the things we think, say, and do. There are only two options:

1. We opt to seek and follow the Lord’s desire for us throughout every second of every minute of every hour of every day that He blesses us with.

or

2. We pick and choose when we want to seek the Lord’s guidance and will for our lives, only carrying out His expectations when they suit our desires.

One thing is certain…

Our Lord will not settle for anything less than option 1 for He demands our full compliance with anything and everything He wants. This is why we need to look at the character of Israel’s first king Saul as well as other biblical figures who all had flaws when it came to the matter of loyalty toward God…and this includes David who will have his own downfalls once on the throne of Israel.

In the end translation, God wants us to strive to be better…to read and learn about the mistakes of the past so to not repeat them now and in the future. We can do just that but only if we place the Lord first in everything.

Nothing less is acceptable to Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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