Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.
While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.
The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? Now, O king, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for handing him over to the king."
Saul replied, "The Lord bless you for your concern for me. Go and make further preparation. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah."
So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.
Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land."
Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth (rock of parting). And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
1 Samuel 23:14-29
____________________________________________________
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Romans 12:1-2, 6-8
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever found yourself discouraged…feeling down and out…perhaps even feeling defeated?
Life can lead us that way sometimes, particularly when we are going through the midst of trial. Whether it is health-related, work-related, financially-related, or relationship-related, our trials at times can span large periods of time…possibly up to years at a time…an in the midst of so much time spent in hardship, it can be easy to wear down and lose the ability to persevere. Maybe you can relate because I know I can.
Well David was going through this kind of trial as we continue studying the scriptures of 1st Samuel, Chapter 23. Saul had been pursuing him relentlessly, causing David to always be on the move to stay one step ahead of him. What made matters even worse were the number of people willing to expose David to Saul, making David not only have to flee but be wary of who he could and couldn’t trust.
As this passage opens, we find David “at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph” where he once again learns that “Saul had come out to take his life”. Tired and weary from running, David was in need of encouragement and God sent him just that in the way of his good friend, Jonathan.
Have you ever had this happen to you as well? Just when you were at wits end over some situation, the Lord sent someone to you who served as an encourager…one who lifted you up, renewed your spirit and helped you to carry on. I know I have experienced this more times than I can count.
So David in his time of need has Jonathan come to the rescue, meeting him at Horesh where he helped David “find strength in God”. Listen to Jonathan’s words of comfort and hope:
"Don't be afraid…My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this."
In other words, Jonathan is telling David he has nothing to be fearful of for Saul would “not lay a hand” on him. Instead, David would end up taking over as king…supplanting Saul and bringing new leadership to Israel with Jonathan second. David was not going to die nor be defeated. Instead, it would be Saul who would lose…and Jonathan assures David that his father knows his own days are numbered. Imagine what a boost this must have been to David’s spirits.
Well, Jonathan would leave David in Horesh after providing his encouragement and making a new covenant between them with the Lord. And it wouldn’t be long before David would face yet another challenge…but this time, he was reinforced and prepared to deal with what would come. Ultimately, he knew he would have the victory.
The challenge came when the “Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah”, told him that David was in their territory and asked Saul to come so they could hand David over to him. As said earlier, David just couldn’t know who he could trust…but as we can see, no matter what man tried to do, they could never overcome the Lord’s presence and protection over His chosen leader.
We read where Saul sends the Ziphites away and asks them to return with specific information about David’s location so he could kill him. Almost comically, Saul exploits the Lord’s name and blessing to extend favor for the evil the Ziphites were about to do…all when he couldn’t be further from holy or pious. And almost equally humorous was Saul calling David crafty when it was he who was the schemer.
Back to the scriptures where we see the Ziphites return ahead of Saul and inform him that David and his men were in the Desert of Maon. Armed with the information, Saul advances to finally get his hands on David but in a scenario that could be nothing short of God-driven, Saul and his men were advancing “along one side of the mountain” while David and his men “were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul”.
Saul would have eventually caught up with David but just as he was pursuing, news came that changed his plan. For the Philistines had attacked and raided Saul’s territory causing Saul to end “his pursuit of David” and leave to “meet the Philistines”. David would escape harm, just as Jonathan had promised, and went up with his men to live in the “strongholds of En Gedi”…no doubt buoyed up even more in spirit after escaping harm again.
Through today’s scripture we see the critical importance of encouragement…and we see it on two fronts.
First, it’s important to receive encouragement in times of need and we should never shy from it when offered. Too often, we tend to shun others when we’re going through tough times. We like to internalize our issues and not bother others with our problems. We think we have enough strength to deal with matters on our own. And through all these things, we find ourselves bottomed out, depressed and despaired…because we lose hope, faith and power to stand against the things that would afflict us.
Friends, we need encouragement nearly as much as we need air to breathe during difficult circumstances. Issues in life can suck the very life from us if we allow them to. But it doesn’t need to be that way. We can…and need to…confide in someone we see as a friend and remain open to receive and accept the encouragement they can bring us. And what greater friend do we have than the Lord Himself…One who promised to never leave us nor forsake us…and the only One who can provide us the strength we need to persevere through tough times.
We need to realize as well that sometimes the Lord works through others to encourage. For David, that person was Jonathan. For you or I, it could be anyone else the Lord chooses. And this leads me to the second point on encouragement: we should all seek to be encouragers.
For the Lord is ready to use us in just that way if we stay open to His will for us. He has us in the midst of others each and every day…others who may be going through difficulties. So as we are around them, the Lord could use us to be an encouragement to them…giving us words to say or just blessing us with the gift of listening…for sometimes that’s all we need to do to encourage another…just listening to what they are going through and allowing them to purge matters that have been weighing them down. I know I have gained a great deal of relief and release at times just by getting frustrations off my chest…and the Lord has blessed me through the years with wonderful people who have been given the gift of listening. In turn, I have helped many people who just needed someone to confide in and talk things through.
In fact, that’s a large part of what ministry is all about and I feel so blessed to be able to be used by the Lord to encourage others each and every day. The good news is that the Lord is ready to use anyone likewise that remains open to His will and way.
Won’t you consider being a blessing of encouragement to another today? For there’s no shortage of people in need…and the Lord is always looking for more encouragers. We can never have too many. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
YOU'LL NEVER KNOW UNLESS YOU ASK.
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, "God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars." And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod." David said, "O Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant." And the Lord said, "He will."
Again David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will."
So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
1 Samuel 23:7-13
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How many times do we wrongly assume things in life? Too many, I’m afraid. I know I have made this mistake more times than I can remember…nor want to.
Yes…assumptions can get us in trouble because we move forward with a false understanding on whatever matter we might be taking on…and more often than not, we find ourselves failing because we didn’t take the time to truly seek and find the real truth before moving forward.
Assumptions are bad enough when we wrongly think we know what another person is thinking or wanting. But they become even worse when we make assumptions about what God wants for us to do with out consulting Him. Frankly, we will never truly know what God wants unless we ask Him and then submit to His will for us in whatever circumstance we might find ourselves in.
Today’s passage shows a great contrast on the matter of assumption as we see in one case what we shouldn’t do…and in the other, what we should.
It should be of little surprise that we Saul as the one who shows us what not to do, particularly in failing to consult God. For Saul’s reputation for being self absorbed proceeded him. We have seen Saul worship himself and consistently rely on his own understanding, even though time after time, this has led to failure and defeat.
In our scripture, we see where Saul is still after David and wishes for nothing less than finding and killing him. Such was his jealousy and hatred of him.
Earlier in Chapter 23, we read where David had rescued the people of Keilah against a Philistine attack after God assured him that He would hand the Philistines over to his hand. Word of the battle traveled quickly and reached Saul who was hoping to find out where David was. And after learning that David was in Keilah, we see where Saul makes his mistake in assuming for he said, “God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars." Feeling he had David right where he wanted him, Saul “called up all his forces for battle” and prepared to “go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men”.
Note Saul’s huge error in judgment. We don’t read where Saul asks the Lord whether it is His will that he go to Keilah and attack David and his men. Perhaps, Saul had already made another assumption…that God would say “No” if he did ask Him and that just wouldn’t be acceptable for Saul. Whatever his reasoning, we see where Saul makes the call to go and get rid of David once and for all.
Now…let’s look at the opposite of Saul in David…a man not only after God’s heart (1 Samuel 13:14) but a man also after God’s guidance. For read where Saul isn’t the only one getting intelligence information on the movement and whereabouts of opponents…David was as well. And as he “learned that Saul was plotting against him”, David has Abiathar, son of Ahimelech and David’s appointed priest, bring him the ephod. And as soon as he received this, David turned directly to the Lord for direction saying, “O Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant." David knew that the only right way he could face his uncertain future was to turn to the One who knew what his future held. No one else could help David but God because no one else knew. And we need to keep this in mind as well as we deal with life’s circumstances. No one but the Lord knows what we are going through and what we will be going through even before we go through it. And we can always trust His answer as truth. That’s what David sought and that’s what he received as the Lord told him, “He (Saul) will."
So Saul was going to come. David knew it because God said it but David had one final question…one that would involve whether he could trust the people of Keilah…the very ones he fought to save. David was wondering whether the people would surrender him and his men to Saul…and sadly, the Lord told him that they would. By seeking the Lord and truth, David knew he and his men were doomed to defeat if they remained in Keilah. And so they (David and his men…now numbering about six hundred) “left Keilah and kept moving from place to place” to keep from being discovered and attacked. Meanwhile, Saul “was told that David had escaped from Keilah” and so he called off his attack and “did not go there”. David and his men were safe again…delivered there by the Lord.
So in summation…
Saul thought he knew the Lord’s will and was wrong. He didn’t ask. His actions resulted in negative results that are summed up in the following New Testament scripture:
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:1-3
Saul didn’t succeed because of the evil within him…a sinful murderous obsession with killing David that caused him to be his own master and turn from God’s wisdom. Saul didn’t get what he wanted because he didn’t ask God…and even if he did ask, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have received the answer he wanted because Saul would have been communicating with God with wrong motives…seeking to kill David to satisfy his pleasure.
Conversely, David knew what he should do and what was to come because he asked the Lord. He realized that the Lord was the only true source of truth he had and he trusted him explicitly. And the reward for his faithfulness came when he and his men were spared from the hands of Saul and the people of Keilah, allowed to flee. David’s actions were supported by this passage from James:
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. James 1:5-8
David believed in God and His ability to impart perfect wisdom in any and all circumstances. And God granted him what he needed…when he needed it.
So which of these two examples will we follow? Will we decide to rely on ourselves and go through our days assuming what God wants us to do instead of asking Him to make sure we’re carrying out His will fully? Or will be like David, fully trusting and relying on God to guide and lead us through our circumstances?
Our decision really comes down to one more question: How will we know what God’s will is for our lives unless we seek it from Him? The truth is…we’ll never truly know unless we ask.
God is waiting for us...just a prayer away.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, "God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars." And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod." David said, "O Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant." And the Lord said, "He will."
Again David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will."
So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
1 Samuel 23:7-13
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How many times do we wrongly assume things in life? Too many, I’m afraid. I know I have made this mistake more times than I can remember…nor want to.
Yes…assumptions can get us in trouble because we move forward with a false understanding on whatever matter we might be taking on…and more often than not, we find ourselves failing because we didn’t take the time to truly seek and find the real truth before moving forward.
Assumptions are bad enough when we wrongly think we know what another person is thinking or wanting. But they become even worse when we make assumptions about what God wants for us to do with out consulting Him. Frankly, we will never truly know what God wants unless we ask Him and then submit to His will for us in whatever circumstance we might find ourselves in.
Today’s passage shows a great contrast on the matter of assumption as we see in one case what we shouldn’t do…and in the other, what we should.
It should be of little surprise that we Saul as the one who shows us what not to do, particularly in failing to consult God. For Saul’s reputation for being self absorbed proceeded him. We have seen Saul worship himself and consistently rely on his own understanding, even though time after time, this has led to failure and defeat.
In our scripture, we see where Saul is still after David and wishes for nothing less than finding and killing him. Such was his jealousy and hatred of him.
Earlier in Chapter 23, we read where David had rescued the people of Keilah against a Philistine attack after God assured him that He would hand the Philistines over to his hand. Word of the battle traveled quickly and reached Saul who was hoping to find out where David was. And after learning that David was in Keilah, we see where Saul makes his mistake in assuming for he said, “God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars." Feeling he had David right where he wanted him, Saul “called up all his forces for battle” and prepared to “go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men”.
Note Saul’s huge error in judgment. We don’t read where Saul asks the Lord whether it is His will that he go to Keilah and attack David and his men. Perhaps, Saul had already made another assumption…that God would say “No” if he did ask Him and that just wouldn’t be acceptable for Saul. Whatever his reasoning, we see where Saul makes the call to go and get rid of David once and for all.
Now…let’s look at the opposite of Saul in David…a man not only after God’s heart (1 Samuel 13:14) but a man also after God’s guidance. For read where Saul isn’t the only one getting intelligence information on the movement and whereabouts of opponents…David was as well. And as he “learned that Saul was plotting against him”, David has Abiathar, son of Ahimelech and David’s appointed priest, bring him the ephod. And as soon as he received this, David turned directly to the Lord for direction saying, “O Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant." David knew that the only right way he could face his uncertain future was to turn to the One who knew what his future held. No one else could help David but God because no one else knew. And we need to keep this in mind as well as we deal with life’s circumstances. No one but the Lord knows what we are going through and what we will be going through even before we go through it. And we can always trust His answer as truth. That’s what David sought and that’s what he received as the Lord told him, “He (Saul) will."
So Saul was going to come. David knew it because God said it but David had one final question…one that would involve whether he could trust the people of Keilah…the very ones he fought to save. David was wondering whether the people would surrender him and his men to Saul…and sadly, the Lord told him that they would. By seeking the Lord and truth, David knew he and his men were doomed to defeat if they remained in Keilah. And so they (David and his men…now numbering about six hundred) “left Keilah and kept moving from place to place” to keep from being discovered and attacked. Meanwhile, Saul “was told that David had escaped from Keilah” and so he called off his attack and “did not go there”. David and his men were safe again…delivered there by the Lord.
So in summation…
Saul thought he knew the Lord’s will and was wrong. He didn’t ask. His actions resulted in negative results that are summed up in the following New Testament scripture:
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:1-3
Saul didn’t succeed because of the evil within him…a sinful murderous obsession with killing David that caused him to be his own master and turn from God’s wisdom. Saul didn’t get what he wanted because he didn’t ask God…and even if he did ask, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have received the answer he wanted because Saul would have been communicating with God with wrong motives…seeking to kill David to satisfy his pleasure.
Conversely, David knew what he should do and what was to come because he asked the Lord. He realized that the Lord was the only true source of truth he had and he trusted him explicitly. And the reward for his faithfulness came when he and his men were spared from the hands of Saul and the people of Keilah, allowed to flee. David’s actions were supported by this passage from James:
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. James 1:5-8
David believed in God and His ability to impart perfect wisdom in any and all circumstances. And God granted him what he needed…when he needed it.
So which of these two examples will we follow? Will we decide to rely on ourselves and go through our days assuming what God wants us to do instead of asking Him to make sure we’re carrying out His will fully? Or will be like David, fully trusting and relying on God to guide and lead us through our circumstances?
Our decision really comes down to one more question: How will we know what God’s will is for our lives unless we seek it from Him? The truth is…we’ll never truly know unless we ask.
God is waiting for us...just a prayer away.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
THE LORD’S BLESSED REASSURANCE
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors," he inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?"
The Lord answered him, "Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah."
But David's men said to him, "Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!"
Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, "Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand."
So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
1 Samuel 23:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
1st Samuel, Chapter 22 ended in tragedy as Ahimelech and 83 other priests were slaughtered by Doeg the Edomite under order from Saul. Additionally, everything in the town of Nob was destroyed…all the men, women and livestock…except for one of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, who escaped and fled to join David and his four hundred men in Judah. You’ll recall that after receiving Abiathar’s report about Doeg’s mass killing, David feels responsible after remembering Doeg, Saul’s head shepherd, being present when he met with Ahimelech. He knew that Doeg must have taken the specifics of that meeting to Saul and in doing so, sealed the fate of Ahimelech, his family and all of Nob. As compensation for the tragic event that took the lives of his family, David tells Abiathar to stay with him and vows to keep him safe.
As Chapter 23 opens, we see David is confronted with a matter as his constant enemies, the Philistines, were “fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors”. Feeling called to action, David doesn’t rely on his own feelings but instead asks the Lord what he should do saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And we read where it was the Lord’s will for David to get involved as He replies, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah."
And so David went to his newly formed fighting force of four hundred men to tell them what they were to do but found out quickly that they weren’t as trusting and faithful as he was. Scripture tells us that said, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!"
Their words of resistance led to David going back to the Lord, this time seeking a reassurance that this is indeed what He wanted David and his men to do…to attack the Philistines at Keilah. And the Lord confirmed His first order with His second, pledging His support by telling David that He would “give the Philistines into (his) hand."
So armed with this reassurance, David and his men went forth in the name and word of the Lord…and the Lord delivered on His promise, allowing them to carry off the Philistines livestock, inflict heavy losses on the Philistines and save the people of Keilah.
This passage shows us two important points that we need to remember as we face challenges in our lives.
First, we need to turn to the Lord for guidance when we are in need of knowing what to do. In seeking what to do about the Philistines and the follow-on resistance of his men to fight, David showed an immediate desire to gain the Lord’s instruction on what he should do. And as he asked, the Lord provided what he needed…just as He will do for us. All we need to do is ask.
Second, the Lord is always there to reassure us when we need it. David was first told to go and attack the Philistines…and as he took that plan to his men, he ran into some unexpected opposition. David didn’t allow this to defeat him. Instead, he went back to the Lord for reassurance…and the Lord delivered, guaranteeing David that He would bring victory. And with that, victory is exactly what happened…for the Lord’s words to us are truth when He speaks them. He never fails to keep His promises. We should never forget this for…
When we are fearful, God tells us, “Do not be afraid.” And we shouldn’t be…because He is Emmanuel…God who is always with us…and always there for us.
When we think a situation is impossible, God reminds us that with Him, “Nothing is impossible.” And then He proceeds to help us navigate through our circumstances until we find our way to victory…not by our strength but only by His strength alone.
When we are in need of peace, He promises and grants us a peace that transcends understanding. And He does this through the One who He gave as the Prince of Peace…a constant and consistent source of comfort when the storms of life form around us.
When we are languishing in the guilt of sin, He brings forgiveness. When the world would demand judgment, He grants mercy and grace. When we should be condemned, instead He loves. All we need do is tell Him we’re sorry...repenting and seeking a new path in our life away from disobedience…and then submitting ourselves so He can lead and guide us to righteous and holy servitude toward the gospel.
When we are in despair, He brings us hope. For He is the light of the world…and whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness but instead have the light of life. (John 8:12) And it’s that light of life that will shine in and through us even in our darkest times…when we trust and believe in His blessed words of reassurance, just as David and his men did as they were brought to victory.
The Lord’s blessed reassurance is ever ready for us. He’s only a prayer away.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors," he inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?"
The Lord answered him, "Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah."
But David's men said to him, "Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!"
Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, "Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand."
So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
1 Samuel 23:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
1st Samuel, Chapter 22 ended in tragedy as Ahimelech and 83 other priests were slaughtered by Doeg the Edomite under order from Saul. Additionally, everything in the town of Nob was destroyed…all the men, women and livestock…except for one of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, who escaped and fled to join David and his four hundred men in Judah. You’ll recall that after receiving Abiathar’s report about Doeg’s mass killing, David feels responsible after remembering Doeg, Saul’s head shepherd, being present when he met with Ahimelech. He knew that Doeg must have taken the specifics of that meeting to Saul and in doing so, sealed the fate of Ahimelech, his family and all of Nob. As compensation for the tragic event that took the lives of his family, David tells Abiathar to stay with him and vows to keep him safe.
As Chapter 23 opens, we see David is confronted with a matter as his constant enemies, the Philistines, were “fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors”. Feeling called to action, David doesn’t rely on his own feelings but instead asks the Lord what he should do saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And we read where it was the Lord’s will for David to get involved as He replies, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah."
And so David went to his newly formed fighting force of four hundred men to tell them what they were to do but found out quickly that they weren’t as trusting and faithful as he was. Scripture tells us that said, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!"
Their words of resistance led to David going back to the Lord, this time seeking a reassurance that this is indeed what He wanted David and his men to do…to attack the Philistines at Keilah. And the Lord confirmed His first order with His second, pledging His support by telling David that He would “give the Philistines into (his) hand."
So armed with this reassurance, David and his men went forth in the name and word of the Lord…and the Lord delivered on His promise, allowing them to carry off the Philistines livestock, inflict heavy losses on the Philistines and save the people of Keilah.
This passage shows us two important points that we need to remember as we face challenges in our lives.
First, we need to turn to the Lord for guidance when we are in need of knowing what to do. In seeking what to do about the Philistines and the follow-on resistance of his men to fight, David showed an immediate desire to gain the Lord’s instruction on what he should do. And as he asked, the Lord provided what he needed…just as He will do for us. All we need to do is ask.
Second, the Lord is always there to reassure us when we need it. David was first told to go and attack the Philistines…and as he took that plan to his men, he ran into some unexpected opposition. David didn’t allow this to defeat him. Instead, he went back to the Lord for reassurance…and the Lord delivered, guaranteeing David that He would bring victory. And with that, victory is exactly what happened…for the Lord’s words to us are truth when He speaks them. He never fails to keep His promises. We should never forget this for…
When we are fearful, God tells us, “Do not be afraid.” And we shouldn’t be…because He is Emmanuel…God who is always with us…and always there for us.
When we think a situation is impossible, God reminds us that with Him, “Nothing is impossible.” And then He proceeds to help us navigate through our circumstances until we find our way to victory…not by our strength but only by His strength alone.
When we are in need of peace, He promises and grants us a peace that transcends understanding. And He does this through the One who He gave as the Prince of Peace…a constant and consistent source of comfort when the storms of life form around us.
When we are languishing in the guilt of sin, He brings forgiveness. When the world would demand judgment, He grants mercy and grace. When we should be condemned, instead He loves. All we need do is tell Him we’re sorry...repenting and seeking a new path in our life away from disobedience…and then submitting ourselves so He can lead and guide us to righteous and holy servitude toward the gospel.
When we are in despair, He brings us hope. For He is the light of the world…and whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness but instead have the light of life. (John 8:12) And it’s that light of life that will shine in and through us even in our darkest times…when we trust and believe in His blessed words of reassurance, just as David and his men did as they were brought to victory.
The Lord’s blessed reassurance is ever ready for us. He’s only a prayer away.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Monday, January 5, 2009
AT THE INTERSECTION OF GOOD AND EVIL
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing around him. Saul said to them, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."
But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, said, "I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."
Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub."
"Yes, my lord," he answered.
Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"
Ahimelech answered the king, "Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."
But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."
Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."
But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.
The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests." So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.
But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David. He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. Then David said to Abiathar: "That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family. Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me."
1 Samuel 22:6-23
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As 1st Samuel, Chapter 22 opens, we find David and his four hundred men still on the lam from Saul and heading to the forest of Hereth in Judah after receiving a prophecy from Gad. To this point, David had been able to give Saul the slip but as our passage opens today, we see where Saul had “heard that David and his men had been discovered”.
Given this information, we see Saul turn his anger toward his officials who were “standing around him” as he sat “with spear in hand…under the tamarisk tree”. Saul said to them:
“Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."
Saul expected to know everything and in order for this to happen, he expected that his officials tell him everything. Privacy was not a consideration for Saul and he even wanted to know what his son was up to. Not getting that information led to Saul accusing his men of conspiring against him…a treasonous act that would command the death penalty. But before Saul could go there, his head shepherd, Doeg the Edomite stepped into the picture and interjected that he had seen “…the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob” where “Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him”…and “gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine." And this led Saul to not only feel that his officials against him but the priests as well.
So we read where Saul “sent for the priest Ahimelech…and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob”. Once there, Saul asks Ahimelech the same question he asked his officials saying:
"Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"
Unlike the officials who offered no response to Saul’s accusations, we see where Ahimelech didn’t hesitate to speak back saying:
“Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."
Ahimelech spoke truth to Saul and any rational man would have opened his eyes to the wrong of his ways…especially when he was being advised by a priest…an appointed spiritual leader for the Lord. Saul was at an important decision point. His thoughts and actions had been nothing but sinful, wrong and evil. The priest was trying to bring Saul to his senses, back to the place where the Lord wanted him to be…the place that would turn him toward goodness and righteousness.
In other words, Saul was at the intersection of good and evil.
How often do we find ourselves at this point as well…at the point where we have a decision to make after being presented with the pros of doing right against the cons of doing wrong? Which way do we turn when sitting at the intersection of good and evil?
Well, Saul could have stepped back from his situation and prayed about the matter. If he had, there is no doubt the Lord would have convicted him and this whole matter could have ended. Saul, in that scenario, would have chosen at the intersection toward what was good and right.
But Saul didn’t turn to the Lord. Instead, he relied on his own judgment…and ended up playing judge and jury on the priest saying, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family." And with this, we read where Saul ordered his guards to, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."
Now the guards were standing at the intersection of good and evil. They knew that it was wrong to attack anyone or anything that represented the Lord. They also knew that their king had given them an order to carry out executions on Ahimelech and his fellow priests.
And with this, the guards had a choice to make…right or wrong…good or evil. They chose right and good because they were “not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord”.
So we would think at this point that the priests were safe…right?
They weren’t because evil can be a stubborn foe. Satan too often operates in a way that just enlists someone else to do his evil work when another fails to carry out his wishes. And we see this truth revealed as we look at what happens next in our passage.
For Saul, rebuffed by his officials, turns his attention to Doeg the Edomite, a man who Saul…and Satan…knew would have no emotional connection to the priests…and thus would have no problem carrying out their evil desires. And Doeg didn’t disappoint.
For no sooner had Saul given him the order to “turn and strike down the priests”, we see where Doeg does it, killing “eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod”…eighty-five men who had been enlisted and ordained by God for His service. And Doeg wasn’t satisfied with this as “he also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep”. The death toll was incredible…and evil had reigned supreme... because Doeg turned toward evil and wrong at the intersection of good and evil.
As the chapter closes, we see where there is one positive that emerged from the bloody assault on the priests and everything they owned. For we read where “Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David” where he told David how “Saul had killed the priests of the Lord”. As you would expect, David was distraught because he recalled being with Ahimelech and seeing Saul’s head shepherd, Doeg, present there. He felt that Doeg might return and tell Saul what he had seen. His intuition proved correct and we see David take accountability for the tragedy saying, “I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family”. And with that, David told Abiathar to “Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me." Abiathar’s father and family had been slain and David was committed to make sure he didn’t lose anything more…including his own life. For David and Abiathar shared one thing in common…Saul wanted them both dead.
In this scripture, we see various examples of people who were faced with having to make critical decisions regarding right and wrong…decisions that are required when we find ourselves at the intersection of good and evil.
What will it be for you?
Will you do what’s right like Saul’s officials and opt for the direction that will always be pleasing to God…the way that is right and good…the way that He will always guide us to if we seek His help?
Or will you be like Saul and Doeg…deciding to not seek and inquire of the Lord regarding what direction He wants and instead choosing Satan’s ways…the ways of sinfulness and evil.
Friends, there really isn’t a middle road…no line to toe. You’re either going to make a decision for right or wrong…good or evil.
What way will you turn the next time you pull up to the intersection?
You may want to ask the Lord for directions first. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing around him. Saul said to them, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."
But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, said, "I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."
Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub."
"Yes, my lord," he answered.
Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"
Ahimelech answered the king, "Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."
But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."
Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."
But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.
The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests." So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.
But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David. He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. Then David said to Abiathar: "That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family. Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me."
1 Samuel 22:6-23
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As 1st Samuel, Chapter 22 opens, we find David and his four hundred men still on the lam from Saul and heading to the forest of Hereth in Judah after receiving a prophecy from Gad. To this point, David had been able to give Saul the slip but as our passage opens today, we see where Saul had “heard that David and his men had been discovered”.
Given this information, we see Saul turn his anger toward his officials who were “standing around him” as he sat “with spear in hand…under the tamarisk tree”. Saul said to them:
“Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."
Saul expected to know everything and in order for this to happen, he expected that his officials tell him everything. Privacy was not a consideration for Saul and he even wanted to know what his son was up to. Not getting that information led to Saul accusing his men of conspiring against him…a treasonous act that would command the death penalty. But before Saul could go there, his head shepherd, Doeg the Edomite stepped into the picture and interjected that he had seen “…the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob” where “Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him”…and “gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine." And this led Saul to not only feel that his officials against him but the priests as well.
So we read where Saul “sent for the priest Ahimelech…and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob”. Once there, Saul asks Ahimelech the same question he asked his officials saying:
"Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"
Unlike the officials who offered no response to Saul’s accusations, we see where Ahimelech didn’t hesitate to speak back saying:
“Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."
Ahimelech spoke truth to Saul and any rational man would have opened his eyes to the wrong of his ways…especially when he was being advised by a priest…an appointed spiritual leader for the Lord. Saul was at an important decision point. His thoughts and actions had been nothing but sinful, wrong and evil. The priest was trying to bring Saul to his senses, back to the place where the Lord wanted him to be…the place that would turn him toward goodness and righteousness.
In other words, Saul was at the intersection of good and evil.
How often do we find ourselves at this point as well…at the point where we have a decision to make after being presented with the pros of doing right against the cons of doing wrong? Which way do we turn when sitting at the intersection of good and evil?
Well, Saul could have stepped back from his situation and prayed about the matter. If he had, there is no doubt the Lord would have convicted him and this whole matter could have ended. Saul, in that scenario, would have chosen at the intersection toward what was good and right.
But Saul didn’t turn to the Lord. Instead, he relied on his own judgment…and ended up playing judge and jury on the priest saying, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family." And with this, we read where Saul ordered his guards to, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."
Now the guards were standing at the intersection of good and evil. They knew that it was wrong to attack anyone or anything that represented the Lord. They also knew that their king had given them an order to carry out executions on Ahimelech and his fellow priests.
And with this, the guards had a choice to make…right or wrong…good or evil. They chose right and good because they were “not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord”.
So we would think at this point that the priests were safe…right?
They weren’t because evil can be a stubborn foe. Satan too often operates in a way that just enlists someone else to do his evil work when another fails to carry out his wishes. And we see this truth revealed as we look at what happens next in our passage.
For Saul, rebuffed by his officials, turns his attention to Doeg the Edomite, a man who Saul…and Satan…knew would have no emotional connection to the priests…and thus would have no problem carrying out their evil desires. And Doeg didn’t disappoint.
For no sooner had Saul given him the order to “turn and strike down the priests”, we see where Doeg does it, killing “eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod”…eighty-five men who had been enlisted and ordained by God for His service. And Doeg wasn’t satisfied with this as “he also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep”. The death toll was incredible…and evil had reigned supreme... because Doeg turned toward evil and wrong at the intersection of good and evil.
As the chapter closes, we see where there is one positive that emerged from the bloody assault on the priests and everything they owned. For we read where “Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David” where he told David how “Saul had killed the priests of the Lord”. As you would expect, David was distraught because he recalled being with Ahimelech and seeing Saul’s head shepherd, Doeg, present there. He felt that Doeg might return and tell Saul what he had seen. His intuition proved correct and we see David take accountability for the tragedy saying, “I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family”. And with that, David told Abiathar to “Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me." Abiathar’s father and family had been slain and David was committed to make sure he didn’t lose anything more…including his own life. For David and Abiathar shared one thing in common…Saul wanted them both dead.
In this scripture, we see various examples of people who were faced with having to make critical decisions regarding right and wrong…decisions that are required when we find ourselves at the intersection of good and evil.
What will it be for you?
Will you do what’s right like Saul’s officials and opt for the direction that will always be pleasing to God…the way that is right and good…the way that He will always guide us to if we seek His help?
Or will you be like Saul and Doeg…deciding to not seek and inquire of the Lord regarding what direction He wants and instead choosing Satan’s ways…the ways of sinfulness and evil.
Friends, there really isn’t a middle road…no line to toe. You’re either going to make a decision for right or wrong…good or evil.
What way will you turn the next time you pull up to the intersection?
You may want to ask the Lord for directions first. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Sunday, January 4, 2009
GOD IS OUR HELP IN TIMES OF NEED
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, "Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?"
David answered Ahimelech the priest, "The king charged me with a certain matter and said to me, 'No one is to know anything about your mission and your instructions.' As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find."
But the priest answered David, "I don't have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women."
David replied, "Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men's things are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!" So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.
Now one of Saul's servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul's head shepherd.
David asked Ahimelech, "Don't you have a spear or a sword here? I haven't brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king's business was urgent."
The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one." David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances:
" 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?"
David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?"
David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, "Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?" So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.
But the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
1 Samuel 21, 22:1-5
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever found yourself desperately in need? Maybe you experienced a life changing situation that taxed your finances. Maybe you fell ill and that illness drastically changed your life plans and outlook. Maybe you found yourself in danger from some circumstance. Whatever the case, we can sometimes find ourselves in matters that leave us feeling helpless and even hopeless.
In the passage today, we see David in a situation like this. He had just received final validation that his relationship with Saul had reached the point of no return. Either David would have to flee or die. He chose to flee.
And so we find David at the start of Chapter 21 on the lam…an innocent man pursued by a murderous king who would not rest until David was dead. Where would he go? Who could he trust to help him? Where would he find provisions…because he left with nothing but the clothes on his back?
All these questions would be answered by the Lord…who we will see never stopped looking after David and ensuring that he was cared for all along the way. And the good news is that He will do likewise for us as we enter difficulties ourselves.
To our scriptures…where we see David going to Nob after saying farewell to his dear friend Jonathan. Once there, we read where David seeks out the priest Ahimelech who was initially afraid of David because of his fierce reputation as a warrior. Ahimelech asked David why he came to him alone and without any men. David tells the priest that he has been sent on a special mission by the king and the mission was confidential he also tells him that his men have been given instructions to meet him “at a certain place”. And with that, David demands that Ahimelech give him “five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find." Remember that David had no food and so was in need of something to eat.
The priest tells David that the only bread he had was “consecrated bread”…that is the portion of bread that had been set aside for the priest from the sacrifices. You’ll recall that the priests were not employed in any other fashion that working for the Lord. They received no inheritance per se and it was the responsibility of the Israelites to ensure that the priests were taken care of so they would have adequate provision. The priest agrees to give David the consecrated bread as long as it wouldn’t be eaten by any of his men who might be ceremonially unclean…including David himself. Specifically, the priest wanted to ensure David’s “men (had) kept themselves from women." After David ensured Ahimelech that this was not a problem because his men had remained holy, the “priest gave him the consecrated bread”…also referred to as “the bread of the Presence”.
So David had food. Now, he needed a weapon to defend himself and so he asked Ahimelech, “Don't you have a spear or a sword here? I haven't brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king's business was urgent." The priest told David that he had “the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah” and told him he could find it “wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod”. And so with permission from Ahimelech, David took the sword and went on his way, this time heading to Philistine territory and Achish, king of Gath. All seemed well for David…but we read where there was a sinister presence at Nob. For “one of Saul's servants was there that day”…”Doeg the Edomite” who was “Saul's head shepherd”. His witnessing David with Ahimelech will soon spell trouble for Nob as we will see later.
So David went to Achish and almost instantly faced a challenge. For we read where “the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: " 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" In fear of being discovered and put to death by Achish, David “pretended to be insane in their presence”, acting “like a madman” by “making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard”. His ploy worked because Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?" And with this, David escaped unscathed and went to “the cave of Adullam”.
As David needed provision, we saw where the Lord provided through the priest Ahimelech at Nob. And as David needed a way out of a potentially dangerous situation in Gath, the Lord provided him with the wisdom to act crazy in order to ensure he would escape danger.
In both incidents, the Lord showed He would and could provide David what he needed when he needed it in order to get out of difficult circumstances. All because David was a man after God’s own heart…a man who had found favor and an anointing from His heavenly Father. But the Lord wasn’t done assisting David in his tough times.
For as “his brothers and his father's household heard about” David being at the cave of Adullam, scripture tells us they “went down to him there”. These people who went to David were described as being “in distress or in debt or discontented”…in other words, they were just as much in need as he was…and so the four hundred men rallied around David as their leader.
With this, David was not out on his own anymore. He was very vulnerable as an army of one. But with four hundred men looking to him for leadership, he had the start of his own force to reckon with whoever might come against him. Again, God had provided David what he needed at the very time he needed it…this time in the way of support…and He will do the same for us when we need it.
Well…maybe you would think that the Lord had done enough for David…but He was far from through yet. For we see where the Lord did two more things for David.
First, He ensured his parents were protected. For a murderous Saul surely would not hesitate to even kill David’s parents…such was his hatred for David. And so David…obedient to God’s fifth commandment…honored his father and mother and placed them in the care of “the king of Moab” at Mizpah. There they would be safe.
And finally, the Lord never stopped sending messages to David to ensure he remained safe. Before, He had used Samuel. Now, we see the Lord speaking to David through the prophet Gad who said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah." And so David did as the prophet instructed…knowing the words he spoke were words from the Lord…and “went to the forest of Hereth”.
Provision. Protection. Guidance. The Lord provided all these to David at times when he needed them. And He did because it was His will to do so.
As we face challenges in our life, we need to seek God’s will as well as to how He wants us to proceed in the midst of those challenges. Too often, we become self reliant…thinking we can handle our circumstances ourselves…only to find ourselves disappointed, discouraged and defeated when things don’t work out right. And God allows this to happen just to show us that we can’t make it through life by relying on ourselves. No…the only way we can make it is to fully rely and trust Him…that He has a plan and He will guide us every step of the way to help us through whatever trials we go through.
So how should we lean on Him? Scripture gives us the answer…for we serve a God who loves us and helps us in times of need…but does so in accordance with His will for us.
Given this, consider these verses from 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. 1st John 5:14-15
As we go through life’s circumstances, God expects us to first seek His will for us…turning to Him for prayer. And once we receive our understanding of His will, then we can approach Him with confidence, knowing that when we ask for what we need for His will to be done in our lives, He will hear us and give us what we ask for.
Friends, God wants the best for us and sometimes it’s best for us to struggle and persevere through difficult times. It’s easy to have faith when everything is going right. When our faith is tested is when we go through challenge and trial. But we need remember that in good times and in bad, God is the constant…always there for us…always there with us…always ready to give us what we need to ensure we can succeed in allowing His will to be done in our lives.
All we need to do is trust Him…and experience His goodness, grace and love…all which He has in abundant supply. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, "Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?"
David answered Ahimelech the priest, "The king charged me with a certain matter and said to me, 'No one is to know anything about your mission and your instructions.' As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find."
But the priest answered David, "I don't have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women."
David replied, "Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men's things are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!" So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.
Now one of Saul's servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul's head shepherd.
David asked Ahimelech, "Don't you have a spear or a sword here? I haven't brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king's business was urgent."
The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one." David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances:
" 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?"
David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?"
David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, "Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?" So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.
But the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
1 Samuel 21, 22:1-5
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever found yourself desperately in need? Maybe you experienced a life changing situation that taxed your finances. Maybe you fell ill and that illness drastically changed your life plans and outlook. Maybe you found yourself in danger from some circumstance. Whatever the case, we can sometimes find ourselves in matters that leave us feeling helpless and even hopeless.
In the passage today, we see David in a situation like this. He had just received final validation that his relationship with Saul had reached the point of no return. Either David would have to flee or die. He chose to flee.
And so we find David at the start of Chapter 21 on the lam…an innocent man pursued by a murderous king who would not rest until David was dead. Where would he go? Who could he trust to help him? Where would he find provisions…because he left with nothing but the clothes on his back?
All these questions would be answered by the Lord…who we will see never stopped looking after David and ensuring that he was cared for all along the way. And the good news is that He will do likewise for us as we enter difficulties ourselves.
To our scriptures…where we see David going to Nob after saying farewell to his dear friend Jonathan. Once there, we read where David seeks out the priest Ahimelech who was initially afraid of David because of his fierce reputation as a warrior. Ahimelech asked David why he came to him alone and without any men. David tells the priest that he has been sent on a special mission by the king and the mission was confidential he also tells him that his men have been given instructions to meet him “at a certain place”. And with that, David demands that Ahimelech give him “five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find." Remember that David had no food and so was in need of something to eat.
The priest tells David that the only bread he had was “consecrated bread”…that is the portion of bread that had been set aside for the priest from the sacrifices. You’ll recall that the priests were not employed in any other fashion that working for the Lord. They received no inheritance per se and it was the responsibility of the Israelites to ensure that the priests were taken care of so they would have adequate provision. The priest agrees to give David the consecrated bread as long as it wouldn’t be eaten by any of his men who might be ceremonially unclean…including David himself. Specifically, the priest wanted to ensure David’s “men (had) kept themselves from women." After David ensured Ahimelech that this was not a problem because his men had remained holy, the “priest gave him the consecrated bread”…also referred to as “the bread of the Presence”.
So David had food. Now, he needed a weapon to defend himself and so he asked Ahimelech, “Don't you have a spear or a sword here? I haven't brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king's business was urgent." The priest told David that he had “the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah” and told him he could find it “wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod”. And so with permission from Ahimelech, David took the sword and went on his way, this time heading to Philistine territory and Achish, king of Gath. All seemed well for David…but we read where there was a sinister presence at Nob. For “one of Saul's servants was there that day”…”Doeg the Edomite” who was “Saul's head shepherd”. His witnessing David with Ahimelech will soon spell trouble for Nob as we will see later.
So David went to Achish and almost instantly faced a challenge. For we read where “the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: " 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" In fear of being discovered and put to death by Achish, David “pretended to be insane in their presence”, acting “like a madman” by “making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard”. His ploy worked because Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?" And with this, David escaped unscathed and went to “the cave of Adullam”.
As David needed provision, we saw where the Lord provided through the priest Ahimelech at Nob. And as David needed a way out of a potentially dangerous situation in Gath, the Lord provided him with the wisdom to act crazy in order to ensure he would escape danger.
In both incidents, the Lord showed He would and could provide David what he needed when he needed it in order to get out of difficult circumstances. All because David was a man after God’s own heart…a man who had found favor and an anointing from His heavenly Father. But the Lord wasn’t done assisting David in his tough times.
For as “his brothers and his father's household heard about” David being at the cave of Adullam, scripture tells us they “went down to him there”. These people who went to David were described as being “in distress or in debt or discontented”…in other words, they were just as much in need as he was…and so the four hundred men rallied around David as their leader.
With this, David was not out on his own anymore. He was very vulnerable as an army of one. But with four hundred men looking to him for leadership, he had the start of his own force to reckon with whoever might come against him. Again, God had provided David what he needed at the very time he needed it…this time in the way of support…and He will do the same for us when we need it.
Well…maybe you would think that the Lord had done enough for David…but He was far from through yet. For we see where the Lord did two more things for David.
First, He ensured his parents were protected. For a murderous Saul surely would not hesitate to even kill David’s parents…such was his hatred for David. And so David…obedient to God’s fifth commandment…honored his father and mother and placed them in the care of “the king of Moab” at Mizpah. There they would be safe.
And finally, the Lord never stopped sending messages to David to ensure he remained safe. Before, He had used Samuel. Now, we see the Lord speaking to David through the prophet Gad who said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah." And so David did as the prophet instructed…knowing the words he spoke were words from the Lord…and “went to the forest of Hereth”.
Provision. Protection. Guidance. The Lord provided all these to David at times when he needed them. And He did because it was His will to do so.
As we face challenges in our life, we need to seek God’s will as well as to how He wants us to proceed in the midst of those challenges. Too often, we become self reliant…thinking we can handle our circumstances ourselves…only to find ourselves disappointed, discouraged and defeated when things don’t work out right. And God allows this to happen just to show us that we can’t make it through life by relying on ourselves. No…the only way we can make it is to fully rely and trust Him…that He has a plan and He will guide us every step of the way to help us through whatever trials we go through.
So how should we lean on Him? Scripture gives us the answer…for we serve a God who loves us and helps us in times of need…but does so in accordance with His will for us.
Given this, consider these verses from 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. 1st John 5:14-15
As we go through life’s circumstances, God expects us to first seek His will for us…turning to Him for prayer. And once we receive our understanding of His will, then we can approach Him with confidence, knowing that when we ask for what we need for His will to be done in our lives, He will hear us and give us what we ask for.
Friends, God wants the best for us and sometimes it’s best for us to struggle and persevere through difficult times. It’s easy to have faith when everything is going right. When our faith is tested is when we go through challenge and trial. But we need remember that in good times and in bad, God is the constant…always there for us…always there with us…always ready to give us what we need to ensure we can succeed in allowing His will to be done in our lives.
All we need to do is trust Him…and experience His goodness, grace and love…all which He has in abundant supply. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Saturday, January 3, 2009
THE IMPORTANCE OF PROMISES
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?"
"Never!" Jonathan replied. "You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why would he hide this from me? It's not so!"
But David took an oath and said, "Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, 'Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.' Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death."
Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you."
So David said, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon festival, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. If your father misses me at all, tell him, 'David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.' If he says, 'Very well,' then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?"
"Never!" Jonathan said. "If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn't I tell you?"
David asked, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"
"Come," Jonathan said, "let's go out into the field." So they went there together.
Then Jonathan said to David: "By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? But if my father is inclined to harm you, may the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away safely. May the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. But show me unfailing kindness like that of the Lord as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family — not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth."
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the Lord call David's enemies to account." And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
Then Jonathan said to David: "Tomorrow is the New Moon festival. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. Then I will send a boy and say, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say to him, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,' then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger. But if I say to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away. And about the matter you and I discussed — remember, the Lord is witness between you and me forever."
So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon festival came, the king sat down to eat. He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David's place was empty. Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, "Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean — surely he is unclean." But the next day, the second day of the month, David's place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"
Jonathan answered, "David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. He said, 'Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.' That is why he has not come to the king's table."
Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!"
"Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" Jonathan asked his father. But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.
Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the month he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father's shameful treatment of David.
In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, and he said to the boy, "Run and find the arrows I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. When the boy came to the place where Jonathan's arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?" Then he shouted, "Hurry! Go quickly! Don't stop!" The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. (The boy knew nothing of all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, "Go, carry them back to town."
After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together — but David wept the most.
Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, 'The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.' " Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
1 Samuel 20
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 19 ended, we saw Saul and his men changed from murderers to prophets at Naioth through the miraculous, mighty power of God’s Spirit. Unfortunately, this Spirit wouldn’t endure in Saul for in Chapter 20 we see where he’s back to wanting David dead…and he even allows his rage to spill over to his son.
But before we get to that point, we see where David leaves Naioth and goes to his beloved friend Jonathan, Saul’s son. Looking for answers, David asks Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?" We can tell that David is tiring from having to flee at every turn as Saul or his men pursues him.
Jonathan rebuts David’s fear that he is going to die because he feels that he will always know what his father is going to do saying, “…my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why would he hide this from me? It's not so!" Jonathan was naïve to the fact that his father really wanted to kill David so David tells him that it was possible that Jonathan wasn’t aware of his father’s intentions.
We read where David tells Jonathan, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, 'Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.' Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death." And with this, Jonathan believes that David is telling the truth and submits himself saying, “Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you."
And so David comes up with a plan to test whether Saul was still wanting to kill him. He proposes that he stay away from dining with Saul during the New Moon festival, hiding in the field instead. Anticipating that Saul would inquire about his whereabouts, David tells Jonathan to tell his father that he had returned to his hometown of Bethlehem to attend an annual sacrifice with his clan. Saul’s reaction to this would signal whether David would be safe to return or still be in danger. If he stayed calm, then David would be fine. But if Saul got angry, then David would be sure Saul still wanted him dead.
And so the plan was set. All that remained would be the matter of who would come to the field to inform David of the plan’s outcome. Jonathan asks David to go to the field where he will be hiding and there, he makes a promise to David…the friend that he was one in Spirit with and loved as much as himself. (1 Samuel 18:1) At the field, Jonathan tells David:
"By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? But if my father is inclined to harm you, may the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away safely. May the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. But show me unfailing kindness like that of the Lord as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family — not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth."
With this, “Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David” and “had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself”. Then, Jonathan informed David of how he would signal the outcome of Saul’s testing at the New Moon festival.
While David would be hiding in the field “by the stone Ezel”, Jonathan would bring a boy with him to the field and “shoot three arrows to the side of (the stone), as though…shooting at a target”. Jonathan would next send the boy to find the arrows and the guidance he provided the boy would be the indicator of how things went with Saul at the festival. If Jonathan told the boy, “Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here”, then David would be safe and in no danger. But of Jonathan told the boy, “Look, the arrows are beyond you”, then David would have to leave “because the Lord has sent you away”.
To seal the agreement, Jonathan makes the Lord a witness to what had been said. A solemn promise had been made and the plan was ready to be put in place.
And so “David hid in the field” and Jonathan went to the New Moon festival where he would dine with his father and others. Saul did notice David missing the first night of the festival but said nothing assuming that David had done something that made him ceremonially unclean and thus kept him from the table. But after David failed to show up for the feast on the second night of the festival, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?" The plan was working just as David and Jonathan had laid it out.
So Jonathan told his father, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. He said, 'Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.' That is why he has not come to the king's table."
Saul’s reaction to this showed one thing clearly. David was still in danger and now so was Jonathan. For we read where “Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan” as he insulted him saying, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!"
Note where Saul tries to tempt Jonathan to turn against David and bring him in by using the throne. Saul lets Jonathan know that he will never have a chance to be king as long as David is alive.
Isn’t Satan just like that? Always trying to slyly tempt us to do wrong. And in the case of Jonathan, to break his covenant promise with David to gain power for himself. But remember this about Jonathan. He was nothing like his father for he attributed his successes to the Lord. This is what made his friendship with David so unique and special. They were one in the Spirit of the Lord.
And so it was little surprise when Jonathan rebelled against his father’s angry rant saying, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?"
Saul’s answer didn’t come in the way of words but a hurled spear. He was now ready to murder his own son as well as David. And his actions clearly indicated to Jonathan that “his father intended to kill David”.
And so “Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger” and refused to eat “on that second day of the month…because he was grieved at his father's shameful treatment of David”. He no doubt was also grieving because he was about to see his dear friend leave. For it was no longer safe for David to remain. Yet, Jonathan had made a promise…a promise he would keep.
For scripture tells us in the morning, Jonathan went out into the field where David was hiding along with the boy and shot the three arrows near the rock where David was. And as the boy went to retrieve the arrows, Jonathan told the boy, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?" and the boy went and retrieved them before returning to Jonathan who sent the boy away telling him to, “Go, carry (the weapons) back to town."
The signal had indicated the outcome. David was in danger and had to go away. Still, David was grateful to Jonathan for looking out for him and “bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground”. They then “kissed each other and wept” with David weeping the most. Such was the depth of the friendship and love they shared with one another…a friendship and love that would never end, despite the pending separation.
After they shared their love for one another, Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, 'The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.' " And with that, “David left, and Jonathan went back to the town”. A solemn promise had been made…and a solemn promise had been kept.
Through Jonathan’s actions, we are taught a meaningful lesson on the importance of promises. For through our lives, we have all experienced the matter of promise…and have likewise experienced one of two outcomes. Either the promise made was kept or the promise made was broken. There really is no middle ground.
And as we consider the matter of promises, we shouldn’t just be considering the way others may have either kept or not kept their promises to us. No, we need to turn it around and also consider how well we either kept or didn’t keep the promises we made to others.
Let’s look to Jonathan and see three key qualities we gain when we keep the promises we make:
1. It shows we can be trusted.
David placed an awful lot of trust in Jonathan. He was in a field hiding by a rock and ripe for the picking if Saul knew his whereabouts. All Jonathan would have had to do is tell his father to send his men to the field and abduct David and it would have all been over for David. And yet, David had no qualms about whether his friend could be trusted or not. And Jonathan didn’t let him down. And so at the end of Chapter 20, when David bowed before Jonathan three times, it was a symbol of respect and thanks for the trustworthiness that Jonathan displayed…a trustworthiness we all should model when we make our promises.
2. It shows we can be counted on.
When we make a promise to another, that person is counting on us to come through and sometimes we need to come through for them to help them through a challenging time.
In David’s case, the times were certainly challenging. Saul wanted him dead! And so he was relying heavily on Jonathan to make good on his part of the promise so he could survive.
After studying the scriptures, we know that Jonathan didn’t let David down and came through for him in a challenging time. And for that, David was eternally thankful and knew he could count on Jonathan at anytime in the future.
As we make our promises, we need to remember that people are counting on us to come through for them as well. How well can we be counted on? The answer will be born out of our ability to keep our word and make good on our promises…just like Jonathan did.
3. It shows our love for another.
Scripture told us that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself and Jonathan showed it in the way he remained loyal to David, even in the midst of his father’s rage and his own peril. Nothing was going to keep Jonathan from staying true to his covenant promise with David because he loved him deeply.
We should make our promises out of the same sense and caring for others. And just in case you don’t think we have to love others as ourselves, I would refer you to what Jesus said was the second greatest commandment…to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-39) He expects it and so we are to do it…and we one way we can is to keep the promises we make.
Before I close, one more thing needs to be said about promises…one that I pray will seal the deal on teaching about keeping them. For we serve a Lord who is always true to His promises. He never fails to keep any of them. And if we are truly trying to be more and more as He created us…in His image (Genesis 1:27)…then we should seek to keep our promises just as He did. Better yet, we should seek His guidance before we even make a promise to ensure that promise is even in His will for us. If it isn’t don’t make it. If it is, then rest assured that He will give you everything you need to keep that promise.
And He does it because that’s what He’s best at…giving us everything we need in order to ensure His will is done.
That’s a promise you can always bank on. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?"
"Never!" Jonathan replied. "You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why would he hide this from me? It's not so!"
But David took an oath and said, "Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, 'Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.' Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death."
Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you."
So David said, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon festival, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. If your father misses me at all, tell him, 'David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.' If he says, 'Very well,' then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?"
"Never!" Jonathan said. "If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn't I tell you?"
David asked, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"
"Come," Jonathan said, "let's go out into the field." So they went there together.
Then Jonathan said to David: "By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? But if my father is inclined to harm you, may the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away safely. May the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. But show me unfailing kindness like that of the Lord as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family — not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth."
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the Lord call David's enemies to account." And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
Then Jonathan said to David: "Tomorrow is the New Moon festival. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. Then I will send a boy and say, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say to him, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,' then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger. But if I say to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away. And about the matter you and I discussed — remember, the Lord is witness between you and me forever."
So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon festival came, the king sat down to eat. He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David's place was empty. Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, "Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean — surely he is unclean." But the next day, the second day of the month, David's place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"
Jonathan answered, "David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. He said, 'Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.' That is why he has not come to the king's table."
Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!"
"Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" Jonathan asked his father. But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.
Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the month he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father's shameful treatment of David.
In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, and he said to the boy, "Run and find the arrows I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. When the boy came to the place where Jonathan's arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?" Then he shouted, "Hurry! Go quickly! Don't stop!" The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. (The boy knew nothing of all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, "Go, carry them back to town."
After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together — but David wept the most.
Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, 'The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.' " Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
1 Samuel 20
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 19 ended, we saw Saul and his men changed from murderers to prophets at Naioth through the miraculous, mighty power of God’s Spirit. Unfortunately, this Spirit wouldn’t endure in Saul for in Chapter 20 we see where he’s back to wanting David dead…and he even allows his rage to spill over to his son.
But before we get to that point, we see where David leaves Naioth and goes to his beloved friend Jonathan, Saul’s son. Looking for answers, David asks Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?" We can tell that David is tiring from having to flee at every turn as Saul or his men pursues him.
Jonathan rebuts David’s fear that he is going to die because he feels that he will always know what his father is going to do saying, “…my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why would he hide this from me? It's not so!" Jonathan was naïve to the fact that his father really wanted to kill David so David tells him that it was possible that Jonathan wasn’t aware of his father’s intentions.
We read where David tells Jonathan, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, 'Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.' Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death." And with this, Jonathan believes that David is telling the truth and submits himself saying, “Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you."
And so David comes up with a plan to test whether Saul was still wanting to kill him. He proposes that he stay away from dining with Saul during the New Moon festival, hiding in the field instead. Anticipating that Saul would inquire about his whereabouts, David tells Jonathan to tell his father that he had returned to his hometown of Bethlehem to attend an annual sacrifice with his clan. Saul’s reaction to this would signal whether David would be safe to return or still be in danger. If he stayed calm, then David would be fine. But if Saul got angry, then David would be sure Saul still wanted him dead.
And so the plan was set. All that remained would be the matter of who would come to the field to inform David of the plan’s outcome. Jonathan asks David to go to the field where he will be hiding and there, he makes a promise to David…the friend that he was one in Spirit with and loved as much as himself. (1 Samuel 18:1) At the field, Jonathan tells David:
"By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? But if my father is inclined to harm you, may the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away safely. May the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. But show me unfailing kindness like that of the Lord as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family — not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth."
With this, “Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David” and “had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself”. Then, Jonathan informed David of how he would signal the outcome of Saul’s testing at the New Moon festival.
While David would be hiding in the field “by the stone Ezel”, Jonathan would bring a boy with him to the field and “shoot three arrows to the side of (the stone), as though…shooting at a target”. Jonathan would next send the boy to find the arrows and the guidance he provided the boy would be the indicator of how things went with Saul at the festival. If Jonathan told the boy, “Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here”, then David would be safe and in no danger. But of Jonathan told the boy, “Look, the arrows are beyond you”, then David would have to leave “because the Lord has sent you away”.
To seal the agreement, Jonathan makes the Lord a witness to what had been said. A solemn promise had been made and the plan was ready to be put in place.
And so “David hid in the field” and Jonathan went to the New Moon festival where he would dine with his father and others. Saul did notice David missing the first night of the festival but said nothing assuming that David had done something that made him ceremonially unclean and thus kept him from the table. But after David failed to show up for the feast on the second night of the festival, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?" The plan was working just as David and Jonathan had laid it out.
So Jonathan told his father, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. He said, 'Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.' That is why he has not come to the king's table."
Saul’s reaction to this showed one thing clearly. David was still in danger and now so was Jonathan. For we read where “Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan” as he insulted him saying, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!"
Note where Saul tries to tempt Jonathan to turn against David and bring him in by using the throne. Saul lets Jonathan know that he will never have a chance to be king as long as David is alive.
Isn’t Satan just like that? Always trying to slyly tempt us to do wrong. And in the case of Jonathan, to break his covenant promise with David to gain power for himself. But remember this about Jonathan. He was nothing like his father for he attributed his successes to the Lord. This is what made his friendship with David so unique and special. They were one in the Spirit of the Lord.
And so it was little surprise when Jonathan rebelled against his father’s angry rant saying, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?"
Saul’s answer didn’t come in the way of words but a hurled spear. He was now ready to murder his own son as well as David. And his actions clearly indicated to Jonathan that “his father intended to kill David”.
And so “Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger” and refused to eat “on that second day of the month…because he was grieved at his father's shameful treatment of David”. He no doubt was also grieving because he was about to see his dear friend leave. For it was no longer safe for David to remain. Yet, Jonathan had made a promise…a promise he would keep.
For scripture tells us in the morning, Jonathan went out into the field where David was hiding along with the boy and shot the three arrows near the rock where David was. And as the boy went to retrieve the arrows, Jonathan told the boy, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?" and the boy went and retrieved them before returning to Jonathan who sent the boy away telling him to, “Go, carry (the weapons) back to town."
The signal had indicated the outcome. David was in danger and had to go away. Still, David was grateful to Jonathan for looking out for him and “bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground”. They then “kissed each other and wept” with David weeping the most. Such was the depth of the friendship and love they shared with one another…a friendship and love that would never end, despite the pending separation.
After they shared their love for one another, Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, 'The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.' " And with that, “David left, and Jonathan went back to the town”. A solemn promise had been made…and a solemn promise had been kept.
Through Jonathan’s actions, we are taught a meaningful lesson on the importance of promises. For through our lives, we have all experienced the matter of promise…and have likewise experienced one of two outcomes. Either the promise made was kept or the promise made was broken. There really is no middle ground.
And as we consider the matter of promises, we shouldn’t just be considering the way others may have either kept or not kept their promises to us. No, we need to turn it around and also consider how well we either kept or didn’t keep the promises we made to others.
Let’s look to Jonathan and see three key qualities we gain when we keep the promises we make:
1. It shows we can be trusted.
David placed an awful lot of trust in Jonathan. He was in a field hiding by a rock and ripe for the picking if Saul knew his whereabouts. All Jonathan would have had to do is tell his father to send his men to the field and abduct David and it would have all been over for David. And yet, David had no qualms about whether his friend could be trusted or not. And Jonathan didn’t let him down. And so at the end of Chapter 20, when David bowed before Jonathan three times, it was a symbol of respect and thanks for the trustworthiness that Jonathan displayed…a trustworthiness we all should model when we make our promises.
2. It shows we can be counted on.
When we make a promise to another, that person is counting on us to come through and sometimes we need to come through for them to help them through a challenging time.
In David’s case, the times were certainly challenging. Saul wanted him dead! And so he was relying heavily on Jonathan to make good on his part of the promise so he could survive.
After studying the scriptures, we know that Jonathan didn’t let David down and came through for him in a challenging time. And for that, David was eternally thankful and knew he could count on Jonathan at anytime in the future.
As we make our promises, we need to remember that people are counting on us to come through for them as well. How well can we be counted on? The answer will be born out of our ability to keep our word and make good on our promises…just like Jonathan did.
3. It shows our love for another.
Scripture told us that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself and Jonathan showed it in the way he remained loyal to David, even in the midst of his father’s rage and his own peril. Nothing was going to keep Jonathan from staying true to his covenant promise with David because he loved him deeply.
We should make our promises out of the same sense and caring for others. And just in case you don’t think we have to love others as ourselves, I would refer you to what Jesus said was the second greatest commandment…to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-39) He expects it and so we are to do it…and we one way we can is to keep the promises we make.
Before I close, one more thing needs to be said about promises…one that I pray will seal the deal on teaching about keeping them. For we serve a Lord who is always true to His promises. He never fails to keep any of them. And if we are truly trying to be more and more as He created us…in His image (Genesis 1:27)…then we should seek to keep our promises just as He did. Better yet, we should seek His guidance before we even make a promise to ensure that promise is even in His will for us. If it isn’t don’t make it. If it is, then rest assured that He will give you everything you need to keep that promise.
And He does it because that’s what He’s best at…giving us everything we need in order to ensure His will is done.
That’s a promise you can always bank on. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Thursday, January 1, 2009
WHAT CAN BE NEW IN THE NEW YEAR?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
OK…the clock has struck midnight…the ball has dropped in Times Square…the chorus of “Happy New Year” chants have been sounded…the noise makers have been blown…the bubbly (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) has been tasted. And as we awake to the dawn of the first day of this year, we are left with many questions, one of which being…”What can be new in this new year?”
We may have thought about this already. Many people do, you know. They see the new year as a chance to get a fresh start…to manage their money better and get out of debt…to lose weight and take better care of their bodies…to do strive to make a difference in some way. Yes…many resolutions will be made…and many resolutions will go by the way side before the first month of the new year is over. For as much as resolutions are a part of New Year’s holiday tradition, failing to meet those resolutions are just as much a part of the tradition once the year begins.
Don’t we yearn for resolutions that will stick…resolutions that will persevere and carry us day after day after day to a place where we feel better about ourselves, our purpose and the world we live in. What would you say if I told you that God has a plan for us to be new in the new year and remain new throughout? Would you be interested?
If so, here is God’s word for you for the new year…a word that will focus on what can be new for you if you’re just willing to open your heart and mind to His Spirit and wisdom.
1. You will first need a new heart and spirit.
Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Ezekiel 18:31
If you’re truly going to start out the new year fresh and ready for renewal, you first need to leave the past behind. Last year is gone and although you may be dealing with matters that carried over, those are ongoing issues that God will help you with in the new year, possibly in new ways.
What you don’t need to carry over is guilt, worry, anxiety, or stress from what happened before. If you’ve done wrong, genuinely repent and accept God’s forgiveness for you. Confess your wrongs and then turn away from them with a new heart and new Spirit…a new heart and new Spirit that can only come from the Lord...a new heart and a new Spirit that places the Lord and His will first in everything…a new heart and Spirit that is committed to serve the Lord full time, just as He serves us.
Friends, you’ll never get off of this first point unless you move forward with a new heart and new Spirit. Everything else comes as a result of it.
So pray this prayer with me right now:
Lord Jesus, I am leaving everything in my past behind right now…all my hurt, all my pain, all my sins I have committed. I am leaving them behind so I can be free to run into Your arms, for I long for the love, wisdom and safety that only You can bring. I turn all that I am over to you and lay all my present burdens at Your feet, asking you into my heart and praying you will make it new. And as I open my heart wide for You to enter in, I also ask that you fill me with Your Holy Spirit…fill me to overflow Lord so that all I am is what You are. For I yearn to be new in this new year Lord Jesus and surrender my life so You can make it so. For it’s in Your Holy and Precious Name I pray. Amen.
2. You need to fully embrace His new mercies.
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
When we fully surrender our heart to Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, something amazing happens. For not only are we new but we see everything through His eyes, including a deeper appreciation for who He was and what He did for us.
As we do this, we are fully sensitized to the fact God could have wiped all of us off the face of creation because of our sinfulness, but instead He decided to give His only Son as a living sacrifice for us all. Why? Because of His great love for us. In our place, He instead gave up His His perfect, unblemished Lamb…His Son Jesus…who was nailed to the cross where we all should have been…and His shed blood became the sin atonement for us all.
So our waking every day…with our new heart and new Spirit…should bring us into a daily routine of thanksgiving and praise…thanksgiving and praise because God has once again blessed us with another opportunity to experience the awesome wonder of life…life we don’t deserve and yet we are granted...all because of the price paid by Jesus on the cross.
But how have we done in showing God how grateful we are for the great sacrifice He made for us…a sacrifice that cost Him His Son? Frankly, we haven’t done too well because given a choice between righteousness and sinfulness, too often we have chosen the latter…and I often wonder how God feels when we do. Sad? Angry? I would say both. And since He has infinite power, he certainly could choose to vent His wrath on us. But He doesn’t. Why? Because He loves us as a parent loves a child…only He is the perfect Parent…our Heavenly Father. And so, although we frustrate Him, He still loves us…and His compassions never fail. They are truly new every morning as we awake and breathe in His grace…a grace that is amazing…a grace that brings us into each new day.
Indeed, great is God’s faithfulness. Great is His mercy, grace and love. And with a new heart and new Spirit, we’re ready to fully appreciate both each and every day we’re given, embracing His mercies and moving forward in an attitude of service and thanks to Jesus…an attitude reflected in the chorus of this classic hymn:
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin hath left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
3. You can sing a new song.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Psalm 40:3
Something exciting happens when we surrender ourselves and get a new heart and Spirit from the Lord…a new heart and Spirit that allows us to fully appreciate the sacrifices that were made for us and the mercies we receive every day.
We want to tell others about it.
And they’ll be asking because if you truly surrender yourself to the Lord, you will be different. Everything about you will change and it will be most evident in you life attitude. For you will see everything in a confident and positive way…emboldened by a faith and trust in the Lord who through which all things are possible. The Lord will put a new song in your mouth and those words when sung out will comprise a hymn of praise to Him…a hymn of praise that will touch everyone around you. And lest you think, “…but I’m definitely not a singer” understand that God’s word here is not only telling us that the Lord places new music in our mouths but new words as well…as in singing the praises of someone.
When someone does something great, don’t you want to tell others about it?
Well, who does greater things for us every day than the Lord?
And if we truly have a new heart and Spirit…if we truly have allowed ourselves to fully appreciate the sacrifice that Jesus made and the mercies that come to us every morning as a result of God’s love…then we will want to do nothing but sing the praises of our Lord to everyone we see…and those songs of praise will come because the Lord has placed them in our mouths.
4. We can be born or reborn into a living hope.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 3:3-5
As we accept a new heart and new Spirit from the Lord…as we then realize and revere the great cost paid by Jesus for us on the cross and how this came as a result of the Father’s mercy, grace and love which we experience new every morning…and as we then go forth to sing the Lord’s praises to all we see, we find ourselves born or reborn into a living hope…a living hope through Christ Jesus that keeps us buoyed up in joy and peace…free from anything that would encumber us and fully ready to go forth and carry out God’s will for us each day.
In this birth or rebirth, we also realize how richly blessed we are. For we discover that through Jesus’ resurrection, we have gained a chance to also join Him in an everlasting life when this earthly life ends. In other words, through Jesus Christ death is not the end but just the awesome, miraculous beginning of a life free from everything that afflicts us in the here and now…an eternal inheritance that no one or nothing can take from us after we receive it because it is kept in heaven for us…a gift, the greatest gift ever, yet to be received.
Friends, the new year will only be business as usual if we choose for it to be that way. I don’t know about you but I would rather have exciting over boring…exhilarating over dull…fresh over routine. The good news is that through the Lord, we can have everything new this year…and it starts with that first step.
Are you ready to receive a new heart and new Spirit today and begin a walk with Christ that will last forever?
He’s patiently waiting to receive you in love and make all things new.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
OK…the clock has struck midnight…the ball has dropped in Times Square…the chorus of “Happy New Year” chants have been sounded…the noise makers have been blown…the bubbly (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) has been tasted. And as we awake to the dawn of the first day of this year, we are left with many questions, one of which being…”What can be new in this new year?”
We may have thought about this already. Many people do, you know. They see the new year as a chance to get a fresh start…to manage their money better and get out of debt…to lose weight and take better care of their bodies…to do strive to make a difference in some way. Yes…many resolutions will be made…and many resolutions will go by the way side before the first month of the new year is over. For as much as resolutions are a part of New Year’s holiday tradition, failing to meet those resolutions are just as much a part of the tradition once the year begins.
Don’t we yearn for resolutions that will stick…resolutions that will persevere and carry us day after day after day to a place where we feel better about ourselves, our purpose and the world we live in. What would you say if I told you that God has a plan for us to be new in the new year and remain new throughout? Would you be interested?
If so, here is God’s word for you for the new year…a word that will focus on what can be new for you if you’re just willing to open your heart and mind to His Spirit and wisdom.
1. You will first need a new heart and spirit.
Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Ezekiel 18:31
If you’re truly going to start out the new year fresh and ready for renewal, you first need to leave the past behind. Last year is gone and although you may be dealing with matters that carried over, those are ongoing issues that God will help you with in the new year, possibly in new ways.
What you don’t need to carry over is guilt, worry, anxiety, or stress from what happened before. If you’ve done wrong, genuinely repent and accept God’s forgiveness for you. Confess your wrongs and then turn away from them with a new heart and new Spirit…a new heart and new Spirit that can only come from the Lord...a new heart and a new Spirit that places the Lord and His will first in everything…a new heart and Spirit that is committed to serve the Lord full time, just as He serves us.
Friends, you’ll never get off of this first point unless you move forward with a new heart and new Spirit. Everything else comes as a result of it.
So pray this prayer with me right now:
Lord Jesus, I am leaving everything in my past behind right now…all my hurt, all my pain, all my sins I have committed. I am leaving them behind so I can be free to run into Your arms, for I long for the love, wisdom and safety that only You can bring. I turn all that I am over to you and lay all my present burdens at Your feet, asking you into my heart and praying you will make it new. And as I open my heart wide for You to enter in, I also ask that you fill me with Your Holy Spirit…fill me to overflow Lord so that all I am is what You are. For I yearn to be new in this new year Lord Jesus and surrender my life so You can make it so. For it’s in Your Holy and Precious Name I pray. Amen.
2. You need to fully embrace His new mercies.
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
When we fully surrender our heart to Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, something amazing happens. For not only are we new but we see everything through His eyes, including a deeper appreciation for who He was and what He did for us.
As we do this, we are fully sensitized to the fact God could have wiped all of us off the face of creation because of our sinfulness, but instead He decided to give His only Son as a living sacrifice for us all. Why? Because of His great love for us. In our place, He instead gave up His His perfect, unblemished Lamb…His Son Jesus…who was nailed to the cross where we all should have been…and His shed blood became the sin atonement for us all.
So our waking every day…with our new heart and new Spirit…should bring us into a daily routine of thanksgiving and praise…thanksgiving and praise because God has once again blessed us with another opportunity to experience the awesome wonder of life…life we don’t deserve and yet we are granted...all because of the price paid by Jesus on the cross.
But how have we done in showing God how grateful we are for the great sacrifice He made for us…a sacrifice that cost Him His Son? Frankly, we haven’t done too well because given a choice between righteousness and sinfulness, too often we have chosen the latter…and I often wonder how God feels when we do. Sad? Angry? I would say both. And since He has infinite power, he certainly could choose to vent His wrath on us. But He doesn’t. Why? Because He loves us as a parent loves a child…only He is the perfect Parent…our Heavenly Father. And so, although we frustrate Him, He still loves us…and His compassions never fail. They are truly new every morning as we awake and breathe in His grace…a grace that is amazing…a grace that brings us into each new day.
Indeed, great is God’s faithfulness. Great is His mercy, grace and love. And with a new heart and new Spirit, we’re ready to fully appreciate both each and every day we’re given, embracing His mercies and moving forward in an attitude of service and thanks to Jesus…an attitude reflected in the chorus of this classic hymn:
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin hath left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
3. You can sing a new song.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Psalm 40:3
Something exciting happens when we surrender ourselves and get a new heart and Spirit from the Lord…a new heart and Spirit that allows us to fully appreciate the sacrifices that were made for us and the mercies we receive every day.
We want to tell others about it.
And they’ll be asking because if you truly surrender yourself to the Lord, you will be different. Everything about you will change and it will be most evident in you life attitude. For you will see everything in a confident and positive way…emboldened by a faith and trust in the Lord who through which all things are possible. The Lord will put a new song in your mouth and those words when sung out will comprise a hymn of praise to Him…a hymn of praise that will touch everyone around you. And lest you think, “…but I’m definitely not a singer” understand that God’s word here is not only telling us that the Lord places new music in our mouths but new words as well…as in singing the praises of someone.
When someone does something great, don’t you want to tell others about it?
Well, who does greater things for us every day than the Lord?
And if we truly have a new heart and Spirit…if we truly have allowed ourselves to fully appreciate the sacrifice that Jesus made and the mercies that come to us every morning as a result of God’s love…then we will want to do nothing but sing the praises of our Lord to everyone we see…and those songs of praise will come because the Lord has placed them in our mouths.
4. We can be born or reborn into a living hope.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 3:3-5
As we accept a new heart and new Spirit from the Lord…as we then realize and revere the great cost paid by Jesus for us on the cross and how this came as a result of the Father’s mercy, grace and love which we experience new every morning…and as we then go forth to sing the Lord’s praises to all we see, we find ourselves born or reborn into a living hope…a living hope through Christ Jesus that keeps us buoyed up in joy and peace…free from anything that would encumber us and fully ready to go forth and carry out God’s will for us each day.
In this birth or rebirth, we also realize how richly blessed we are. For we discover that through Jesus’ resurrection, we have gained a chance to also join Him in an everlasting life when this earthly life ends. In other words, through Jesus Christ death is not the end but just the awesome, miraculous beginning of a life free from everything that afflicts us in the here and now…an eternal inheritance that no one or nothing can take from us after we receive it because it is kept in heaven for us…a gift, the greatest gift ever, yet to be received.
Friends, the new year will only be business as usual if we choose for it to be that way. I don’t know about you but I would rather have exciting over boring…exhilarating over dull…fresh over routine. The good news is that through the Lord, we can have everything new this year…and it starts with that first step.
Are you ready to receive a new heart and new Spirit today and begin a walk with Christ that will last forever?
He’s patiently waiting to receive you in love and make all things new.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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