David, known as the man after God's own heart, publicly declares to all the people that who he is and what he has comes directly from the heart of God. Because David understood that God was his source, he was prevented from taking credit for who he was and for his many wonderful accomplishments. We would do well to ponder long and hard on this precious truth. While it might be easy to list what we have, and acknowledge these things are a result of God's blessing and grace in our lives, it is more difficult to consider the things we do and apply this same truth. Do you think that your kindness to your spouse is the result of your good nature? Are you gentle with your children because you have groomed yourself to be gentle? Do you ache for the poor and outcasts you see on television because you are by nature compassionate? We need to give God the glory for what He is doing in our lives. Do it today!
Hezekiah, in the line of David, ruled in Jerusalem as king for 29 years. During his reign, he invited all the people to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover because he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as king David had done. But not all of the people did what was right in the Lord's eyes. Many of them had not purified themselves as they were taught to do in the Law of Moses. Hezekiah prayed for them, "May the Lord who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God ... even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary." Hezekiah is a good example for the spiritually mature of our day. We look around and see those who seem to be seeking after God but disregard the clear call for separation from the world system; we sense in them a subtle misuse of God's wonderful grace; we hear gossip, and grumbling. Hezekiah's words should echo down through the ages to us: pray for them!
In Genesis, chapter 12, God promised Abraham that through his seed would come a great nation which would be a blessing to all peoples on earth. But Sarah did not conceive until she was ninety years old! At least two lessons can be learned from this account of God's faithfulness. The promise was given to Abraham, and Sarah became a partner of the promise because of her position as his wife. God sees the family as a single entity and His promises extend out to include the whole. What is God saying to the head of your family? How are all of the members benefiting from that headship? The promise was given and kept, but, oh, the time in between must have been difficult to bear. What do you suppose Sarah thought when she continued on past the child-bearing years with no heir to the promise? Let's remember this account of God's faithfulness when we become discouraged in waiting for promises to be kept in our lives.
According to Herbert Lockyer's ALL THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE, Bathsheba came from a God-fearing family and married King David's most loyal officer, Uriah. After David had Uriah murdered, Bathsheba married David to cover up their adulterous affair. Nothing is said of Bathsheba during her lapse, but then she gave birth to Solomon. Lockyer believes that what we can learn from Bathsheba is the lesson of God's forgiveness and restoration. She did not let one sin, even though it was a major one, ruin her entire life. She repented and used her mistake as a guide to better conduct. To grieve over past sin after confession and forgiveness has been completed is to deny God's Word. He promises to separate our sin from us as far as the east is from the west. Do we dare keep it close by and brood over it? God would have us start each new day clean and full of His Spirit. Did you start your day that way?
We have such a wide variety of what passes today for worship in our churches. Everything from the very formal, with liturgy and rites performed, to stream of consciousness experience, with little or no form or order to it. And of course, there is everything in between. It is interesting how quickly we polarize around this or that form of worship. The Samaritans had a special mountain in which to worship; in Jerusalem was God's Temple, which He had ordained for His worship. But Jesus made it clear with this one simple statement, that God, being a Spirit, may be worshipped anywhere. The Puritans knew this truth. They practiced worship in their own inner spirit; AND in the daily reality of their lives. Do we leave obeying and honoring Almighty God to an hour or two a week? Purpose to worship God daily in your spirit and then live it out!
How can we get to know someone we are always disagreeing with? Job tried and failed. He is highlighted in Scripture to tell us, it's no good arguing with Almighty God. Job was such a good man that God Himself boasted of Job to the angelic host. But things happened to Job that he didn't understand. He demanded explanations from God. We must always remember, we are the created, He is the Great Uncreated! We are the clay, He is the Potter. In our society today we demand immediate gratification, immediate knowledge, immediate understanding. When a person finds themself demanding of God anything, it is time for a spiritual pulse check. Demands do not honor; demands are made to one that is obligated to you. God is not obligated to us for anything. Beware the spirit of this age, and do not demand of Almighty God. God can and will care for you in all the details of your life, as He did Job.
Who would ever say they really didn't want the very best life could bring? No matter what the environment we find ourselves in, we all want the best there is. And this is where the best begins, with a personal relationship to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It is a simple message. We are lost and must be saved, if ever we are to enjoy the best there is. Best really isn't even a good word, for it connotes comparison. And what comparison is there between life and death; between an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe and a constant growing knowledge of Him, or a habitual process of pain, frustration and degradation? None. God's desire is for all to come to Him in salvation, and His grace provides the way through Jesus His Son. This salvation cannot be earned. It is available through the love of God. Do you have this intimate, growing relationship? Tell others. If you don't have it, it is available now.
Job was a righteous man and his service to God included concern for those without the ability to see or walk. In our society today there are ways the blind and lame may be assisted. In Job's day there was virtually no other help. To be blind or lame meant to lead a beggar's life. Job was a busy man with great flocks and herds to manage and a large family to look after. Where did he get the time? Job's decision on how to spend his time is in part reflected in this verse. The blind and lame don't ask for pity. And in our society there are some helps. But if God has blessed you with someone unsighted, or someone without the ability to walk, make friends of them. They are not beggars. Spend time with them. They, too, are made in God's image. In so doing you have the opportunity to learn from them, and love them with God's love, and perhaps help them to find Him.
God has given us His Spirit, who acts like a power generator within us. Galatians tells us that we have access to love and joy through God's Spirit in us. For the person who knows Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, there is always access to joy, and so Paul can write, "Rejoice always." This rejoicing does not come from positive thinking, neither is it a mindless act. It comes from the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer. We need to make choosing that joy a habit. With joy comes the ability to pray in such a manner as to give thanks in all things. This may begin as a discipline. But as we grow in our walk with the Lord, we understand that indeed we can give thanks, because our God's economy is perfect, and not an experience in life is wasted. Today you can begin a new habit of asking for, and experiencing God's joy. It's already there for the asking!
In our personal relationships, how many do we name as "friend?" Always the Scripture goes right to the heart of a matter. There are no shades of gray. A friend loves all the time. A friend loves even when inconvenient; even when an appointment has been missed; even in the midst of a misunderstanding; and sometimes loves in ways that seem harsh. By this simple statement we are instructed that a friend is not just a friend in good and easy times. A true friend is the one who stands with you "at all times...." To be a friend takes stamina, interest, effort and above all, a right relationship to Jesus. Because if your friend has a right relationship to Jesus, then your friend will always have God's glory and your best at heart. That person can never be a friend who loves you at all times, unless they have the love of Jesus within them. As you choose to be this kind of friend, the world will take note. Be prepared to tell them of the power behind your friendship.
It was the custom of oriental conquerors to take home the best spoil of a defeated enemy, and this included people! By taking the most promising noble youths from the defeated nation, and adding them to his court, a king could keep the defeated nation weak while strengthening his own. Daniel was one such captive. Taken as a teenager, he saw all dear to him die, and then was carried off with other promising young people to a foreign nation. One of things the conquerors had learned was to rename their captives. This symbolized the most profound change and helped to wean them from their old culture while being made beings of the new culture. Daniel was named Belteshazzar, which may mean "The Lord's Leader." Even in the midst of an alien, hostile nation, Daniel was faithful, a leader serving the true God! Are you faithful like Daniel, in a hostile place? Daniel trusted his God. Trust Him today and He will strengthen your stand.
These verses are often called upon to establish the justness of giving ten percent of our goods to the church. It is part of a conversation that the King of Salem, Melchizedek, had with Abram (before he was renamed Abraham). When the King had blessed him, Abram freely gave to the King ten percent of the spoil he had won in a battle. There is a principle here applicable to our personal service of worship. Our worship of God is to consciously include all that we owe Him, not just material goods. Our worship is a tribute paid to the King of Kings. We also owe Him an inward awe and respect above all else we know; and our obedience and service. Are you able to say today that you "tithe" according to this principle? If not, consider God's claim on you. It is more than just your goods. Decide today to worship Him with all you have and are.
Mercy is the great withholding of deserved punishment upon us who are sinners, both saved and unsaved. This should stir up within the heart of every believer abundant thankfulness! The unbelievers do not know that He is faithfully pouring out mercies on them every single day of their lives. But we do. And because we know, we should rush to appropriate God's forgiveness, cleansing, and a fresh start at the beginning of every day. It is His faithfulness to His character that brings His mercies to bear on our lives, and not our ability to earn them. Are you relying on God's faithfulness in applying mercy to your life? Are you truly thankful for the opportunity of new life each morning? Make a list of all the ways God has shown you mercy this week, and thank Him for them.
If salvation is the result of God's power poured out on us through the gospel message, we would do well to understand just what it is that we received when we accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. According to Scofield's note on this verse, salvation implies deliverance, safety, preservation, healing, and soundness: deliverance from Satan's power and hold on our will; safety from spiritual and physical harm; preservation for our new spiritual life; healing in our hearts, minds, and body; and soundness in our emotional and spiritual walk. It is only as we come to understand and appropriate these wonderful truths about who we are now, that we will be able to live out what God has already made us to be! What areas in your life need deliverance, safety, preservation, healing, and/or soundness? List them and ask God to make real to you what He has already provided for you!
God appeared to Solomon in this passage and offered him whatever he wanted. He requested wisdom and knowledge because the responsibility of leadership handed down to him was taken very seriously. There are so many other things that Solomon could have asked for and this passage names them: wealth, riches, honor, protection, and long life. They are the very ones that we would most likely ask for in the same circumstance. But Solomon's heart desired the better thing! He knew he needed understanding in all areas and he needed to know how to apply that understanding correctly to each situation. The work that God has called each of us to do also requires wisdom and knowledge. Without it we are reacting out of the world's philosophy and the fruits of our labor will not be lasting. What do we desire above all else? Will our works of service stand the test of fire? Take time now to reevaluate your call and your response to it.
Prayer is communication, as well as communion, with God. So much has been written about prayer; many of us have so much yet to learn about prayer. But some principles are simple and direct - like this passage. The Lord would have us ASK Him for the very things that He desires to bring about. It is called "praying in God's will." As you have studied the Bible you have discovered what God's will is on major topics. The one mentioned here is that God desires to use you to spread the Word about Him to others. As you do this, and as they respond in salvation, you become related to them, in Him. As we spread His Gospel, the earth is reclaimed for His praise and honor. This is a great missionary prayer, but how many of us spend time praying for the lost, either in our neighborhoods or the world? Today we can begin anew. Pray today that you may be used to bring someone to Jesus.
The whole of chapter 28 is divided into two parts: a list of blessings for obedience, and a list of curses for disobedience. Even though we are no longer under the Law of Moses, many New Testament passages encourage us to consider and learn from what was written and preserved for us. These words were spoken to the nation of Israel but they echo down through the centuries and across the miles to the world of today, specifically to our country: children are being sexually, physically, and emotionally abused; they are neglected and abandoned on our city streets; they are being murdered in the womb; they are considered an intrusion into our busy and affluent lives; they are left to fend for themselves in homes empty of love and caring. We must know that we will reap what we sow. Yet, this continues year after year! We will give an account to God one day for how we responded to the Spirit's urging. May your heart be moved to action as you consider these thoughts!
According to Lockyer's ALL THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE, Deborah stands out as among the wisest of all the Old Testament women. She was a female warrior, a prophetess, a ruler, and a writer. Her ability to discern the mind and purpose of God and then declare it to others (the prophetic gift) puts her in such a high office that it corresponds to the ministry of the Word today. How the church of today needs Deborahs! Oh, that we women would so dedicate ourselves to the Lord that He could use us to call our nation back to God the way Deborah did! We need to be so close to God that our eyes see the hungry as He would; that our ears hear the cries of the oppressed as He would; that our mouths speak the Words of God as He would, without fear of man. The Lord chose Deborah at the time she was needed. Are you ready if the Lord chooses you next? Will you be prepared to take a stand for what God reveals, no matter what?
When we worship, to whom do we sing? Our neighbor in the row next to us? Someone we want to impress? Let's sing to our God alone, and remember that while he wants our very best, He isn't sitting and judging how often we hit the right note. And let's think about what it is we do sing, not just fall into a warm fuzzy state of thoughtlessness. This God we sing to, He is Lord of all creation! We were lost without the power to save ourselves, and He saved us! We were lonely, and He became our friend. We were hungry and He fed us food from heaven. We were powerless and He has caused us to have great success. In a society where ends justify means, and the appearance is more important than the content, remember the Rock of our salvation. Sing with all your heart to your God. Haleleu-Jah!
God desires that His children come to know Him. One of the greatest obstacles to this growth is a person's concept of what is fair. In our society today this concept has been pushed beyond its logical limits. Until we know our Father who is in heaven, our personal concept of fair will never be correct. We frequently hear a child say something isn't fair, and often this is because that "something" has interfered with the child's project or desire. God causes His sun to shine on all, regardless of whether they are righteous or unrighteous, good or bad. He shows by this that He loves His entire creation! Make your idea of "fair" God's idea. Then your concept of fairness will reflect God's self-sacrificing love. And this will cause some to ask the source of your actions.
Great philosophical works have been written on this question, "Why am I here?" or "What is the purpose of life?" Some say it is the accumulation of wealth and power; some, to gain fame; others, to leave a mark, and so on. What do you say? We should go to the owner's manual of life, God's Word, the Bible. There is an answer in this book for every question under heaven. It isn't magic. Just opening and reading guarantees nothing. If we approach it with purpose and determination, we find what we seek. Isaiah had the answer. God told him. And God tells us the same thing today. We are here for His honor and His glory. We have all been "formed and fashioned" for just this purpose. And in both the Old and New Testaments of the owner's manual of life, we have the formula: love and obey. We cannot obey our God, without bringing Him glory. And we cannot bring Him glory, without eternal benefit to ourselves. Obey Him.
This poetic passage comes in the midst of Jesus' description of the Son of Man coming in His glory, separating sheep from goats, which is an explanation of His prophecy recorded in Matthew 16:27 about rewarding every person for their works. Martin Luther called the book of James the "straw epistle" because of its seeming focus on works versus faith. But no matter what our verbal profession, if our words are not backed up by self-sacrificing involvement for those in true need, those words are wind. Think of this, that Jesus, true man and true God, identified with the suffering of the hungry, thirsty, lonely, ill-clothed, sick and imprisoned! That is amazing, yet he called these His "brethren." We need to purpose in our souls to reach out in serving others in need, and trust the leading of God's Holy Spirit to give us the discernment to know who they are, and then to act, for Jesus' sake. Don't wait to act.
When we are sick, we turn to a medical doctor who has taken years of training in order to heal the sick. When we are in trouble in business we frequently turn to an attorney with years of training. Or for spiritual matters we turn to the minister, usually a person who holds a degree from a seminary. But listen as God speaks! All knowledge is from Him! He is able to give "the tongue of those who are taught," with the purpose of sustaining the weary. And where and when may we gain this marvelous gift? In the morning as we draw near Him in prayer, petition, adoration and worship. He will awaken us to hear "as those who are taught." We have an opportunity to ask the fount of all knowledge to have a tongue to speak His words, and an ear to hear His words. Many are weary. Prayer will refresh. Help the weary, and your ears will hear God.
The hallmark of our age is loneliness. Even the most successful person may frequently eat alone, going "home" to a vacant house or apartment. There are also those who may be married, but are still as lonely as the single person. This is the norm, not the exception. The lonely are more than those who are not. And loneliness kills, because God made humankind to be with another. There is only one Person who will ever fill that last aching abyss of the human heart; Jesus Christ, true man and true God. Don't look to a human to fill that place, because there is only your own solitariness beyond Him. God alone can fill that place. He is the true friend. When you discover this loneliness which nothing and no one can fill, it is your call to come to your God. Heed that call if you are a Christian, because you have been away from your Friend. Heed that call if you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. He is the only true and forever Friend.
Barnabas may be translated in many ways, Son of Prophecy, Son of Consolation and Son of Comfort are among them. What we do know about this man is that he was an encouragement to those around him. The inspired record tells us that he sold property and gave all the money into the common fund of the Christian community outlined in the Book of Acts. He apparently carried himself well, so well in fact that he was called Jupiter by one group of unbelievers. It has been said of Barnabas that he exemplified the Holy Spirit more so than many of his contemporaries, including the apostles. This reputation was due to his handling of the worldly goods in his care, how he handled himself within and without the church, and how he encouraged new Christians. But Barnabas had his weaknesses, as do we all. He can be a model for us today, a man to imitate, that we may encourage one another.
When we approach God in worship, we must come believing Him; that His Word is true and alive; that His promises are not the world's promises, but the promises of Almighty God, given to His children to enable them to have victory while in the world. Too many of us come to worship with an attitude of defeat. This comes from improper preparation of the heart. We will have tribulation in the world. But let's remember God's promises. They are given to us for power and victory. It is with God's promises known and fed upon that we can come to worship with a right attitude. God's promises read, considered and acted upon, will give us victory over the corruption of the world. Are you finding that you regularly come to worship overwhelmed by the corruption around you? Stop, look for God's promises and make them yours. And then you will find more and more that you come to worship in a spirit of victory, not defeat.
So few things in our lives last forever. In fact, Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:35 that "heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." It makes you wonder, doesn't it, why we spend so much time, energy, and resources on the things of this world - making money, creating a name, impressing our neighbors, collecting treasures, seeking pleasure - when we know that they will all be gone one day. Like God Himself, His Word is eternal. What results from His Word is also eternal: fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control; fruits of our labor such as soul winning, seed planting, soil watering; the fruit of righteousness such as a pure life. What will you say on that day when you stand before the Lord to give an account of your time? Today is a good day to start over: read His Word, apply it to your life, and live it out!
Much is said in the Scriptures about man's heart. The heart is so much more that just our affections, as some think. The heart is regarded as being the seat of the intellect, the feelings, and the will. The heart is often spoken of in God's Word as our innermost being. If we are to keep or guard our hearts, we need to know what that means. Such a strong statement deserves our attention. Have you thought about it? What other verses come to mind regarding the condition of the inner man? What are you diligent about now? Are those things life-affecting? God's Word tells us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Does what your mouth speaks reveal the condition of your heart? Are you satisfied with your revealed heart condition? Take some time today to examine your own heart. Remember, it is your responsibility to guard your own heart!
What shocking words for David to hear! He wanted so much to do this great thing for God, and he had it all arranged. How embarrassing it must have been for him. But, over and over, we find that God's ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts. It must have been some comfort for David to hear that it was pleasing to God that he had the idea in his heart. The lesson we can learn from this account is that what we may want to do for God may have been given to another. We may be the idea person behind the scenes, but not be allowed to participate in the activity. Are you willing to be used by God in His way? Is obedience more important to you than notoriety? Can you be satisfied with others in up-front tasks while you are unknown? God is sovereign, and because He is, we must learn to want what He wants and do what He deems best for us - and be thankful for the honor of serving Him!
