Month: May 2020

Leading to a Deeper Faith

Psalm 50, 53, 60, 75

Psalm 14 15 NIV

Some of my really good friends a few years ago started to hold a dinner on Sunday nights after church. This dinner was absolutely awesome back in the day. It was the highlight of my week. I know we are supposed to say church is always the highlight of our week but this was even better than church. Hopefully I am not blaspheming right there. Haha.

The reason why it was so awesome was all of my favorite people gathered under one roof, having a meal together, talking about God, life and just having an awesome time. The way the dinner worked was that everyone would simply bring something with them to the meal. Whether it was a side dish, a plate of cookies or some beverages. The host would normally provide the meat and everyone would chip in to make it an awesome meal.

In the beginning everyone would chip in to help out to clean up. We all sought to do our fair share of the work. Eventually, we started to invite more and more people. The problem that arose was some of these new people didn’t contribute their fair share to the meal. When it’s just one person this isn’t such a big deal but when it’s a larger group of people it is more of an issue. People also stopped contributing as much to clean up. This left the group that was contributing doing more work and for more people. People grew too complacent in not contributing to the meal.

In my life I tend to do the same thing. Humans just have a natural tendency to get complacent in things like our relationships or work. The people of Israel in Psalm 50 had become complacent. They were going through the motions making sacrifices but it had become an emotionless, passionless ritual that lacked the heart behind their actions. Now, dry seasons where you don’t feel God with you are just a part of life. I think these may have even been manufactured or designed to make us want him, commit and submit to him more. I think too many Christians are afraid to admit that they have or are in one of these times. We view these times as negatives and feel like we should never have these moments in our life.

There are natural rhythms to life and at times complacency happens. Sometimes we find that we have become complacent or sometimes its told to us (ugh hate/love that I have people in my life who will do this). I don’t think we need to get hung up on the guilt or shame though. God uses discipline to help his people (Ps. 94.12, Rev. 3.19). He even rebukes those who hate discipline (Ps. 50.17). Discipline is ultimately to our benefit. Discipline is not always suffering the consequences of your actions. Rather, discipline from God is always for your benefit. It is to help you grow. God doesn’t just punish you to hurt you. In the TOTC commentary for Psalm 50 it describes how truth being realized or spoken in our life should be received. “But the truth is meant to heal, not only to convict.” This a great concept. I believe it allows us to look at failures in our lives and cast our future in a positive growth mindset.

This morning in a weird coincidence I was reading about Moses and the people of Israel as they left Egypt and wandered into the desert. They went three whole days into the wilderness with no water. Now this left them empty and physically wanting. Their reaction is not great but I think this incident illustrates something to us. God led them out into the desert, God knew there was no water, God knew that they would need water, and God clearly ended up giving them water because the Bible doesn’t say that they all ran out of water and died. So, what was the point of the whole incident? I’m theorizing but maybe God wanted them to ask him for water. He might have been trying to make them more dependent upon him. Out of this incident in Exodus 17 the Israelites were able to see that God would provide for them. The hopeful reaction from the people was supposed to be trust and faith that God would provide for them. Their period of physical dehydration was supposed to lead them to deeper faith.

Knowing that the difficult or challenging things in our lives may be godly discipline or our complacency could allow for growth, healing or growing in faith and love for God as I wait for him gives me a good perspective for handling these things.

Hope everyone keeps their eyes focused on God and that we can walk with God through whatever circumstances we are going through.

Daniel Wall

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+50%2C53%2C60%2C+75&version=NIV

 

Tomorrow’s reading will be 2 Samuel 10,  1Chronicles 19 and Psalm 20 as we continue the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Extreme Grace

2 Samuel 8-9 and 1 Chronicles 18

2 Samuel 9 3 NIV

I somewhat recently took a job as a Residential Counselor at Residential Treatment Facility for youth in the teenage age range. These kids have had severe traumas in their lives and have had terrible things done to them and happen in their lives. Most of them have terribly dysfunctional families that have hurt them in extreme ways. In order to cope and also survive through learned behavior they verbally and sometimes physically abuse staff for reasons as simple as being told “No.” There are times they will use all the ammo on you to try to hurt you or get a rise out of you. This isn’t normal teenage behavior like saying I hate you or You are dumb. Think the worst things that people have ever said to you. Now I want to be super clear that these behaviors are not entirely these kids’ faults. They’ve simply been dealt an unfair hand and do not entirely have the capacity to behave in ways other than this.

One night, I was handling a situation with a kid where other kids had lied to a girl, I will call Ivery, and told her the lie and how I reacted to the situation. In an attempt to advocate for the youth on the unit she proceeded to call me every name under the sun. She called me a pervert. She made fun of me in every way she could think of and then because she knew I had a girlfriend started to say anything to get a rise out of me in that area of my life. Finally, when she was running out of ammunition to get me off kilter, she threatened to kill me, my family and my girlfriend. Now, I knew she couldn’t actually pull that off but it was quite an experience to be threatened like that. I responded as best I could and didn’t try to discuss anything when she was just looking for an argument. After the fact I was definitely hurt that anyone would say those things about me.

I would love to say my next shift I just showed up and loved her and it all went away but those feelings stuck with me longer than I would have liked them to.

2 Samuel 9 is a great example of a man who despite what was done to him didn’t let the actions of other people affect how he treated overs. In this chapter David is looking for someone from the house of Saul to bless on account of Jonathan, Saul’s son. If you remember, this is the same Saul who had chased David through the desert and caves all over Israel seeking to kill him. This wasn’t just a brief period of time. Some scholars imagine this time period to be 7 years!! I can’t imagine what I would feel toward my oppressor after being chased under threat of death for even 3 years. All the same, I feel David’s desire to try to find someone from Saul’s house to bless is an amazing story of forgiveness. I could probably write a whole devotion about that but I want to focus on one particular verse of this awesome story.

In verse 3 David is talking to Saul’s former servant and asks him, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?”. This whole line is crazy to me. David is asking and even seeking out someone to bless from the house of Saul. I’ll be honest, most my kindness doesn’t go past the people I interact with. It stays in my world. I am not seeking out people that I can bless.

Let alone am I seeking out people from the family of the man who had just tried to kill me for 7 years and literally only by his death could I return to my home country. But that is David, the man after God’s own heart. This is extreme grace, thoughtfulness and care that he would go out of his way to search out a man from Saul’s house to bless.

The phrase “that I may show the kindness of God to him?” says once again so much about David and how he viewed everything. David releases in this simple phrase any form of ownership to how he was going to bless Saul’s relative. He points it directly back to God. He didn’t try to take the credit and say look at my kindness to my enemy. He identifies back to God.

This line continues to show just how much David acknowledged the fact that what he had wasn’t his. He lived in continual recognition that what he had been given to him was by God. He acknowledges his forgiveness isn’t from himself. His kindness isn’t his. His life isn’t his. His kingdom isn’t his. It is God’s.

He viewed the world not “how can I be kind to people” but rather “how can I show God’s kindness to others.” While the difference is oh so subtle, one is making our good deeds about us and the other is pointing the kindness back to God. David recognized as a servant to God it was no longer him doing it. It wasn’t his resources that he was using to bless this descendent of his enemy it was God’s that he was temporarily in possession of.

Now, in the same way I had the opportunity to show God’s kindness to Ivery the next day by overwhelming her with love or by showing her kindness. Don’t let opportunities slip by in your own life to give away something that isn’t ours. Rather, give away what God has given you to give away.

Daniel Wall

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+8-9%2C+1+Chronicles+18&version=NIV

Tomorrow we return to the Psalms (50,53,60,75) as we continue the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

 

Teach Me, God

Psalm 25

Psalm 25 5 NIV

Truth in our current culture has been a major point of contention. The common motto of today is “You have your truth and I have my truth.” As if truth is something that can be different to different people. I believe that there is only one truth and I think this is the one that includes God in your worldview. I believe that when we become Christians, we are forced to accept the truth that there is a God in the world who is all powerful, with us and loves us.

Our faith or belief about what we believe should greatly inform how we act and how we view our world. Belief or faith in God should change our paradigms regarding the things we do, what we worry about and what we focus on. When we view the world, we cannot accept the natural possibilities but we are made to view the world in light of the knowledge that we have a miracle-working God alongside of us who is active in our world. An example where this plays out best is in the beatitude blessed are the meek because this is so contrary to the world in which we live. Living meekly through the natural course of this world doesn’t end up with our benefit but God tells us to live meekly and believe that following God’s commandments is ultimately to our benefit. This allows us to be meek because we believe that God exists, knows what’s best and cares for his people.

I think that the world teaches us a bunch of lies about how our lives should go and what will make us truly happy.

Therefore, if we have faith, we should seek and know God’s commandments and words to follow them to the best of our ability. I think this is what David is looking for in Psalm 25. I love how David opens up this psalm.

David is completely committed to the truth that God exists. He opens up the Psalm by saying to you I lift up my soul. I feel like this would be a great thing to incorporate into our own prayers. Just opening up our souls to God to begin our prayer time.

He follows that up with “O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.” What this prayer says to me is David wasn’t seeking his own victory. David was seeking and depending on God for victory. David was dependent on God for his life. He submitted his life to the paradigm that God was in control and put his battles, struggles and life in God’s hands. David was humble before God by living in obedience and submitting to his leadership.

Verse 3 shows David’s conviction to this idea. David articulated a very important scriptural theme. David recognized that having faith in God meant waiting for God to act and bring victory.

In verse 4 and 5 David is asking for guidance. He asks to know God’s ways and to be taught his paths. This should be a prayer for all of us. I think sometimes we don’t seek God’s guidance in our lives. Not just in specific instances, I think we sometimes forget to ask God to teach us how to live life while believing him. The teachings of Jesus give us a great list of things we should be doing but I would rather God show me his way and his path than trying to do those things on my own path. David in this verse was acknowledging the truth of God in this world and seeking to be taught by God directly.

David later in the Psalm says that the man that abides in the path of God will have his soul abide in well-being. Is there anything more you could want? To have a soul that is abiding in well-being is the best life I can imagine. This is what happens when we learn the ways and paths of God.

In verse 5 David asks God to teach him his truth. He asks God to teach him. That is so convicting for me. I am not sure that I really do this. I just kind of assume God will because of my heart for him. We should be asking God to teach us just like we would our earthly fathers. I think that learning God’s truth will change the way that we view everything. There is only one truth and it’s God’s.

So, today I pray that God would teach us his truth. God, I ask that you would change our paradigms, the way we view others, the way we view our lives and the way we view you. I pray that you would teach us your ways, teach us your way of doing life and lead us in our pursuit of you. I pray that you would teach us.

“See” you guys tomorrow. Have a great day.

Daniel Wall

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25%2C29%2C33%2C+36%2C39&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be 2 Samuel 8-9 & 1 Chronicles 18 as we continue the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Unworthy of His Greatness

2 Samuel 7 & 1 Chronicles 17

2 Samuel 7 21 NASB

Sometimes I feel like I keep beating the same drum but when we talk about David and the Psalms I have such a difficult time getting away from his heart. The heart of this man is extraordinary and I think because of this God made him into someone extraordinary. God molded him into someone that we are still talking about to this day. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, here we go.

When we talked about David’s ability on Sunday, we talked about how he looked after God’s people and put their desires above his own. Today we will look at how David continued to be an impressive man after God’s own heart.

I want to look at the entire incident in 2 Samuel 7. In the opening paragraph David recognizes what he sees as injustice. The injustice being that though he lives in a house made of cedar, the ark of God dwells in a tent. David’s heart here is pure. He sees that what represents the presence of God for the nation of Israel is dwelling in a measly little tent while he is living in a full-blown swanky house made of cedar. He recognizes that this just doesn’t seem right. It seems very wrong that the maker of heaven and earth, the God of this nation, the reason for this nation’s success, the reason they even existed, the God who had blessed them and literally done everything for them didn’t have a proper dwelling place. He did everything from singling out Abraham and blessing him and all his descendants after him, saved them from oppression in Egypt by sending the plagues, delivered them out with Egypt’s spoils, parted the Red Sea as they walked between walls of water on either side, saved them from their enemies by collapsing that sea on the army seeking to kill them or enslave them. I could go on and on and on about all that God did for the nation of Israel. David didn’t forget any of this. He looked back in gratitude and decided that his God should at least dwell in a place as nice as the one he had. That gratitude sparked a desire in David to take the action of wanting to build a house for the ark.

God’s reaction to David wanting to build a house for him is quite interesting. He says, “Did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” God had never before asked someone to build him a house. Have you ever wondered why God never asked anyone to build him a house? Maybe he didn’t want one. Gods of other nations had physical temples. So why wouldn’t the one true God? When you look back in the history recorded in scripture it seems like God was hesitant to have a physical representation on earth that could be misconstrued. This was not without cause since in the time of the temple when God’s people had drifted away from him, they claimed that they couldn’t be taken over because of the temple. It seems like God’s focus is on his people believing in him and not becoming preoccupied with something that simply represents him. This is continued in the New Testament with what is defined as the church. God defines the church as his people and tells us that we are all the building blocks of his temple as the body of Christ. That is so awesome and mind blowing to me! The thought that I would be a building block of his temple is an overwhelmingly beautiful thought.

Let’s keep going with this passage, though. God continues to speak to David and tells him He would make a great name for him, plant his people and help to leave them undisturbed, give him rest from his enemies, make him a house, allow his children to build him a house, establish his child on the throne, love that child and discipline him as a father, establish his throne, house and kingdom forever. Dang, that is a list, right? Those are some amazing promises! For you girls, if a guy promises you the world – don’t believe him. But if God promises you all that, I would believe him. Utterly blown away is how I think I would feel if I were David.

David responds in the best way ever. He responds in the only way someone who was qualified to receive these promises should. Who am I and what is my house that you have brought me thus far? David didn’t let being king get to his head rather David knew that he was nothing without God. David knew without God he would still be that shepherd in that field. He felt unworthy of all that God had already done for him. Here is the thing, he totally was unworthy. David recognized he deserved none of these things. He recognized that there were better and smarter. David recognized how undeserving he was of the grace and love that God extended to him.

David’s response continues as I think he is lacking the words to even handle this and he says as much in verse 20. He continues to acknowledge and praise God throughout this response where he speaks about God’s knowledge of his heart, his greatness, how none is like him, praising him for raising up the nation of Israel, and stating that because God spoke those promises they would surely come true.

I think it would be too easy to disassociate from this passage and say “God never promised me any of those things” and in doing so we would miss the very heart that David had.

God sent his son to bear your sins. God has made the whole earth and it is all his. I didn’t make anything and yet I still have everything I need. My actions and my sin without the cross mean I don’t deserve a relationship with God, life or breath. My first sin should have been the end of my life and yet the Lord still gives me life and breath. He still wants me and a relationship with me. He is continually extending his grace to us EVERY SINGLE DAY. I don’t even want to think about what my life would look like without God’s grace.

In this way all of us should be responding every single day “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me thus far?” (2 Samuel 7:18)

 

Daniel Wall

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+7%2C+1+Chronicles+17&version=NASB

Tomorrow’s reading will be Psalm 25, 29, 33, 36 & 39 as we continue the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Who You Want to Be

Psalm 101

Psalm 101 2a

Are you who you want to be?

Almost no one jumps up at this question and says I am exactly who I want to be. Maybe we won’t ever become who we want to be. Our view may be too grandiose to actualize. We all have strengths, weaknesses and limitations which is perfectly fine. I have accepted that I will never have a voice like any of the singers from Casting Crowns. Haha. I have identified areas of my life where I am semi successful and try to work on those areas. This doesn’t mean I don’t work on my weakness it just means that I know the areas that I am most able to serve others in and hone those skills in order to serve God and those around me better.

With all that being said I am still not who I want to be in the picture-perfect sense.

Actually, before we move forward, I want you to write down exactly who you want to be and maybe what you think you are missing to become that person in 100 words or less. Sometimes it’s helpful to write down our goals.  Envisioning them can make them more concrete and help to actualize them. No longer are they just things or ideas they have an actual physical existence now.

Second question: Do you think you are on the road to become who you want to be?

Does your life reflect that you are taking steps daily in that direction and you are pushing yourself to become that person? Are you doing that hard work in your life? Or do you shrink back to what is comfortable?

These are problems that all of us face and today we are going to look at some of these.

Ps. 101 is going to be the focus today.

Verse 1 praised God for all that he does through his steadfast love and faithfulness. I like how David doesn’t stop there. He follows the praise and gratitude with an action step by saying “to you Lord I will make music.” I wish that I would do that more often—turn the gratitude in my heart into an action step to worship and praise God.

David starts out verse 2 by saying “I will ponder the way that is blameless.” This isn’t the first time anyone will hear this but sometimes we need reminders. What you think about will be what is manifest in your life. If you are continually allowing sinful things to have space and time in your mind, you probably won’t be able to stay pure and live a holy life. There are scientific studies that show if you think about something that you are grateful for, you will be more content. The thoughts you allow in your mind will be the rudder that steers the ship of your life.

David asks God when will God come to him. It shows us where David’s heart is. It shows us that the desire of his heart is to be in God’s presence.

This next line is something I want to work through in more detail. “I will walk in the integrity of my heart within my house.” A definition of integrity that I think is applicable for this verse is the quality or state of being complete or undivided. Integrity is being the same person even when no one is watching. I don’t think any of us want to think that we display a “for show” version of ourselves but I think most of us do. Do you think that you are whole in what you think is right in your heart and do in your actions? This is something I really want to be a part of my life.

For a long time, I have known that God is the only place that I can truly be satisfied. I have found this to be an extremely prominent theme in scripture. Here are seven Psalm 107.9, Isaiah 58.11, Jeremiah 31.25, Psalm 91.16, Isaiah 55.2, Mark 15.15, Psalm 132.15. Also, via google there is a page that has 54 verses regarding satisfaction in God. So, it’s kind of a big deal. I know that God is the only one in whom I can find contentment, satisfaction, peace, and fulfillment. I know this and yet I let myself believe the lie that other things may satisfy.  In this way I am not walking in the integrity of my heart.

There is a chasm between what I believe to be true and what I do.

I started out the devotion asking you who you wanted to be. I think that person would be the one who walks in the integrity of your heart.

I can offer you a little insight if you are younger and tell you that you may not ever be the person you want to be but I will tell you that you should be content with making progress and putting in the effort to walk in the integrity of heart.

I hope that you will join me in reorienting your life or continue the process of walking in the integrity of your heart and becoming who you want to be and who God has called you to be.

Daniel Wall

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+89%2C+96%2C+100%2C+101%2C+105%2C+132&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be back to the life of David – 2 Samuel 7 & 1 Chronicles 17 – as we continue the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

The Goal

Psalm 24

Psalm 24 1 NIV

I think the ultimate goal of Christianity is to have a relationship with God. I think this is ultimately the goals of our lives as well if you believe in God. I once heard Pastor Vince Finnegan, Sean’s dad, say that as long as he had his relationship with God nothing else really mattered. He said this years ago and it has still stuck with me to this day. This is crazy because despite my ability to intensely focus on things there are days that I would forget my head if it wasn’t attached to my body.

Back to my point I wanted to open up by reminding you what is the point of our lives.

No one starts out running marathons by just running a marathon or hiking really huge mountains by just going and doing it. You have to start out by training for a marathon or hiking smaller mountains. You need to build endurance to complete formidable tasks. The cost of admission for hiking that larger mountain or running that marathon is rigorous training before hand. If you only do half of the marathon training, you probably won’t be able to run the whole marathon. That’s generally just a rule of life.

The real life long question for me is how can I draw closer to God and I think Ps. 24 lays out a way in which we can do that. You should go ahead and read it all the way through right now then we will talk about it some more.

I love the way this Psalm opens and I think it is super appropriate for what David is going to ask in verse 2 as well. David opens up the Psalm by acknowledging and praising God for his creation. He says that the earth is the Lord’s and all who dwell in it. If you read yesterday’s devo you know I love the idea that all I am and all I have is God’s. “I deserve nothing and I have been given everything” is probably my favorite saying and David’s opening lines feed directly into that. The reason I think it is so appropriate that David opens the Psalm like this is because he is acknowledging the greatness of God. He is acknowledging that we really haven’t done anything and don’t really deserve anything from God.

Verse 3 is the focal point of this psalm. David says “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?”. This isn’t just talking about standing on a hill or standing in God’s holy place just to stand there. And to clarify no one is worthy. Well, except Jesus. Jesus is always the exception and the answer. Haha.

Back to what I was saying before I distracted myself. David isn’t only saying this to proclaim God’s greatness. Ascending the hill of the Lord and entering his holy place are ways in which we can draw close to God. Psst… remember the opening paragraph. So, whatever comes next may be pretty important for us.

Verse 4 says “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, and doesn’t lift up his soul to what is false?” Remember what I was saying earlier about the cost of admission? Here it is. The disappointing part is that even if we cover the cost of admission we still need God’s help to cover the rest of it but that’s in the next verse. So, what do you think clean hands and a pure heart is? I think I can probably define it but I’m gonna take the easy way out with this one and say being like Jesus. Remember the answer is ALWAYS Jesus. So, to define living like Jesus is much easier for me; it’s living a life where from my heart my actions reflect love of God and his people. I just don’t see Jesus getting angry because he had to help another person because his actions where overflowing from a pure heart. The goal here is becoming more like Jesus.

I love the way that David phrases this second part ‘don’t lift up your soul to what is false.’ It speaks of something so true. Anything that we look to for satisfaction from, other than God, is false. We can give it life and make it out to be true but it will not satisfy.

In verse 5 it says that, “He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” It says here that we will receive righteousness from the Lord as well. God is even supplying righteousness in the areas in which we are lacking in order to draw close to him.

Verse 6 gets to the heart of what we have been talking about here. God is looking for those people who will seek his face and draw close to him.

I pray that God will help me to draw closer to Him by cleansing my hands and purifying my heart and helping change my heart. That my actions would be an out pouring of my heart and I could become holy as he is holy and draw closer to him.

Bonus Material: If you wanted to read another Psalm similar to this one Psalm 15 is great as well.

 

Daniel Wall

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+1-2%2C+15%2C+22-24%2C+47%2C+68&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be Psalm 89, 96, 100, 101, 105 & 132 as we continue with the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

For Others not For Yourself

2 Samuel 5:11-6:23; 2 Chronicles 13-16

2 Samuel 5 12a NIV

 

Have you ever been in class, at home or with your friends and you start to get the impression that the people around you don’t necessarily have your best interests in mind? In fact, I think one of the most heartbreaking things in life is that moment that you start to realize that you have to look out for your interests. You start to realize that people will talk behind your back, they will say nasty things about you, they may try to take advantage of you. It’s truly heartbreaking for me to see someone have their trust betrayed.

The reason why this is heartbreaking for me is it leads people to have a cynical view of the world. This view can be seen all over the world. People looking out for themselves instead of caring for those around them. In some ways, this is a natural behavior for humans. Inside all of us there is this innate desire toward self-preservation. This isn’t entirely a learned behavior. I can see this in my 2 and half year-old nephew as he interacts with his 10-month-old sister. He doesn’t want to share his toys with her. When she is holding one of his toys his desire is to take the toy away from her. Even if he isn’t playing with that toy or even wanted it before she started to play with it. As a parent or adult, one of the things you are supposed to teach your child is how to share or how to look out for the interests of others. Putting others wants and needs above your own is unnatural but that is the way that love works.

One of our passages for the day is 2 Samuel 5.11-6.23 but as I began to read this passage it was the second verse that struck a chord with me. I encourage you to read the whole passage; it really is a great passage. That being said I really want to just hone in on this verse today and get all we can from it.

5:12 “And David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.”

To give you a little backstory David at this point had overcome Saul and was no longer a “criminal” on the run. God had established him as king of Israel through all the trials that he had to overcome and endure through. This was a long time coming for David but God finally gave him the victory.

The first statement gives us an indication of David’s heart when becoming king. David knew and gave the credit to God for when he assumed the throne. He didn’t try to say it was because of all he endured that he was now the king of Israel. He gave the credit back to the one who actually put him there. Even then as the king of Israel David was humble before God.

The next line though is really what I want to hone in on. David knew that God had exalted his kingdom for the sake of the people of Israel. God put David on the throne because God and David loved God’s chosen people, Israel. David was given the responsibility of the kingdom, not for his sake, or for his own self-interest, David was climbing the ladder from shepherd to harpist to giant slayer to mighty warrior to king but for God’s and his people. He was seeking the people’s best interest and this is where God put him. God put him there because he knew he cared for his people and that he would seek God and seek the people’s interest above his own.

David had unlearned that natural tendency towards self-interest and preservation and learned to put other’s interest, safety and good above his own. He put on the heart of a servant. The world and our own minds have taught something that may be the way that this world works but it isn’t the way that God works. He works through people who have laid themselves aside and serve and put others ahead of themselves.

The fascinating thing about David in this is he didn’t have Jesus telling him to love others as he had loved them. David just had a heart for people and I don’t think this was something special because of who David was. I think David had this because of his relationship with his heavenly father.

Here is my exhortation for us today—go serve people. Go out there and lay aside your own self-interest and seek someone else’s good. Seek the good of those around you. In the same way that David wasn’t given the kingdom for his own good, the things that we are given whether it’s our money, time, attention, or work—what has been given to us is meant to serve those around us. Whether we acknowledge it all the time, or not, ALL that we have, including this very day, has been given to us by God. So, let’s lay ourselves down to serve those around us.

Daniel Wall

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+5%3A11-6%3A23%3B+1+Chronicles+13-16&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be Psalm 1-2,15, 22-24, 47,68 as we continue the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Remember His Goodness

Psalm 106 – 107

Psalm 107 8 NIV

Our God is great!  We just don’t deserve Him.  Praise Him and thank Him for His goodness and mercy.

This is the psalmist’s cry in Psalm 106 & 107.  Beautiful chapters of truth for today

Let’s start by looking at just some of the phrases describing the actions of man as recorded in these psalms.

 

MANKIND’s ACTIONS

Done wrong & acted wickedly (106:6)

Gave no thought to God’s miracles (106:7)

Did not remember your many kindnesses (106:7)

Rebelled by the sea (106:7)

Soon forgot what he had done (106:13)

Did not wait for His counsel (106:13)

Gave in to their cravings (106:14)

Put God to the test (106:14)

Grew envious (106:16)

Exchanged God’s glory for an image (106:20

Forgot the God who saved them (106:21)

Did not believe His promise (106:24)

Grumbled (106:25)

Did not obey the Lord (106:25)

Yoked themselves to the Baal (false god) (106:28)

Provoked the Lord to anger by their wicked deeds (106:29)

Angered the Lord (106:32)

Rebelled against the Spirit of God (106:33)

Mingled with the nations & adopted their customs (106:35)

Sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons (106:37)

Shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters (106:38)

Bent on rebellion (106:43)

Wasted away in their sin (106:43)

THEN THEY CALLED OUT TO THE LORD IN THEIR TROUBLE (107:6, 13, 19, 28)

Became fools through their rebellious ways (107:17)

Suffered affliction because of their iniquities (107:17)

 

It is easy for us to see and remember the foolish actions and attitudes of these generations long gone.  How easily they forgot the good deeds and commands of their God.  How quickly they rushed to selfish sins.  And we shake our heads in disbelief.  But, are we brave enough to look in the mirror to consider our own imperfections, mistakes, ignorance, selfishness and flat out sins?  Do we truthfully see when we have rebelled and turned from God’s perfect law?  Do we excuse the sins of society as modern and politically correct?  How would God’s psalmist describe us, our priorities, our actions, our waywardness, our selfishness?  Where do we turn when we are stuck?

What about God?  How are His actions recorded in these psalms?

 

GOD’s ACTIONS

Yet He saved them for his name’s sake (106:8)

He led them through the depths (106:9)

He saved them from the hand of the foe (106:10)

He gave them what they asked for (106:15)

But sent a wasting disease upon them (106:15)

He was angry with his people (106:40)

He handed them over to the nations and their foes ruled over them (106:41)

Many times He delivered them (106:43)

He took note of their distress (106:44)

He heard their cry (106:44)

He remembered his covenant (106:45)

He relented, out of His great love (106:45)

HE DELIVERED THEM FROM THEIR DISTRESS (107:6, 13, 19, 28)

He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom (107:14)

He sent forth His word and healed them (107:20)

He stilled the storm to a whisper (107:29)

He guided them to their desired haven (107:30)

 

What a contrast.  What a good God.

Yes, He does get angry with his wayward children.  And He does send punishment to turn them around.  That is what a good dad does.  He knows that through loving discipline His children must be taught that rebellion reaps no reward.  There are real consequences for forgetting God and going in your own direction.  And when that lesson is learned and His children return to Him, He hears their cry and picks them up.  That is also what a good dad does.  And sometimes, for stubborn children, it takes more than once or twice to learn this lesson.

Psalm 107 repeats four times the call of God’s people returning to Him – and God’s response:

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.”

(Psalm 107: 6, 13, 19, 28).

It also repeats four times how the people ought to reply to God’s goodness:

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.”  (Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31).

I urge you today, call out to Him.  Don’t forget God.  Learn from His lessons.  Remember His law.  Cry to Him and He will pick you up.  See His goodness.  And give thanks to the Lord.  He loves you and He has done great things.

 

No better way to close than with the psalmist’s final verse:

“Whoever is wise, let him heed these things

And consider the great love of the LORD.”  Psalm 107: 43

 

Marcia Railton

 

Today’s reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+106-107&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be 2nd Samuel 5:11-6:23 and 1st Chronicles 13-16 as we continue on the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Live Together in Unity

Psalm 133

Psalm 133 1 NIV

Live together in unity.  It’s sweet.

I don’t know exactly how it is that we have such a short Bible reading today – but how timely.  It won’t take you long to read the 3 verses.  And I won’t take too much of your time telling you how important it is or how to do it or how not to do it.  Instead, I challenge you – take the time today to DO it!  Live together in unity with God’s people.

So many of our homes are finding they are doing a lot more “living together” than normal with the consequences of Covid-19 policies.  Remember those in your home are God’s people and we are called to live together in unity.  How will you strive today to do your living together in unity?    Seek God together.  Compliment.  Communicate.  Celebrate together.  Listen.  Apologize.  Work together.  Ask good questions.  Extend grace.  Exercise together.  Accept differences.  Share burdens.  Laugh.  Sing together.  Plan together.  Serve together.  Create together.  Pray together.  Love.

Make sure you do much more than watch the screen together.  Or complain together.  Or criticize together.

You are not STUCK at home!  You have this beautiful opportunity to work more and more at living together in unity with the people of God you get to call family.

Also, remember the rest of God’s people that we can’t physically be with at this time.  How will we live together in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ when we can’t be together?  Check in with your church family.  Find creative ways to worship and fellowship and serve together from a distance or virtually.

How will you show the world the beauty of the unity of God’s people? Pray to see the needs and act together in God’s love for the lonely, the stressed, the over-worked, the unemployed, the nursing homes, the children, the starving, the lost.

Live together in unity with God’s people.  No one said it would be easy.   It takes desire, time, commitment, patience and sacrifice to overcome the many challenges to unity.  But keep at it, remembering, the rewards are great.  “For there the Lord rewards his blessing, even life forevermore.”  (Psalm 133:3)

Marcia Railton

Today’s short Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+133&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be Psalm 106-107 as we continue on the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan