Tag: Jonny Smith

Seek, God Sees and a No-Brainer

Psalm 7, 27, 31, 34, 52

This week we are choosing past devotions to repost, but I had a hard time choosing just one – so here are 3 for you! SeekGrowLove today!

ON PSALM 27 –

(from 2021) You may have noticed that the SeekGrowLove blog features a key verse: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” from Jeremiah 29:13. The LORD confirms that our seeking is worth it, because ultimately, we will find Him. However, there is an important requirement; we need to seek with all our heart. What does this phrase “with all our heart” really look like? How can we seek “with all our heart”? Perhaps “with all our heart” seeking is completely and sincerely devoted. Maybe determined and enthusiastic. This type of seeking is relentless, full of passion for what is right. It can’t be stopped. Psalm 27:4 states, “The one thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” Verse 8 continues, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.’” You can hear the determination in that statement. The writer wants to be in the presence of the LORD. They are completely and sincerely devoted. Enthusiastic for the presence of the LORD. They are pursuing him ‘with all their heart.’

This is what the LORD desires for us. “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” (Psalm 14:2) He wants us to seek him wholeheartedly. Passionately. Relentlessly. In life, we can be distracted with many pursuits, desires, and distractions. However, we can choose to refocus on the one who matters. We can choose to seek “with all our heart.” The benefits of this type of “with all our heart” seeking is great. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” This desire to be close to God will be rewarded.  We are rewarded today with our close loving relationship with God and later when we see Him face to face. So, if you start to feel discouraged or distracted, remember who our seeking will lead to: “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3,4)

-Rebecca Dauksas (originally posted February 25, 2021 for SeekGrowLove)

ON PSALM 34 –

In yesterday’s lesson, I neglected to point out a story from 1 Samuel 21 that is relevant to today’s reading.  When David ran away from Saul, he escaped to Gath (enemy territory) so Saul wouldn’t keep chasing him. The king’s servants pointed out that David was the man about which they sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”

David took these words to heart and was very much afraid, so he pretended he was insane –  scratching on the doors, and letting his saliva run down his beard. When the king saw this, he thought David was crazy, and sent him away.

David wrote Psalm 34 after this experience.  Here are some verses that stand out to me.

V 3, “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.”

V 4, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

V 6, “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.”

V 7, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”

V 8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

V 12-14, “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.  Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

V 15, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;”

V 19, “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all’

We need to be quick to praise God for whatever he does for us, just like David did.  It’s easy to cry out to God when times are tough, but sometimes it’s harder to remember to praise Him and let others know what He has done for us.  This is important too.

What I really like about this chapter are the multiple times that David points out that we will experience difficult times, but God sees us through those times.  I like the image conveyed by verse 7. When I’m going through a hard time, it’s comforting to imagine God sending an angel to protect me. This doesn’t mean I won’t have difficulties, but God sees me through.  God is attentive to the righteous.

In verse 8, I picture David saying, “I’ve been through some hard times, but I’ve remained faithful to God, and God has pulled me through.  I want to encourage you to develop a close relationship with the Lord. Once you experience that relationship and experience His helping you through those difficulties, then you too can understand how good God is.”

I have to echo David’s words, because I’ve been there.  So I encourage you too, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

–Steve Mattison (originally posted April 14, 2020 for SeekGrowLove)

ON PSALM 52 –

For the Christian it is considered a “no brainer” that our trust is supposed to be found in God. But so often the stresses and worries of the world come against us, and we may forget that we serve a mighty God who cares deeply for us. 

Here in Psalm 52 we are shown a great contrast between David here and his enemy. David wrote this Psalm during the time when he was constantly on the run from Saul, who was chasing him down to kill him, out of jealousy. David lost many years of his life running from Saul but he never lost his trust in God. At this time David had amassed a group of strong men who were ready to fight for him, but Saul, having the armies of Israel behind him, had the greater strength. David had support from people who gave him food and supplies as he ran from place to place, but Saul had all the riches of Israel behind him. But the important thing is that David had God with him, and God had promised him the throne of Israel that Saul currently sat on. 

David was able to stay strong in his faith because he had seen God help him against overwhelming odds again and again, the most notable time was when he took on the nine foot tall giant, Goliath all on his own. There were actually two times during David’s years of running, that we are told about, where David had the chance to rely on his own strength to defeat Saul. Once was when Saul went to relieve himself in a cave, not knowing that David was hiding in the cave. The other time, the Bible says that God caused the entire army that was with Saul to go into a deep sleep and David was able to sneak right up next to Saul. Both times the man who was with David encouraged him to kill Saul and take the throne. But each time David refused, saying that he would not harm the Lord’s anointed. It would have been so easy for David to trust in his own strength in that moment, and no longer have to keep running for his life, but just like when David faced Goliath, David put his trust in God and not in himself. And because David did trust God, he never had to draw his sword against Saul or anyone in his family. In one single battle, Saul and all of his sons were taken out by the Philistines. God provided David the throne without David having to shed blood. David’s faith in what probably seemed like the hopeless situation of being relentlessly chased down by King Saul, paid off in the end. Years later after David had become king, he penned another Psalm, in which he said, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” I hope and pray each day to have the kind of faith and trust in God like David had, and I hope you do as well.

-Jonny Smith (originally posted February 22, 2023 for SeekGrowLove)

Reflection Questions

  1. Is there a time you have trusted in God through a tough situation? What was the result? Who have you seen trust God through a tough situation and emerge with an even stronger faith in God?
  2. What do you sometimes put your trust in instead? How does that work? Why?
  3. What has God shown about Himself in your reading today?

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Deserving of Our Praise

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 16-18

*Poetry: Psalm 145

New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Intro – see below

Yesterday we looked at David dancing and worshiping God as the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem and placed in the Tabernacle. Today we are looking at a song of praise, written by the very same man, King David. 

This Psalm speaks of different aspects of who God is, and David tells us that he meditates on those attributes and tells everyone about them. I think that in this he also invites us to do the same. Last week in his class at Family Camp about the Bible, Steve Mattison spoke to us one day about meditating on the word of God, and on God’s goodness and on all His attributes, and how scripture calls for us to do this day and night. It simply means to keep reminding yourself of these truths and thinking about them all the time. That is what David speaks of himself doing in this Psalm. He says, “I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.” (Psalm 145:5 NLT)

Then the rest of the Psalm just speaks of how awesome God is. He speaks of how the Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love, how He always keeps His promises, and how He helps the fallen and the hungry and thirsty. David speaks of how God’s Kingdom with last forever and how God’s eyes are close to those who call on Him. There are many more that David speaks of here and all these attributes are amazing and worthy of all of our praise. 

So the question is, what can you praise God for today? I’m sure there are things that He has done for you that are deserving of your praise. But you may right now be in a difficult place, where you may be struggling and feel far from God. If you are, then something that would be a good practice for you at this time is to meditate on what God has done for you in the past, and praise Him for those things and praise Him for what He has promised to do in the future. It may seem difficult to do in the middle of the storm you may be going through, but remember Paul and Silas who were beaten and thrown into prison, or David when he was being hunted down by Saul, who wanted to outright kill him. They and others in the Bible and throughout church history, when they found themselves in a dark place chose to focus on God’s goodness, rather than their storm and to praise Him, because no matter what He is worthy of our praise.

So let me leave you with David’s words that he ends this Psalm with, “I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.” (Psalm 145:23 NLT)

-Jonny Smith

Reflection Questions

  1. Is God deserving of your praise? Why or why not (answer in more than a couple words)?
  2. What are some of the best ways for you to show your praise to God? How often do you do them?
  3. Do you meditate on God’s words and on His goodness/wonderful works? Would there be benefit in doing this more? If so, what benefits?
  4. Is God still deserving of your praise when you are in a difficult place and time? Why or why not (answer in more than a couple words)?

1 & 2 Thessalonians Introduction

Scholars believe Paul wrote the first letter to the Church in Thessalonica during his second missionary journey, while in Corinth – just a few months after he left Thessalonica, between 49 and 51 AD.  

The main theme of 1 Thessalonians is Jesus’ Second Coming.  Since Jesus is going to return, Christians are called to live lives worthy of God – blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father.  When Jesus returns, the dead in Christ will rise first, then the living will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.  Paul tells the Thessalonians to encourage each other with these words.

While unbelievers will suffer God’s wrath, “…God has not appointed us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians to correct the misunderstanding that the “Day of the Lord” had already come.   More details are given of Jesus’s return – when “he will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” – 2 Thessalonians 1:8.  Paul gives details of the rebellion that will take place before the return of Christ, and the rise of the “man of lawlessness” (the antiChrist).  Paul warns in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.  They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

May we take to heart Paul’s encouragement and his warning in these two books, and fervently seek the truth.  I’ll close with 2 Thessalonians 3:13, “And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.”

-Steve Mattison

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Try Again

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 13-15

Poetry: Psalm 144

New Testament: Colossians 4

This story from I Chronicles is one of my favorite Old Testament stories. (It Can also be found in II Samuel.) David has just gone through years of being hunted down by a man who wanted to kill him out of jealousy. David never retaliated against Saul, and never sought to take the throne (which was rightfully his) from Saul by force. In fact the day that David learned of Saul’s death, he didn’t celebrate, but instead mourned his death.

Now where we are in the story, David has been made king over all of Israel, he has conquered the city of Jerusalem, and made it the new capitol of Israel, and the first thing he wants to do is get the Ark of the Covenant (the golden box that represents God’s presence among His people) returned to its rightful place in the Tabernacle.

The Ark of the Covenant has been away from the Tabernacle for many years at this point. It had been lost when the sons of Eli took it into battle against the Philistines, back when Samuel was a child, and it was captured by the Philistines and placed in the temple of their god. The Ark didn’t stay in Philistia for very long. (It is a pretty cool story that you should really check out in I Samuel 5-7.) Long story short, the Ark ended up in the town of Kiriath-Jearim for many years. 

The Bible says that the people of Israel felt like God had abandoned them during this time. So David decided that the Ark needed to be returned to the Tabernacle. The first attempt to move the Ark did not go so well. They didn’t move it in the way that was required for it to be moved, to show the respect and honor that was needed. They basically took the symbol that represented God’s very presence and put it on a farm cart, pulled by an ox to carry it. In the end a man died, and David and the others took a step back to rethink what they were doing. 

The second attempt to move the Ark went much better. This time we see that David got together the Levites (those whom God had chosen to handle and move all the articles of the Tabernacle and the holy elements). He had some of them carry the Ark with the specialized poles that were prescribed by the law, and others were appointed to sing songs of praise to God as they went along. We are also told that David dressed himself, that day, in the garments of a priest rather than kingly garments, humbling himself before the ark. We are also told that there were proper sacrifices made to God, because God Himself helped them move the Ark. This time the Ark was carried into Jerusalem and up into the Tabernacle without incident, with David dancing before the Ark the whole way. 

So what does this story teach us? I think it teaches us to not take our time with God for granted. Our God is a loving father, who wants to spend time with us, and that is awesome! But sometimes we forget how special that really is. I’m talking about us getting the chance to be in the presence of Almighty God, and have his complete and full attention. Do you realize how amazing that is? I’m not saying that we need to go through any certain rituals or ceremonies, or need to jump through any hoops to spend time with God. He is waiting eagerly for time with us. I’m just saying that we should treat our time with the Almighty with a healthy dose of awe and respect. As the Psalmist wrote, we should “enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts and enter His courts with praise.” Our God is an awesome God, and we should do well not to forget it.

-Jonny Smith

Reflection Questions

  1. What does it mean to you that God wants you to be in His presence? What has He done through the ages to make it possible for people to spend time in His presence?
  2. How do you spend time in His presence? Do you take it for granted? What can you do to increase the quality and quantity of your time in His presence?
  3. The first time they tried moving the ark it failed because they had not asked God how they should do it. Is there something God might want you to do – but you have not been doing it in the WAY He wants so it has not worked well? What can you do to try again?
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Promise Keeper

Old Testament Reading: Numbers 34-36

Psalms Reading: Psalm 75

New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 12

Looking here at the last three chapters of the book of Numbers, it can often be easy to gloss over it, and miss the bigger picture of what is happening. It is easy to look at this as just some boring passages about land being divided between the tribes of Israel. But when we look at the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) we are supposed to look at it all together as a whole. Really we are supposed to look at the whole Bible that way, as one continuous story that leads to Jesus, and the work that God did through him on the cross.

When we look at the Pentateuch we see that the land of Canaan is referred to as the Promised Land. The reason for that is because way back in Genesis, God promised Abraham that this land would belong to his descendants: “The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:8) And so as we look at the end of Numbers what we are seeing is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. This passage even goes so far as to show that God is providing a place in the land of Canaan for those who are guilty of accidental murder, and for a family of sisters, whose dad had died without any male heirs.

Nowadays we look at that last chapter and say, “Well of course those ladies should inherit their father’s land,” but in those days that was unheard of. In the days of the Israelite conquest of Canaan, the only people who could legally inherit land from their fathers were men. But God had promised to Abraham that all of his descendants would be part of that inheritance. And God keeps His promises.

I think that is a big takeaway for us out of this passage. We can be sure that God keeps His promises no matter what. In II Corinthians (which we will also finish tomorrow) Paul wrote “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (1:20) Just like it was surely difficult for God’s people when they were trapped in slavery for a few hundred years to hold on to the promise of freedom and a land of their own. And like it was most likely hard for the Israelites who were exiled in Babylon for seventy years to hold onto the promise of being returned to their home in Israel. In the same way it may have been difficult for Simeon to hold onto the promise that his eyes would see the Messiah before he died. In the same way, it is difficult for us today to hold onto the promises that God may have given us. But just like in all these stories and so many others in the Bible, God fulfilled all of His promises.

When we read passages like this, we shouldn’t just gloss over them, but instead celebrate with the people that God’s promises were fulfilled in their lives. And we should also remember that just as He fulfilled his promises for them, He will do the same for us. So if you are struggling with fear and doubt about whether something God promised you will happen and take place, take heart because God will never ever ever break a single promise that He makes.

-Jonny Smith

Reflection Questions

  1. What promises of God have already been fulfilled, both in Scripture and in your own life?
  2. What promises of God are you still expecting to be fulfilled? How sure are you that they will indeed happen? What should we do while waiting for them?
  3. Using what you have read in His Scriptures, how would you describe God?
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Never Lost his Trust in God

Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 11 & 12
*Psalms Reading: Psalm 52
New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 5

For the Christian it is considered a “no brainer” that our trust is supposed to be found in God. But so often the stresses and worries of the world come against us, and we may forget that we serve a mighty God who cares deeply for us. 

Here in Psalm 52 we are shown a great contrast between David here and his enemy. David wrote this Psalm during the time when he was constantly on the run from Saul, who was chasing him down to kill him, out of jealousy. David lost many years of his life running from Saul but he never lost his trust in God. At this time David had amassed a group of strong men who were ready to fight for him, but Saul, having the armies of Israel behind him, had the greater strength. David had support from people who gave him food and supplies as he ran from place to place, but Saul had all the riches of Israel behind him. But the important thing is that David had God with him, and God had promised him the throne of Israel that Saul currently sat on. 

David was able to stay strong in his faith because he had seen God help him against overwhelming odds again and again, the most notable time was when he took on the nine foot tall giant, Goliath all on his own. There were actually two times during David’s years of running, that we are told about, where David had the chance to rely on his own strength to defeat Saul. Once was when Saul went to relieve himself in a cave, not knowing that David was hiding in the cave. The other time, the Bible says that God caused the entire army that was with Saul to go into a deep sleep and David was able to sneak right up next to Saul. Both times the man who was with David encouraged him to kill Saul and take the throne. But each time David refused, saying that he would not harm the Lord’s anointed. It would have been so easy for David to trust in his own strength in that moment, and no longer have to keep running for his life, but just like when David faced Goliath, David put his trust in God and not in himself. And because David did trust God, he never had to draw his sword against Saul or anyone in his family. In one single battle, Saul and all of his sons were taken out by the Philistines. God provided David the throne without David having to shed blood. David’s faith in what probably seemed like the hopeless situation of being relentlessly chased down by King Saul, paid off in the end. Years later after David had become king, he penned another Psalm, in which he said, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” I hope and pray each day to have the kind of faith and trust in God like David had, and I hope you do as well.

-Jonny Smith

Reflection Questions

  1. Is there a time you have trusted in God through a tough situation? What was the result?
  2. What do you sometimes put your trust in instead? How does that work? Why?
  3. What has God shown about Himself in your reading today?
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Take the Lowly Position

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 33 & 34

Psalms Reading: Psalm 19

New Testament Reading: Matthew 18

In our daily life we find ourselves interacting with others. It may have been less often over the last few years, but still we were created to be social beings. So it should come as no surprise that a lot of the teachings of Jesus would have to do with how we should treat those people when we come in contact with them. 

Here in Matthew 18 he begins by correcting his disciples over a fight they were having, on who would be the greatest among them, when they were in the Kingdom. So often we, like the disciples here, find ourselves trying to one up each other. We want to be the one in charge. We want to be the one who has the biggest slice of cake, the one who gets the best parking space, or the one who gets to be at the front of the line. I’m not saying that these things are bad. I’m just saying that in this culture we live in, where everyone is putting their wants and desires above everyone else around them, we are called to be different. We are called by God to put others ahead of ourselves.

I think one of the best examples of putting other people first comes from our greatest example, and who we are to model our lives after, Jesus. In Matthew 14 we find the story of one of the coolest miracles in the Bible. It is the time that 5000 men plus all the women and kids that were with them, were fed with only five loves of bread and two fish. But look at what happened right before this. The beginning of the chapter tells us that Jesus’ own cousin, John the Baptist had just been killed by King Herod, and Jesus got word of it. When he found out, Jesus decided to have some alone time, most likely to mourn for his cousin and to pray. So Jesus and his disciples traveled by boat to a solitary place. But the crowds seeing that he had left followed him. When Jesus arrived and found everyone waiting for him, he didn’t get mad at the crowds and tell them to go away so he can be alone. Instead, the Bible says, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” (Matt 14:14) Jesus did take some time for himself, to mourn over John later that day, going up on the mountain, while the disciples headed back across the water. But he still put the needs of the crowd ahead of himself.

As you read Matthew 18 today, be sure to notice all the ways that Jesus teaches us to treat others: reaching the lost with the gospel, approaching other believers who have sinned and forgiving those who wronged you. And as you read Jesus’ teachings, think of the examples he set for us, in these regards, by the way he lived his life.

-Jonny Smith

Reflection Questions

  1. In what situations do you have a harder time putting the needs of others before your own? When is it difficult for you to happily and humbly take the lower position?
  2. In what ways is Jesus calling you to be different from the world? In what ways is Jesus calling you to be different from what you were last year?
  3. In what ways does Jesus’ example line up with his teaching?
  4. What can we learn of the Kingdom designer and Father of Jesus in your reading today?
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In Need of a Shepherd

John 9:1 – 10:21

Imagery of sheep and shepherd are found all throughout the Bible, in both the old and the new testaments. Because of this, I think we sometimes forget some of the metaphorical imagery that comes with the sheep and shepherd dynamic. Sheep are not an intelligent animal in any sense of the word. They often wander off and get themselves in trouble. When threatened by predators, sheep will often clump themselves together in such a tight pack, that sheep in the center will often suffocate. All in all, sheep are fully reliant on their shepherd for protection, food water, and for their own survival.

Here in John 10, when Jesus is speaking about sheep, and he being the good shepherd, the people probably would have seen it as insulting when he compared them to sheep. But the point that Jesus is trying to make, is that like sheep we could not depend on ourselves for salvation from the consequences of our bad choices. God had to send us a shepherd who would “lay down his life for his sheep”. So he sent us His son Jesus. And as Jesus said, no one took his life from him, but he laid it down of his own accord. I don’t think we could have asked God to send us a better shepherd than who He sent us, His one and only son, Jesus. In just over a week, the Thanksgiving season will begin, and I think that this year we need to spend time thanking God, for the gift of the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life willingly, for us his sheep.

Jonny Smith

Today’s Bible passage can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – John 9:1 – 10:21

Tomorrow’s passages will be the rest of John 10 and Luke 10.

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