2010 – April 17 – Service, … the Great Equalizer

Study from God’s Word… 1st Chronicles 23: 1 – 32; 1st Chron. 24: 1 – 19; 1st Chron. 25: 1 - 31 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Chronicles 25: 8 … NIV Young and old alike, as well as student, cast lots for their duties.

My Journal for Today: In my service to God, I’m an Elder in my church; and I have achieved the title of “Reverend,” being an ordained Minister of the Gospel. And also in my local church, I’m designated as “Director” of a ministry outreach to Christians who are trying to walk free from patterns of sexual sin. Now aren’t you impressed? Well, other than the fact that God is pleased for me serving Him, I know He’s no more impressed with my Eldership and my being “Rev. Bill Berry,” maybe even less so, than others in our church who have no titles and are given no worldly credit in their service of God. But they are warriors and servants who serve “behind the scenes,” doing all they can with their time, talent, and treasures, with no regard to titles or recognition by the world, to serve their LORD.

Do you find it interesting, as do I, from today’s reading and Smith’s highlighted passage, that David had the duties of the Levites, when he was planning for the building and establishment of the Temple by his son, Solomon, that this tribe of “Priests” would divide up the duties God would ascribe for them by simply casting lots? It seems so capricious and random, doesn’t it? There was no strategic planning, as a worldly corporation might do it today, making sure that the duties matched up closely with the experience, rank, seniority, or titles of those needed to carry out the duties of the organization. No, God simply had David find all the Levites and designate what duties were to be handled by these men; and then he had them, thousands of them, cast lots for the duties. And if any of these were ascribed a given duty, no matter what it was, it was for God’s glory in the overseeing of the Temple by the Levites. No titles were given. No earthly credit system was established to reward a given servant with more recognition than any other.

This, I believe, is much more like God would have us go forth to serve Him in the church today. Oh, I’m not saying that gifting or volunteer commitment should not be utilized; but we who serve God and His Kingdom, especially in the church, put far too much credibility and credit on those with known years of service, or titles, or staff name badge recognition. It is a major fault of the modern church, I believe, to look to the paid, so-called “full time” church staff, to do the work of the church, rather than individually to seek out our God-given gifts, find our calling into service, and then, just dive in and do it for God.

Besides, God clearly designates, through His word, that all of His servants in the age of grace – i.e., in the Church - are “Priests” [see 1st Peter 2: 9 - linked], So, there are many priestly duties out there in the world to perform for God’s glory. So, we all need to find out is how God has gifted us; and then – almost as if by lots – just jump into the fray of service and serve our Lord, with no expectation of title or recognition … except the aspiration to hear in glory, from the lips of Jesus, Himself, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”

My Prayer for Today: Serving You, my LORD, is all the recognition I need. Forgive me if I aspire to more. Amen

2010 – April 16 – The Importance of Silent Protest

Study from God’s Word… 2nd Samuel 21: 1 - … Passage for Reflection: 1st Chronicles 21: 6 – 7 … NIV 6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king's command was repulsive to him. 7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.

My Journal for Today: To be quite honest, I really don’t know what my devotional Pastor, Dr. Smith, is trying to say through the highlighted passage today. Clearly, Joab was morally right in being repulsed when David, the King, had ordered a count of the fighting men of Israel. However, God’s word clearly says that the LORD abhorred what Joab did in quiet, probably unseen, protest of David’s orders. God, of course, saw Joab’s protest was God; and that was enough for God to punish the entire nation because of Joab’s “secret” act of defiance.

You know, something like this is raising its ugly head in my life these days. In this nation, though we don’t live under a theocracy, we have a leader who has pushed through legislation which will likely provided for tax-payer supported abortion, something I find morally abhorrent, and something I believe is clearly unGodly. Now my dilemma is probably much like that of Joab responding to his King, David. Do I take the action taught by Romans 13, and follow the dictates of my elected government, which God has allowed to be instituted in this land? Or do I withhold some or all of my taxes because I feel that using my tax dollars to fund abortion is unGodly and unconscionable?

The moral, ethical, and even, legal choices in our world today are getting more polarized and difficult. What is the LORD calling Christians to do, … people like little old me (empathizing with Joab this morning)? Am I to follow our government, as the Bible commands [again, see Rom. 13: 1-7 - linked]; or am I to openly protest what I see as unGodly actions/policies on the part of my government? That’s what we saw Paul and his compatriots do so often in the Book of Acts when the authorities in several places ordered them to be silent in preaching the Gospel? But they would not obey these authorities; and went on spreading the Good News in the world, even though they were acting in opposition to the laws of the land.

So, what are we – what am I – going to do if (and probably more likely “when”) I’m being asked to pay my taxes which I know are going to be used for the killing of innocent babies, whom I also know are loved by the very God Who is allowing my government to do this? Why is God allowing this to happen? What do I do? Do I pay the taxes and pray to God that He will shut down this horrible practice of government funded abortion; or do I openly, and defiantly, withdraw my taxes, risking the outcomes to my defiance? Ugh; … why … why … why; … what … what … what; … when … when… when; … how … how … how???

My Prayer for Today: O LORD, give me the discernment to do Your will and the courage to do it. Shine Your light brightly on my path, LORD, so that I can follow Your way. Amen

2010 – April 15 – In Praise of Mothers

Study from God’s Word… 2nd Samuel 19: 5 – 40; 2nd Sam. 19: 41 – 20: 2; 2nd Sam. 20: 3 - 26 … Passage for Reflection: 2nd Samuel 20: 18 – 19 … NIV 18 She continued, "Long ago they used to say, 'Get your answer at Abel,' and that settled it. 19 We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the LORD's inheritance?"

My Journal for Today: When I first saw the passage Dr. Smith selected for his devotional today, I said, “Wow, that’s pretty obscure. What will he teach from these verses to help me grow in Godly understanding?” But when I read his devotional, it brought out much which served me well in agreement with him that mothers have great intuitive and instinctive wisdom which should be utilized more in our world, especially in our homes.

In today’s highlight passage, this mother of Abel, a town in Israel which apparently was known as “the mother of wisdom” in the country, had to deal with a challenging situation which could have caused the demise of the entire city; and she took the situation and dealt with it wisely, saving the city, which you can read about in 2nd Sam. 20.

It is true that mothers have great intuitive wisdom; and we see that illustrated in biblical mothers like Deborah, who identified herself first as a mother and became a Judge for God’s people (see Judges 5, especially verse 7). And in the NT, there was Jesus’ Mother, Mary, who certainly had to have been wise beyond her years, as a teen mother raising the very Son of God. Everyday in our families we see mothers solve social and parental problems which are mind-boggling; and they do it with intuitive skills. I agree with Dr. Smith, that if the mothers of the world were given the task of coming up with a world peace plan, we’d definitely live in a more peaceful world.

But don’t underestimate how tough a mother can – or must – be to bring about harmony and peace. I can remember my mother, wisely saying to me, “Bill, would you prefer me whipping you; or would you rather wait until your Dad gets home to take care of this?” And then, very wisely again, she’d have me go out to our bushes and get the switch which she was to use to spank me. And though her whippings were strong enough, she never used that switch on bare skin; and my tears would be consoled by her allowing me to go to my room to think about what I’d done, again knowing that I wasn’t going to have to face that switching from the stronger hand of my dad. And I knew that she’d keep me from being whipped by my Dad, whom I never want to be involved. That’s the wisdom of a tough, but tender, mother handling discipline in the Berry home.

And this woman of Abel, in today’s passage, was tough and wise too. And with her tough-minded wisdom, she handed over the head of Sheba to Joab, who was pursuing this traitor on the run from King David’s army. She thus saved the city by being wise in a very tough-minded way. That’s the wisdom of motherhood, my friends. And today, that instinctive wisdom is being put to tests, far beyond what it should be, as so many dads in our world bail out and are not there to be the “priests” of their home the way they should.

Many mothers, I’m convinced, are earning great heavenly rewards, doing what they must and what God has gifted them to do; but many men are not gleaning the rewards they could have by not being there to provide the home leadership which complements their wives, the mothers of the world, who have the instinctive wisdom to come along side the men who will do what’s right to lead in the home. Today’s story illustrates how this cooperation can yield a Godly ending; because the city of Abel was saved because a wise mother did her work, cooperating with the men of the city, who did lead by delivering the head of Sheba which was delivered to Joab.

Yes, it’s a rather gruesome story to illustrate a truth about the way husbands should lead along with wives who provide their wisdom to make the reality of Godly co-parenting work in our world. I hope – and pray – that all mothers who read this today recognize how, using their wisdom, to complement their husband’s leadership, can yield great children and great families.

My Prayer for Today: LORD, You know how much I recognize the wise, but tough little Dutch mother who has been so instrumental in raising our two daughters years ago when I was not there for her and for my family. But later, when I did take on the leadership of our home, You blessed us with Your grace to produce two strong and wise daughters, who’re now using Your wisdom to be wise mothers in their homes. Thank You, LORD!!! . Amen

2010 – April 14 – A Father’s Love

Study from God’s Word… 2nd Samuel 16: 15-22; 2nd Sam. 16: 23 – 17: 4; 2nd Sam. 17: 5 – 29; 2nd Sam. 18: 1 – 33 [including today’s verse]; 2nd Samuel 19: 1 – 4 …Passage for Reflection: 2nd Samuel 18: 33 … NIV 33 The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!".

My Journal for Today: When you read (or have read) about the death of Absalom and his personal and political attempt to unseat and even kill his father; and then we read of David’s tender desire to spare Absalom; and we read of David’s grief over his death; … what do you glean from all of this as a take-away lesson from God’s word?

Well, there are a couple of lessons for me. One is that the sins of the father can – and often do – visit the next generation. We know how weak and immoral David was in the Bathsheba incident and cover-up; and we can speculate that David still had fondness for his son, after Absalom’s death, because he reflected on his own weaknesses and felt that he had failed being the example he should have been for his son. Perhaps, you are like I am … knowing that you could have done a better job of raising your kids; and you have great empathy and love for any weaknesses they might have which could have been attributed to the poor modeling or parenting you provided for your kids. Perhaps you did the best you could, even being a good Christian parent; and your child still turned out bad; and you grieve over their disobedience and weaknesses, willing to excuse their faults because of your past parenting.

Now, we have to look at all of this from Absalom’s viewpoint. Obviously, Absalom wasn’t able to see in David what God saw in this “man after God’s own heart.” Instead, he felt slighted in some way. Perhaps he was not given the attention (i.e., time) or affirmation which Absalom felt he deserved, especially being the son of king. How often does a preacher’s kid go bad when the pastor father gives much more time to the church and very little comes the child’s way? But whatever caused the parent/child wounding, Absalom certainly had it in for his dad, the King; and we see how this ultimately played out in the tragic and gruesome death of the King’s son as he tried to go to war with David.

If you are a parent reading this, I don’t know how your kids turned out or what attitude they hold for you as a parent. Somehow, despite much neglect and poor “dadsmanship” as a parent of our two daughters when they were very young, they turned out to be Godly, Christian women, who are currently raising their kids, along with their hubbies, in a Godly fashion. To that I can only praise God’s grace. I guess I came to a saving and sanctifying relationship with Christ in time for me to give them the parenting they needed in their formative years of growth. And my wife was certainly a wonderful role model and caring Christian mom during all those formative years.

But I do know that Godly parenting holds with it great promise or horrible heart-aches. I don’t know how it has turned out for you; but whatever you do, hug your kids everyday. Tell them – yes, …TELL THEM – you love them … OFTEN. Give them a lot of positive affirmation; and then hug them some more!!! Prayerfully your parenting will not yield an Absalom-type tragedy; and you will see your children be raised in the admonition of God’s truth as well as the in the loving shadow of His wings. And in that environment, I pray that your children, like two we have raised, will come to know Christ and have a deep and abiding relationship with Him, passing along their God to their children as you have given them Christ in your life.

My Prayer for Today: LORD, I pray that all who read this love their parents and their parents love them; and I pray that Your love is being passed on through the generations of their families. Amen

2010 – April 13 – Open to God’s Discipline

Study from God’s Word… 2nd Samuel 14: 25 – 33; 2nd Sam. 15: 1 – 37; 2nd Sam. 16: 1 – 14; Psalm 3 … Passage for Reflection: 2nd Samuel 16: 11-12 … NIV 11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him [Shimei, a man from Saul’s clan, who cursed David for taking the throne from Saul years before – called David “A man of blood”] alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. 12 It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today."

My Journal for Today: When we receive criticism, how do we react? And if we are in a position of power and someone of lesser power levels strong criticism at us, what would be our default reaction? Well, I suspect that most of us, yours truly included, would be tempted to have the critic immediately belittled or put down in some way.

But not King David in this scenario we read about today. Here we have a man, still angry at David for assuming the kingship from Saul, coming out of the crowd as David travels, throwing rocks and dirt at the King (yes, literal rocks and dirt) and yelling for all to hear that David is a “man of blood.” And though David could have silenced this critic, even having his head cut off; David shows a character trait which our Lord, Jesus, described in Himself as well; and that is MEEKNESS.

Humility and meekness are the only two character traits Jesus ever voiced as describing Whom He was (see Matt. 11: 29 -linked); and in this scenario we see both of these traits in David. And in many respects this is one telling scenario which gives us a clue as to why God described David as a “man after God’s own heart.” Meekness is power kept under harness; … it is power under control. And that’s what we see David exhibiting as this man cursed him and even threw stones at him.

At sometime in our lives, it is likely that we’re going to have someone “throwing stones and dirt” at us, … possibly leveling criticism and maybe even slander our way. How will we react? Will we want to immediately take the critic out of the picture, especially if we have the power to do it? Or will we exercise Christ-like, or even David like, meekness? Will we, as David did, first listen to the critic, especially trying our best to see if there’s any validity to the criticism? That’s what David did when he heard this man, Shimei, vociferously coming against him, even throwing dirt at the King. David even reasoned that perhaps God was in this event, telling David to remain humble and to seek God’s favor. And that’s what David ended up doing as he fled from his own son, Absalom, who had also been politicking and trying to become the King of Israel. David shows remarkable – yes, Christlike – humility and meekness here; and so should we when our enemies come after us with barbs and criticism.

My Prayer for Today: LORD, help me to be like You when I’m criticized. Amen

2010 – April 12 – A God Who Rescues

Study from God’s Word… 2nd Samuel 23: 24-25; 2nd Sam. 5: 13-16 [1st Chron. 3: 4-9 and 14: 3-7]; 2nd Sam. 13: 1-39; 2nd Sam. 14: 1-14… Passage for Reflection: 2nd Samuel 14: 14… NIV 14 Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.

My Journal for Today: Today’s passages, which I was led to read from 2nd Samuel and 1st Chronicles, depict the socio-political intrigue of David’s rule in these ancient times of the Old Testament; and to say the least there were some pretty squirrely things going on back then. And not the least of these was the way disputes and relationships were handled by men in authority like David. And today’s highlight passage comes from one of those points of intrigue; but a great truth is revealed by David’s interaction with a certain wise woman who had come to him representing Joab’s scheme to get the King to intervene and allow the return of David’s son, Absalom, who had fled from the court of His father.

And note the wonderful truth in the praise of 2nd Samuel 14: 14, which states, “… God does not take away life; instead He devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.” And when we consider the finality of physical death, this ringing truth, which was reminded to King David, is the same truth which Jesus was teaching to Nicodemus in John 3 as to how we can – and must be – born again to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Isn’t it wonderful that we (prayerfully you do) serve a God that doesn’t allow physical death to stand in the way of His having a permanent, eternal relationship with His children. He created us to be in a glorious, eternal relationship with Himself; and His grand scheme has allowed for a way for us to be reconciled and returned to the King, even though we have been estranged from Him by our own sin. That is the word picture and truth being expressed in these passages in today’s devotional from this part of King David’s life.

We, who choose to make the King of Kings, our Savior AND Lord have been saved from our own earthly folly; and we can – and will – be able to return to our King FOREVER. And to that all we can – and must – say is a loud ”HALLELUJAH !!!”

My Prayer for Today: Yes, LORD, HALLELUJAH … that You have made a way for me to escape separation and death and return to Your courts forever! HALLELUJAH!!! Amen

2010 – April 11 – Toward Godly Resignation

Study from God’s Word… 2nd Samuel 12: 18 – 32; 2nd Sam. 12: 26-31 [1st Chron. 20: 1-3]; 2nd Sam. 8: 2 [1st Chron. 18: 2]; 2nd Sam. 8: 3,4,7,8 [2nd Chron. 18: 3,4,7,8]; 2nd Sam. 8: 5-6 [1st Chron. 18: 5-6]; 2nd Sam. 8: 13-14 [1st Chron. 18: 12-13]; 2nd Sam. 8: 9-10 [1st Chron. 18: 9-10]; 2nd Sam. 8: 11-12 [1st Chron. 18: 11]; 1st Chron. 18: 10; 2nd Sam. 23: 8 [1st Chron. 11: 11]; 2nd Sam. 23: 9-10 [1st Chron. 11: 12-14]; 2nd Sam. 23: 11-12; 2nd Sam. 23: 13-17 [1st Chron. 11: 15-19]; 2nd Sam. 23: 18-19 [1st Chron. 11: 20-21]; 2nd Sam. 23: 20-23 [1st Chron. 11: 22-25]; 2nd Sam. 23: 24-39 [1st Chron. 11: 26-47] … Passage for Reflection: 2nd Samuel 12: 22-23 … NIV 22 He [David] answered, "While the child [the child David conceived with Bathsheba ] was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

My Journal for Today: God knows best! … Do we really believe that? … David did; and it was tested severely when the child, born by Bathsheba was taken from them by God. And when the child became ill, after Nathan’s prophesy of the babe’s death, David fasted, prayed for God to spare the child; and he wept – deeply wept – as the child passed from this earth into heaven. [BTW, this passage is one of the few proof texts in Scripture applying to the truth that children, before the age of accountability, are taken into heaven.]

But after the child does die, in today’s highlight passage, David seems almost blasé, doesn’t he? Were all those crocodile tears before the child’s death merely show for his people and God? … NO, with David, what you see in his actions is who the “man after God’s own heart” is in life. When David is joyful, he dances with delight. When he’s sad, he weeps deeply. And when he recognizes God’s will, our David is resigned in faith and, like a child, he surrenders his own will to that of God. And that, my friends, is what true faith – a heart which totally trusts God – is all about.

The child died. David knew, from his deep and intimate relationship with God, that God knew what was best for David, for Bathsheba, for the world, and for that child. David knew, in his heart that, though he would not be able to have this child in his life on this earth, he [David] would be with the child in heaven. We see that in 2nd Sam. 12: 23b, which reads, ” … I [David] will go to him [his son], but he will not return to me.”

Dr. Smith, in his devotional for today, points out that we rarely have our faith really tested unless some deep, personal tragedy or challenge transpires in our life. In instances, like the one illustrated by the passage today, can we – and do we – resign ourselves to God’s will and move on with life, clinging to our relationship with God and trusting that the LORD has nothing but our best when He allows or engineers those life challenges? David knew that he couldn’t go back and have a “do over” with regard to his sin with Bathsheba. He knew that the boy was not going to be with him in life; and He knew – and trusted – that God had what was best for the boy in heaven. So, David sucked it up; and moved on, trusting in his LORD.

How about it? Are we able to trust in God that way? As Smith writes for our perusal this morning, ”Is there some bitter disappointment in my life that I need to turn completely over to God this very day?” You, like me, will need to answer that question and let it test our faith in God.

My Prayer for Today: LORD, in my head I trust You; but help it become my heart if/when I’m tested. Amen

2010 – April 10 – Grieving Over Sin

Study from God’s Word…2nd Samuel 21: 15-17; 2nd Sam. 21: 18-22 [1st Chron. 20: 4-8]; 2nd Sam. 8: 1 [1st Chron. 18: 1]; 2nd Sam. 10: 1-5 [1st Chron. 19: 1-5]; 2nd Sam. 10: 6-14 [1st Chron. 19: 6 – 15]; 2nd Sam. 10: 15-19 [1st Chron. 19: 16-19]; Psalm 60; 2nd Samuel 11: 2 [1st Chron. 20: 1a]; 2nd Sam. 11: 2-27; 2nd Samuel 12: 13a; Psalm 51; 2nd Sam. 12: 13b - 17 … Passage for Reflection: Psalm 51: 3 … NIV For I know my transgressions, and my is always before me.

My Journal for Today: I know. Most of us know the story of David and Bathsheba quite well; but not everyone who will read this can identify personally with David’s fall, his sin, his cover-up, and his repentance quite as much as I can. And in today’s highlight verse, from the famous, or infamous, Psalm 51 (verse 3), we can read of the extent of David’s repentance and his grief over his sin.

My friends, I languished in serious sinfulness against God, my wife, my family, and others for 22 years of my life, … twelve of those being in rank infidelity from my wife. And my cover-up, though it didn’t involve murder as did David’s, was skillful in the human sense to hide me from others, like my wife, family, and colleagues; but, of course, nothing was ever hid from God; and my sin, like David’s, caught up with me; and as with David, my repentance broke me to the core of my being, leading me to the horror of memory that I will hold in my mind as long as I live on this earth.

I’ve been saved in Christ for over 25 years; and He has forgiven my sins, allowing me to daily put on His robes of righteousness, activated by His blood sacrifice on my behalf, and letting me cover over my rags of sinfulness. And even after this quarter century plus, I still grieve for my sin. But my repentance and commitment to the walk of freedom/victory He has given me, allows me to breath God’s air of freedom; and it also, as it did for David (reading Psalms 51 and 32), has given me the opportunity to witness to the power of God’s grace to others, and to be vigilant, preventing future breeches of sin and helping others, through the ministry God has called me to found/lead (see http://www.battleplanministries.org/). And by living and modeling “battle plan living,” my grief over my past sins can, through my repentance and ministry, be set aside in lieu of walking in freedom, exhibiting the hope that all sinners have for forgiveness and faithfulness in Christ.

King David, as I did, sinned grievously; and we can read in God’s word just how much he grieved over his sin; … BUT … he didn’t languish long in the tar pits of self-pity. No, David was a great example of surrendering himself to God’s saving, forgiving, and empowering grace and getting back into the flow of life, … allowing God to regenerate and renew his soul. Yes, David’s sin had dire consequences. Sin always has consequences. I’ll always have to deal with the consequences of my past sins; but like David, I can – and have – become a “man after God’s own heart” … by repenting of my sin, grieving of its effects, and then submitting myself to God’s enabling grace as He calls me to serve Him by wearing His full armor, carrying his Sword, and taking the high ground of prayer in the daily battles I face in His Name.

I pray that we all have come to hate the sins of our past, … that we’ve desperately have grieved over those sins, … and that we’ve repented and taken up the banner of Christ in being examples of His saving and empowering grace.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that you’ll keep me tuned to my weaknesses and ever relying on Your power and walking the road to righteousness on which You shine Your light of freedom and victory. Amen

2010 – April 9 – A Matter of Priorities

Study from God’s Word…1st Chron. 16: 37-43; 2nd Sam. 8: 15-18 [1st Chron. 18: 14-17]; 2nd Sam. 9: 1-13; 2nd Sam. 7: 1-3 [1st Chron. 17: 1-2]; 2nd Sam. 7: 4-17 [1st Chron 17: 3-15]; 2nd Sam. 7: 18-29 [1st Chron. 17: 16-27]… Passage for Reflection: 1st Chronicles 17: 1 … NIV 1 After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent."

My Journal for Today: Studying the interactions of King David, the Prophet Nathan, and The LORD in these passages today has interesting; and, at least for me, convicting implications on where our LORD resides and how we honor or dishonor Him in His residence, … i.e., His Temple.

In our readings today from 1st Chronicles and the parallel passages in 2nd Samuel, we read how God liked and affirmed David’s idea to build a Temple, a permanent residence for God, rather than where the LORD had been housed for so many years … i.e., in an ark in a tent as the people wandered in the wilderness. David wanted to honor God and give Him an elaborate and permanent residence, where the Ark and God’s place on earth could be established in a Tabernacle of Worship for God. And God apparently like the idea, though David himself was never allowed to build the Temple. We know, as we read ahead in God’s word, that this honor and task fell to David’s son, Solomon.

But our focus verse for today, 1st Chronicles 17: 1 (along with 2nd Sam. 7: 1), documents David’s conviction for not doing enough to honor God’s residence in the Ark of the Covenant, feeling that God’s residence should be honored with more than just the impermanence of a tent. And this raises my conviction from meditating on these passages.

My question is, simply stated: What do we do to honor God in His established residence, … i.e., His Temple, … our bodies? We do a lot to honor God with the collective family places for God’s worship and service, … i.e., the church structures and organizations we build and maintain. However, when it comes down to the bottom line of honoring God where HE has chosen to reside, I’m afraid we do not show our LORD the honor He is due by how we maintain His temple, … i.e., our bodies. And how do we know that our bodies are His temple? Well that one is laid out in God’s teaching, through Paul, in 1st Cor. 3: 16-17 and 1st Cor. 6: 19-20 two passages you hopefully know by heart or at least by reference to subject matter [links provided, however].

My friends, I don’t do enough to prioritize my life in a way that honors “God’s Temple” (i.e., my body) in the way it should be honored. That is the reason, this year, as I undertook the discipline to read through the entire Bible, to honor God with my time and my mental devotions, I also decided to document – DAILY – what I was doing to maintain the habits which allow me to steward God’s Temple, … my body. And each day, thus far through this year, I have documented, for an accountability partner and for a group, what I’m doing in daily disciplines involving eating, exercise, and the avoidance of sin patterns which pollute my body, … God’s Temple.

It was more than a New Year’s resolution this year. Like King David, I became convicted that I needed to do more to give God the residence He deserved in my life. So, every day this year, I’ve been recording how I do on certain body stewardship disciplines.

No, I’m not perfect on them; but thus far I’m doing much better during this year to be a more God-honoring steward of the Temple He has given me to maintain and manage for His glory. My prayer, below, will be that I will continue to do this for this year … and beyond.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me honor You more deeply by keeping Your Temple clean; and I pray You give me the enabled grace to honor you with how I maintain Your Temple, … my body. Amen

2010 – April 8 – The Joy of Singing

Study from God’s Word…2nd Samuel 6: 12a; 1st Chron. 15: 1 – 10; 1st Chron. 15: 11 – 24; 2nd Sam. 6: 12b – 15 [1st Chron. 15: 25 – 28]; 2nd Sam. 6: 16 [1st Chron. 15: 29]; 2nd Sam. 6: 17 – 19 [1st Chron. 16: 1 – 3]; 1st Chron. 16: 4 – 6; 1st Chron. 16: 7 – 36 [Psalms 105 and 96] … Passage for Reflection: 1st Chronicles 15: 16 … NIV 16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

My Journal for Today: Today’s devotional message, led by Dr. F. LaGard Smith, from his book The Daily Bible Devotional rings with great truth, for me personally, but actually for all mankind I believe. Dr. Smith, by highlighting the passage about David’s command to the Levites in 1st Chronicles 15: 16 to sing joyful songs honoring the return of the Ark of the Covenant to the City of David, highlights an important gift God has given to mankind which needs to be used to glorify and to worship our God. And most certainly David did that, using his lyrical and musical gifts to create and write what we know of as most of the Psalms. And other of David’s songs are also chronicled in books like the books of the Chronicles and the books of Samuel.

I don’t know about you; but my life, especially my life as a Christian, would be sorely lacking if I could not sing or be sung to. Oh so often, when I come to this place – my quiet place in the morning – I listen to, or even sing along with, some wonderfully crafted praise/worship songs; and I’m especially touched or led into God’s presence by the melodies and the lyrics of these songs. When I feel down-and-out or exhausted to the point of being frayed, hearing or singing beautiful Christian music brings me peace or healing. Has that been the case for you?

Dr. Smith wrote something in today’s devotional that I hadn’t pondered or thought about all that much. He wrote, ”… have you ever considered that singing does not play a central role in some religions? Perhaps there is an inward-focused chanting, but not joyous, exuberant singing [like that found in today’s Christian churches and culture]. Why should that be unless these religions have not a story to tell [in music]?” And the creation of great music, with poignant/powerful lyrics, is greatly illustrated as integral to the worship of God by David, who wrote, sang, and performed a myriad of songs to and for God’s people so that they (and he) might have glorious and joyful times of worship for and with God.

God gave mankind a soul and the ability to sing; and we know, from God’s word, that God constantly has His angels singing in heaven before His throne. Now, we may have been created a little lower than the angels; but, as Dr. Smith points out, we were not created lower than the angels in the gift of singing or creating music. Oh, you may not be able to carry a tune in a bucket. The Pastor of our church is like that; but nobody I know of makes a more “joyful noise” and sings with more heart on Sunday mornings in our church than does my brother in Christ and my Pastor.

Singing can and does touch our soul; and when great Christian music is joined with poignant and truthful lyrics, as has been done over the century in some of the great hymns and more recently with contemporary praise/worship songs, we all can be lifted before God’s throne of grace by such music. And when we listen to or sing a great song of the faith, as I am doing as I type this on my computer here this morning, our hearts can worship God, especially when we surrender ourselves in the music and lyrics with God’s Spirit in our hearts. And here are the words of the chorus I’m hearing this morning … one of by favorites, and one which helps me go deep into my relationship with Christ >>>

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace. [Selah]

I hope that music, which glorifies our God, helps you to go deeper and deeper in your relationship with our Savior and Lord as it does with me. He gave us the ability to sing – some better than others – so that this gift would bring us joy and a closer relationship with Him. Let’s sing it out for His glory!

My Prayer for Today: Lord, the songs of my love for You break forth from my heart so that I can know You more intimately and serve You with more joy. Amen

2010 – April 7 – Making Sense of Seeming Unfairness

Study from God’s Word…2nd Sam 5: 6 – 8 [1st Chron. 11: 4-5]; 2nd Sam. 5: 9-10 [1st Chron. 11: 6-9]; 2nd Sam. 5: 11-12 [1st Chron. 14; 1-2]; 2nd Sam. 6: 1-5 [1st Chron. 13: 1-8]; 2nd Sam. 6: 6-11 [1st Chron. 13: 9-14]; 2nd Sam. 5: 17-25 [1st Chron. 14: 8-17]; 2nd Sam. 22: 1-51 [Psalm 18] … Passage for Reflection: 1st Chronicles 13: 9 – 10 … NIV 9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

My Journal for Today: This study today, especially the highlighted passage and devotional, points to how we can be confused and perplexed, seeing “acts of God” being carried out in our times or in history when those events seem so unfair or inexplicable.

That was the way it was for Uzzah, David’s loyal servant and soldier who was just doing what David had commanded by bringing the Ark back to the new City of David; and in the process, Uzzah reacted instinctively when the Arc began to fall precariously, touching the Ark of the Covenant in the process, something that no one was to do but the prescribed Levites. And ZAP, God struck him down … dead! Wow! Why would God do such a thing? And this is an example of other things in our lives when a complex set of circumstances, some of which are totally out of our purview, might cause an event or occurrence which is out of the realm of our human explanation.

Dr. Smith this morning used the analogy of a plane crash which may have been labeled to take place because of “pilot error;” but if the examiners had all the information available they may have discovered a lot of factors which led to the pilot’s decision which led to the accident. But in the case of God taking action against Uzzah, on the surface it seems like a capricious action on God’s part to take his life just because this man instinctively tried to keep the Arc from falling. But, as Dr. Smith points out in today’s devotional, what if David, remembering God’s prescribed way of transporting the Ark had done what God said should be done to move the Ark, having the Levites carry it on their shoulders. So, perhaps it was David’s fault that Uzzah took the rap and died for the incident in question.

I just don’t know; and I’ve come to realize, as it says in Isaiah 55: 8-9, that there will always be things which God does which I cannot, or will not ever, explain. And so, like the recent earthquake in Haiti, I just have faith that God knows what HE is doing and why HE is doing it … especially when I don’t understand it when HE does it.

And so, when God takes a life, like Uzzah, where the circumstances seem unfair; or He wreaks havoc on a people as He did in Haiti; or there are things in my life which just don’t seem right, by my understanding, I’m coming to the place in my life where I realize that I must believe and accept the truth of Romans 8: 28 (I hope you know that one by heart), and move on, … trusting God, as His word also says in Prov. 3: 5-6; and letting Him do what He must do to guide my life.

I hope and I will pray today that you join me in this step of faith in our discipleship.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help all who read here, and certainly myself, to recognize that You are God and You love Your children no matter what we may see happening in our lives which is not explainable by finite minds such as my own. Amen

2010 – April 6 – Uncivil Civil Wars

Study from God’s Word…2nd Samuel 2: 1 – 30; 2nd Samuel 3: 1 – 5 [1st Chron. 3: 1 – 4]; 2nd Samuel 3: 6 – 29; 2nd Samuel 4: 1 – 12; 2nd Samuel 5: 1 – 3 [1st Chron. 11: 1 – 3]; 2nd Samuel 2: 11 and 5: 4-5 and 1st Kings 2: 11 and 1st Chron. 3: 4b & 29: 26-27; 1st Chron. 12: 23 – 40; … Passage for Reflection: Judges 1: 19 … NIV 26 Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?"

My Journal for Today: The questions raised by Abner in the dispute between the houses of Saul and David are even apt questions today. And the last of these is the most pertinent: When do brothers in the faith quit pursuing one another? And the answer to that will be “NOW,” if the conflict is over personal matters. However, the answer is “AS LONG AS IT TAKES FOR TRUTH TO PREVAIL,” if the conflict is over Godly principle.

We see it today. Churches which divide, split, and are torn asunder. And when it is over personal power or personalities, such divisions are tragic and need to be halted as soon as possible, hopefully before the cause of Christ is damaged in the world’s eye. Unfortunately, like the battles between Saul’s Israel and David’s Judah, the battles in many churches today go on far too long; and many times the battles themselves hurt the cause of Christ and especially the witness of the Church which may be splitting over personalities or personal issues.

However, there are battles, even raging in churches or denominations today, which I feel are necessary and must be fought out until the principles of Scripture are upheld. For example, we see denominations splitting and fighting because some churches or groups within denominations desire to ordain women as Pastors or also desire to have avowed homosexuals as Elders, Bishops, or in other positions of church leadership. And we see these churches taking positions and causing whole denominations to split asunder, deciding which side for which they are going to stand. It is these latter spiritual “wars,” certainly will cause confusion in the world because they seem to be fought by Christian versus “christian.” But these spiritual squabbles may be necessary for God’s truth to be declared and decided in the public arena. Gay marriage or churches endorsing homosexuality are battle fields which must be fought in the arena of Christianity today so that God’s truth from His Holy Word can be upheld. These wars may be ugly; but they are necessary and they will rage as long as there are Christians [Capital “C] versus “christians” [small “c”] who interpret what we or they call Scripture [capital “S”] versus “scripture” [small “s”] .

I hope I’m being clear here; because any Christian church, denomination, or organization which cannot or will not stand for God’s principles, taken directly from God’s word, become an impotent witness in this world. However, God’s truth is not only worthy of standing for in the world, it is imperative that we do so; and I pray that all Christians today are willing to stand forth for God’s truth in a world where right is being seen as wrong and Scriptural truth is being labeled as “politically incorrect.”

And I also pray that we cease and desist from in-fighting in the church over personal issues or personality power issues. Such “uncivil civil wars” must cease and cease NOW. But … fighting over God’s truth must keep on keeping on until God is victorious – no matter how long it takes.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, we may lose battles; but the war is Yours in eternity. Amen

2010 – April 5 – An Impatient Faith

Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel 28: 1 – 25; 1st Samuel 31: 1 – 10 [also 1st Chronicles 10: 1 – 12]; 1st Samuel 31: 11 – 13; 1st Chron. 10: 13 – 14; 2nd Samuel 4: 4; 2nd Samuel 1: 1 - 27 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Chronicles 10: 13 – 14 … NIV 13 Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

My Journal for Today: F. LaGard Smith points out in my devotional for today that Saul may have argued with the contention, in today’s focus passage, that he “did not inquire of the LORD.” And actually, when we read through this account we see, historically, that he did seek the LORD’s guidance after he was struck with fear over facing the Philistines. And we also learn that God withheld sharing “the answers” with Saul for a period of time, until Saul, with great impatience, sought out the Witch of Endor, who was charged to conjure up the spirit of Samuel, the Prophet. But, of course, in the end that was God raising up the Spirit through the personage of Samuel to speak to Saul; and rebuke him for his fearfulness, his impatience, and his lack of willingness to walk in obedience to the LORD.

Dr. Smith is right, in this morning’s devotional, when he states a question I need to ask myself. He writes [for me], ”If I grow impatient with God and take spiritual matters in my own hands, can I possibly conjure up anything but trouble?” And the answer to that one, of course, is a resounding “NO!”

PATIENCE, in that list of the fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5: 22-23, is one of the more immature of my Spirit-given Fruit. Waiting on the LORD, with a patient spirit of obedience and humility has never been something that has come easily in my demeanor and habit patterns. Often, in life, we find ourselves praying and praying and waiting and waiting with no apparent answers from God to our prayers. But when God calls on us to trust in Him and cling to the truth that He, God, always has our best in His mind for us, we are simply – but often excruciatingly – under “the gun” to wait … and to keep praying … and praying … and praying.

I know that it is God’s will that my sister find Christ as Lord and Savior, as have I. But she resists; and I’ve been praying – FOR YEARS – that she come to a saving knowledge of Christ. But it has never happened … YET! So, should I take these matters in my own hands and go seek after the answer by asking a medium to assist me in my prayers to find the mind of God in this matter. No, God simply asks for me to trust Him and to keep praying; … and so, I will.

Oh, this business of building patience into my life can be so frustrating at times; but I know that God knows what is best for me in HIS timing and in HIS manner. And so, will all the patience I can muster, I continue – every day – to pray for my sister [and many other matters which require patience] … and to seek the LORD’s will for my life … yes, in HIS timing and in HIS way.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I know this is a challenging prayer; but help me to have patience in seeking Your way and Your will for my life. Amen

2010 – April 4 – The Difficult Virtue of Sharing

Blogger’s Note: HAPPY EASTER, one and all !!!

Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel 25: 1 – 1st Samuel 27: 7; 1st Chronicles 12: 1 – 7; 1st Samuel 27; 8 – 1st Samuel 29: 22; 1st Samuel 30: 1 - 31 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 25: 10 - 11 … NIV 10 Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. 11 Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?"

My Journal for Today: As I was led to study today’s lesson from Dr. Smith, my devotional author from The Daily Bible Devotional, I think I would have missed the truth I needed to glean from today’s Old Testament passage if Dr. Smith had not helped me see it. And here it is.

So often in life we get to the place where we think that we OWN something God has placed in our charge. In this case the man, Nabal, got the idea that he owned the water David and his men were asking to share. And, as it was his human nature, Nabal balked at sharing the natural resources with David and his soldiers, men who had been their enemies in the past.

Have you ever been in a place where you had control of something God had put in your trust, perhaps something you had come to “own,” such as your financial resources; and you were given the opportunity to share those resources with others; but you balked, thinking, in your mind, that the money was yours rather than God’s.

Well, I’ve certainly been in that place; and I’m afraid it’s all too easy to get the idea that the money or physical resources are MINE, rather than me being God’s steward for the Lord to dole out to others as HE sees fit. My friend, so much of what we “have” is really not “ours.” It is God’s; and He alone should be the arbiter of how it is used.

Yes, it’s easy to bring a dish to a potluck when I can imagine that I’m going to get something to eat in return; but how easy is it to share what God has given me, i.e., to be God’s steward when I have no expectation of any return … just the knowledge that someone else is going to benefit from God’s generosity through me. It’s hard to let it go, isn’t it?

Today, I need to do an inventory on my heart; because God’s truth, spoken through Jesus, Himself, has bubbled up in my consciousness, when the Lord said [in Matt. 6: 19-21], 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Oh, I will pray this morning that today’s lesson helps me to remember that what I have, I have from God; and when HE gives me opportunity to share that treasure for those in need, my heart should release what is God’s anyway for His purposes and for His glory.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to see and live that principle that it’s all Yours for You to use as You see fit. Amen

2010 – April 3 – Wearing the Ephod

Blogger Bill's Note: I am late posting this entry today because my computer has gone "haywire," and I cannot access internet from my PC. My laptop is also off for repair. Therefore, I had to go to my local library, where, PTL, I could get computer access to post this devotional entry and remain accountable as well as to have the satisfaction of sharing what God shared with me, through His word, this morning. Blessings in Christ and may you have a glorious Easter celebration!!! <'BB><

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Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel 22: 6 – 23; Psalm 52; 1st Samuel 23: 1 – 14; Psalm 63; 1st Samuel 23: 15 – 25; Psalm 54; 1st Samuel 23: 26 – 1st Samuel 24 – 22; Psalm 57 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 23: 9, 11 … NIV When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar, the priest, “Bring the ephod.” David said, “… Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will”

My Journal for Today: God truly had interesting and sometimes seemingly occult ways of communicating with people He favored in the times of Saul and David; and the use of the “Ephod” was one of these ways of communicating His will to the likes of a David, who was in search for God’s ways of escaping Saul’s tormenting pursuit.

When you’re under the gun, stressed out, or almost desperate for God’s will or trying to find the LORD’S ways, how do you do it? What is your “ephod?”

Certainly Dr. Smith, in his devotional for today, is right when he discusses two methods of seeking God, methods which replace – for the post-modern Christian - what the “ephod” apparently was for David. And these two are prayer and the access to God’s truth through His word. And I believe it is a combination of using both of these “ephods” which can lead Christians to find God’s will. And a personal note of witness: What I’m about to give you – my “ephods” – have been powerful for me through all these years of my Christian experience.

In fact there are a number of passages of Scripture which I use, and rely upon, giving me guidance in seeking God’s will and His ways when I’m in a quandary.

This first is Prov. 3: 5-6, which I really hope you have memorized, declaring the truth that our trust in God will direct our paths in life. If we don’t trust God – especially through His word – we’re never going to determine His will or be able to follow His way. And so, in the light of that truth and Psalm 119: 105, which declares that God’s word will light my path when I’m in some degree of darkness, I know that I can go to God’s word and find HIS way.

I also know that because of the declared truth of 2nd Timothy 3: 16-17, that all of Scripture, as we know it ( both Old and New Testament) is God breathed and will give me all I need, in its complete truth, in carrying out every good work for God’s glory. So, admonished by that truth and James 1: 5-6, I doggedly seek out the mind of God which is found in His word, in order to use it as my “ephod” in the way David used that priestly vestige to find God’s will.

And one final scriptural truth – at least for me – has never failed me in helping to find God’s way for me through life; and that is Phil. 4: 6-7, which tells us to avoid worry, taking all things to the Lord in prayer, and seeking after His peace as the way for us to determine whether He has given His blessing to any leaning [i.e., direction] we may have. As I said, my trust in all of these Scriptural truths has always been my “ephod” in life; and I hope you have yours from God’s word and through prayer which guides you as well.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, Your truth lights my way; and You’re always willing to show me Your light when I seek it. Amen

2010 – April 2 – A Motley Crew

Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel 21: 1- 12; Psalm 56; 1st Sam. 21: 13-15; Psalm 34; 1st Sam. 22: 1,2; Psalm 142; 1st Chronicles 12: 8-18; 1st Samuel 22: 3-5 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 22: 2 … NIV 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him.

My Journal for Today: Dr. Smith, my devotional author/editor, aptly points out the parallel between David as a leader and our Savior, Jesus, both of whom attracted a rather “motley crew” of followers. It is interesting to note how Jesus surrounded Himself with a small band of disciples, who were, when you analyze them, not the types of men you might select to set the world on fire for the gospel message. But both Jesus and David knew to trust the guiding light of the Holy Spirit, Who was upon both of these leaders, to select those men who were led to David and to Jesus individually to be their disciples and warriors.

Have you ever wondered, as have I, why Jesus chose you [or me] to be His disciple? When I think of what I was like when God, the Holy Spirit, pursued me, I identify with being part of that ”motley crew” who was led to Jesus – and to David. Somehow, when I was at my lowest point of brokenness, Jesus saw something in me that He could use for God’s glory; and He pursued me; and that pursuit was very purposeful and powerful, as I even tried to avoid Him for a long time. But being the “Hound of Heaven,” my Lord saw something of value in me; and He came after me, until I finally surrendered and became part of His “motley crew” of followers.

Perhaps, like me, you identify with some of Jesus’ original 12 … and/or the add-on, Paul, the latter Apostle. Most certainly I see a lot of Peter in myself; and as one who has had a “Damascus Road” type conversion, I see a lot of Paul in me as well. And now, I know that I follow my Lord, just like that original “motley crew” of disciples followed Jesus, and like David’s men followed him. Sometimes, I don’t know where Jesus is leading me; and I’m sure that was the case for David’s men, especially as he led them into that cave in the Negev as they were escaping Saul. But I do know that I’m following the Right One; and like David, Who only followed His Lord, we, who follow Jesus, should be able to say, with confidence, as David sung in Psalm 56; 3-4, When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

When we, the “motley crew” following Jesus, find ourselves being afraid in the midst of challenging times or even persecution, we can say, as did the Apostle Paul (in Romans 8: 31), If God be for me, who can stand against me. We can also cry out what God said to all of His motley followers [in Is. 41: 10], So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

And when you internalize and believe in the truth of these words, aren’t you glad you’re part of the “motley crew” who follows Jesus?

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I am with You because I know You’re with me. Amen

2010 – April 1 – If Jealousy Could Kill

Blogger's Note: I move into April, 2010, appropriately with a discussion of one of the ultimate April Fools of the Old Testament, ... King Saul; but I will continue on in this place journaling my daily thoughts as F. LaGard Smith, pastors me through God's word in a year, using The Daily Bible in Chronological Order. With that in mind, I move on >>>

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Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel: 18 – 19: 18; Psalm 59; 1st Samuel 19: 20 - 42 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 18: 8 – 9 … NIV 8 Saul was very angry; this refrain [the song of victory about David] galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" 9 And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

My Journal for Today: Somehow, though I’m not sure Dr. Smith planned it this way, April 1st seems to be the perfect day to be teaching about how Israel’s first King, Saul, became an absolute fool in his jealousy toward David, who intended nothing but good for his King. But the King went absolutely bonkers into a ballistic foolhardiness, trying to undo David and even to have the young servant killed – by his own hand or that of others.

And it shows us how, when we let the flesh rule over the Spirit of God in our lives [and we do have that choice, given to us by God through free-will], such feelings as jealousy can empower the evil side of our flesh to become April fools of the highest order. King Saul became THE April Fool of all time; and so could we if we try to pursue any feeling or attitude which feeds the flesh rather than God’s Spirit, Who is in the heart of anyone who truly believes in Christ as his/her Lord and Savior.

When we allow our sin nature to be fed by our flesh, it will become an absolute “April Fool” in our soul; and if we try to feed such attitudes as jealousy or covetousness by pursuing idols in our lives, we can become fools of the order of a King Saul. Like Saul, we have an evil spirit in us; and it is the spirit of fear. And it was this spirit, the one which was released in Saul to overcome him with jealousy, which can become strong and express itself in bazaar and foolish ways – yes, even in the lives of Christians - just like it did in the life of Saul.

I would assume – or at least, hope - that this is not what is desired by any who read me here today. I’m praying that all who read this desire to have this “spirit of fear” denounced and defeated in their lives; and that can – and will – be the case if we believe in and live by 2nd Tim. 1: 7, which says, this time in the NKJV, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. So, my friend, we don’t have to become April Fools, as did Saul, when he gave in to the spirit of fear in his soul, letting jealously loose to overwhelm his life. No, we, as Christians, can surrender to God, the Holy Spirit, Who resides in us, and receive the Spirit’s grace-released power to love ourselves and others as God, Himself, would have us release His power in our lives.

So, on this April Fool’s Day, I pray that all of us will become warriors for God, like David, and reject becoming fools for Satan, like Saul.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, release Your wisdom in and through me so that I may never be a fool, working for Satan; rather release me to be a wise warrior in Your Name. Amen

2010 – Mar. 31 – Appearances Can Be Discerning

Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel, Chapters 16 – 17 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 16: 7 … NIV 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

My Journal for Today: When people see you, what do they really see?

You’ve heard the saying, “Appearances can be deceiving;” haven’t you? Well, we know that is true; and unfortunately all too many of us fall into believing and perpetuating that adage because of the amount of time – and often money – that we invest trying to make ourselves look “beautiful” for others. How often do we stand in front of a mirror, fostering the desire to dress up our outer self so that others can see something in us that covers over who we really are?

Actually, as Dr. Smith, my devotional shepherd points out today, “Appearances can be discerning;” and that was revealed in the life of young David, whom God saw from the outset as a man after God’s heart. And even others were able to see that David was different. No, he would not have appeared to be a strong, kingly figure of a man; but when he stood forth against Goliath, no one could have denied, and everyone would have discerned, that David was set apart in a special way.

Isn’t it interesting that we devote so much of ourselves, trying to cover over what we can’t change – our true appearance – when it is the inward man [or woman], whom others cannot see, that we can change. And that is the part of our personhood that God desires to transform into His own image. And it is the portion of whom we are which we can, by choice and discipline, change to reflect the image of God Himself. All David did was surrender to God, the Change Agent, and David became the person God intended him to be. Saul even tried to make him over into something he wasn’t, offering him the king’s armor to fight Goliath. But David recognized that he just needed to be who God fashioned him to be; and God would do the rest to bring down the Philistine champion. And you know the rest of that story, captured in 1st Samuel 17.

I hope we see that God is looking for us to just become the man or woman of heart HE has designed for us to be. And when we try to make ourselves over into a worldly image of “beautiful,” we will fail to become that person God wants to use to shine His light into the world. Smith’s question today hits at me powerfully, as he states, ”What surprising beauty might I see in others if I look beyond the visible and search for their inner souls?” And I might also ask of myself, ”What God-struck light might I shine into the world if I just let His light shine through the person He has cast for me to be?” Or I might also ask, Is my appearance in this world deceiving or discerning so as to glorify my God?

Answering these questions will help shape the time and effort I spend trying to become the person God is shaping me to become; and I pray that for you, my readers here, as well.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to be the me You created me to be and to shine the light of Your image into the world. Amen

2010 – Mar. 30 – Caving In To Peer Pressure

Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel, Chapters 14 – 15 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 15: 24 … NIV 24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.”

My Journal for Today: Who are the teenagers who are able to stand up to the peer pressures and resist the crazy dress fads, the smoking, or the drugs? And to answer that question it does not take a Ph.D. in sociology, does it? No, the teens who resist peer pressure are the ones who can be their own person. They are kids who know that the acceptance of their parents, who have trained them in good morals, is more important than the acceptance of their buddies who offer acceptance into “the group.”

King Saul sinned against God because he was unable to be his own man … God’s man. He could not resist the opportunity to let arrogance and self will overwhelm his sense of what was right. Saul knew that God had been clear about absolutely obliterating the Amalekites; but after defeating them, Saul took it upon himself to keep the best booty for himself, … disobeying God; and even in today’s focus passage, we read of Saul’s weak admission that he gave in to his fear of the people rather than trusting in God and carrying our the LORD’S will.

Do you see yourself in Saul? I certainly do. Is it no wonder that I don’t have the spiritual power in my life that I could have or should have if I were just completely tuned in to and carrying out God’s will and purpose for my life. Dr. Smith today asks me, ”If I should be tempted to do something simply because of peer pressure, will I remember that the only approval I need is God’s?”

As I mull over that one, I hope you are doing the same thing; because we all need to be finding any and all human acceptance in the loving arms and caring will of God, the Father. Our Lord, God, loves us completely and fully; and all He wants for us is the best of the best. So, when we’re confronted with this need, deep within our sinful nature, to fill up our soul hole with human acceptance or the idols of life, we must somehow see that fulfilling God’s will is the only acceptance we need to seek after and to realize in our lives.

When we fill up the “love-hole,” as I call it, in our hearts with God’s will for our lives, the acceptance we will find will be complete and utterly fulfilling. Let me say that again! When we let God fill up our needs for peer acceptance, our joy will be complete and our needs will be utterly satisfied. But that can only come about when we know God completely and His will for our lives. It can only happen when we CHOOSE to follow God and we CHOOSE to fill up our hearts with God’s providence rather than the things of this world.

God says to all of us, ”Try Me! …You’ll like Me!” … Are we listening; and are we hearing Him? Because if we do, we will be completely filled up with His joy and needing none of man’s substitute pleasures.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, fill me with You … and only You. Amen

2010 – Mar. 29 – It’s Not About Numbers

Study from God’s Word… 1st Samuel, Chapters 13 – 14 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 14: 6 … NIV 6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few."

My Journal for Today: Unlike Jonathan, Saul’s son, we may not be able to lead God’s people, … i.e., His army, into battle to hold on to God’s Promised Land for God’s glory from the Philistines; but one day, maybe at the water cooler today, I may be given the opportunity to stand up for some righteous, Godly principle when the crowd around me is pushing for the expedient, worldly way. Maybe you will one day have the opportunity to give your Christian testimony to a lost person who is in need of a Savior. And when we do have such opportunities, just as Jonathan did, we need to stand tall for God, knowing that God and one more always make up a majority.

My dear one, do you understand and believe that doing battle for God’s principles does not take big numbers to show up and win the day for God’s glory. In fact, when God’s truth prevails in the face of bigger numbers, God gets even more glory than He might have had if His army of believers outnumbered “the enemy” by a great majority. So, my friend, where do you see yourself being a Jonathan in the face of army coming against you and God’s way? Will it happen on the job with your coworkers trying to push through some ungodly scheme which you cannot support? Will it be you supporting some Biblical principle at Church where your fellow churchmen have knuckled under to the culture and are pushing some worldly unrighteousness?

I don’t know what your battle might be for God’s glory; but I do know that I believe in the truth of Romans 8: 31 or 2nd Cor. 12: 9 or Isaiah 41: 10, all of which remind me that when I’m in the right – God’s right – no worldly force or even an army can prevail against me. When I stand with God, even against big numbers, I am on the side which will ultimately give God the glory; and all I have to do is stand for God and with God to show the world that God’s way is the only way!

F. LaGard Smith asks today, for my declaration: ”What battle will I fight single-handedly today that, by trusting God, will turn out easier than I could have ever imagined?”

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that we’re all answering that question with the resolve to stand for Your righteousness today. Amen

2010 – Mar. 28 – Calling All “Nobodies”

Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel, Chapters 8 – 12 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 9: 21 … NIV 21 Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?"

My Journal for Today: This whole process of God showing the people where they had gone astray by giving them what they asked for, a king, is most worthy of study and reflection, especially in a day when God’s people, the Church, are being very much like those Old Testament chosen peoples were being. Here we are, God’s anointed people, “the Church,” failing to follow our King of kings, Jesus, just like God’s people turned away from The Lord in Samuel’s day.

And I believe we, especially those of us here in the western world, are very much like the peoples of ancient Israel, clamoring for a “king” who can lead us to worldly glory. And in many respects, the leader we have called for personifies many of the qualities which Saul had when God elevated him to become the “king,” … the leader over God’s people.

But if you’re a student of the Bible; and you’ve read on ahead of the account of Saul, you know where this story leads. And I believe we’re being led by our own selfishness these days much as the Hebrews were being led in Saul’s day; and I think we’re going to see many of the same players on the stage of life, playing out their roles as God directs this playlet we will see unfold before us in our day. We have called for, and God has given us, our “king.” And this man stands above the crowd, appearing to be a leader of leaders.

Oh how humble he appeared to be as we sought after this leader; and Obama, like Saul of old, relented to our outcry and has take the role for which we so loudly have clamored for him to take. But now, he has taken up the scepter and has accepted the role of our national leader; and we’re going to have to accept what will transpire as the outflow of God allowing this man to become our “king.”

But we all have to ask ourselves, “What role will I play in this time of history? Am I one of those “nobodies” who has no purpose; or has God made me a child of THE KING for His good reason, … in His good time?” Of course, the latter is the truth. But we have to be willing to move onto the stage of life and assume the role which God has preordained for us in this drama we call life. And we cannot – and should not – try to hide in the background and deny the role God has for us to play.

We are not the world’s NOBODY! We are God’s SOMEBODY; and we must stand forth to be cast in that role for which God has called us to play. I pray that for myself and for all of us.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, show me my place on Your stage, that role You have waiting for me; and let me play out for Your glory in this life. Amen

2010 – Mar. 27 – The Art of Divine Conversation

Blogger's Note: A bit tardy in posting today due to some personal delays; but better late than never! ...

Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel 3: 1 – 7: 17 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 3: 10 … NIV 10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

My Journal for Today: Carrying on an intelligent, purposeful conversation can be a challenge, especially when you don’t know the person with whom you’re conversing. When God first came to Samuel, as a young, inexperienced prophet, Samuel had trouble recognizing the voice he was hearing was God’s; but when, with Eli’s help, he had faith that he was hearing from The Lord, Samuel was “all ears,” listening intently with a heart to surrender to anything God was saying. And over time Samuel came to get to know God’s voice and to listen to what God was saying to Him so that he, Samuel, could carry out God’s purposes.

At the end of his devotional for today, F. LaGard Smith asks a pointed question for me to ponder. He writes, ”Do I have balanced conversations with God, as eager to be “all ears” as “all mouth?” And to that question I have to say that it is my natural tendency to be speaking first to God rather than lending an attentive ear to “listen” for God communicating with me. It takes a purposeful choice for me to be silent – when I come to God, just as I am right now, early each morning – and try to “hear” what God is saying to me. And I have discovered that God “speaks” to me most often through His word.

I have to trust that God is listening to me; and I do. In Psalm 116: 1-2 we read,

1 I love the LORD, for He heard my voice;
He heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because He turned His ear to me,
I will call on Him as long as I live.

And I know from past studies, that the phrase “He turned His ear to me” in Hebrew, means that God bends down, gently and caringly, to hear what I have to say. It’s the word picture of a loving father bending down to hear what His little child has to say, not wanting to miss a word of the child’s voice.

We certainly know that God heard Samuel’s mother’s prayers, which led to Samuel’s birth and his consecration to the Lord; and now, in our passages today, we read that Samuel has gotten to know the God of the Universe and he has learned to hear God’s voice.

I have had, through the years, to learn how to “hear” God speak to me through His word, through others (e.g., my Pastor or my Christian friends), or through the circumstances in my life. But God hears my prayers; and He responds to me in His time and in His ways; and I “hear” what He says to me … as long as I’m doing all I can to have a surrendered heart and a will to “hear” what He desires for me to “hear” in our relationship.

I hope you are “hearing” God as you develop a deeper, more abiding relationship with Him. My friend, God does want to “hear” you; … BUT, He also wants you to “hear” Him as well. So, I pray, this morning, that we’re both listening intently and with purpose for our Lord to commune with us, letting us know His will and His ways for our lives. Only when we “hear” God can we respond and live for His purposes.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, … open my ears to what You say to me and to all who want to hear Your truth. Amen

2010 – Mar. 26 – Falling Not Far From the Tree

Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel, Chapters 1 and 2 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 2: 29 … NIV 29 ‘ … Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?'

My Journal for Today: These words, in today’s highlight passage, spoken by God to Eli, a Priest concerning Eli’s sons are a tragic rebuke and God goes on to say [in verse 30], “Those who honor Me I will honor, but those who despise Me will be disdained” And so it was, as Eli’s sons were sacrificed by God on the same day because they had dishonored their father, but more so, God, by the way they made a selfish travesty of the priestly handling of the people’s sacrifices to God. And here we have a drastic lesson about parenting … that the sins of the sons are like apples which don’t fall far from the tree where they were raised.

Eli, God’s Priest, had raised two sons who heard one thing from their father but saw him condoning – from them – something different. It was the classic scenario of a parent saying one thing but allowing another; and the inconsistency played out in the lives of Eli’s sons, ultimately to their doom and tragic deaths. How many times in our world do we see the sins of the fathers, or parents, being played out in the lives of their children?

How can a parent be a smoker and then be believed telling his child that smoking is dangerous to that young one? But this was the scenario being played out in the lives of Eli and his sons; and as one might expect, it ultimately caught up with these two boys, tragically leading to their deaths. If you’re a parent reading this, I hope it’s not too late for you; but in my case, I’m a grandparent; and now my only influence would be to help our kids to do the right thing by their children, our grandchildren.

Actually, we are blessed to have two daughters, each of whom has had two daughters (and one add-on son); and thus far our kids have done an excellent job raising our grandkids with consistent and careful parenting. Now, of course, we’ll do all we can to help our kids in their parenting; but I pray that others reading this can see their kids raising their grandchildren with consistent and Godly parenting so as to yield children who honor God by falling close to the trees of God honoring parenting.

May all parents learn a solid lesson in Godly parenting from the life of Eli, raising their kids to honor God by doing not only what they heard, but what they saw being lived out in the lives of their parents.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, thank You for having given us parents who consistently showed us how to live so as to honor You with our lives. Amen

2010 – Mar. 25 – The Chaos of Moral Anarchy

Study from God’s Word…Judges, Chapters 19 - 21 … Passage for Reflection: Judges 21: 25 … NIV 25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.

My Journal for Today: When one reads and meditates on the last few chapters of the Book of Judges, as I was led to do today by my devotional study, that one – me – has to be touched with the moral anarchy which results when man turns away from the one true God. These last few chapters of Judges chronicle a horrible segment in the history of God’s people, who, even when a remnant of believers tried to stem the tide of sinfulness, they were overcome by their own culture of sinful living. It’s tough to read this without setting back and reflecting on what is transpiring in our own world today.

Reading the sad line above from Judges 21: 25 could be a headline in an internet blog today. ”In these days the people served no God; and everyone did as he saw fit!” … could easily describe what I look around and see in our world; … could it not? We live in an era where there is moral anarchy and it produces more and more sinful chaos. Today there are people who mock God’s truth (through His word); and some are doing all they can to even eradicate the use of the Bible or Christian words such as “God” or “Christ” from the public arena.

There is an ongoing political and/or social move afoot in our world to villainize Jesus Christ so that any who follow His ways will be seen by the world as enemies of the people, even to the point that what used to be seen as good is now seen as evil; and what we at one time called “evil” is now seen as “good.” And as I write this, I can’t help but think of how Isaiah saw this, prophesying, (in Isaiah 53: 6), We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him [i.e., The Messiah] the iniquity of us all.

And it is that last phrase which gives us hope, … i.e., those of us who believe in and follow Jesus Christ. With all that any Christian reads in the book of Judges about how God’s people continued and repeatedly strayed from God’s way and His will, one has to come away, from knowing the entire Bible, with the very real truth that we know and serve a Lord who truly will never leave, nor forsake those whom He has raised up and separated in the world for His purposes. Somehow, in some way, God stayed with His people, Israel; and He will, as He promises in Deut. 31: 6 and Hebrews 13: 5, never leave us. However, to see Him activate His power for His purposes, we, His remnant, are going to have to do what He has exhorted in 2nd Chron. 7: 14, praying corporately, diligently, and humbly for our Lord to intervene and cleanse our land.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I do so pray for Your deliverance. Amen

2010 – Mar. 24 – False Comfort From Religious Trappings

Study from God’s Word…Judges 17 – 18 … Passage for Reflection: Judges 17: 13 … NIV 13 And Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest."

My Journal for Today: Wow! When I read the story of Micah, who sold out to idolatry in these times of no kings and self imposed religion, I couldn’t help but think of the rise of Oprahism in our times. As we read in these passages in Judges, Micah was a man who deluded himself into thinking that the God of Abraham would be pleased because he set up his own brand of religion. He then bought out a Levite, one from the clan of Priests; and because he could purchased this religious leader’s blessing, he conned himself into thinking that he was living in and being powerful in the favor and will of the one true, and only, God.

And isn’t that what is going on right now in our times with Oprah Winfrey, who has established her own form of religion, even invoking her own line of “priests,” who parade themselves onto her TV show, having been purchased by her influence to sell their books and peddle their brand of religiosity. Oprah is a modern day Micah; and like many people of Micah’s day, there will always be people who’ll buy into a religious line of thought as long as it has the trappings for religion and is endorsed by enough fools who seem to have the credentials to call themselves religious leaders.

I stand amazed at the number of so-called “christians” Oprah can get to come on her show and agree with her brand of new-age malarkey, … giving Oprahism the credibility of men or women who claim to be agents of God, … some promoting their books and others who are selling concepts like “angelology.” And Oprah comes off being able to claim that she promotes a form of religion which is all inclusive and non-offensive to anyone.

I pray that no one who is reading what I write here has bought into this modern-day priestess of evil; because Oprah Winfrey, like Micah of Ephraim, is deluded and dangerous, capturing a lot of influence and moving her followers toward a brand of idolatry which will lead to the absolute and eternal death of anyone and everyone who follows after Oprah’s new-age delusions. Beware, my beloved fellow readers, of those like Oprah who can sell their ideas as idols and get others to buy into their disastrous form of religion. Follow Oprah to your peril, dear one.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, open our eyes to Your truth and keep us focused on You in the face of many false religions in our world. Amen

2010 – Mar. 23 – On Angels’ Wings

Study from God’s Word…Judges, Chapters 13 - 16 … Passage for Reflection: Judges 13: 6 … NIV 6 Then the woman went to her husband and told him, "A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name.”

My Journal for Today: Back to the Book of Judges; and I’m led into that wondrous story of Samson, the superhero Judge who led God’s people so precariously, using the super strength which God’s Spirit had lain upon this man of God. But the story of Samson reveals just how weak any man (or woman) can be, even Spirit-led believers, if he (or she) does not use the Spirit-given power which God has provided for a set-apart believer to exercise for God’s glory.

Samson was a curious and carnal leader of God’s people, relenting to his human weaknesses which rendered his Spirit-given power useless; and we all can learn from this truthful story about how any of us can be rendered powerless by choosing to pursue our carnal nature rather than relying upon the anointing power of God’s Spirit which is available to any/all believers who choose to be filled with and use God’s power, which is in us as Christians.

God brought the message of Samson being born to his parents by the Lord’s Messenger, a pre-incarnate appearance of God Himself as an Angel, … and angel of the Lord. And Samson’s mother and father had trouble seeing that this was, in fact, the Lord Himself coming to them as an Angel Messenger to bring them the good news of the birth of their son. But when The Angel of God ascended to heaven in a flame, Samson’s father realized that this was the real deal – and their lives had been spared, having been in the presence of God Himself.

Today there is a worldly, “new-age” fascination with angels. There are reports of angel sightings, and the study of angels, “angelology,” abounds. But we can easily, in our human desires for power and control, let the study of or fascination in angel stories get in the way of THE ANGEL of angels, the Lord’s true messenger, Jesus Himself, Who came to impart His power into the lives of anyone who believes in what He came to do – AND DID – so that mankind can be saved of his weakness to sin. We seek after images of angels, and we are misled by an “angel of light,” Satan, who wants us to pursue his counterfeit angels rather than seeing and receiving the very power Samson finally came to use to bring down man’s world around him.

My friend, if we believe in the saving power of “The Angel of the Lord,” Who is Jesus, we have His resurrection power in our lives to do all He has anointed us to do in His Name and for His Father’s glory. So, that is the image of Angels we need to be pursuing, staying away from any worldly image of angels Satan may use to confuse and confound us as to The Truth. Jesus is the only “Angel” I need pursue; and He is the way, the truth, and the light for all of mankind.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, … You are my only Angel; and Your Spirit brings me Your power for life. Amen

2010 – Mar. 22 – Choosing at the Crossroads

Study from God’s Word… Ruth, Chapters 1 – 4 … Passage for Reflection: Ruth 1: 16 … NIV 16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”

My Journal for Today: Well, Dr. Smith takes a breather from his teaching time in the Book of Judges to look at a famous story from the Book of Ruth, the story of another person living at the time of the Judges who made a critical choice in life based on values. And this is the story of Ruth who chose to follow her Mother-In-Law, Naomi, back to Naomi’s native land, leaving behind all Ruth had there in her home country of Moab. And this included a choice to turn away from the gods of Moab and to follow Naomi’s God, Who was the God of the Israelites.

Yesterday [see my journal entry from 3/21], we read of warriors who had to choose to say “Shibboleth” as they crossed the Jordan; and if they said the wrong thing, it led to their death. And God led 42,000 Ephraimites to their death in this way, once again liberating the Hebrews from their enemies. The story from my devotional time today about Ruth is much easier to take; but it, too, involves making choices which have ultimate and eternal implications.

Ruth had a choice to make when Naomi decided to return to Canaan from Moab; and Ruth chose to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, … also choosing to worship Naomi’s God, Who was the one true God. This choice, as we read in the Book of Ruth, led to a whole series of people making their own choices, or in reality led by God, which became choices leading to the marriage of Ruth to Boaz, her kinsman redeemer, and ultimately to the birth of a son, who became the grandfather of King David.

CHOICES! We make choices; and they will have consequences; and the consequences will be used by God – in some way – for His glory. But in the mix, our choices will have consequences for us personally as well. Ruth could have chosen to stay in Moab, as did her sister-in-law, Orpah; and we don’t know what happened to Orpah. But we do know, as do all through history who read God’s Book, that Ruth’s choices, especially to follow the one, true God, led her to be the grandmother of the great King, David. And the story of Ruth is one we should recognize as having powerful value for our lives and our choices.

When you or I make Godly choices, God will honor those choices within His perfect plan; and we will become a part of that plan. And we know, from reading much of the Old Testament, that ungodly choices, such as those made by the Pharaoh of Egypt in the times of Moses, will lead those who make such choices to be part of God’s plan to overcome man’s evil with His good. How we participate in God’s grand scheme will all be reflective our choices. I will pray that our choices be Godly choices. And today, I pray that I will make choices which honor my God.

To any of my non-American readers, forgive my being a bit provincial here; but yesterday many of our governmental representatives made choices to vote for or against a health care plan for our nation; and those choices are going to have consequences which ripple through our land for years to come. But God is in control! … And just as He was in the life of Ruth, our God will have His will in the lives of all today. May He have mercy on us; because the choices made yesterday by our government do not appear – at least to this humble observer – to be choices which honor and glorify God. And my friend, God will not be mocked; and we will reap what we sow; … AND … the rain of God’s plan will fall on the righteous as well as the unrighteous. Oh, may God have mercy on us!

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me, lead me, … shepherd me to make choices which are part of Your plan and Your perfect will. Amen

2010 – Mar. 21 – When Vows Become Shibboleths

Study from God’s Word… Judges 10 – 12: 15 … Passage for Reflection: Judges 11:35 … NIV 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break."

My Journal for Today: Do you have faith in God? Well, most of those who read this, knowing who I am and who you are, will likely respond “Yes,” to that question. But what if I were to ask, “Are you faithful to God?” What would your response be then?

There is a difference between “having faith” and “being faithful,” isn’t there? And we saw that difference on trial in the story, in Judges 11, of Jephthah, who made a vow to God; and then this man of God had to carry out that vow when it ultimately meant him having to sacrifice his own daughter as a signature of his faith. Jephthah had to not only have faith in God, but he had to show his faithfulness to God by carrying out a vow which was tested much as the test used in Judges 12 where certain people had to declare their allegiance to God by their pronunciation of the word “Shibboleth.” And like those tests, when God lays a test of faith before us, we may not ignore it; and we’ll have to show our faithfulness openly by our actions.

No, the only way we can show our faith at times of testing is by living up to the values we hold as believers. If we have faith, we often are asked to show that faith by living up to what we believe with actions. Life will challenge us, … God will challenge us; … and we’ll have to declare whom we follow by the choices we make and the actions which show who we are. In Judges 12 one people, the Ephraimites, wanted to cross the Jordan to Ephraim, and the Gileadites would ask them to pronounce the word “Shibboleth,” and if they said “Sibboleth,” it showed them to have allegiance to pagan gods; and they would be killed.

I know that this reads as cruel and unusual; but in that day it showed that – and carrying over into our day – beliefs are critical. And how we demonstrate our beliefs is even more important. Jephthah certainly passed his own “shibboleth,” when he fulfilled his horrible vow to the one true God which involved the life/death of his daughter. The question becomes, do I pass the faith test when I live as Christian. Is my life a “shibboleth” or a “sibboleth.” When I’m tested to cross my Jordan of faith, do my actions match up to my words of faith? I say I’m a “Christian.” When you see me living, do my choices and actions give me away; or do I fail the test with my actions not living up to my words? Only you who know me can be my judge in this life; but God is certainly my Judge for eternity; and I can only pray that my declared faith is my actual faithfulness in real life.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I say, “Shibboleth!” Amen

2010 – Mar. 20 – Godly Leadership

Study from God’s Word…Judges, Chapter 8 and 9 … Passage for Reflection: Judges 8: 23 … NIV 23 But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you."

My Journal for Today: The premise of Dr. Smith’s journal entry from his devotional for today is worthy to state, up front, as the highlight truth from my study of Judges 8 & 9 today. He writes: Unless I’m willing to let God be king of my own world, how can I possibly be king of any other world?”

And therein lies the story of Gideon, who was offered, by God’s people, the opportunity to become their king, especially since he had led the people to be freed from the control of the Midianites. However, Gideon realized and recognized Who the real KING was and who had really led them to victory in his day. He knew that the Lord was their deliverer; and so, he exhorted the people to recognize this truth as well and to make God their king.

Can you imagine some of our political leaders today being willing to recognize and transfer their power over to the One who really deserves it, … God? No, unfortunately when some get a taste of leadership control today, they become addicted to the power very quickly. How many of our elected leaders do you see recognizing God’s anointing and His part in their positions of leadership? It just doesn’t happen; does it? When today’s leaders, in whatever sphere of life you may recognize, get a position of control, they want to keep it and to develop as much power as they can so that they can exercise as much control as they can.

Who today would live by the teachings of the King of kings Who taught and modeled “servant leadership?” Gideon, in the biblical times which I’m studying now, recognized exactly on Whom the leadership of God’s people should rest; but unfortunately, just as today, the people seek leaders who will take the reigns of leadership; and one who will take their own individual responsibilities for leadership, copping out to “the king.”

I hope we all recognize that in certain aspects of our lives, each of us needs to be the “servant leader,” stretching ourselves to exercise our personal control over that God-anointed part of our life. We cannot, and should not, turn over all control and responsibility for leadership to the CEOs, the politicians, and/or the worldly leaders who would gladly desire to control our lives. When God calls us to lead in certain areas of life, we need to lead; and then, God will give us, as He did for Gideon, what it takes to get God’s job done for His glory. And so, let us learn and lead as God so designates. And when we do, He will get the glory.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, if You call me to lead, I will lead. If I am to follow, I will follow. Amen