May 10, 2012 … Bring It Out Into the Light

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 2nd Samuel: 10 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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1st Chronicles: … Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 1st Chronicles 19 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Psalm 20 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Highlight Passage: … 2nd Samuel 10: 6 … 6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maakah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.
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Highlight Passage #2: … 1st Chronicles 19: 6 … 6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maakah and Zobah. 

My Journal for Today: My chronological read in the Bible today has me studying an historical account of King David’s Israelite armies, under the generalship of Joab, going to battle against the Ammonites, who felt they were outmatched by the Israelites and hired the Arameans as mercenaries to fight with them. David even wrote a song about this encounter in Psalm 20, which is also included in the reading this morning.

But the incident which caught my attention for my journal (blog) entry today was the decision by the Ammonite King, Hanum, knew that he had made a serious mistake by embarrassing King David’s ambassadors (see the two reading chapters today for this part of the story), and decided to spend an enormous amount of money [almost 40 tons of silver] to hire Aramean mercenaries, rather than admit his error and then try to apologize to David and negotiate a settlement.

Have you ever made a really big mistake; and rather than bring it out, from the darkness, into the light of revelation, you balked and decided to hide in the darkness? What we generally do then is to do what ever it takes to cover up the self-acknowledged stupidity or mistake. And isn’t it so often the case that the cover-up, once revealed, is far - far more costly than it would have been to embarrassingly admit the mistake and take the lumps of whatever the cost is to make it right with the one we have wronged.

Yeah, I’ve been there, … done than, … and I’ve gotten that T-shirt, which reads: “STUPIDO!!!” But really, don’t you know that a cover-up mentality is in our genes? Have you ever seen a child, maybe two years old, when he/she is busted by a parent doing a “no-no;” and when asked if the kid did the deed, he/she will reflexively lies, desiring to cover up the “no-no,” … absolutely refusing to bring the light of truth to bear on the situation. It’s just in our nature … our SIN nature.

So, the reminder lesson God brings out for me today is … trying to hide the truth with darkness will almost ALWAYS be more painful and costly than choosing the often very humiliating, but necessary, route of admitting the wrong and bringing it out, from the darkness, into the light of truth and vulnerability. Yes, it will almost always be painful; but having several of those humbling T-shirts from past lessons like this, I know that it’s ALWAYS best to avoid the reflexive human tendency to go back into the darkness; and rather, as growing Christians, we know it’s best to exercise God’s way of bringing the truth out into the light.

Do I sense an “AMEN!” of agreement? Well, maybe it’s time to let God guide us out from the darkness into the light and do what God’s word says in 1st John 1: 9 ... [link provided]; and I hope you know exactly what I’m saying here – from having that verse memorized.  But if not, use the link and look it up; and see if you might need to do what it says and feel the cleansing that comes from being in God’s light rather than in our darkness.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, thanks for the reminder of Your light, which always is where You are leading me. Amen