APRIL 29, 2017

“Man is a fallen star till he is right with heaven: he is out of order with himself and all around him till he occupies his true place in relation to God. When he serves God, he has reached that point where he doth serve himself best, and enjoys himself most. It is man's honour, it is man's joy, it is man's heaven, to live unto God.” 
― Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Humility and How to Get It

2 SAMUEL 21-22

31“As for God, his way is perfect:

The Lord’s word is flawless;

he shields all who take refuge in him.

32For who is God besides the Lord?

And who is the Rock except our God?

33It is God who arms me with strength^h

and keeps my way secure.

34He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;

he causes me to stand on the heights.

35He trains my hands for battle;

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36You make your saving help my shield;

your help has madeⁱ me great.

37You provide a broad path for my feet,

so that my ankles do not give way.(22:31-37)

LUKE 22:1-30

24A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 

JOURNAL 

Greatness is not about titles or awards or position. Greatness is found in serving and living a life of action dedicated in obedience to God. It is trusting in him fully and never being content to rest in the spoils of success.

13You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^a ; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^b
GALATIANS 5:13-14

APRIL 27, 2017

“Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else.” 
― Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven

2 SAMUEL 17-18

31Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.”

32The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.”

33The 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!”^g(18:31-33)

LUKE 21:1-19

10Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

12“But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13And so you will bear testimony to me. 14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17Everyone will hate you because of me. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19Stand firm, and you will win life.

JOURNAL 

David loves his son, in spite of all of the horrible things Absalom did, despite the fact that his intent was to kill David. David loved him and mourned for him after his death and even confesses he would have given his life for him. This is a taste of Jesus' love for us. Jesus did give his life so that we would have life.

Jesus predicts the terrible suffering of the disciples yet affirms that they will gain life regardless of what happens to them in this life.

23Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
LUKE 9:23-24

APRIL 26, 2017

“Do not let arrogance go to your head and despair to your heart; do not let compliments go to your head and criticisms to your heart; do not let success go to your head and failure to your heart.” 
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

2 SAMUEL 15-16

11David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”

13So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. 14The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.(16:11-14)

LUKE 20:27-47

45While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46“Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

JOURNAL 

David is run out of the Kingdom by his son Absalom and is then discraced by Shimei...what a terrible awful scene. David the great King in total humility and defeat by his own son. And he takes it, not out of weakness but in surrender to God. God will bring David back to power but this scene is a reminder that in the course of life that we live, none of us are immune to embarrassment, failure, betrayal and extremely humbling circumstances. 

Jesus likewise warns the disciples that those who think too highly of themselves will be humbled...they will have their day. It is a reminder to cling close to God and his direction and his love. Never mistake power and position as a right to step on others or as affirmation of a right to arrogance and pride.

1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
PHILIPPIANS 2:1-4

APRIL 24-25

“God desires to reveal His heart to us and to build His heart into us as we seek His face.” 
― Bill Mills, Adequate: How God Empowers Ordinary People to Serve

2 SAMUEL 10-14

11The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

4“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

5David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! 6He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

7Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’(12:1-10)

LUKE 19:29-20:26

41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Jesus at the Temple

45When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46“It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be a house of prayer’^c ; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’^d ”

47Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

JOURNAL 

As humans we are so blinded by our fears and our pride. To see David fall in this way is just heartbreaking. How could he be so blinded after struggling for so long and then having so many gifts and really anything he wanted. I guess the answer is that without God, nothing can ever satisfy. No matter how much or how great...the longing will only be for more. Yet with God, no matter how little, there will be joy and a sense of having enough. 

David had stopped seeking God, he had stopped "needing" him. As a result he misused his power and did something awful. He broke up a marriage and murdered one of his own men. By the way Nathan presented this scenario, David realized the awful nature of his actions.

I think this is the meaning behind Jesus words that "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-". Peace with God is found in seeking him in all things and God therefore makes whatever circumstance one that has purpose, meaning and a sense of joy. That is the promise and that is the Kingdom of Heaven. 

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
2 TIMOTHY 1:7

APRIL 23, 2017

“Hide not your talents, they for use were made,
What's a sundial in the shade?” 
― Benjamin Franklin

2 SAMUEL 7-9

18Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

“Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!^c

20“What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. 21For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

22“How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 23And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?^d 24You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.(7:18-24)

LUKE 19:1-28

20“Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’

22“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

24“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

25“ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

26“He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’ ”

JOURNAL 

It is interesting that Jesus tells this parable upon his declaration that salvation had now come to the house of Zacchaeus. Interesting that Zacchaeus was a terrible man, a tax collector and hated by most all in his community, yet he was passionate to see Jesus and when in his presence he gave back wealth to those he had wronged, plus half of his wealth to the poor. 

Jesus is again not concerned with the past but rather the present. The question to be asked is where is my heart and what have I done today with what he has given me. Passivity is not of God. Jesus never condoned it, in fact he abhorred it. From David to Zaccheaus, the heart of God is one that forgives wrong actions but is drawn to action, not passive double-mindedness. 

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.2 TIMOTHY 1:7

APRIL 21-22, 2017

“I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Ask yourself “How has he loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?” Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love. Work without love is slavery.” 
― Mother Teresa

2 SAMUEL 1-6

12Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13When those who were carrying the ark of the Lordhad taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

16As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

17They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

20When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

21David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

23And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.(6:12-23)

LUKE 18

1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

4“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ”

6And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

JOURNAL 

Again I see David's  passion on display in his worship of God. David does not care about traditions or what is customary or proper. He worships with all his heart because he loves God with all his heart. He is persistent and dedicated to following and honoring all God has done, even when it comes to his enemies. Twice David executed Men who took, or claimed to take the life of those who God had put in power ( Saul and Ish Boseth - his son). It is not particularly David's actions but rather David's heart. 

Dedication and persistence only happen when our hearts are undivided. I am to pursue God and obedience to him in all that I do. I am to do it with passion and persistence. I am to rid myself of competing objectives and choose rather to seek God and God only for direction and purpose. 

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

1 JOHN 4:7-8