Friday, April 19, 2024

APRIL 19, 2024

  “Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping... waiting... and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir... open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us... guides us. Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank. Without passion, we'd be truly dead.”

1 SAMUEL 27-29

4But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? 5Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances:
“ ‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands’?”
6So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don’t approve of you. 7Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”
8“But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ 10Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is light.”
11So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.(29:4-11)

LUKE 17:1-19

5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
6He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

JOURNAL 

What’s so compelling about David is the intensity—the completeness—with which he lives. He doesn't do anything halfway. Whatever the moment demands, David is all in. If he's desperate, he doesn’t just act out—he plays the madman, foaming at the mouth and scratching at doors. If he's courageous, he doesn’t just step onto the battlefield—he runs toward a giant with nothing but a sling and faith in God. When he leads a raid, he leaves nothing undone. And when he worships? He dances before the Lord with such abandon that people mock him for it—yet he doesn’t care. His passion trumps his pride every time.

David is single-minded and wholehearted. His heart is not divided. He throws his entire self into everything he does—whether it's battle, leadership, repentance, or praise. That kind of passionate, undivided life—that’s the heart of a true king. That’s the heart of a man aligned with the purposes of God.

At a pivotal point in his story, David makes the controversial move of joining forces with the Philistines. It’s a strange chapter—one where David, the former enemy of the Philistines, becomes a trusted ally, so much so that the Philistine leaders begin to fear his influence and question his loyalty. And yet, even in this tension, David thrives. He leads with strength and strategy, and his success earns the respect and wariness of those around him.

This intensity—this all-in spirit—is, I believe, part of what God saw in David when He called him “a man after His own heart.” David was far from flawless, but he was never lukewarm. He didn’t hold back. He didn’t compartmentalize. He loved deeply, bled freely, failed publicly, repented sincerely, and worshipped passionately.

This is the kind of heart that inspires and challenges us. It's the heartbeat of a life fully alive in God. As believers, we’re called to that same intensity—not necessarily to slay giants or lead armies, but to live fully engaged with whatever God has placed in front of us.

Wake up each morning with purpose. Don’t drift through the day—attack it. Pour your whole self into what God has called you to. Whether it's raising your kids, doing your job, creating something beautiful, serving someone in need, or simply being present with the people around you—do it with energy, hope, and passion.

Hold nothing back. That’s the life of faith. That’s the life David modeled. And it’s the life God invites us into—one of fullness, boldness, and undivided devotion.


 31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:31

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