Friday, 5/1/2015

“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

1 KINGS 1-2

David blesses Solomon and breathes his last...

1When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.2“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go 4and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’...10Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. 11He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 12So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

LUKE 22:54-71

Jesus is arrested...

54Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

57But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

58A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

59About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

60Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.

JOURNAL

Failure.  The ultimate tool in creating humility.  Peter fails and is left to realize his own sin and fragility.  It is a gift that feels like punishment but in reality is one of the greatest ways that God has loved me.  For Peter, he will be comforted and God's love will be showered upon him.  This lesson will strengthen him to living the rest of his life in obedience.

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^k neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

Thursday, 4/30/2015

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

2 SAMUEL 24

David's last act is in humility and consciousness of his sin...

17When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd,^c have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.”

LUKE 22:46

Jesus is arrested...

47While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

49When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

51But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

JOURNAL

Jesus cannot be swayed.  In surrendering to the path, he is resolute and willingly goes without a fight.  Knowing that Jesus is confident in his resolve and has been strengthened by God, he confronts Judas, heals a soldier and rebukes them all in the matter of a moment. The brilliance of Christ and his mixture of strength, wit, humility and power are all on display in this passage.

He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. (2 Corinthians 13:3-4)

Wednesday, 4/29/2015

“Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect.” ~ Wm. Paul Young

2 SAMUEL 23

David's last words...

1These are the last words of David:

“The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse,

the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High,

the man anointed by the God of Jacob,

the hero of Israel’s songs:

2“The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me;

his word was on my tongue.

3The God of Israel spoke,

the Rock of Israel said to me:

‘When one rules over people in righteousness,

when he rules in the fear of God,

4he is like the light of morning at sunrise

on a cloudless morning,

like the brightness after rain

that brings grass from the earth.’

LUKE 22:39-45

Jesus advises Peter that he will betray him...

39Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^c

45When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

JOURNAL

David at the end of his life gives all praise and glory to God.  David has learned that nothing good in life comes without God.  He realizes that great leadership comes from a heart surrendered to following God.  

Here we see that Jesus is coming in surrender to God...seeking permission in all honesty.  Jesus has authority to do as he wishes, yet he always surrenders to God in directing his path.  In doing so he knows the disciples are giving in to their sorrow...he knows that although they will fail. They will learn from this lesson and their devotion will change the course of history.

“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (John 5:19)

Tuesday, 4/28/2015

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  ~ C.S. Lewis

2 SAMUEL 19-22

David sings a song in praise of God...

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

3my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield^a and the horn^b of my salvation...

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...

50Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;

I will sing the praises of your name. 

LUKE 22:1-38

Jesus advises Peter that he will betray him...

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. 28You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

31“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

33But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

34Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

JOURNAL

David again is a picture of humility.  In everything he gives all glory and all credit to God.  It is not a platitude or false humility...David's heart knows that all goodness comes from God.  He knows that God is to be credited not himself.

This is the problem with the disciples as they argue over who is the greatest...Peter who tends to be over-confident in himself is called out in Jesus' prediction of his betrayal.  Peter will learn a hard lesson...

18Pride goes before destruction,

a haughty spirit before a fall.(Proverbs 16:18)

Monday, April 27, 2015

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”  ~ William Churchill

2 SAMUEL 17-18

The kingdom is restored to David but Absalom is killed...

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

LUKE 21

Jesus confirms that it is the heart and not wealth that God is after...

1As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3“Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

JOURNAL

This is such a sad picture of David...being forced out of the kingdom.  It is again a reminder of David's humility and humanity.  Athough he is a great warrior and the greatest King of Israel...he has his weak and humbling moments.  He is not immune to failure and to heartache.  

This is why Jesus is so hard on the teachers of the law...their arrogance feigns false righteousness.  Jesus knows their hearts and knows that they are just as wicked as the rest of us.  

37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)