APRIL 20, 2022

  “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow.” 

― Thomas Paine

1 SAMUEL 30-31

3When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.(30:3-6)

LUKE 17:20-37

20Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”^c

JOURNAL 

David's strength does not come from his popularity or the devotion of his men. His strength comes from his trust in God. God is the only thing that sustains him in this moment. For he has just lost everything and now even the devotion of his men is in question. He is at another low point but God strengthens him. 

Again this story of David is so encouraging. After all that has happened he still finds strength in God...he doesn't panic, he doesn't waver he seeks God and finds strength. This is the Kingdom of God. The spiritual kingdom is transformative and it overcomes all doubts and adversity. It is God's gift, it is the treasure in the field, it is the embrace of the prodigal father, it is the diligent shepherd who refuses to leave us lost, it is the persistent savior who ultimately takes our place and redeems our sin. 

God gives us the keys to the kingdom, he gives us his spirit...why should I ever fear or doubt? Why would I ever back down from a challenge, why would I ever turn away from adversity and conflict. The living God of David, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Joseph, Peter, Paul and all the apostles resides within me...yet even when I blow it and come crawling back, he forgives me, picks me up, dusts me off and is ready to walk with me into another day. What a God and what a life!

31What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^j

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 8:31-39

APRIL 19, 2022

 “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.”

― Joss Whedon

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 

The interesting thing about David is the completeness and passion by which he lives. He never really does anything halfway. He is all in with whatever he does. If he acts a fool then he is a slobbering madman. If he is a Hero then he slays a giant and cuts off his head. If he raids a town he destroys everything. If he worships God he does so without shame. David for the most part is single minded and passionate.  This is the heart and faith of a true King. 

During this period David has realized that he must take his men and join with the Philistines. He does so and is very successful. To the point that the other commanders in the philistine army fear him. This is why I believe David is referred to as a man after God's own heart. He loves, bleeds and acts with total and complete passion. This is the picture and the motivation for life and the life of every believer. Wake up each morning and attack the day, in whatever God calls, go after it with all energy, all hope, all passion...Hold nothing back.

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

1 CORINTHIANS 10:31

APRIL 18, 2022

 “It is a denial of the divinity within us to doubt our potential and our possibilities.” 

― James E. Faust

1 SAMUEL 25-26

21Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.”

22“Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your young men come over and get it. 23The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. 24As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.”

25Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.(25:17-25)

LUKE 16:19-31

19“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

30“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

JOURNAL 

So many things here that I feel I could write on them for days. David's story is such an amazing view into the messiness of life. David makes some big messes and he is also part of Saul's mess. Yet David keeps on pursuing God...even when he goes astray. David keeps coming back to obedience and humility before God. He is far from perfect...yet God loves him and his humility God uses to draw others and ultimately it leads to him being the greatest King of Israel. 

It is not our circumstances or the conditions of our life that makes us great. It is our humility and our ultimate heart and obedience to God that makes our lives beautiful. God takes our messes and turns them into something useful and beautiful. What we see as a mess God sees as beauty and unlimited potential. 

I think that is why we are warned to not fear and why timidity is treated as despicable. It can masquerade as humility but in the end it is a refusal to trust God. When reading scripture...God makes great use of blunders and mistakes but timidity is lifeless. It's a way of saving face and drawing back. In doing so it limits engagement with God.

Everyday when I wake up God is affirming my life because he is trusting me with another day. He shows his faith in me by giving me another opportunity to live life and to represent him and all he is to the world. Too many times I don't consider this an honor, too many times I trivialize it and take it for granted. Too many times I fail to give my best...Father thank you for another day, thank you for believing in me and trusting me to represent you to the world.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 

REVELATION 3:15-16

APRIL 17, 2022

 

“A great man is always willing to be little.”   

- Ralph Waldo Emmerson

1 SAMUEL 22-24

1David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him...

LUKE 16:1-18

14The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

JOURNAL

So Mighty David has blown it. Game over...how can he ever recover? Saul is chasing him and wants to kill him. He has sacrificed his integrity and lied to the priest at Nob. He has acted like a fool and a madman in order to escape his enemies. He has nowhere else to turn so he goes out and hides in a cave. 

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is " 2All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander." I wonder if God in all his glory is sitting back watching and at this point in the story says "Now he is ready...". I kinda think he does. Facscinating that it wasn't the slaying of Goliath or the numerous military victories or the security of being accepted into Saul's family that signaled David being ready to lead...but rather being stripped of all that honor and hiding in a cave. 

I think Jesus speaks to this when he condemns the pharisees for wanting to "justify themselves in the eyes of others". David has definitely blown it from a worldly perspective, however he is humbled and finally in a position where God is all he has, where justifying himself is impossible. Gone is the glory of Goliath, gone is his friendship with Jonathan, gone is all the comfort and security of the royal palace. 

David is back to the lonely place where it all started, out by himself with nothing but God. We don't have a record of what happened from the time he went to the cave to the time his family and others came to him. However, Psalm 57 is an indication of what was going on spiritually at this time in his life.  I can only imagine that some of his most honest moments were during this period. When he had to come to terms with all that he had lost...but the fact remained that all of that really no longer mattered because in the end he had God.

I love that God used David's weakness to bring him those who could identify with failure and their own sin.  Here again God's message is never about how you can make a great life for yourself...but rather how he will bring redemption to our hearts and this therefore becomes our greatest treasure.

1Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,

for in you I take refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed.

2I cry out to God Most High,

to God, who vindicates me.

3He sends from heaven and saves me,

rebuking those who hotly pursue me—^c

God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

4I am in the midst of lions;

I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—

men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are sharp swords.

5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

let your glory be over all the earth.

6They spread a net for my feet—

I was bowed down in distress.

They dug a pit in my path—

but they have fallen into it themselves.

7My heart, O God, is steadfast,

my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and make music.

8Awake, my soul!

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

9I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;

I will sing of you among the peoples.

10For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

let your glory be over all the earth.

PSALM 57

APRIL 16, 2022

“There is always a road back. If we have the courage to look for it, and take it. I'm sorry. I was wrong. I don't know. I need help. These are the signposts. The cardinal directions.” 
― Louise Penny

1 SAMUEL 19-21

12David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. 13So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

LUKE 15:11-32

17“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

JOURNAL

Here we find David running scared, the great warrior who has had immense success is reduced to a lying fool.  It is a great reminder that any of us...no matter our accomplishments, honors, can be reduced to loser status.  How can this happen? It would seem that David's ticket is punched...I mean he killed Goliath, has become a famous warrior, is best friends with King Saul's son, is married to his Daughter, he in every way seems to have it all and yet here he is lying, running scared and acting like a madman in philistine territory no less.

Success in this world is a tricky business, it often is here today and gone tomorrow. It can never be trusted and just when it seems someone has it made...disaster strikes. The opposite also happens, just when it appears someone is done for, the winds will change and success seems to come out of nowhere. That's why scripture is so important, it tells the stories and gives us examples so that no matter where we find ourselves in life...we have direction and hope to put our faith in God and God alone.

David blows it because the winds of fate turned against him. Saul wants to kill him and he reacts hastily and out of desperation. I'm sure he never imagined he would ever stoop to this level, just as Peter never imagined he would betray Jesus. I think that's why Jesus tells the story of the prodigal. The message is clear, we can never fully blow it, just as we can never fully make it. God is there always and he is our hope, no matter our success or failure it is God that makes it all good, it is God that takes the failures and transforms them into beauty and redemption.

That is precisely why longing for the "one day when" is so pointless. We never know and often getting what we think we want can create a greater nightmare than we ever possibly could have imagined. Just as what we imagine to be our worst nightmare can end up being the thing that brings untold blessings. Our best bet is to make the most of today and truly embrace each and every moment as a gift from God, not wishing it were different, but truly giving our very best with a grateful heart. 

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

MATTHEW 6:19-21