2 Samuel 6:20-23 (April 30, 2010)

Scripture:

2 Samuel 6:20-23 When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house, Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him.  She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool might do!” David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel. I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this!  But with the slave girls whom you mentioned let me be distinguished!” Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no children to the day of her death.

Observation:

Michal had been brought back to David as his wife after being spitefully given to another man by her father Saul.  Her emotional state and the state of the relationship was undoubtedly strained.  But her comments upon watching David dance before the Ark of the Covenant as it was brought into Jerusalem revealed another side of her – she had no understanding of the heart of worship and praise.  Perhaps she had never seen this part of David – though it was always there – but her accusation of his motives, that it was vulgar and worldly and a show before the common people of Israel.  It was beneath his royal bearing in her eyes.  David replied that what he did was an act of worship and that indeed it was God Himself Who had exalted that poor shepherd boy over mighty King Saul – Michal’s father.  This “vulgarity” was a pure-hearted expression of thanksgiving to the Lord and David’s practice of worship was what had kept him alive and healthy – emotionally, spiritually and physically – all the while he fled for his life from Saul.  The people, unlike Michal, honored the dancing king.  And whether her womb was closed to bear any children or David ceased having relations with her, Michal’s life was fruitless from that point on in a way only women truly know. 

Application:

Kings who know how they got to be kings are thankful to God.  Self-made moguls are not self-made at all, for all will breathe their last and discover Who made them what they were.  So who am I not to dance, not to sing praises to God?  Is it socially unacceptable?  Good!  Let me say with David that I will be even more shamed and humiliated so that all the world knows my secret, the one Who makes me tick and sustains me through the rough times.  Like Michal, there will be those who scoff and mimic in pride, imprisoned in their noble social station.  That different drummer is still beating a holy beat and my feet will find their joy in its faithful pulse that streams from heaven’s courts themselves. 

And may I never take the stance of Michal, standing in judgment over the pure-hearted expression of praise from any of God’s people.  If I do, I should expect fruitlessness just as she had it, till I snap out of my pride and blindness.  May I help the Michal’s in my life escape the bars of their prison of depression and death.

Prayer:

Lord, I want to be a dancing fool for You.  Let my feet move and my arms rise up to present You holy hands.  Thank You for the legacy of the dancing king, for he truly was a man after Your own heart.  Let it be contagious, that all who see might find the release only You give in worship.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Matthew 5:11, 17-20 (April 28, 2010)

Scripture:

Matthew 5:11, 17-20  What defiles a person is not what goes into the mouth; it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.”

…

Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and then passes out into the sewer?  But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person. For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are the things that defile a person; it is not eating with unwashed hands that defiles a person.”

 Observation:

The Law of Moses had dietary statutes, mostly to protect the health of the people of Israel from disease-bearing foods, at a time when there was no medical knowledge yet God provided direction nonetheless.  The Pharisees were upholding those precepts and that of washing one’s hands prior to eating, but Jesus flipped the subject on its head and pointed to the impurity of speech – what comes out of the mouth.  The food we eat is processed by our digestive system in a one-way flow, but the words we speak are the result of our inner person – our heart.  These reveal what’s happening on the inside.  Whether we commit the evil we think about, Jesus revealed truth that the intents of our heart are just as evil as the things we do, and that they come out plainly in our speech.  Whether it be thoughts of evil, homicide, sexual lust for someone we’re not married to, stealing, lying or falsely laying someone’s reputation to waste, to think about these is to talk about these and to talk about these is to do these.  Jesus made the link between premeditation and sin and called them one in the same in God’s eyes.  So parts of Moses Law about hand-washing prior to eating and eating “defiled” (non-Kosher, that is) foods are dismissed by a higher law of moral conduct.

 Application:

What am I thinking?  It’s a good saying and one I should work hard at answering.  But, then, what am I saying?  For that is a thought pronounced.  The thought life of the believer is what God would ultimately clean up, and that which produces evil in my mind needs to be dealt with in a way that is decisive and effective.  If there is unforgiveness, it needs to go.  If hatred, I need to pray till God changes me, and He will.  But if those things and others like them produce speech in me, I myself am defiled by what I have said.  I have spread my inner poison to others who can then form their own inner evils and speak from them.  Words, unlike food, go both in and out, so I must be careful to guard both gates.  So, arresting thoughts and making them obedient to Christ is a very good discipline – indeed even a war.  But even failing that, controlling the outflow of evil from my lips is even more important for it makes me unclean in the lives of others.  May I learn from my failure at both levels and grow in grace and faithfulness.

Prayer:

Father, filth is within me, I confess it.  Forgive my sin and cleanse me from within.  Replace my evil thoughts with the praiseworthy themes of Your Kingdom, for truly it is there to be observed if I would but look and treasure what I see.  I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Matthew 14:25-27 (April 27, 2010)

Scripture:

Matthew 14:25-27  As the night was ending,  Jesus came to them walking on the sea.  When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them:  “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

Observation:

After the miraculous feeding of the 5000 – from only a few fish and small loaves of bread – the apostles got in a boat and headed “for the other side”.  Jesus had been praying and had sent the apostles to row across the Sea of Galilee to Genneserat, a town on its shores.  To join them there, or to join them in the boat (we are not told), Jesus came walking upon the sea.  The narrative is matter-of-fact as it is in John’s account, and the disciples were terrified to witness this breach of natural law.  Body mass would have made that “impossible” so they quickly surmised that it was not a corporeal being that they were looking at, but a ghost.  Of course that was no comfort either.  So Jesus Himself settled the matter, identifying Himself plainly.  What followed was Peter’s dare to join Him strolling on the waves and a lesson of faith that has broad application.  But the sheer fact of His hike upon the water’s surface was, of course, astounding and became a proof point for His divinity (yes, all my capital H’s are accurate and appropriate).  Finally, His words “Have courage! It is I” speak both to our hearts that fear God’s power and our hesitance to believe we can be like Him.

Application:

My Jesus walked on the water.  There is only this one instance, recalled in Matthew, Mark and John, but that means it is the one time He was SEEN walking on water.  It may have happened several times, we are not told.  The One who lays waste to the sacred laws of nature (speaking to the scientific skeptic and delightfully tearing down and dissing his/her false god) is the One I call God and will call God until I go to be in His presence and worship Him eternally as God.  I will not bludgeon those who do not believe this account or other accounts of miracles, for they do not need to believe that Christ is a water walker anywhere near as much as they need to know His blood washes away their sins, but the reason that blood avails is because the Person Who shed it could do things like this.  He is God.  It is one of many, many proof points we have.  May I never wane in my belief in the power He has to heal, deliver and set free, for He walks undaunted by the puny waves that I look upon with such terror at times.  In the scheme of things, they simply do not matter.

Prayer:

O Lord I so need to see you upon the waves, calling to those of little faith to come walk with You.  Grant that I might make that image one that defines me as well, making me as bold as a lion and having the heavenly perspective of calm in the storm.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

2 Samuel 1:23-26 (April 26, 2010)

Scripture:

2 Samuel 1:23-26 Saul and Jonathan were greatly loved  during their lives, and not even in their deaths were they separated.  They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.   O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet  as well as jewelry, who put gold jewelry on your clothes.  How the warriors have fallen in the midst of battle! Jonathan lies slain on your high places!  I grieve over you, my brother Jonathan! You were very dear to me.   Your love was more special to me than the love of women.

Observation:

The lament of David over the death of Saul and Jonathan is not full of tangled emotion as one might expect.  His pursuer, Saul, was finally destroyed.  And his best friend on earth, Saul’s son Jonathan, was killed with him.  But there is no hint of joy or even accusation concerning the person of Saul in David’s song.  Instead there is only deep personal grief.  Saul and Jonathan, often quarreling about David, were together in their final battle.  Their strength in earlier battles was remembered in David’s eulogy.  The nation of Israel had been blessed during Saul’s reign, even though he had turned treacherous towards his enemies.  And the death toll during the battle was much greater than these two, of course.  David then recalls his deep love for Jonathan, who would have given the crown to David and served him as a faithful servant, even as David had served his father Saul.  There is no deeper brotherly bond in scripture than these two.  And now that Jonathan was gone forever, David’s tears are real and come from deep within.

Application:

Am I forgiving my enemies and those who spitefully use me?  Do I give them their due regarding their strengths and all the good they do for the group of people who surround them, the community and the nation?  If not, I need to start making that inventory, for it will help me greatly to forgive them.  I can see that practice in this lament of David.  He never forgot the good things about Saul, never gave up on hope of reconciliation.  May I learn that and draw it into my heart as well.  For in there is the strength to hope.   Am I allowing myself to have close friends like Jonathan?  Do I maintain those friendships across the years and distances?  I am a poorer man when I fail to do that.  For the Jonathan’s I have are a gift from God and if I fail to honor my friendships with my time and energy, I will eventually be deeply mourning that even as David did in this passage.  Finally, let me learn to write down my songs, particularly at the crossroads of my life, for they seal my history and the history of my times and people, with closure and summary that enriches those who will follow.

Prayer:

Father, I thank You for the person of King David.  You are the One Who forged royalty in his life even as he was a poor shepherd boy.  And You taught his hands to play the lyre and sing for the whole nation.  Grant that I may have a heart as his, seeing things the way You showed him to see, so that I might have all the balance as life goes forth from Your hand.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Matthew 10:40-42 (April 23, 2010)

Scripture:

Matthew 10:40-42 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.  Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever  receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth,  he will never lose his reward.”

Observation:

A servant of God can know that heavenly reward awaits them upon the end of their journey here on planet earth.  Inasmuch as it equates to being honored by God Himself, the reward signifies God’s favor on human service.  So this was a very unusual discourse concerning eternal reward.  In it, Jesus assigned those who “receive” (Gk “dechomai” –  accept, embrace as authentic in testimony and calling) the same reward as those who “do”.  The world’s (and frankly, the church’s) superstars have always had a supporting cast, Jesus said that the supporters of those prominently doing God’s will are equal in standing with those who have the standing of public figures.  And the list of supporting work is in diminishing order.  The primary receiving is that of Jesus Himself, which establishes the Kingdom of God within a person.  The next, the prophet, is likewise a public figure.  The righteous person could be anyone claiming to be the righteousness of God in Christ (that is, any believer).  And finally, a solitary cup of cold water given to the least of Christ’s followers is rewarded.

Application:

Jesus spoke in principle here; the list is a short but demonstrable one of diminishing significance.  And .. this is NOT a rival formula for salvation, with eternal life given to those who serve water to Christian marathoners, say.  Indeed, the first statement of receiving Jesus is a prerequisite for all reward.  But .. having done that, I should never judge any small work done in Christ as insignificant for they are all rewarded in heaven.  Therefore I should seek to do that which is before me: the custodial work of the physical house of God like mowing lawns, cleaning toilets, vacuuming rugs or painting walls.  I should strive to serve God’s people – and all people – for we have no idea who will become His people over time.  How can I outdo myself in my service (what a joyful competition!)?  May I never think myself above such things, for the caste-system thinking is from the kingdom of this earth, making the rich richer and keeping the poor as underlings.  Jesus came as an underling to demonstrate this very tenet, let me NEVER forget that or cease to take the visibly lower position.   For when God exalts the humble it is forever. 

Prayer:

Lord, this day I pray to bow low in service.  Though men exalt me, let that never go to my head but help me to remember I follow a Foot-Washer Who taught me to turn this world on its head.  There is Your delight and my reward.  I pray this is Jesus’ name, amen.

1 Samuel 25:26-28 (April 22, 2010)

Scripture:

1 Samuel 25:26-28 “Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, it is the Lord who has kept you from shedding blood and taking matters into your own hands. Now may your enemies and those who seek to harm my lord be like Nabal. Now let this present  that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the servants who follow  my lord. Please forgive the sin of your servant, for the Lord will certainly establish the house of my lord, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord. May no evil be found in you all your days!

Observation:

David had been very angry.  His men had acted as guards over the property, the sheep and servants, of Nabal, a rich landowner.  When the time of sheep-shearing came – when there would be an abundance of goods – David sent men to ask for some leftovers but Nabal insulted them and insinuated that David was nothing but a runaway slave.  So David was going to kill every male in Nabal’s family.  Abigail, Nabal’s wife, caught wind of this and came to meet David before he did anything like that.  She brought the supplies David’s men had asked for previously.  She pleaded with David in this passage not to take matters into his own hands.  His reaction would have been far more serious than the offense caused by Nabal.   Indeed, David was acting more like Saul, his pursuer, than himself.  Abigail took David’s side in all matters, calling her husband foolish (that is, morally corrupt) and an enemy of David.  And she begged for forgiveness for Nabal’s entire household.  In her brief speech, she revealed that she knew quite a bit about David, his exploits and even his heart after God.  Her true goal was not mere self-preservation, but to keep David from doing evil.

Application:

 Where and when am I angry to the point of taking matters into my own hands?  I need to take Thomas Jefferson’s advice and count to 10 or 100 depending upon the level of my anger.  I need to hear the voice of Abigail (her name is Leah in my life) and be talked down from my rage.  Turning points of hurt into places of deep trust in God takes deep discipline, it’s not unusual that we would need help from others at those points.

 But also, can I be like Abigail to the raging David’s around me?  Not always will they calm down, because not all have the ability to trust God or just be patient, but it is a good ministry and pursuit nonetheless.  It’s high-stakes and potentially dangerous work but likewise the results are drastic and extremely vital.

 Prayer:

 Father, keep me from becoming so angry that I am tempted to really hurt other people.  Let not the anger seep into my soul and form a bitter root, but listen to the Abigails in my life and give it to You.  And if I can function as an Abigail, show me when, where and how.  Let me be a peacemaker, for then I will be called a son of God.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Psalm 57:8-10 (April 21, 2010)

Scripture:

Psalm 57:8-10  Awake, my soul! Awake, O stringed instrument and harp! I will wake up at dawn!  I will give you thanks before the nations, O Master! I will sing praises to you before foreigners! For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.

Observation:

There was nothing in David’s observation that warranted praising God.  He was living in a cave, running for his life.  Yet, as was his disciplined practice, he roused his own soul to wake up at dawn, shake off his discouragement, get out his lyre and praise God for all the good things.  His men, hardly the praising type, learned of his strength in this way.  Indeed, in the strangeness of ignoring his feelings and putting on joy like a garment, he became their champion in their heart of hearts as well as the battlefield.  For it was from this that battlefield success proceeded.  It was all for God’s love that David was going through this season; God was working for his good, he just knew it.  The sky was not friendly to David that day, but God’s love extended it.  The clouds were far overhead and brooding, but God’s faithfulness reached them as well.  There was nothing of circumstance or hardship that would get in the way of David’s praise, and likewise nothing that would keep God’s faithfulness from seeing him through.

Application:

Fact: I had only about 5 hours of sleep (again) last night.  However, am I (again) allowing my situation to reign over my heart, to keep me from acknowledging God as having control over my life?  If so, I need to just play the piano or put on a CD with music that God’s Spirit can use to lift me out of the “obviously” discouraging circumstance.  I am to be a “glass is half-full” person, because there is an entire dimension at work in my life that is above all I see, touch or hear.  Morning (like this morning) is for praise, not sinking back into yesterday’s worst moments.  Dawn is light, and there is a light that would shine into my soul and then through my soul to others, if only I let it.  Excuse me as I go play and sing.

Prayer:

Father it is without reservation that I will praise You.  I have no idea what I am being taught but I know it is for my good and that You always have great things in store for me.  So I praise You, Whose love extends beyond the sky.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Psalm 31:23-24 (April 20, 2010)

Scripture:

Psalm 31:23-24 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers of his! The Lord protects those who have integrity, but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. Be strong and confident, all you who wait on the Lord!

Observation:

David ended this psalm of deadly-trial-to-deliverance with an exhortation for ANY person with faith in the Living God keep on loving and serving God with confidence.  David had cited how people were talking about his plight, how badly he was being treated, how his situation looked dire and how it was his sin that caused the whole thing.  Yet he did NOT give up on God, though he might even die in his faith.  This was what made him (and makes anyone) God’s faithful follower.  There was no one else in whom to trust, and his integrity, his inner cohesiveness, was in contrast to the turmoil inside those pursuing him, Saul and his henchmen, who sought to kill David – who had been a faithful servant – only for the purpose of holding on to power.  It would be there arrogance that would be their undoing, as they were humbled by God’s faithfulness to one who trusted in a God he could not see.  Such confidence is the ultimate strength for God’s character will always be displayed in the end.

Application:

Even if I have no human enemies who seek my life such as David did, I certainly have spiritual ones.  Their craft and strategy have not changed from David’s time: circumstances that disfavor God’s people, bad news from afar, rumors and bad reputation by those who watch the failure and apparent futility.  All these factors and more tempt me, the believer, to give up on God and conform a mentality of doubt and arrogant self-reliance.  At those times, may I continue to persevere in my faith, exhibiting all the fruits of the Holy Spirit, trusting even beyond what I have trusted for to this day.  And may I then see God’s deliverance and victory over the oppression that would threaten to take me down. 

Prayer:

Father, build my faith through all my battles.  And let me see the ploys of the enemy, not giving up but holding fast when faced with the faithless onslaught.  Cleanse my motives to serve you with integrity even in the middle of the storm.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Matthew 6:33-34 (April 19, 2010)

Scripture:

Matthew 6:33-34 But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.  

Observation:

If the accumulation of wealth becomes our focus, we will by nature worry about our portfolio, our savings and become spendthrifts towards everyone and everything, including God.  It is putting the cart before the horse.  Through several illustrations in Matthew 6, Jesus makes the overriding point that God both knows our needs and is pleased to meet those needs.  Our pursuit, our focus and priority is to be the Kingdom of God and all that entails: giving to poor, building up of the church (the people that is) and the furtherance of the Gospel.  That, plus our own personal righteousness, our turning from sin and towards godly motives and behavior, will lead to all the rest of “these things” to come to us.  Instead of worrying about where even our next meal is coming from, if it be our calling to live on that particular edge of the faith walk, we can know that God will meet our needs each day, and one day at a time.  Our main concentration should be on the present.

Application:

A popular misquote of the Bible is “money is the root of all evil”.  It’s very important to make the distinction of the actual text “the love of money is the root of all evil”.  There are no more worried, distraught people than those who run after ever-increasing wealth.  The very things that were to provide security on produce overwhelming concern that it they never have enough and therefore that they must continue that pursuit no matter what they have accumulated to date.  May I learn from that trap and give not just my firstfruits to God, but my all.  It’s a radical, cross-cultural lifestyle we are called to in Christ, but one that frees me from all kinds of temptations and angst.  It is not the teaching of Christ that I not pay my bills, make a regular wage or even have financial plans.  It is simply that those must be subordinate to seeking His Kingdom and righteousness.  They spring from that seeking, never ever the other way around.

Prayer:

Father,  I surrender again all that is mine to Your service and Your Kingdom.  Grant that I would have the wisdom to work this out in detail, that the daily practice would provide a clear application of Your stewarding principles.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Psalm 59:16-17 (April 17, 2010)

Scripture:

Psalm 59:16-17 As for me, I will sing about your strength; I will praise your loyal love in the morning.  For you are my refuge and my place of shelter when I face trouble. You are my source of strength! I will sing praises to you! For God is my refuge, the God who loves me. 

Observation:

When David writes “as for me” in the psalms, he is separating himself from the fray, from the turmoil, anxiety and disappointment that would threaten to pull down his life of faith.  He wrote this psalm when King Saul, to whom he had been completely loyal, sent assassins to the home of Saul’s daughter, David’s wife Michal.  This betrayal and the sudden thrust from hero to fugitive would shake anyone’s world.  But David summons a strength forged much earlier in his life.  The shepherd boy remembered his Shepherd. He knew God’s love was loyal, that God was stronger than his pursuing enemy, that God was his only true refuge in such trouble, his only source of strength.  When people had proven completely untrustworthy and treacherous, David had no other means of deliverance but only the Lord in whom to trust, for he knew God loved him.

Application:

People have betrayed me and they will betray me.  Those I have placed confidence in have turned into enemies, intent upon my humiliation in defeat.  And truth be told, when relationships sour due to any number of reasons, I have the potential for turning upon those who have trusted me.  It may not be with the bloodlust, the self-protecting and –preserving malice of Saul, but only with the “polite” dismissal of another’s potential due to incompetence or some other fault I dream up.  In the first place, I must find confidence in the Lord to withstand the betrayal dealt me.  God’s love is not fickle, and when I am betrayed it does not portray his heart toward me in the least.  He is my refuge and that is forever.   In the second place, if I am one who betrays others who have trusted in me, I must become accountable to God in my innermost person and communicate His love even if what I do is a disappointment that can be perceived as betrayal by others.  May I be sensitive to that perception always and may I tell others of my refuge that they too may learn to trust in his unfailing love.

Prayer:

Lord, I need You at every point.  Betrayal is one of the most traumatic things people can go through.  Grant that I might not take disappointment to heart or think that it comes from You, when it can be used to strengthen my faith and make me realize what a great refuge I have.  And keep me far away from attitudes, words and actions that can let others feel betrayed.  Let me walk in Your love always.  In Jesus’ name, amen.