Monthly Archives: April 2013

April 20

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Psalms 7, 35, 57,142

Have you ever sung the chorus “Be exalted”? Did you know the words were written by David while he was hiding in a cave because Saul was hunting him down? In the midst of trial, while he was being treated unfairly, David praised God.

In this psalm David pleads with God for mercy. He lays his requests all out there for God. Then he declares his faith in God and praises him.

If you are having trouble praying read Psalm 57. I think it’s a pretty good blueprint for how to go to God with our requests. And always let him know you love him, you trust him, and you praise him.

Heavenly Father, I am convicted about my prayer life this morning. I think I’m pretty good about telling you what I think I need and want, expressing my heartache. But forgive me for the many times I forget to praise you. Whether good times or bad I want to exalt you, O Lord. You are worthy of my praise.

April 19

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Psalms 13, 17, 22, 54, I Samuel 24:1-22

Isn’t Psalm 22 thrilling? It starts off with the words Jesus spoke from the cross and includes great detail about the crucification. It’s all there from the mocking and insults, a weak and thirsty Jesus, the nails in his hands and feet, the fact his bones were not broken, to the casting of lots for Jesus’ clothing. “For he has done it.”

There is no way David could have described that scene except God told him. This is quite an example of “God-breathed” Scripture. 

So when I read how David treated Saul, who wanted David dead, I have to believe it as God-breathed Scripture. Instead of treating Saul the way Saul was treating him, David showed kindness and respect. Saul wanted an enemy in David. David wanted a friend in Saul.

It’s human nature, I think, to repay evil with evil. It’s supernatural to treat evil with kindness. I’m certainly not saying we turn a blind eye to abuse or illegal activity. There are laws we must follow.

I used to tell kids it’s hard to be mean to someone who’s nice to you. It’s not impossible, but it’s not as fun, either. Most bullies pick on people for the reaction they get from their victim. Walking away without reacting doesn’t give the bully what he wants. And doing something kind or thoughtful for the bully confuses him or her.

Kindness is not a quick-fix as we will see in David’s story. But Paul reminds us in Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”. It’s a process. And it’s hard. But it works or God wouldn’t have breathed those words into the ears of the writers of Scripture.

Is there someone who is being mean to you or treating you unfairly? Give him a sincere compliment. Smile and say hello instead of avoiding her. They may not deserve your kindness. But you deserve the satisfaction of knowing you have done the right thing.

All I know is, the Bible recommends kindness. Pray about it. See if God would have you repay some evil with good. You might as well begin today.

God, I am blown away by Scripture. Thank you so much for inspiring the writers to put down your truth. I pray for people who are experiencing some form of mistreatment. May they look to you for direction and, if they feel led, do something kind for the person who is mistreating them. Not just once. But as long as it takes to win them over. I trust you, because it is in your Word, that you will bring about good.

April 18

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Psalms 52 & 109, I Samuel 23:1-29

I admire David. God took a young shepherd and promised him a kingdom. It wasn’t going to be an easy transition between Saul’s reign and Davids, though. 

Saul was obsessed with David and followed him everywhere with the intent to kill him. David couldn’t even go home out of fear for his life. It just wasn’t fair. If anyone had reason to doubt God or be angry at the Lord it was David during his years on the run.

But listen to what David wrote while holding up in a cave:

“But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good.”

and

“With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng I will praise him. For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.”

Is life treating you unfairly? Join the club. But instead of arguing with God, blaming or questioning him, instead of dwelling on the unfairness of things, try praising God. If we are honest with ourselves there is reason to praise him. And if we take our focus off ourselves and our situation and place it toward God I believe God will be faithful to be exactly what we need in the midst of our difficulties. 

Dear God, I just want to praise you today. Thank you for the sunshine, the spring flowers that are blooming, your creation that never ceases to amaze me. Thank you for my sisters and their families, dear people who love me and who I have the privilege of loving in return. Thank you for friendships, for the freedom I have to worship you here in America. Thank you for lovingly inspiring men to put your thoughts into words so I can read them this morning. Thank you for standing with me in times of trouble. And mostly, thank you for Jesus who loved me so much he went to the cross to pay for my sins. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who promises to be present with me every minute of every day. And thank you, Holy Father, that you love me and want me to spend eternity with you. I am blessed. You are the giver of all good things and I am truly blessed. You are compassionate, slow to anger, mighty in power and you love me. I praise you today.

April 17

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Psalms 5,59,133,34, I Samuel 21:1-15, 22:1-5, I Chronicles 12:8-18

Saul was actively searching for David in order to kill him. David had to leave his home and hide in a cave. He knew he had done nothing wrong to Saul, yet here he was – running for his life.

In the midst of this turmoil David was able to write some pretty encouraging words. Here are a few of them:

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

“O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

“O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”

Later he wrote:

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

and:

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

“A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”

God is reminding me today that he is greater than anything this world can throw at me. I am not a righteous person in and of myself. I am a sinner saved by grace and when Jesus came into my heart he put HIS righteousness on me as though it was my own. 

So because of Jesus, when I cry out the Lord hears me. When I have troubles he makes himself known and helps me in the midst of those troubles. It’s not because I’ve cleaned myself up. It’s because Jesus stands in my place.

Satan is the Saul in our life. He is actively searching for us in order to destroy us… me. He would steal our joy, cause us to doubt, make us think a little sin doesn’t hurt anything. We have done nothing wrong to Satan, yet he is out to destroy us.

I have shared that I am grieving the loss of my sweet nephew and dear father. Both men have been gone less than a year. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about them and miss them. There have been days when I found it hard to get out of bed, to breathe.

But during this grieving I can honestly say that God has been my refuge. He really has been my strength. I can say with David, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” When I “…sing of (God’s) strength, in the morning I will sing of (His) love”, even when my spirit is crushed, he reminds me that I really do have reason to praise him. As hard as it’s been to lose Dad and Geoff, I am reminded how blessed I am to have had them in my life. They will forever be a part of me. I thank God for that.

My prayer today is that whatever battle you are facing, you will have the same confidence in God that David had. May we all know the sweet release of allowing God to be our Strength. 

April 16

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I Samuel 18-20

Jonathan and David were best friends. What a blessing it is to have that special person who really knows you and loves you anyway.

When I worked in the Middle School I would often deal with friendship issues. If you ask most adolescents who their best friend is they will probably give you a list of four or five of their classmates. As a person matures, the lists gets narrower. A large friend base is one thing. A best friend is another.

We are created to be relational. God did not create us to be self-sufficient or self-reliant. He intends for us to live with, work with, support and love one another.

The relationship between husband/wife, parent/child, coworkers, neighbors, church family, are precious and complicated. But do you have that one person in your life who holds you accountable? Not someone who always tells you how great you are – but one who asks the hard questions, who keeps you grounded? 

And are you that friend to them, too? Do you encourage each other in your walk with the Lord and demand holiness of each other? Do you pray for them and know they pray for you? 

I would encourage us all to nurture a godly best-friendship. David’s life was spared as a result of his friendship with Jonathan. It was that important.

Father, I pray for best-friends today. May we hold each other accountable, to encourage each other in our walk with you. May we be honest as well as loving. And may we honor you in our relationship with each other. Thank you for the privilege of being that best friend to someone dear.

April 15

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I Samuel 17, Psalm 144

This is probably one of – if not the most – familiar Old Testament stories. The boy David kills the giant Goliath with one stone. The little guy destroys the big bully. The story has been referenced in politics, business, sports, warfare. But what is the spiritual truth God would have us learn from David’s story?

David was able to face Goliath, not because he trained or studied hard to prepare, not because he had confidence in himself or his ability. He would face the giant because he had confidence in God. He had seen God help him kill a lion and a bear. Hear what he said to Goliath:

You came against me with a sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me…

Some of us are facing giants from our past, from loss or disease, from difficult relationships. But we all face the biggest bully of all – Satan who would steal our joy, render us ineffective, cause us to doubt.

May we, like David, face our giants in the name of the Lord Almighty. May we see victory today over sin and Satan – over our giants because of Jesus.

Father in Heaven, thank you for sharing this account of David. Thank you that you are the God who defeats giants. Help us to identify our personal giants and then commit them to you. And help us to believe when it’s hard to believe that you are able to help us defeat our enemy. May we trust you today and go boldly into battle. Give us the courage we need.

April 14

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I Chronicles 9:35-44, 5:7-10, 5:18-22, I Samuel 15:1-16:23

God told Saul to go to battle and not take any plunder. Nothing was to come back with the Jewish soldiers. But the livestock were healthy. Saul let his men bring back healthy sheep and goats.

When Samuel called him on it Saul said he thought he would use them for sacrifices.

Once again we see an example of someone trying to go to God on their terms and not God’s. God instructed Saul to destroy everything in that city. Saul thought he had a better idea.

Let’s beware of the temptation to rationalize sin or try to convince ourselves that a sin can be used for God’s glory. It just can’t happen.

Because of his disobedience, God took the kingdom away from Saul. Samuel left Saul and never saw him again after that. Was God serious about taking no plunder? What does Scripture tell us?

Father, it’s not always easy to obey you. Sometimes we are tempted to justify a sin and still think we can serve you. Help us to realize that you mean what you say and you tell us to be holy as you are holy. You tell us to flee sin and if we entertain sin in our lives we are disobeying. Help us also to realize that the consequences for disobedience are great. We want to be a people who love you and who serve you on your terms, not ours.

April 13

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I Samuel 13:23-14:52, I Chronicles 8:1-9:1

Jonathon demonstrated faith in God when he went into the Philistine outpost. “Perhaps The Lord will act in our behalf,” he said. “Nothing can hinder The Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

God was with him that day and Jonathon and his armor-bearer were victorious in battle.

It’s true, you know. God has accomplished great things when one or two people have faith in him.

Billy Graham is one man but thousands have come to the Lord because he trusted God with his career.

Fannie Crosby was one lone blind woman who wrote hymns that still speak to people today.

Two spinster sisters we called Aunt Minnie and Aunt Rose taught Sunday School and prayed with dozens of boys and girls to receive Christ as their Savior.

God uses individuals, men and women who trust him, to win individuals. He justs asks us to have faith and get out there. Let’s remember that as Christians, he is with us and can do great things when we obey.

April 12

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I Samuel 10:1-13:22

Saul is Israel’s first flesh and blood king. He wasn’t real sure he wanted the position, was he? They found him hiding in the baggage the day they annointed him. Some of his neighbors weren’t too thrilled with the choice, either. But Saul proved to be a great military leader and the people eventually accepted him as their king.

But as you read today, did you see how quickly Saul allowed his new-found position to give him a sense of entitlement? Saul wanted Samuel to offer up a burnt offering and Samuel was late in arriving. So Saul did it himself.

When Samuel saw what Saul had done, he told the king that the nation would be taken from him, that God had already chosen his successor.

Once again I am remided that it doesn’t matter who you think you are. God’s standards cannot be broken without serious consequences. You can be a lowly slave or the king of Israel and the rules are the same.

Let’s not get so full of ourselves that we assume God will make an exception for us. Saul found out the hard way a lesson we all must learn.

Father, we bow before you today as the One who wrote the rule book. May you find us obedient, knowing that it doesn’t matter who we are. You expect the same of all of us.

April 11

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I Samuel 6:1-7:17, 8:1-9:27

The nation of Israel had it all. They had the God of Creation as their King. God chose them, to set them apart from all the other nations to bless them, to show himself to the world.

But Israel wanted to look like the other nations. Their neighbors had kings, why couldn’t they? Samuel warned them about the awful things that would happen as a result of having a flesh and blood king. They still wanted a king. And that made God sad.

Here’s where I think prayer gets complicated. God wants us to come to him with our desires. Prayer is an important part of the Christian walk. But if our desires are not in line with Scripture, with God’s desires, we need to be careful.

God won’t make us love him or worship him. If we choose to go the way of the world he will let us. But it’ll make him sad if we do.

We Christians have it all. The God of Creation wants to be our King. And as our King he will shower us with blessings beyond what we can ask or think.

My question is… how important is it that I look like non-believers? Do I need to look like the world to feel accepted? If I do, am I prepared to accept the consequences?

Holy God, I bow before you this morning as my King. May I recognize the privilege I have of serving you, being blessed by you, and representing you to the world. Guard my thoughts and the temptation to want to “fit in” with those who are lost. I want no other King.