Tag Archives: daily walk

May 15

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I Chronicles 23:1-23, 6:16-30, 23:24-24:31

Once again we see how excited David is about the building of the temple. Like what we read yesterday, he is still making plans and assigning duties. But in today’s Scripture he goes one step further. He makes Solomon King of Israel.

That was unheard of. A king was a king until he died. Then and only then did the son take the throne.

But David knew the temple could not be built as long as he was king. And he was so anxious for God’s work to be done, nothing was more important. David was single-minded, totally focused on the building of the temple. Not even his own kingship was as important. He gave up the throne, he stepped aside so God’s work could be done.

God is asking me today what I am willing to give up in order for his work to be accomplished. Am I holding on to something or someone that is preventing me from being an effective witness? Am I as focused on God’s work as David was?

God would have me be an instrument through which he can draw unsaved people to himself. Do I really want to be that instrument? Is God asking me to submit a habit, a dream, an attitude so that his work can be accomplished through me? May he find me as faithful as David was and as eager to see God’s will be done.

May 13

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2 Samuel 18:19-33; 19:1-43; Psalms 64, 70, 84, 141, 143

Why do some people have the tendency to want to be in the know? Is it that important to be the first with the news? Ahimaaz couldn’t wait to get to David to tell him about the battle that killed Absalom. After begging for permission to go he outran the messenger to get to David first in order to break the story. CNN has nothing on old Ahimaaz.

Finally David is back on the throne. The Jewish nation could be united at last. But did you read what was happening behind the scenes?

He’s my cousin. Oh yeah well my mom was in card club with his mom. Big deal. His sister dated a friend of my neighbor’s uncle. Yeah? I know for a fact he likes catsup on his fries.

STOP!

Do you realize the person who is most impressed with your knowledge is you? I think we need to be careful not to cross the thin line between genuine caring and gossip.

The men of Israel and Judah missed the point. It wasn’t about them. It was about David. It was about a reunited nation.

And what did Ahimaaz get for being the man with the news? Probably just sore feet.

May we get our priorities straight. If sharing what we know edifies, encourages, further’s God’s kingdom then may we tell it all. But if there is a hint of pride, or self-satisfaction may we button up!

Lord, may your children recognize gossip for what it is. May we take a good look at ourselves and check our motives when tempted to share what we think we know about someone else. And may all we do and say glorify you.

May 10

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Psalms 37, 9, 10, 27; 2 Samuel 15:37, 16:15

What does it mean to ‘delight in the Lord’? David writes that those who do will receive the desires of their hearts. He goes on to say commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will do it.

This sounds like a recipe for getting my way. Like my nephew’s dog who rings the bell by the door when she wants to go out. Sure, she rings the bell when she needs to relieve herself in the  yard. But she also rings the bell if she sees a squirrel or hears the neighbors dog outside.

So is David saying if I love God enough, if I ring the love-bell just right I’ll get whatever I want? Is God that genie in the sky who grants wishes if we feel the right feelings or say the right words?

David’s psalm goes on to talk about the battle he has going on with his enemies. In fact, all the psalms we read today are about struggle and victory. They are about wickedness and righteousness. In other words, they are about victory over sin and our enemy, Satan.

If we take a few verses out of context because we like how they sound we don’t have an honest interpretation of Scripture. So what does it mean to delight in the Lord? Read on. Trust, commit yourself to God, do good, be still, turn from evil. The Bible says we are to love God with all our hearts, our minds, our souls.

It’s kind of funny. If we love God like the Bible tells us to, if we are committed to him, if our walk with him is grounded in Scripture, our desires come from him, too. It’s no longer what we want but what he wants for us. Then we will receive the desires of our hearts, his desires for us.

Father, thank you for always wanting what is best for us. Help us to stay so close to you that we will want what you want. Help us to lay aside our selfish ambitions and trust you with every detail of our lives. May we delight in you and praise you for all you do.

May 7

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2 Samuel 5:13-16, 13:1-15:6; I Chronicles 14:3-7, 3:4-9

Did you ever want something so badly you couldn’t think of anything else? This thing, or this person would become your obsession. You’d think about what it would be like to have it, you’d dream about it, agonize over it. You get to the point where you believe you’d never be happy without it.

Maybe wanting this thing began to effect your day-to-day. You became moody or depressed or angry. You may have prayed God would give it to you, even if you knew it was a sin. You convince yourself you deserve it.

But does getting that thing ever bring the happiness you envisioned? Amnon took Tamar and once he had sex with her he hated her. His obsession ruined his life, Tamar’s life, and effected his  entire family.

Do you find yourself thinking… I’d be happy “if”? If I got married, if I had a different job, if I had a nicer house or drove a better car.

God is reminding me that if my focus is on anything or anyone other than him I am worshiping an idol. And he is very adamant about me not worshiping anyone or anything but him.

Amnon allowed himself to entertain sinful thoughts which became his focus. As he continued to feed his thoughts they grew until he was out of control. The result? Let’s just say it ended badly for all of them.

May the thoughts we think, the desires of our hearts be acceptable to God. And if we find our focus is on anything other than God, may we recognize it as sin and repent of it before we, too, are out of control. 

 

May 1

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2 Samuel 23:8-12, I Chronicles 11:1-14, 2 Samuel 21:19-22, I Chronicles 20:5-8, 2 Samuel 10:1-19, I Chronicles 19:1-19, Psalm 33, 2 Samuel 11:1, I Chronicles 20:1a

David was just being kind. Some guy’s dad died so David sent some of his men to calling hours. Well, at least to express David’s sympathy and to show kindness to the grieving son.

But the son, along with his frat buddies, treated David’s men shamefully. I’m pretty sure they had quite a laugh at half-shaven faces and bare bottoms. That’s just mean.

Have you ever reached out to someone only to have that person laugh at you or humiliate you? Kindness is not always met with gratitude, is it?

Yet Jesus tells us to treat others the way we’d like to be treated. There are no “ifs” in that command. Jesus spent a lot of his short ministry telling us and showing us how important it is to treat each other with kindness.

There is no guarantee your kind deed will bring about good, however. The person to whom you show kindness may reject you, humiliate you, or repay you with evil. So why take the chance?

Because when you show kindness you have the privilege of being God’s hands, feet, and voice. Your kindness may be an avenue by which God wants to reveal himself to someone who needs him.

Why take the chance of humiliation?

Because God asks us to.

April 30

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Psalms 24, 65, 68, 110, 19, 2 Samuel 8:1, 21:15-18, I Chronicles 18:1, 20:4

I remember memorizing Psalm 19 when I was a kid. I’d have to study it some to get through it without looking. But often these words come back to me even today.

Nature declares the glory of God and the work of his hand. It’s foolishness to look at our world and deny it’s Creator.

David also writes about what Scripture means to him. Scripture is sure, lovely, precious and sweeter than honey. I so agree with David about that.

Then in verse 12 he confesses sin and asks God to keep him from willfully sinning.

Verse 14 has become my life verse recently. Has a verse ever stuck with you and seem to direct your life for a time? I Corinthians 10:13, Proverbs 3:5, Job 23:10 have been some of mine over the years. I find as I grow and change, God seems to bring the perfect Scripture to mind and use it to mold me into the woman he intends for me to be.

Lately God seems to be focusing on my heart’s attitude and my witness… the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart.

So I will keep this verse before me until he nudges me toward another. Until then, my prayer will be that those things in my life will be pleasing to my Rock, my Redeemer.

Father God, thank you for your Word. With David I praise you for the sure, lovely, precious and sweet Scripture that you so lovingly breathed into the ears of your servants so many years ago. Thank you that, even though those words have been around for centuries, they are alive and active  today. May we be sensitive to what you would have us learn as we open these precious pages each day.

April 29

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2 Samuel 6:12-23, Psalm 15, I Chronicles 15:1-16:43

Did you catch what David said about the first time they tried to move the ark? He said they had done it without going to God first. The second time went well because they looked to God for instruction and carried the ark exactly the way Moses told them to years ago.

David had wanted to do the right thing but God made it plain that David needed to do the right thing God’s way.
It’s the same lesson we saw yesterday. Not every good deed can be blessed of God. Not everything done in Jesus’ name is from him.

If what we do isn’t bathed in prayer first, what we do can be sin in God’s eyes. Before we go about our day, before we make some grand gesture we think will please the Lord, let’s spend time in his Word so we can know his heart. Let’s go before the throne and commit our day and desires to him.

Let’s not put the ark on the cart when he warns us to carry it with poles.

Father, I thank you that you are a God who leads his children. Make plain your will for us today. And may you find us faithful.

April 27

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I Chronicles 12:23-40, Psalms 2, 78

I thought it was interesting to see how some of the warriors were described. ‘Zadok, a brave young warrior’. ‘Issacher understood the times’. ‘The men of Zebulun were experienced soldiers’. ‘Men of Daniel ready for battle’. ‘Men of Ephraim were famous in their own clan’. (that one makes me smile)

So God is asking me how I think I would be described. How would I want to be described?

‘Connie the lazy one.’ No, I don’t like that. ‘Connie the gossip’. Doesn’t work for me, either. ‘Connie the teacher, the school counselor’. I loved my career in public education. But I don’t think that defines me, either.

I think I’d like to be described as ‘ Connie, the woman who loves the Lord’. Or ‘Connie, God’s servant’. Or ‘Connie the caring one.’ How about ‘Connie, one who looks like Jesus’.

What is it I want people to see in me? What defines me?

I know when I stand before the Lord he will describe me as ‘Connie, the one who is righteous and holy because she accepted mine.’

But until then I have some thinking to do. Maybe I have some changing to do. Because the reality is people are describing me whether I want them to or not. I need to consider carefully what they are saying.

God, thank you for your word to us today. Help us to consider how we are representing ourselves… how we are representing you. May we be rightly described as Godly people. It will glorify you if we are.

April 26

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I Samuel 2:1-5:5, I Chronicles 3:1-4, 11:1-3

There is so much killing in the Old Testament. Abner and Joab were sitting around a pool and decided to each pick twelve men to fight one other. All twenty-four men died. Abner killed Asahel because Asahel wouldn’t quit following him. So Asahel’s brother Joab killed Abner for killing Asahel. Recab and Baanah killed Ish-Bosheth so David had Recab and Baanah killed for killing Saul’s son.

Yet again I am glad I live this side of the cross.

But how does this apply to me today? Jesus reminds me that one of the commandments is… thou shalt not kill. Then he adds… if you hate someone you’ve murdered them in your heart. ‘An eye for an eye’ may have been the way of life before, but Jesus taught us to love our enemies and turn the other cheek. 

In a sense it’s harder to live a holy life in Jesus’ spiritual kingdom. In the Old Testament it was fairly easy to identify sin. You killed someone you died. You committed a sexual sin you died. You worshiped an idol you died.

But Jesus’ kingdom is no longer flesh and blood. God looks deeper than the surface and demands we not only act holy, but that holiness define our hearts, our attitudes, our thought-life.

Dear Jesus, may I live up to your standards today. Guard my heart and my mind and help me to obey you from the inside out.

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.