I Don't Want To

I don’t want to!! Someone gives me a command (or even just a suggestion) and I instantly fall into thinking, “Don’t tell me what to do!” Today as my Bible study partner and I reviewed our notes and the commentator’s notes for 2 Kings 1, I saw that I am not the only one who thinks like that. Maybe you also fall into that line of thinking when someone “tells” you what to do.

As part of the introduction to the book of 2 Kings, the commentator reviewed the history of Israel, starting with Moses on Mount Sinai getting the Ten Commandments. He actually cited two other commentators:

In a new book produced by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. called Recovering the Unity of the Bible, he calls upon [David Noel] Freedman’s astute observation that essentially all the Biblical books occurring after Mt. Sinai and leading up to 2
 Kings record Israel’s breaking all of the 10 Commandments that are essentially the founding principles that forms the basis for Israel’s existence as a Kingdom of God.

He goes on to assert that as a nation, Israel, sequentially, and in the order on the tablets Moses received, broke every one of the commandments by the time they got to the point in history of 2 Kings. The first two commandments were actually broken at the very moment the commands were given. Exodus 20 gives a list of the Ten Commandments starting in verse 3. Verses 3-4 say,

You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.

The whole story of how they broke the first two commands is in Exodus 32:1-10. The people became impatient waiting for Moses to end his private conference with God, so they took things into their own hands. They formed the molten calf (Exodus 32:4), thus placing another god before Jehovah God and having an image/likeness of something on the earth as their god.

My thoughts: this is human nature then and now. Remember my opening paragraph? For the most part, we don’t like to be told what to do. Even though I profess to be a follower of Christ and diligently try to apply the commands I get from the Holy Spirit, I often fail. In order to truly be a follower of Christ I need to make specific applications that, little by little, lead me to be changed into the character of Jesus. Yet, I often rebel and disobey God of the exact commands He’s giving me.

For instance, for over a year now, I’ve frequently come across in my Bible reading, studying, and highlighting the command to pray – specific and consistent prayer. Yet, each day as I set about my activities for the day, I do not put on my schedule specific and devoted time to pray. I am praying short and pointed prayers throughout each day, but there are some long-term, ongoing requests I tend to forget about. (They are written down in a notebook, which I should also be regularly adding to.)

It’s just too easy to rebel and say to myself either, “Don’t tell me what to do!” or “I don’t want to do that!” Fortunately, even though God’s desire is for us to obey every command in the Bible (Old and New Testaments), He forgives those who fail when they confess to Him and try again. Unfortunately, the nation of Israel was led by men who did not make following the Ten Commandments (or any of God’s commandments except when convenient) a priority for them or their nations. So, one by one (and repeatedly) they broke all Ten Commandments, which we will see in 2 Kings led to God’s judgment. We will begin to look at some of that judgment next week.

Burnout

Pastors need sabbaticals. Not necessarily to recover from burnout, but to prevent burnout. They work long weeks, often interrupted by “emergencies.” There are few professional jobs that require the same amount of commitment, flexibility, and people time as those involved in full time ministry. Along with extended sabbaticals, pastors and missionaries need regular time off to connect with family and God in different ways than the usual.

Elijah needed such a time out. He was burnt out on trying to get the northern tribes comprising Israel to repent and return to the worship of Jehoveh God. While much of his burnout was the result of trying to do things on his own, without God’s direct commands, the result was the same as many who are obedient to God: lots of effort, little hoped for results.

Elijah experienced depression, despondency, exhaustion, fear, and doubts. He was no longer sure of his role and mission that Jehoveh had planned for him. I’ve experienced all those emotions along with a lot of questions about my self-worth, purpose, and even, why I am even alive. I believe those feelings are the natural outcome of getting our eyes off God and His plans for us.

God measures success differently than we do. Our success or failure is not based on achieving tremendous outcomes. Success in God’s eyes is not about getting a promotion at work. Success according to God is not the act of accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior (although that’s the beginning). God measures our success by how obedient we are.

In some ways, Elijah was as unsuccessful as he thought he was. This is because he attempted to correct the Israelites apart from God’s plans. As much as I thought that Elijah was a great man of God, I was taken aback by a deeper study of the Scriptures. In 1 Kings 17:1 (CJB) it says,

Eliyahu [Elijah] from Tishbe, an inhabitant of Gil‘ad, said to Ach’av [Ahab], “As Adonai the God of Isra’el lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither rain nor dew in the years ahead unless I say so.”

This is a vow Eliyahu (Elijah) made to Ach’av (Ahab) the king of Israel. Notice Elijah says that there will be no rain or dew unless he says so. There is no record of God sending Elijah to the king to tell him this. Elijah did it on his own. God did give powerful gifts to Elijah – to use as He instructed – but Elijah took things into his own hands and decided what needed to be done. (Don’t we often do the same with our gifts and talents? Every Christian has been given spiritual gifts but I know I have at times used my gifts for my own glory or to seek worldly success.)

Elijah was trying to reshape Israel back into a kingdom that worshiped the God Almighty. He thought his wrath and attacks would do that. He thought that creating a drought and famine would get the people to recognize the one true God. Yet that’s not God’s way. If Elijah was in tune with God, and had been obedient, the efforts to turn Israel back to God would’ve coincided with God’s character. God’s plan has always been to change people’s course by showing mercy. Elijah missed that point.

So Elijah’s lack of success, his lack of obedience to God, and his working so hard and in dangerous situations, led to his burnout. We need to be praying for our pastors and missionaries (and anyone else in full time ministry for God’s sake). We need to pray they would know when to take time off. We also need to pray and work towards our individual churches knowing the importance of time off for our pastors and full time workers in ministry. And we need to give them, and not grudgingly, the time they need.

Inner Changes or Outward Appearances

“She arrived in Jerusalem accompanied by a very great retinue, including camels bearing spices and gold in great abundance, and precious stones” (1 Kings 10:2). This is, of course, talking about the Queen of Sheba (some theologians believe she should be identified as the Queen of Saba). She came to quiz Solomon with difficult questions. Her purpose was to verify that everything she was hearing about Solomon and Israel was true.

But there was more to it than mere curiosity. She was checking out whether Solomon was worthy of a trading alliance of some type. She was also trying to get an accurate idea of Israel’s God. What impressed her was Solomon’s wisdom AND his wealth (the palace he had built, the food at his table, the way he managed his officials, their clothing). She was indeed impressed. In verses 6-8, this is recorded:

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!

Following this, the Queen appears to recognize Israel’s God as the Lord God (Adonai). Verse 9 tells us she said, “Blessed be Adonai your God, who took pleasure in you to put you on the throne of Israel. Because of Adonai’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to administer judgment and justice fairly.” The question is whether or not she truly believed in God. Remember what true belief is as explained in my November 21^st blog article. It involves action, changes in behavior. It’s not enough to recognize God as the supreme God. Believing means our whole lives change because of our understanding of God and His character.

What impressed the Queen? Wisdom, intellect, and wealth. She was basing her whole opinion of God on how wealthy and wise Solomon was. That was basing her belief in God on outward appearances. In her mind, Solomon and Israel were as affluent as they were because of their God. She evaluated the spiritual condition of Solomon and Israel on outward intellectualism and material wealth, not the deep down inner faith of true followers of God.

I see a warning for us. There are many who proclaim they are in tune with God and are, obviously, doing His will because of the material wealth and reputation they have. Are we mesmerized by a leader’s wealth or charisma? Do we believe everything they say because it looks like God has blessed them? That’s exactly what the Queen of Saba was doing. The caution goes further. Are we convincing ourselves that because we have knowledge of an all-powerful God, we are granted eternal life? The Queen of Saba returned to her land not having changed anything in her life. She was returning to worship the moon god. She was returning without applying any of the Law to her or her countrymen’s lives. There was no change in her life from the encounter, the experience.

I am concerned about many who have had an experience at a church service or some other moment of great emotion, but there are no changes in their life. They return to the same behaviors, the same ways of thinking, and the ways of the rest of the world. True salvation comes from believing and acting on the truths of Scripture, yet so many, after their “mountaintop” experience, never look deep into the Scriptures to learn what needs to be changed in their lives. My heart aches for those people, many of whom I notice may be attending my church and churches all around the world. Consider whether you have significantly changed your behaviors, your values, and your thoughts and pursue the God of the Scriptures that changes lives.

Loopholes

1 Kings chapters 5-8 are all about the Temple being built in Jerusalem. While it’s an interesting read, and the commentator we use (Tom Bradford) highlights some important points we need to understand for our future study of the history of Israel, there are not a lot of practical commands or doctrines for people today. The measurements (in cubits) and the materials used (Lebanese cedar wood, lots of gold, bronze, intricate carvings and statues) are hard for me to understand or really imagine. The Temple, and later, Solomon’s palace were structures to behold. They were easily the grandest things in Israel.

In verse 51 of chapter 7, there are items mentioned that were not included in the construction and furnishing of the Temple or Palace:

Thus all the work that King Shlomo [Solomon] did in the house of Adonai was finished. After this, Shlomo brought in the gifts which David his father had dedicated — the silver, the gold and the utensils — and put them in the treasuries of the house of Adonai. (Complete Jewish Bible)

The second half of this verse says that Solomon did not include David’s gifts in the Temple itself, but put those gifts in the treasury. If we look back at 2 Samuel 7, the prophet Nathan relayed to David what God said about David building the Temple. The bottom line was that David was not to do it. David wasn’t completely satisfied with that answer. David quickly began looking for loopholes. He wouldn’t “build” the Temple but he would supply all the materials needed for it. He wouldn’t build the Temple but he would have fine craftsmen make beautiful and expensive vessels to be used in the Temple.

David was looking for ways to get away with something he was told not to do. He was looking for ways to get away with not doing the commands God had given him. Before we get too harsh with David, we need to evaluate our own lives. Aren’t there things we are directed not to do, but immediately we begin searching for loopholes (think taxes if you can’t think of something else)? Aren’t there places we say, “I’m technically following a rule or command, but not following the spirit of the rule?”

I am confronted by my own loophole hunting. Maybe not violating God’s commands openly and willfully, but how many times do I say, “Just this once,” or “It’s not hurting anyone.” It may not even be a Scriptural principle I’m trying to find loopholes for. Sometimes it’s just trying to get out of doing something I said I would do. “It doesn’t matter that much.” However, each time I lose my integrity, at the very least, I feel bad about me. God gives us rules and commands to keep us safe and focused on Him (not on how many sweets I can eat before gaining weight).

This week I’m going to keep my word (even if it’s only between God and myself), and stop looking for loopholes.

Don't Give Up

Mental health issues are a big part of my life. Lately I’ve been feeling the effects of my cycling patterns with my bipolar disorder, the changing of the seasons, having less daylight, and various life events. I’m depressed.

I’ve searched and prayed for permanent answers so I don’t have to deal with these aspects of myself. I’ve tried to believe that God expects us to be happy all the time. (Notice, I said “happy.” That is distinctly different from the joy I have in knowing Christ and looking forward to the fruition of His eternal promises.) I am coming to a point of acceptance that happiness is just an emotion like any other, and it will come and go from time to time. Just like I should not expect anger, loneliness, or despair to totally disappear from my life as a human being, I cannot expect that happiness will be a constant. God did not create us as robots. He gave us emotions for a reason – I’d say, for information – that we are better able to know Him and serve Him. I can’t say I have it all figured out yet, and probably will not as long as I walk on the earth. I can learn to deal with them in appropriate ways, and I get tremendous help from the Scriptures.

That said, I read Luke 18:1-8 for my Quiet Time one morning this week. This passage is the parable of the judge that was worn down by the repeated appearance and requests of a widow woman. Luke’s narration in the first verse, which introduces the parable, challenged me. I had just written down on my “emotions chart” for my therapist that the primary emotion for the last week has been “discouraged.” Then I read the passage and verse one summarized one of my problems right now. In the Amplified Bible it says,

"Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart,” 

Other versions say “never quit” (MSG) and “faint” (KJV). So I looked up “faint” in Abingdon’s Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (this resource is keyed to the King James Version of the Bible and gives the exact Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) word with a brief definition).  The Greek word is “ékkakéo.” Strong’s indicates this means “to be bad or weak, to fail (in heart):-faint, be weary.” Looking for more synonyms, I used W.E. Vine’s An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: “To lack courage, lose heart, be fainthearted.” I think those words imply that we can do something about the situation to avoid staying discouraged. Note in verse one it says we need to pray at all times, frequently, consistently, and always, depending on the translation. Further, I think it means we are to expect God to answer because He wants to answer. The parable tells of a widow who wore down a civil judge (who did not fear God), and although he didn’t really want to give in to the woman’s request, he did. We don’t even have to try and wear God down. He wants us to ask Him and He wants to answer us, but He wants us to ask Him. He’s just waiting for us to ask (see John 16:24).

So, next on my agenda is to try and figure out what the discouragement is about and pray, and pray again as I encounter discouragement during my days. Figuring out what the discouragement is about will be difficult so my prayer might just be “Help me in my discouragement.” By laying my troubles at Jesus’ feet through prayer, His peace will come over me, even if five minutes later I have to pray again (Philippians 4:6-7).

Past Behavior, Present Behavior

Why are we surprised when people who have done wrong things in the past do it again? In 2 Samuel 20 there’s an account of David sending out his new general, Amasa, to raise an army and go after a man who instigated a rebellion once David returned to the throne in Jerusalem. Sheba’s revolt was unorganized and unsuccessful, but David did not want Sheba to raise any more trouble, so David wanted him killed.

Amasa had been Absalom’s general and David, in an attempt to pacify Absalom’s followers, had elevated Amasa to the commander of his army. David’s nephew, Joab, had been the captain of the army for many years. When Amasa did not rally the necessary troops in the time David had allowed, David sent Joab, and troops faithful to Joab, out to find Sheba. On his way Joab’s army met Amasa’s army. And treachery occurred.

Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰ Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri (NASB, 2 Samuel 20: 9-10).

Joab had no orders to harm Amasa, so why did he kill him? Just like in 2 Samuel 3:26-30 when Joab killed another potential commander of David’s army (Abner), Joab was out to keep his rank in David’s kingdom. He ruthlessly murdered his rivals for the 2^nd in command of David’s kingdom. He had done it before, so we should not be surprised that he does it again. Joab used deception to draw the unsuspecting Abner to his death by Joab’s hand, and here Joab does it again. He greets Amasa, his cousin, with kindness and apparent friendliness as one would a family member. Once Amasa is close enough, Joab fatally stabs him.

Maybe we don’t go to the point of killing our rivals, but where do we act in a way that undermines someone else’s position or authority? Self-promotion at the expense of others runs rampant in our society. We are ordered by Christ to look out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4 NASB: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”) This does not mean we don’t take care of our needs, but it means taking other people’s needs into account in all we do.

Making Decisions

Recently I had the thought to revamp my weekly schedule. I came up with a “brilliant” idea all by myself. The goal was to make more time for writing. As I mapped out in my head what I was going to do, I made assumptions based on my superior intellect. I assumed I’d be stellar in my writing performance without the activities I was cutting out. One was an AA meeting at 8:15 on Monday mornings, and the other was my volunteer work at a mission in my town on Thursday mornings. As I said, I had it all mapped out in my head.

As I said last week, last Tuesday I spent some extended time with God, reading His Word and asking for guidance. I also said that a key thing I received from that time was ideas about how, when, and who to be praying (basically it was before, during, and after I write). The other main lesson was that I should make writing (God’s calling on my life) a priority in my schedule. So I decided to schedule writing time into the time slots I freed up by skipping the meeting and volunteering. I should’ve prayed some more . . .

In 2 Samuel 6 we have the story of David moving the ark of God to Jerusalem. David also made some assumptions about how things should be done. He decided to move the ark the way the Philistines had returned it to Israel (that account is found in 1 Samuel 6). David did not even consider searching the Scriptures or asking the priests to examine the Scriptures to see if God had given any instructions in how to move the ark. As a result, tragedy struck and one of the attendants tried to steady the ark as the oxcart it was in looked like it was going to turn over. That attendant, Uzzah, died immediately upon touching the ark.

David decided to leave the ark in a nearby lodging of some Levites and go back to Jerusalem without the ark. The passage in 2 Samuel 6 says David was upset and frightened of God that day (vs. 8-9). He was afraid of what trouble the ark of God might cause for him and he didn’t want it in or near his capital city. After three months everyone was talking about how the people the ark was left with were prospering above and beyond what was normal. So David decided to move it again.

This time he must have studied the Scriptures and found the passages that explain how God’s ark is to be handled . . . using rods through the designed rings on the ark and having the Levite clan of Korhath bear the ark on their shoulders. It doesn’t say in the text that David did his research and/or consulted wise counsel, but he must have because he knew how to move the ark this time.

Back to my story. My scheduling plan was to take action without consulting God or wise counsel. But I paused – probably the Holy Spirit’s nudging – and sought counsel. My therapist and AA sponsor both told me the same things. Start with every other week so I can keep my accountability in AA and continue to serve world missions by the volunteer work. With further counsel and much more specific prayer, I freed up one day a week to devote to writing by going to the meeting and the volunteering opposite every other weeks. A much healthier plan than I thought should be done.

Are there areas or decisions or actions on which you need to be consulting God? I know there are many other situations in my life where I try to make the decisions for myself and the results do not work out as well as I thought. My goal is to seek God’s Scripture wisdom before I act.

Know It

Hypocrisy. King David did not always do things according to the Laws of God. Saul was mutilated after his death. The Philistines cut off his head and strung his body up outside the walls of a chief city (1 Samuel 31:9). This upset David. Mutilating people after their deaths was not customarily done (especially to kings). Yet, in 2 Samuel 4, we see David ordering the hands and feet of Ishbosheth's killers cut off and hanging what was left of their bodies by the pool at Hebron (2 Samuel 4:12). Ishbosheth was the son of Saul and designated leader of the northern tribes of Israel. So David was playing fast and loose with the Laws God had given His people so many years ago.

This is another example of the people corrupting the Old Testament Laws. The people, including David, no longer knew what the Law said. They had forgotten it and had not passed it down to their children. They were violating it in many ways – just as Christians often do today.

Why does this happen? People are just not immersed in the Word of God. They don’t even know what it says so they can’t tell if they are following it or not. Unfortunately, my experiences indicate that this is especially true for those calling themselves Christians. Many mainline denominations have decided to interpret certain passages of Scripture so that they are convinced it can and does mesh with current cultural biases. Individuals rely on others to teach them what the Word of God says without investigating Scripture for themselves.

In a separate study of God’s Word I’m doing with a friend from my church, there are examples of ways to investigate God’s Word as individual people. (Early Christians were commended for searching the Scriptures to see whether what the preachers were preaching was in line with Scripture (Acts 17:10-11). It’s not just something we can do; it’s something we should be doing. I’m going to briefly look at the suggested ways for getting into and understanding God’s Word found in the NavPress Bearing Fruit in God’s Family.

1.     Paraphrase a verse or passage. Start by looking at various translations of the Bible. Some of my favorites are the New International Version, the New American Standard Bible, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Amplified Bible, the New Living Translation, and the paraphrase, The Message. You can find all these translations at https://www.biblegateway.com/After reading the same verse(s) in a few translations (not necessarily all the ones mentioned above), write the verse(s) out using your own words or borrowing bits and pieces from the various translations until you truly understand what it’s saying.

2.     Questions to be asked. Ask who, what, when, where, why, and how questions of the passage. Also note questions that come to your mind as you read the verse(s) through a few times (possibly also referring to a variety of translations).

3.     Pray through the verse or passage. Look at each phrase or sentence and pray about how it applies to your life and your life circumstances.

4.     Emphasize each word separately as you read through the passage several times. Each word is there for a reason (2 Timothy 3:16). Determine what is the significance of each key word (don’t be fooled; even the word “in” could be significant).

5.     Cross-References. Find them by using a concordance or use Google. What you are looking for are verses that say similar things to the verse you are looking at. You are looking for other verses in Scripture that support the basic concept. You may be surprised how many there are for each verse. I recently used this technique for John 14:21 and found at least 5 Old and New Testament passages that support the concept of keeping God’s Words. (Look up John 14:21 to see what I’m talking about).

6.     Applications to be made. This is a key to true spiritual growth. What specific and measurable step can you take based on the truth(s) in a particular passage. I recommend attempting to make an application for each passage you look at each day. Make it something you can do in one day. For instance, for Philippians 4:6, an application might be to pray each day for a week being careful to give thanksgiving for what has already happened and the promised (yet unseen) answers to come.

Try one of these techniques today. I suggest choosing a different one each day this week and use it in a passage of Scripture you are reading (or should be reading). As a side note, another helpful aid is a little booklet called Woven Writing by Cassie Showerman. This booklet can be purchased at https://godshapedmom.com/shop/ I am using its suggestions and gaining new insight into familiar and not-so-familiar passages of Scripture. Many of the suggestions in this booklet use the same techniques I outlined above.

Abner's Folly

Today I’m looking at 2 Samuel, chapter 2. This chapter starts out with David consulting the Lord about his next steps. There’s a principle in this section about going to God in prayer and then moving out to let God do His work through us, but I’m going to look at another portion of the passage, with a different (but overlapping) principle.

We find out that Abner (Saul’s military leader) tries to establish Israel under the authority of Saul’s remaining son, Ishbosheth. There is quite a bit of speculation as to why Ishbosheth wasn’t on the battlefield with Saul and Saul’s other sons, but for reasons not given in Scripture Ishbosheth did not go to war. So, Abner sets Ishbosheth up as the new king of Israel. This is the beginning to an Israelite civil war between Abner’s (Ishbosheth’s) territories and men, and David’s territories and men.

In the course of time, a faction of Abner’s military rest by a pool, the pool at Gibeon. At the same time, Joab (David’s military leader) had a faction of David’s army also camp on the other side of the same pool. What were they to do? No one is said to have gone to God in prayer. Scripture does not say they consulted priests. So, out of Abner’s own mind, without input from God, he proposes a plan to Joab. “Abner said to Joab, ‘If it’s all right with you, let’s have the young men get up and fight it out between themselves while we watch’ . . .” (2 Samuel 2:14, CJB). The NASB says that they would “hold a contest.” This is the same type of contest there was between the Philistine representative, Goliath, and the Israelite representative, David. We know how that turned out . . . David won but the Philistines did not surrender as agreed upon. The end of this contest does not resolve the conflict either. Each side put up twelve men. As Abner and Joab and the rest of their armies watched, “Each one grabbed his partner by the head and drove his sword into his side, so that they fell down together . . .” (verse 16). The contest was inconclusive as all the champions on both sides died and a general battle broke out between the armies. Abner’s army was routed and chased across the countryside.

The principle that struck me was that we should be careful about picking fights. Being the aggressor, as Abner was, may have disastrous results. Abner obviously thought he had the upper hand, but he failed to recognize God’s role in the battle. As David with his army were the anointed of God, they would have a distinct advantage even if their army looked smaller or less experienced. Bible commentator Matthew Henry gave the following cross-reference to the events in this passage: Proverbs 25:8. “Do not go out hastily to argue your case; Otherwise, what will you do in the end, When your neighbor puts you to shame” (NASB).

I took this as a warning to me. I simply thought, “Don’t ‘create’ strife with the people in my life; it could come back to bite me.” I know that David eventually wins the civil war, but this battle may have been avoided if Abner had not been so quick to start something. What battles in my life could have been avoided if I didn’t start the argument? I’m sure there are some, which I conveniently don’t remember. But now I’ve been warned. I do not have to start things in the future.

A Wise Woman

Returning to the study of 1 Samuel. We’ve been following the exploits of David as he flees from Saul. Saul wants David’s life. God is working in the wilderness to prevent that from happening. Picking up in 1 Samuel 25, we get a break from David’s ongoing struggles with Saul. It’s an interesting side story that shows us some of David’s characteristics (not necessarily positive) and the character of a woman who talks David out of doing something that could diminish David’s future reign.

So, David and his men (some commentators project 600 men by this time), are moving from one place in the desert to another keeping on the run from Saul. While they are out there, David’s friend and mentor Samuel dies. Samuel, who Saul probably still consulted from time to time, was a buffer of sorts between Saul’s irrational obsession to kill David and David who is not seeking to harm Saul in any way. As a result, David moves his men even further out into the wilderness. Lacking for provisions, David sends a few of his men to a very rich man near Carmel to ask for some provisions. This man’s name was Nabal (which means “fool” which will be shown to exemplify his character). The man refuses in a very rude and insulting way and David’s men return with the message.

David became incensed and told his men to ready themselves to go and slaughter every man in Nabal’s household. Here’s where we get to the wise woman. Nabal’s wife heard about the incident from one of the young men. Her name is Abigail (meaning “joy of her father). Abigail tells her men to assemble a large amount of food and animals without Nabal knowing about it. Abigail tells the men to take it to David and she would be following them shortly. Again, she did all this without tell Nabal (who was busy partying with the sheep shearers who were shearing his sheep).

Abigail, according to her word, got on a donkey and went out to meet David. She found him and his heavily armed men coming down towards her. She “hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David and bowed herself to the ground. Then she proceeds to ask David to let her speak, reminds David that he has not taken revenge into his own hands before, asks David to accept the gifts she has brought, reminds David that he is destined to fight the battles of the Lord (not merely avenge himself), and reminds David that God will arrange for him to be ruler over all of Israel.

David recognizes Abigail’s wisdom and withholds his might from harming Nabal. God did avenge this affront to David within a matter of days. Nabal dies after what looks like could have been a severe stroke. Then David marries Abigail.

Were it not for the wise actions of Abigail, it is possible that David would have carried out his plan and murdered all the men in Nabal’s camp. How would the people of Israel have viewed David if he had done so? Would David remain a king after God’s own heart or would he have forfeited God’s blessing on him? We don’t know how things would’ve turned out, but things would have been different.

Garments of a Servant

Looking at 1 Samuel 19 again we see Saul sending out “messengers” to find David and dispatch him – put him to death. Three times Saul sends groups of these messengers to Ramah where David was hiding with Samuel. Each group of messengers is overcome by the Word of God, and drops their weapons and start prophesying along with the prophets. They forget the mission Saul sent them on and no harm comes to David. The spoken Word of God effects change in the hearts of Saul’s messengers.

 Finally, Saul decides to do the job himself and proceeds to Ramah. He is told that David is in Naioth (a dormitory for the prophets). After Saul’s inquiries,

He proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. (1 Samuel 19:23-24)

The Word of God humbled Saul. The only problem was that it was temporary. As soon as Saul left the presence of the Word being proclaimed, he fell back into his evil ways. This can be contrasted to David taking on the garments of a servant to honor God as the Ark of the Covenant is carried into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:14, 20-22). David submitted voluntarily and the presence of God did not leave him when the festivities were over.

The point for me is that some will profess Christ when they hear the Word of God, but maintain evil in their hearts. Everyone will eventually submit and worship the Lord. Some will be forced to by His power at His second coming. Some will do it voluntarily now and then and be honored by God for being His true servants. Don’t be fooled. Some who proclaim Christ in public hold evil or self-gain in their hearts and will not be honored by Christ when He returns (or even see the fruits of the Spirit develop in their life on earth). The few will submit willingly now and forever and see spiritual growth in their lives: kindness, mercy, love, patience, joy, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, peace, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Which will we choose? I choose to willingly and lovingly submit in obedience to God’s Word. I look eagerly forward to submitting voluntarily at the Second Coming.  

One Foot in Spiritual or One Foot in World

It is time for David to make a permanent break from Saul’s court. In 1 Samuel 19, Saul attacks David for the third time. Each time Saul hurled is spear at David with expertise, but David dodged it and the spear stuck into the wall behind David. The previously two times, Jonathan talks to Saul and Saul says he will not attack David again. So, based on Jonathan’s assurances, David returns to Saul’s court.

This time, David “fled and escaped that night” (1 Samuel 19:10). Tom Bradford, a Hebrew Christian, comments that David is on the run from then on. However, Jonathan still tries to hold onto his dad and yet remain loyal to David. This is a struggle many of us share in one way or another.

For me, one of the struggles was holding onto the belief that I grew up in an idyllic middle class household versus recognizing that everything was not perfect. My parents did many things right. They did handle some situations as best they knew how, however, there were lasting impacts on my life that turned out to be detrimental to my emotional and mental development. Like Jonathan, I wanted to believe that my parents were totally good people with minor frustrations that led to consequences for me that hindered my dealing with emotions and events in my life in the best ways possible. I wanted to believe they were all good. Don’t get me wrong, I do not now or have ever believed that my parents purposely set out to hurt me; it just happened as a course of living. It was hard for me to learn to effectively deal with life on life’s terms – a process still in progress.

Jonathan wanted to be loyal to his father and to his covenant friend (1 Samuel 18:1-4). He had one foot in his dad’s camp and one foot following David. How often do we try to do the same thing when it comes to following God? We want to follow God with our whole hearts, but we make choices that place us firmly in the realm of worldly living (whether it’s telling little white lies or hanging around things we know turn us away from God’s best for us). I want to participate in “fun” things in this world and yet still profess to be a follower of Christ. The problem is living like that is energy sapping. It also becomes unmanageable and wrought with problems. In my case trying to be a Christian and engaging in alcohol abuse, led to emotional and physical catastrophe. I couldn’t do both an maintain a balanced emotional life. I see other areas of my life even today that can be like that – if not to the same extreme. I have choices to make and if I waver between the choices of this world and the choices of serving God, my mood and responses to life suffer.

This is an area we all need to consider in our lives. Are we trying to live with one foot in the spiritual world and one foot in the amoral world?

Distractions

There are hoards of things that compete in my mind for the space God deserves. Unlike the Israelites at the beginning of Saul’s reign, my distractions are not responsible for the downfall of nations. They do get me sidetracked from serving God in the most productive ways possible.

The Israelites in 1 Samuel 13 had let the Philistines strip them of their skilled metal workers. At first it probably appeared that it was a small concession for peace to let the Philistines have all the metal workers. The Philistines had basically said, “You will send all your skilled iron craftsmen to us and we will make what you need for you, and we will not come against you in war.” The Israelites were lulled into thinking that it was a good trade. The Philistines, however, were being sneaky and taking away the opportunities for the Israelites to make anything out of metal for their use. This was especially dire when king Saul decided to fight against the Philistines and push them out of the Promised Land. The Israelites were left with wooden implements (mostly farming implements) as weapons, no match for the swords and spears the Philistines had available to them. It is likely that Israelite craftsmen were actually making the weapons that would destroy Israel!

While the Philistines were quietly making it impossible for the Israelites to make physical weapons of war that could be used to fight in God’s name, there are also subtle things sneaking into my life that render me less effective for God. Most of these things are time consumers or time wasters. Some are attitudes and things I allow to corrupt my thoughts and lead me away from God’s truth.

Can you think of any of those things in your own lives? Mindless activities serve a purpose – when they do not interfere with developing a closer walk with God. I enjoy watching television in the evenings when my mind is tired and I’m physically tired out from the day’s activities. Yet I also watch TV when I could be worshipping and praising God, when I could be praying for my concerns or the concerns of others. I often think I’ve done enough and God will let me off the hook for further learning about Him for the day. Yet I am not totally at peace within my soul and therefore there is more space for Him to fill me. That doesn’t happen by watching TV or playing solitaire on my phone.

I want to intentionally change and trust God to help me not let “sneaky” things interrupt my relationship with Him. I want to intentionally be filled with the Holy Spirit in such a way as to be more useful in God’s battles. I don’t want to be caught without my spears and swords.

Some Thoughts From 1 Samuel 5-6

As I reviewed my notes in preparation for my study of 1 Samuel 7, a couple of things jumped out at me. These thoughts, mostly contrasts between then and now, lead me to be thankful and full of praise.

First, the ancient peoples had gods. Many of them. They would incorporate any conquered nation’s gods into their own system of belief. They were afraid of offending any god and believed the more gods there were on their side, the better. They offered gifts, sacrifices and offerings to all the gods hoping it would bring favor upon them. Yet, they were never sure that any of that made any difference so they would increase the stakes and offer even more and more outrageous things (even to the point of sacrificing children). No matter what they offered, success and good fortune were still up for grabs and a matter of luck.

Fortunately, we have one God, who is able to act on our behalf. Our one God showed Himself to be infinitely more powerful than the god of the Philistines (without the help of humans, He knocked over their god and broke off its head and hands). God is truly at work in our world, then, throughout history, and today. He can act apart from our actions, but He wants to act in response to our steadfast and believing prayers. He can intervene on behalf of His own glory and honor, but He’s given us responsibility to call Him into action. That doesn’t mean He changes His mind because of our prayers, but it does mean when we pray we will see the “supernatural invade the natural” (Pastor Mark Wilson, June 2018).

Second, the ancient people had to worry about retaliation by the gods. They feared punishment. However, because of Christ’s sacrifice fulfilling all the rituals once and for all, we do not have to fear punishment from God. He doesn’t approve of disobedience to His commands (both those in the Old Testament and the New Testament), but He doesn’t mercilessly punish us. He does discipline us in hopes that the discipline (like that of a good Father) will lead us back into obedience and right living. We must also keep in mind that His commands are designed with our wellbeing in mind. Obedience leads to healthier lives, better relationships, and greater purposes as we go through life on this earth. Temptations will still come; we live in a sinful world. However, obedience lessens the impact of those temptations and gives us the tools we need to do the right things in spite of the temptations Satan throws at us.

I’m thankful there is a God who is powerful and at work in our world (and my life) today. I’m also thankful that my God is a merciful God who disciplines me so I can live a better, safer, happier, and healthier life.

Scripture Memory

God’s Word tells us to hide His Word in our hearts. That could mean many things; however, for me it simply means memorizing Scripture. There are lots of reasons for doing this and many ways to attempt to do it. I’d like to share my thoughts on the matter.

First, why memorize? I don’t know any other way to have Scripture readily available to me than to have it in my mind. When Jesus was out in the desert alone for 40 days, He did not have the scrolls of written Scripture with Him. Yet, when Satan made his attacks on Jesus, Jesus quoted Scripture, like wielding a sword, to fight off the attacks. If Jesus is our example, we need to have Scripture readily available to us to fight off the attacks that are used against us to throw us off track in our life in Christ.

Also, having Scripture memorized is vital in accurately sharing the Word with others. It’s God’s Word that creates change in people – no matter how elegant one’s speech might be. I want my conversations, especially with those who don’t yet know Christ, to be filled with the truth. I’m not saying that I need to go around quoting Scripture to everyone all the time. What I’m saying is that when conversations turn spiritual in nature, I want to be saying only that which God would approve of. Having His Word foremost in my mind, I am more likely to do that.

Those are just two reasons; there are more. So, why is it so hard to memorize Scripture? I hear that question often when I’m trying to suggest to someone that they give it a try. I was introduced to a Scripture memory plan a long time ago, and I still use this plan today to memorize and review Scripture. I suggest trying it for yourself if you are just starting out on this aspect of your Christian walk or are having trouble memorizing Scripture.

First assign the verse a topic (topic ideas). Right now I’m working on a set of verses that give me assurances of different aspects of the Christian life. The first topic is “Assurance of Salvation.” The corresponding verse is 1 John 5:11-12. So to start memorizing it, I start by memorizing the topic and the reference. Once I’ve repeated those aspects several times, I ADD the first phrase of the verse and repeat until I can say the topic, reference, and first phrase aloud without making a mistake. Then I repeat the process adding a second phrase of the verse. Each time I review I start at the beginning with the topic and reference, then the parts of the verse I have memorized, adding phrases one at a time until it’s firmly established in my mind. I conclude with saying the reference again.

There are several key points to this process. For further explanation go to the discipleship tools web site of the Navigators. Another key thing for me has been writing the verse (with the topic and the reference before and after) on cards (I’m currently using mini flashcards on a ring available at Amazon). Having the verses on cards allows me to carry them in my purse or in my pocket so I can pull them out and review often. Repetition and review are keys to getting the verses firmly planted in our minds. I like to say that over-learning them is good. They become second nature like reciting your phone number or your address. When’s the last time you forgot your address?

I’ve found this system to work and the memorized verses have stayed with me. I can’t say I remember word for word every verse I’ve memorized, but as I work through the Assurance verses again with a friend, I’m amazed at how easily the verses come to mind and how little “re-learning” I have to do.

Several links are highlighted above for resources to some of the concepts included in this article.

Quick Thoughts on Philippians 4:4-8

I did not have time this week to write a blog article. Appointments and computer problems got in the way. However, I do have some thoughts on Philippians 4:4-8 and being anxious for nothing.

My Bible study partner and I have been using Max Lucado's book and study guide on this passage of Scripture: Anxious for Nothing. I highly recommend it for everyone, and especially for those who struggle frequently with the issue of anxiety.

In the midst of these familiar verses is verse 5: "Let your forbearing spirit (gentleness) be known to all men. The Lord is near." In situations that can bring me anxiety, remaining gentle and kind, -- instead of frustrated, angry, and defensive -- can help soothe the situation instead of creating further anxiety. And the reason this is possible? Because the Lord is near. Some versions say, "The Lord is at hand." This is not only a true statement, it is key to our existence. He's available. He's taking care of things. He's always working and using situations in our lives to bring about His glory.

Knowing that, we can lay aside our anxieties and trust Him. We can more easily do what verses 6 and 7 say to do: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, practicing verse 8, meditating on the good things in this world and on the good character of God, will impress upon our hearts and minds the fact that the Lord is near. Peace comes from that.

Doing this study and memorizing this passage (in its entirety which I've never done before), has given me a new sense of God's peace in my life. I highly recommend it for everyone. If purchasing the books is not possible, meditating on Philippians 4:4-8 will change your perspective as it's changed mine. And the peace of God will guard you as a result.

Resolved

There’s a lot of stuff going on in my life these days: doctors’ appointments, regular appointments, engagement party, trips to and from Kalamazoo to see one daughter, volunteer work, preparing healthy meals, communicating with my husband, listening to my daughters and son, and more. Those things could easily grab my attention and hold my attention. I don’t need to plan to do them; they just happen.

However, there are more important things, things I could easily put off as not urgent in my life. Only God would know if I didn’t do these important things. My relationship with God would suffer greatly if I didn’t do my morning routine things, but would anyone else even know? I can fool myself into thinking that I’m not hurting anyone if I let the routine of meeting with God daily slide for a few days. The reality is something altogether different. I would be grieving the Holy Spirit and causing myself much suffering – mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Ignoring this aspect of my life would eventually affect all my relationships and efforts towards joyful living.

I need to continue to resolve each morning, each time I falter, each night that I will be about God’s work. That starts with daily Bible reading, praise and prayer. It continues with sharing Jesus wherever and whenever I can. It also means loving unconditionally as God loves us – even sacrificing my life to help others if that became necessary. More often I don’t have to sacrifice to the point of death. It means putting the needs and concerns of others ahead of my own. And I can only love and serve that way if I’m in regular, intimate, contact with God.

Daniel resolved to follow God no matter what (Daniel 1:8). Different translations of the Bible use different words to describe Daniel’s mindset as he was made a captive of a foreign culture and kings. “Made up his mind” (NASB). “Was determined” (NLT). “Resolved” (NIV). “Purposed in his heart” (KJV). One commentator (Fronczak, p 22) explained it this way: “a strong word that means to be devoted to principle and to be committed to a course of action.” That’s a challenge to me today. It’s great (and beneficial) to have strong intellectual convictions, but if I don’t act on those convictions, I’m not really resolved. I can give a nod to the concepts of daily reading the Scriptures, Bible study, Scripture memory, frequent prayer, regular praise, Christian fellowship, serving others, and sharing Christ wherever possible BUT unless I do something about each of those things, my agreement means nothing. “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves (James 1:22 NLT).”

Expression of Intimacy: Praise

I love praising God. For a while, in the first 5-6 years of my Christian life, I praised God every day for at least five minutes. This came about because of an application I made from a seminar I went to with the woman who led me to Christ. I don’t remember a whole lot from that seminar (probably in 1979), but I remember the application. The speaker challenged us to pledge specific vows to God, and be amazed at His help at keeping the vows. I vowed to praise God for five minutes every day, early in the day. For many years, day in and day out, the Holy Spirit reminded me of my vow when I (almost) forgot about it on some days. Before I could close my eyes at night, the Holy Spirit would say to me, “Where’s today’s praising?” I would sit up in bed, thank God for His faithfulness in helping me to remember, and complete my five minutes for the day.

It was more than a habit. Some days it was what tied me to reality and truth in my messed up mind. Some days it brought me great joy and assurance. Some days it drew me closer to a fellow Christian as I asked them to praise with me. I truly believe doing it, wholeheartedly, kept me from falling off the deep end of depression or soaring to the psychotic stages of mania. I didn’t know I had a mental illness back then so there were no doctor-prescribed meds to keep me stable. I’m not saying I was “stable” during those years; I’m saying that things could’ve been much, much worse, either lows or highs. It was my source of hope when all else seemed to be hopeless.

I’m not sure why or when I stopped doing it. I do know that if I had kept it up, my journey into insanity might have taken a different route. I wish I had kept it up, but I didn’t. Over the years, I’ve thought about that vow and made attempts to start doing it again, but did not have a lasting practice of doing it. In my Bible study this week on Intimacy with God by Cynthia Heald, the topic was how praise is the expression of the intimacy we have with God. The greater our intimacy the more frequent our praise. I was convicted again about doing the praise daily; however, this time I’m renewing my vow to God and trusting the Holy Spirit to remind me daily to follow through on keeping it. In order to hold myself accountable, I decided I will write the praises out in a journal.

Scripture supports the concept of praising God frequently. Psalm 89:15 in the NIV says, “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.” I’ve experienced many blessings because I learned and practiced giving God acclaim. Acclaim’s definition is to “praise enthusiastically and publicly.” Synonyms include “praise, applaud, cheer, commend, approve, compliment, celebrate, rave about, exalt, extol, and honor.” If we consider God’s character, it becomes easier and easier to acclaim Him, and that comes about by growing in intimacy with Him.

One of the best ways to begin praising God is to pray back to Him Scripture, especially some of the Psalms. I decided to memorize Psalm 150:1-2 because in those verses I am given plenty for which to praise God:

Praise the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

Praise Him for His mighty deeds,

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

Follow Spirit's Leading: Acts 8:26

There’s a couple of applications I got from studying this verse and its context. The verse says, “But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Arise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza (this is a deserted road)’”

I usually ask the question, “What does this verse/passage indicate I should do in my world?” We have to be careful to not take the (true) stories of the Bible’s history books, but sometimes there’s an example to follow. In this case this story is another example of the Holy Spirit directing Philip to further ministry. Philip was probably content, even excited, to be part of the Christian experience and explosion in Samaria. Things were happening there. It was an exciting place to be and there were lots of people becoming Christ-followers. Who wouldn’t want to be in on that excitement and celebration!

However, Philip was still open to the Spirit’s leading. And the Spirit (called in this passage “the angel of the Lord”) told Philip to leave the party, leave the ministry in Samaria to someone else, and go somewhere else. That somewhere else probably didn’t make a lot of sense to Philip. The Spirit told Philip to go to a deserted road where there were few, if any, people hanging around. But Philip did what he was led/told to do.

The application for me is three-fold. First, am I listening for the Spirit of the Lord? Sometimes when I’m reading the Word of God I will be pricked to do something. It’s not often but I think it probably happens more than I think and I’m just not listening. I need to pray before reading, during reading, and after reading for God’s guidance in my life.

Second, am I willing to do what the Holy Spirit tells me to do? Philip left immediately for the Gaza road. I need to be as obedient as that . . . taking action immediately. I’m not talking about leaving to go on a mission around the world (or even across the state). I’m talking about doing the things God has told us to do in His Word. I can’t just read about proper thinking and meditating (Philippians 4:8 – whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good repute, excellence . . . let your mind dwell on these things), I have to train myself to turn my thoughts to those kinds of things instead of all the negative thoughts I, naturally in my sinful nature, tend to think about. There are many other things that are clearly the will of God as explained in Scripture that I need to be doing something about.

Third, am I willing to do what the Holy Spirit tells me to do even if it doesn’t seem to make sense to me? Philip was told to go to a deserted road. Presumably there would be no people there and Philip would be all alone. What I need to remember is that God has a purpose for us doing, thinking, going to the things and places He directs us. When Philip got to the desert road, there was a God-fearing man from Ethiopia who needed to hear the whole truth about Jesus. God may be sending us out to reach one person or a multitude. Our job is to take the next step in obeying Him, be all-in, and wait expectantly for God’s purpose to show up.