Wouldn't It Have Been Easier To Simply Say "I'm Sorry"?

2 Samuel 10:1-6(NKJV)

1It happened after this that the king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 

2Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon. 

3And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”

4Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. 

5When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

6When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand foot soldiers; and from the king of Maacah one thousand men, and from Ish-Tob twelve thousand men. 

Why is it that we as humans have a tendency to escalate things all out of proportion?

One of the things that I like about David is that he remembers those that have helped him in the past and he tries to return or repay that kindness.  In this case however his kindness is met with suspicion.  So much so that Hanun ends up shaming David's messengers.

Now I've got to admit that the Bible has a certain flair for this kind of stuff.  Hanun shaved off half of each person's beard and then cut the seat of their pants out so their butts are showing.  I just get such a kick out of that.  This is the Bible we are talking about here, the inspired Word of God, and we find this in there?  God has a great sense of humor in my opinion.

But then look what happens.  When the people of Ammon see that they have really ticked David off, what do they do?  They go out and hire over 20,000 people and prepare for war, and tens of thousands of people die.

Wouldn't it have been easier to just apologize?

Life Ain't Fair!

 

2 Samuel 6:6-8(NKJV)

6And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 

7Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. 

8And David became angry because of the Lord’S outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place £Perez Uzzah to this day.

Of all of the things in the Bible that I have questions about, I think this is the one that bothers me the most.  I'm not saying God was wrong to do it.  I'm just saying that from everything I know about God, this seems totally out of character to me and I simply don't get it.

We hear about God's love, mercy, and justice and I fail to see any of those things in this story. 

They are moving the Ark of the Covenant on an oxen cart.  Nobody is supposed to touch the Ark directly.  Along the way the oxen stumble so that the Ark is in danger of falling to the ground.  Uzzah puts out his hand to protect the Ark and he gets fried for it.

Did Uzzah have any evil intentions?  Not that I can tell.  And it's not like they were traveling on a smooth super highway.  It was a trail so rough that even the oxen stumbled.  It seems to me that Uzzah was simply serving God to the best of his ability.

And yet he gets fried for it.

This will be on the top of my list of things to ask God about that I just don't get!

How Often Should We Ask?

Continually!

2 Samuel 5:17-19(NKJV)

17Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. 

18The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 

19So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

2 Samuel 5:22-25(NKJV)

22Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 

23Therefore David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. 

24And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 

25And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba£ as far as Gezer.

The other day I wrote about how David did things in the correct order.  He would seek God's advice BEFORE acting.  Well here is another lesson.  Keep seeking and asking.

In the first passage above the Philistinians are aligned against David and before he goes out against them He seeks God's advice and God says go.  David goes and wins.  Then in the second passage above the Philistinians come back for more.  Now I would tend to believe that God had already said go so I probably wouldn't have checked a second time.

It's a good thing I'm not David.  David did check with God a second time and it was a good thing he did.  God told him to go again but God told David to use a different strategy the second time.

So when in doubt, follow David's example and keep asking!

The Proper Order

 

2 Samuel 2:1(NKJV)

1It happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.”

Yesterday I wrote about leaders and leadership.  Here is an example of a leader doing things in the proper order.  What is that order?

Inquire of God and then take action.  Most of us tend to do things in the reverse and that is where we usually get into trouble.

Notice how before David takes action he inquires of God.  And also notice that he makes a second inquiry of God for clarification and further instruction.  Once David is clear on God's instruction, then he takes action.

Seems like a great model o follow to me.  Have a blessed day!

How Important Is Leadership?

 

1 Samuel 31:7-8(NKJV)

7And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. 

8So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 

There are many times in the Bible where this scene is played out.  The leadership is killed and the people scatter.  Why is leadership so important?  Shouldn't people be able to deal with the loss of leadership without panic?

I would suggest that this is just another example of the 80/20 rule.  Most things get done by the 20%.  What I mean by that is you are likely to find that the same people who run the PTA or Little League are also the same people that are teaching Sunday School or volunteering at the Gospel Mission or whatever.  The 20% make things happen and the 80% are there to help.  Quite simply the majority of people are not equipped to be leaders, they would rather follow.

So I would suggest that it is vitally important that you chose who you follow with care.  You don't want to find yourself down the road going through one of those leadership crisis's. 

There are very few things that are guaranteed in life, but would you like guarantee that you never have to go through that again?  Then follow Jesus.  He will not disappoint or leave you.   You will never have to worry about being scattered when you follow Him.

It's never to late to chose to follow Jesus, provided you are still drawing a breath.  If you have reached the end of your life then I am afraid it is too late.  Would you like to know who to follow Jesus? 
 

Simply pray and ask Jesus to come in and take over your life.  "Dear Jesus

But David strengthened himself….

1 Samuel 30:6(NKJV)

6Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

How did David strengthen himself?  In God!  David drew closer to God.  David sought out God.  David prayed. 

Do you ever feel overwhelmed and in the need of some strengthening?  Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that you feel powerless?  If so then I would suggest you take a lesson from David.  Actually two lessons combined.  Number one is where do we go to get strengthened?  We go to God.  Number two lesson is even more important.

Who is in control of whether you get strengthened or not?  YOU ARE!  Notice that David took control.  He knew where his strength comes from and David sought it out.  He didn't have to ask God permission.  He didn't have to wait meekly for God to notice that he needed help.   All David had to do was take control and seek God out.  God has promised to always make Himself available to us when we seek Him.

And what is the first and most important part of seeking God?  Why accepting Jesus, God's son, as your personal Lord and Savior.  Have you done that yet?  If not then why not take control right now and ask Jesus to come into your life and take control.  "Dear Jesus…."

What A Lonely Feeling That Must Be!

1 Samuel 28:4-6(NKJV)

4Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. 

5When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 

6And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.

Can you imagine God not answering you?  Just totally ignoring your requests and communications as if you didn't even exist?  What a lonely feeling that must be!

Quite frankly I can't even imagine it.  One of the great things about walking with God is that He has promised to always hear us and answer our prayers.  That doesn't mean we always get the answer we want when we want it but we do know that He hears us and will answer. 

Even when we don't get an answer right away there is a feeling of comfort knowing that God has heard us and He is working on it.  It's what leads to the peace that surpasses all understanding.

How do you get that peace?  It starts with accepting Jesus.  Have you done that yet?  Would you like that kind of comfort and peace?  Then just invite Jesus to take over and guide you.  Just have a conversation with Jesus.  "Dear Jesus.…"

Do the 10 Cs Only Apply To Our Dealings With Other Christians?

I must say I am a bit puzzled by this Scripture.  Does the 10 Commandments apply to all of our dealings with others or just our dealings with other Christians?  After reading today's passage I'm not sure what to think.

1 Samuel 27:8-12(NKJV)

8And David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the £Girzites, and the Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt. 

9Whenever David attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish. 

10Then Achish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David would say, “Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites.” 

11David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should inform on us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’” And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines. 

12So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.”

OK, here we have David saying that they go on raiding parties to other countries where they kill all of the human inhabitants and take all of their belongings. 

Then when David gets back and the Philistine king Achish asks where David has been David lies.  And Scripture tells us that the reason that David kills every living human being is to keep his lie from being discovered.

That sounds like lying, murder and theft to me.  Now I know tings were done differently back then and life wasn't nearly as civilized as it is today but I don't find anywhere in the Bible where it says thou shalt not lie, murder, and steal; except from your enemies.

And I don't see where David is ever reprimanded or called to account for that behavior.  In fact God seems to still consider David a man after His own heart.  The first thing that we see that David does wrong is when he commits adultery with Bathsheba.   

So I am a bit stumped here.  The only conclusion that I can draw at this point is that maybe somehow the 10 Commandments don't apply to our enemies but I have a hard time believing that is the correct interpretation.  There must be something else here that I am not getting.

Oh well, the Holy Spirit will reveal the answer when I need it!

Always Repay Kindness With Kindness, Generously!

1 Samuel 25:4-8(NKJV)

4When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, 

5David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. 

6And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! 

7Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. 

8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’”

Seems like a reasonable request to me.  David is saying "Hey we protected your stuff without even being asked and now we are a bit down on our luck.  Can you help us out?".

Well Nabal tells them to pound sand.  He isn't going to give them anything.  David is extremely offended and he heads up there to kill every male member of Nabal's household.  Luckily Nabal's wife hears what is going on and prepares a generous portion of food for David's men.

She then intercedes and talks to David and convinces him not to take his revenge on her family.

See how much easier that was?  Be generous with your praise.  Be generous with your thank you's.  Be generous with your tips.  Be generous in all you do. 

Why?  Because you never know how that generosity will be  rewarded but one thing I can assure you, it will be.  Let's look at how it turned out for Abigail, Nabal's wife.  About 10 days later God struck Nabal dead.  David was so impressed with Abigail that he then took her as his wife.  So her kindness led to her being one of the wives of the King of Israel!

Strongholds In the Wilderness

1 Samuel 23:14(NKJV)

14And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. 

Do you ever feel that you are doing all the right things for God and yet you seem to be dwelling in the wilderness?  You know, that feeling of "God when am I ever going to catch a break?".  Well let's see what we can learn from the story of David.

David has been described as a man after God's heart.  David was highly favored by God.  David killed Goliath.  He was a valiant warrior.  And yet with all of that, David still had to deal with Saul repeatedly trying to hunt him down and kill him.  As the Scripture above says "David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness" and that "Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand".

Now if David is so highly favored by God, why is he having to go through all of this stuff?  Just like why if we are so highly favored as Christians, do we still have to go through this stuff.  I'm sure there are many reasons but let me sum it up in one statement.  Because that is what God needs us to do right then. 

But lets go back to the Scripture again.  David stayed in "strongholds" in the wilderness.  Notice that while he was in the wilderness he wasn't just out there on his own.  He was in a stronghold and even though he was still being chased, God made sure that David was ultimately safe.

Well guess what.  Even if you are going through trying times God is doing the same for you.  God gives us the stronghold of His Word and His love.  He keeps us safe.  Now even though David had to go through some really trying times, because David was faithful he was ultimately rewarded.

Do you think God would do anything less for you?  Keep the faith and continue to look to God.  God will not disappoint!

Some Days, More Questions Than Answers

But that is OK.  That is what spending time in God's word is all about.  God has given us His word, the Bible, to use to get to know Him.  It is our responsibility to use it.  We are told that we need to "seek" God.  To me that indicates more that just casual reading.

It means digging a little deeper to figure out the things that you read that don't make sense.  God has promised to reveal Himself to us as we seek Him.  He has given us the Holy Spirit to be our guide.

Today was one of those days where I got more questions that I got answers.  God usually gives me something to write about within the reading of one chapter or so.  If I don't get something in the first chapter I just keep reading because surely I'll find something in the second chapter.

No such luck today.  Reading the second chapter just gave me another unanswered question.  Here is what is cool about that.  It doesn't matter.  I know that God will reveal the answers when I am ready to learn them.  How do I know that?  Because I have seen Him do it time after time after time in the past.  It is so cool.

So if you are a new Christian and you haven't experienced that yet, don't worry about it.  It's OK to ask God questions.  It's OK if a certain part of the Bible doesn't make sense to you right now.  Just keep seeking God and He will reveal the answers to you in due time. 

It's just one more way that you build your faith.  Enjoy the journey!

You son of a perverse, rebellious woman!

1 Samuel 20:30(NKJV)

30Then Saul’s anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 

I don't know why but this just tickles me.  The Bible has some really colorful ways of expressing things.  This one just made me laugh.  What did the mother have to do with it? 

And what is wrong with rebellion?  The title says it like it is a bad thing.  I think it is good to see a bit of rebellion, especially in our kids.  Shows they have spirit!

Now you might find that a bit odd but I think it really is a good thing.  There are times in life when we have to take a stand on something.  A lot of times it is a stand against established authority.  That is rebellion.  It takes courage and a lot of self confidence to do that. 

In the case of this Scripture you have Jonathan rebelling against his father Saul, the king.  Saul wants to unjustifiably kill David and Jonathon doesn't want    Saul to do that.  I don't think there are many who would argue that Jonathon's rebellion wasn't a good thing.

So how do we know when it is a good thing or not.  In my opinion you know by being in the Word, being in prayer, and by letting the Holy Spirit guide you.  And how do you get the Holy Spirit to guide you? 

By accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  By simply inviting Jesus into your life to guide you.  Simply have a conversation with him.  "Dear Jesus…."

Knit To the Soul

1 Samuel 18:1(NKJV)

1Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 

Have you ever had a connection with some one like that?  Kind of a best friends thing.  You can't explain it.  Its nothing tangible.  And yet there is just this unexplainable connection.

I love the way 1 Samuel 18:1 says it.  Their souls were knit together.  I'm a highly visual person and that phrasing just paints a nice word picture for me. 

Isn't that also a great way to describe our journey with God?  As we live each day, studying the Word, going to God in prayer, growing closer and closer, knitting our soul to His as it were.

And to think, it all starts with something as simple as accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Simply asking Jesus to come into your life and lead you as you build your relationship with God.

Have you done that yet?  If not, why not do it right now?  If you feel that little tugging in your heart then you know its time.  Just  have a little conversation with Jesus.  "Dear Jesus….". 

A New Lesson From Goliath

1 Samuel 17:4-11(NKJV)

4And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 

5He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 

6And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 

7Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him. 

8Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 

9If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 

10And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” 

11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

We all know the story of Goliath right?  Great big dude who faced off with Saul and the Israelites.  Then David the Sheppard boy comes along and kills Goliath when everyone else was afraid to try.  David did this by relying on God.

Here is the cool thing about being in the Word consistently.  God has promised the Holy Spirit to guide and reveal things to us.  Here is the revelation lesson I got today.

See the second highlighted part above?  That is Goliath talking to Saul and the Israelites.  Here is the lesson.  Don't let the enemy define the battle! 

In this case Goliath is trying to goad Saul and the Israelites into sending one guy out to represent the whole Army.  Who fights wars like that?  NOBODY!  But the Philistines greatest strength was having this giant on their side and he wanted to use that strength. 

And the sad thing was that the Israelis let him.  They let him define the battle and if it hadn't been for David relying on God to help him kill Goliath, all would have been lost.

So no matter who or what Goliath you are facing there are two lessons here.  Lesson number one.  Don't let your Goliath define the battle.  Lesson number two.  When you depend on God there is no reason to fear your Goliath.  God has already given you the tools to be victorious!

The Lord Does Not See As Man Sees

1 Samuel 16:7(NKJV)

7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For£ the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

And isn't that a wonderful thing? 

One of the common feelings among those who haven't accepted Jesus is a feeling that they have already screwed up so much that God would never want to have anything to do with them.  That God could never forgive them.  That they were too far gone.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

What does the above Scripture tell us?  That God doesn't look at the outside, He looks at the inside, the heart.  Are you truly sorry for the past and do you truly want a fresh start?  If God were to look into your heart would He immediately sense that about you?  That despite all of the guilt and feelings of unworthiness you truly want to get to know Him and draw close to Him?

If so then guess what, you're only one small step away from that fresh start.  All you have to do is take the final step of accepting Jesus, God's son, as your personal Lord and Savior.  Jesus has already paid the price for all the things in your past that you have done.  All of them! 

So how do you accept Jesus?  It's easy.  Simply have a conversation with Jesus and ask Him to come into your life and lead you.  Something like this, "Dear Jesus…..".