I Samuel 29 –II Samuel 12 David strengthened himself with trust in his God. Not plans, or past victories, or even godly friends—with the Lord. May that always be the first place I go, Lord.
Just noticed that while David was ruling from Hebron for 7 ½ years, he had six children—each born to a different woman! It looks like he had a problem with women long before Bathsheba. I wonder if he ever sensed that they were his Achilles tendon. Do I have a sin in my life that I think I can ‘handle’? History shows me that’s not likely. I need to deal harshly with the enemies of my soul and not let them be my ruin.
II Samuel 13-22 What treachery and wickedness and dysfunction comes when we hold grudges & don’t deal honorably with others. Lack of integrity at every turn. Makes me think of a quote I heard at Teen Challenge—Integrity—If you have it, nothing else matters. If you don’t have it, nothing else matters. Lord, show me how to live before You with integrity in every facet of my life.
II Samuel 23- I Kings 8 Another example of attacking your enemies and not being passive is Benaiah, of The Thirty. On a snowy day (not the best of conditions), he climbed down into a pit & killed a lion. Another time, he took on a formidable Egyptian, when all he had was a walking stick. He took the enemy’s own spear, and used it against him. Something else. Uriah the Hittite was one of The Thirty. David apparently had no regard for his loyalty, when he decided Bathsheba was worth it. The depth to which our sin can take us should make us want to totally annihilate any besetting sin we see in our own life.
David was wrong to have a census taken, because he replaced trust in God with statistics. I need to always be careful not to replace my trust in God with plans & strategies.
From Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple. May He keep us centered and devoted to Him, following the life path He has cleared, watching the signposts, walking at the pace & rhythms He laid down for our ancestors…May our lives be totally obedient to God, our personal God, following the life path He has cleared, alert and attentive to everything He has made plain this day.
I Kings 9-16 King Solomon was obsessed with women, even though God warned him foreign women that would draw him away from God. And they did. He openly defied God. Two things I see: we can’t see our own weaknesses, and we need accountability partners in our lives.
I Kings 17- II Kings 5 Time is always such a huge element in our lives. It was for Elijah too. He would be told something, but would have to wait a L-O-N-G time for it to happen. But after the wait, things happened fast. The way I would do things is to just go along at a nice even pace. But that never appears to be God’s way. Elijah did what seemed good to him—he walked 40 days and nights to the mountain of God. When he finally got there, God said to him, “So, what are you doing here?” Notice that God didn’t try to stop him along the way.
Both Elijah and Elisha dealt with women who were down to their last meal, and yet they gave it to the man of God. Sometimes, when I get down to my ‘last meal’, I get stingy and forget God gave me what I have in the first place, and He will provide what I need but not until I need it. When I hoard things, I stop the flow of God’s blessing on my life and endeavors.
II Kings 6-15 Naaman was asked to do something simple and unglamorous to be healed, and it made him mad. He already had this elaborate plan in his head & that’s how he wanted it to happen. It took the words of a servant to help him see through this & convince him to do it God’s way. Do I sometimes want an elaborate plan that glorifies me, when God demands simple obedience to His direction? There is healing in doing the plain and simple things God calls me to do. There is peace, too, because I don’t have to be thinking up elaborate plans and schemes.
II Kings 16-25 Hezekiah held fast to God-- never loosened his grip—and obeyed to the letter what God had commanded. And God, for His part, held fast to him through all his adventures. I like the concept of my life being an adventure. I firmly believe that my life is only boring if I let it be. God has called me to adventurous, abundant living. My part is to hold tight to Him!
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