Weekly Devotion 11.21.2011

God's Plans of Success for the Righteous

2Sa 15:31-37 NLT - [31] When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!" [32] When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. [33] But David told him, "If you go with me, you will only be a burden. [34] Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, 'I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's advice. [35] Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king's palace, [36] and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on." [37] So David's friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.

Absalom had it all figured out, or so he supposed. With David routed from Jerusalem, the favor of the people at his feet, and an army at his side, Absalom might well have had reason to boast using purely earthly logic. The one thing he lacked, however, was righteousness. In Absalom's every action we see demonstrations of his brewing anger and well-planned intentions of revenge, first on Amnon, secondly on Joab, and now on his own father.

In strike contrast to his son, King David relies upon the Lord and the advice of godly advisors for instruction. Almost without exception his actions are first measured with righteousness and the alignment to the will of God. Repeatedly we see the Lord directing the heart and mind of David, and David responding to the Lord's voice. Because of this, the Lord is with David even when nearly all of Israel has turned to serve Absalom. It is here in 2 Samuel 15 that, yet again, the Lord is upon David's very thoughts. While most would be quick to draw the sword, to weep in shame or fear, or flee, David's faith is in the Lord! We see in verse 32 that Hushai the Arkite was waiting for David on the Mount of Olives. What perfect timing! God divinely placed Hushai in the right place at the right time. Hushai would play a critical role as a counter advisor to Absalom to put down the rebellion in Israel.

A valuable lesson is found in the story of King David and Absalom: the Lord directs the righteous to succeed. Proverbs 3.5-6 instructs us to "trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." No matter what situation you find yourself in, know that the Lord has already provided paths for you to succeed. Not merely to flee, but to conquer. So many are convinced that God's paths are to be places of hiding from the world, when in reality, the Lord is leading our paths directly to the battlefield to fight or to the fortress to prepare to fight. The Lord wants us to succeed! We must take action, believing and trusting that He will guide us. The faith of the Christian must be unwavering. James says in James 1.6-7 that "when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord." Are we asking for success? Are we believing the Lord will provide it? David believed, and the Lord sent him Hushai. God's provisions abound in our times of trial and temptation. The question is not whether God will equip us, but whether we will choose to use His equipment to succeed in all we do.

God's Plans of Success for the Righteous

God’s Plans of Success for the Righteous

2Sa 15:31-37 NLT - [31] When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!" [32] When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. [33] But David told him, "If you go with me, you will only be a burden. [34] Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, 'I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's advice. [35] Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king's palace, [36] and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on." [37] So David's friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.

Absalom had it all figured out, or so he supposed. With David routed from Jerusalem, the favor of the people at his feet, and an army at his side, Absalom might well have had reason to boast using purely earthly logic. The one thing he lacked, however, was righteousness. In Absalom’s every action we see demonstrations of his brewing anger and well-planned intentions of revenge, first on Amnon, secondly on Joab, and now on his own father.

In strike contrast to his son, King David relies upon the Lord and the advice of godly advisors for instruction. Almost without exception his actions are first measured with righteousness and the alignment to the will of God. Repeatedly we see the Lord directing the heart and mind of David, and David responding to the Lord’s voice. Because of this, the Lord is with David even when nearly all of Israel has turned to serve Absalom. It is here in 2 Samuel 15 that, yet again, the Lord is upon David’s very thoughts. While most would be quick to draw the sword, to weep in shame or fear, or flee, David’s faith is in the Lord! We see in verse 32 that Hushai the Arkite was waiting for David on the Mount of Olives. What perfect timing! God divinely placed Hushai in the right place at the right time. Hushai would play a critical role as a counter advisor to Absalom to put down the rebellion in Israel.

A valuable lesson is found in the story of King David and Absalom: the Lord directs the righteous to succeed. Proverbs 3.5-6 instructs us to “trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” No matter what situation you find yourself in, know that the Lord has already provided paths for you to succeed. Not merely to flee, but to conquer. So many are convinced that God’s paths are to be places of hiding from the world, when in reality, the Lord is leading our paths directly to the battlefield to fight or to the fortress to prepare to fight. The Lord wants us to succeed! We must take action, believing and trusting that He will guide us. The faith of the Christian must be unwavering. James says in James 1.6-7 that “when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” Are we asking for success? Are we believing the Lord will provide it? David believed, and the Lord sent him Hushai. God’s provisions abound in our times of trial and temptation. The question is not whether God will equip us, but whether we will choose to use His equipment to succeed in all we do.

Who Is Our Refuge?

Who Is Our Refuge?

Psa 54:1-7 NLT - [1] For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "We know where David is hiding." To be accompanied by stringed instruments. Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. [2] Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. [3] For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude [4] But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! [5] May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them. [6] I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. [7] For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.

Where do we turn in times of trouble? Whether it be internal conflict, external persecution, or spiritual trials, the Word repetitively and consistently proclaims that God is our refuge. Such simplicity and obviousness resounds in that previous sentence, yet how often we are inclined to disregard it. The natural, corrupted state of man is such that his solution to life’s ills resides first within his own logic. Should external aid source from that logic, he may well perhaps yield to it, but not if his own reasoning deems it unnecessary.

But is this a Biblical approach? Certainly not. When Saul sought out to kill David, what is David’s response? Thankfully, Psalm 54 captures his very thoughts! He proclaims that “God is [his] helper. The Lord keeps [him] alive!” It is David’s bold defiance of man’s will that repeatedly brings him salvation. David’s strength was not in his sword nor his charisma, but in his heart: a heart that turned all his struggles over to the Lord. How eagerly we need such a spirit! Our first inclination during times of trouble ought to be the immovable truth that “God is [our] helper.” Our very spirits must shout for God to “come with great power and rescue [us]!”

O, Lord, how that is the cry of our hearts today! That we may trust not in our own minds, in our own emotions and strength for deliverance. May You and you alone be our refuge! You are our Father, our Deliverer! Great Messiah! Truly the name “Hosanna”, meaning “help” or “save, I pray”, is the truest name any man could utter in times of trouble! Amen.

Weekly Devotion 11.6.2011

Who Is Our Refuge?
Psa 54:1-7 NLT - [1] For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "We know where David is hiding." To be accompanied by stringed instruments. Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. [2] Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. [3] For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude [4] But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! [5] May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them. [6] I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. [7] For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.

Where do we turn in times of trouble?  Whether it be internal conflict, external persecution, or spiritual trials, the Word repetitively and consistently proclaims that God is our refuge.  Such simplicity and obviousness resounds in that previous sentence, yet how often we are inclined to disregard it.  The natural, corrupted state of man is such that his solution to life's ills resides first within his own logic.  Should external aid source from that logic, he may well perhaps yield to it, but not if his own reasoning deems it unnecessary. 

But is this a Biblical approach?  Certainly not.  When Saul sought out to kill David, what is David's response?  Thankfully, Psalm 54 captures his very thoughts!  He proclaims that "God is [his] helper.  The Lord keeps [him] alive!"  It is David's bold defiance of man's will that repeatedly brings him salvation.  David's strength was not in his sword nor his charisma, but in his heart:  a heart that turned all his struggles over to the Lord.  How eagerly we need such a spirit!  Our first inclination during times of trouble ought to be the immovable truth that "God is [our] helper."  Our very spirits must shout for God to "come with great power and rescue [us]!" 
O, Lord, how that is the cry of our hearts today!  That we may trust not in our own minds, in our own emotions and strength for deliverance.  May You and you alone be our refuge!  You are our Father, our Deliverer!  Great Messiah!  Truly the name "Hosanna", meaning "help" or "save, I pray", is the truest name any man could utter in times of trouble!  Amen.

A Time to Be Still

Psalm 46.1-3;10-11
1 God is our refuge and strength, 
   an ever-present help in trouble. 
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way 
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 
3 though its waters roar and foam 
   and the mountains quake with their surging.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; 
   I will be exalted among the nations, 
   I will be exalted in the earth.”
 11 The LORD Almighty is with us; 
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

There are times in our lives where, the more movement we expend, the more we impede the will of God. While God is a God of action and wishes nothing more than for His children to daily execute on the power of His Holy Spirit, there are times when stillness must intercede in our hearts. The willingness to wait upon the Lord is expressed chiefly by the Psalmist in Psalm 46: “Be still, and know that I am God.” In stillness, the fabled beast among a world full of noise, resounds a satisfying and wholesome acknowledgement that God is on the throne. He ensures us that He “will be exalted among the nations...and the earth.” It is only in stillness, only when our lives our surrendered to the point where our spirit is relying fully upon the Lord’s direction, that the peace of God surpasses our understanding.

Why? Stillness primarily is a twofold bonus of servitude and humbleness. It is servitude because we yield our desires completely into the hands of the Lord. Even Christ prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22.42). If the Son of God in His splendor can submit wholly unto the Father, so can we submit our desires to Him. Humbleness also overflows from stillness. Humbleness is the state with which one accepts the lowliness of his own self and expends his confidence into the hands of someone greater than he. James 4.10 instructs us to “humble [ourselves] before the Lord, and he will lift [us] up.” Humbling ourselves to God--sitting still and listening closely for His direction and will--will cause the Lord to move within us. At His timing, He will instruct you and pour His will and blessings upon you for the good of His kingdom. Yes, only in stillness can He “lift you up.”

Are you sitting still in the times of your life where God says to “rest here for a while?” Our Lord often fled to solitude to pray with the Father to hear His Father’s voice. May we do the same. When our heart grows restless, when our spirit is worn, may we “be still and know that [He] is God.”

Weekly Devotion 9.26.2011

A Time to be Still

Psalm 46.1-3;10-11

1 God is our refuge and strength,
   an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging.

 10 He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth."

 11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

There are times in our lives where, the more movement we expend, the more we impede the will of God.  While God is a God of action and wishes nothing more than for His children to daily execute on the power of His Holy Spirit, there are times when stillness must intercede in our hearts.  The willingness to wait upon the Lord is expressed chiefly by the Psalmist in Psalm 46: "Be still, and know that I am God."  In stillness, the fabled beast among a world full of noise, resounds a satisfying and wholesome acknowledgement that God is on the throne.  He ensures us that He "will be exalted among the nations...and the earth."  It is only in stillness, only when our lives our surrendered to the point where our spirit is relying fully upon the Lord's direction, that the peace of God surpasses our understanding.  

Why?  Stillness primarily is a twofold bonus of servitude and humbleness.  It is servitude because we yield our desires completely into the hands of the Lord.  Even Christ prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22.42).  If the Son of God in His splendor can submit wholly unto the Father, so can we submit our desires to Him.  Humbleness also overflows from stillness.  Humbleness is the state with which one accepts the lowliness of his own self and expends his confidence into the hands of someone greater than he.  James 4.10 instructs us to "humble [ourselves] before the Lord, and he will lift [us] up."  Humbling ourselves to God--sitting still and listening closely for His direction and will--will cause the Lord to move within us.  At His timing, He will instruct you and pour His will and blessings upon you for the good of His kingdom.  Yes, only in stillness can He "lift you up."  

Are you sitting still in the times of your life where God says to "rest here for a while?"  Our Lord often fled to solitude to pray with the Father to hear His Father's voice.  May we do the same.  When our heart grows restless, when our spirit is worn,  may we "be still and know that [He] is God."

Riches and Abundance (Poem)

Riches and Abundance
Matthew 6.19-21

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


I thought I would try a slightly different devotion this week. Rather than a message, God has given me a poem that reflects Christ's words in Matthew: that we are to store up our treasures in Him alone and not in this world!

There is glitter and glamour in the world, O Man,
Of gold and glory and untold possessions.
Pleasure is plenty in the greedy man’s hand,
His eyes and his grip solely own his discretion.
But your gold, O Man, shines not in the stone.
It rests not proudly in the palace of lords.
With the crumbling of castles it shan’t be gone,
Nor consumed and corrupted by greedy hordes.

Your gold shall be His brazen feet,
His vivacious spirit your daily treasure.
His grace arrives daily in a mighty fleet,
With a substantial portion too large to measure.
His name and prestige are known through the earth,
His riches flow freely throughout His domain.
Such glamorous love of immeasurable worth!
Eternally abundant lie those in His reign!