Listening to the Word

2 Samuel 21-23; 1 Thessalonians 1   “During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, ‘It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.’…David asked the Gibeonites, ‘What shall I do for you? How shall I make amends so that you will bless the Lord’s inheritance?’” 2 Samuel 21:1, 3 Blood-guilt from the reign of Saul affected rainfall many years later during the reign of David. The healing of the land which God promised Solomon was conditional on the Israelites humbling themselves, seeking God’s face, repenting, and turning away from their wicked ways (2 Chronicles 7:14). God is still grieved with blood-guilt. The shedding of innocent blood defiles our land as well. David asked the Gibeonites, “How shall I make amends”?   Are we willing to ask the same question? The atonement of Jesus’ blood is our covering from God’s wrath against sin. However, Jesus t...

2 Samuel 19-20; Psalms 55; Matthew 28 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 These final words of Jesus to his disciples in Matthew’s gospel follow a period of incredible trauma and pain. The betrayal of Jesus, his tortuous death, and the shocking resurrection had deeply shaken the disciples, so much so that as these words were being spoken by the resurrected Christ, some of his disciples doubted it was really Jesus. Jesus didn’t engage the doubters; instead, he refocused the attention of his disciples on their collective mission. Jesus’ call to make disciples, baptizing them into a new identity, and teaching them to obey all that Christ had commanded, focused the disciples on the future. Are we focused...

2 Samuel 18; Psalms 56; Matthew 27 “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:3, 4 David valued the presence of the Lord and listened to his word. When surrounded by danger in the Philistine city of Gath, David trusted in God’s promises to him which called for faith, not fear. When we feel surrounded, discouraged, or full of fear, in whose word are we placing our trust? The enemy of our soul accuses, lies, tempts, and distracts us from the truths of God’s Word. Are we listening to the Word or to the enemy? Will we reverence and fear God by honoring his promises and Word to us, or will we fear man? David realized that the Philistines could only kill his body; but, the Lord had watch over his body, his soul, and his spirit. Many years later the Lord used Ittai, the Gittite from Gath, along with 600 men to strengthen David’s leadership as he overcame Absalom’s rebellion. The Word of the...

2 Samuel 17; Psalms 71; Matthew 26   “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say, ‘God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.’ Be not far from me, O God;…Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.” Psalm 71:9-12, 18 Some of David’s greatest tests came in his old age. His sons feuded with each other and Absalom led a rebellion. The whisper campaign against David sought to undermine people’s belief that the Lord was still with David. Everyone knew that it was the presence of the Lord that gave David his strength. His age was secondary. Do we, too, feel forgotten or undermined by others? The world counts beauty, physical strength, or our earning power as the source of our value. David would tell us our value comes from the Lord. As we g...

2 Samuel 15-16; Psalms 32; Matthew 25   “For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ – and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found;…” Psalm 32:4-6 Godly people sin regularly! The guilt of sin weighed heavily on David’s soul, sapping his physical strength. The hand of God through the conviction of the Holy Spirit was like a hand on his chest. Instead of running the other way, or hiding his sin, David chose to acknowledge and repent for his sin. Freedom within comes through confession and repentance. The Lord does not despise the sacrifices of a broken and contrite heart. Godly people learn to keep short accounts with God and value their inner freedom of communion with the Holy Spirit. Are we free today, or are we resisting the convicting work of ...

2 Samuel 13-14; Matthew 24   “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13 Jesus wanted his disciples to be ready for the significant tests they would need to endure before his second coming. He promised us persecution, martyrdom, betrayal, deception, and a great falling away from the faith. This candid description of what to expect is quite different from how we prepare disciples today. When our focus is on meeting the needs of disciples, rather than on the cost of living on mission with Jesus, we develop self-centered, weak disciples. Jesus taught that knowing the cost of spiritual warfare was the key to not losing our first love ...