Listening to the Word

1 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalms 78; 2 Thessalonians 2   “…’Ask for whatever you want me to give you.’ Solomon answered God, ‘You have shown great kindness to David my father…Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?’” 2 Chronicles 1:7, 8, 10 How would we respond to a question from the Lord as to what we would want from him? Questions like that reveal our heart. Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge; but then married Pharaoh’s daughter as well as many other princesses. He began trading horses and chariots, something that was forbidden by God. Asking for wisdom from God is not the same as making wise choices consistent with God’s Word and ways. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church was that they would be given the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in their knowledge of God. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom when we humble ourselves to listen and obey. Our hope is better than Solomon’s, as are the riches of God’s inheri

  1 Kings 2; 1 Chronicles 29; Psalms 95; 2 Thessalonians 1   “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11 “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;…For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” Psalm 95:6, 10, 11 Learning God’s ways and entering his rest begins with fully surrendering who we are and all we have to God. In the life of full surrender is worship as we realize that everything we have – life, breath, health, family, wealth, gifts, influence – everything comes from God. Any other response than grateful worship of God is idolatry. With full surrender and grateful worship comes rest as we eat of the produce of t

1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 28; Psalms 91; 1 Thessalonians 5   “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you…” Psalm 91:1-3 Many are seeking the rest of the Lord, without dwelling in his presence. It doesn’t work. A life of worship, listening to the Word and following Jesus in mission are active choices we make to remain in the presence of the Lord. There is rest in the presence of the Lord! We can declare today, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” We, too, can choose to worship the Lord today, throughout the day. We can take our eyes off of ourselves. We, too, can listen to the Word of the Lord, submitting our will to God’s Word to us. We, too, can follow Jesus on mission today, obeying the promptings of his Spirit, recognizing that to remain in God’s presence doesn’t just mean spending more time in contemplation or

  1 Chronicles 25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4   “David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying…The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.” 1 Chronicles 25:1, 2 The gift of prophesy was valued by David and his army because he himself operated with that gift. David knew how many times it was the Word of the Lord that changed his perspective when he was in a cave, on the run from Saul, or involved in a battle that seemed overwhelming. However, this gift of prophesying would need to be submitted under authority. The gift was always influenced by the humility and purity of the person through whom the Word of the Lord was given. The ministry of prophesying was a weapon in spiritual battle. It directly connected the people to the commander-in- chief. Mature use of prophesy, in healthy submission to spiritual leadership, is still essential as Paul remind

1 Chronicles 22-24; 1 Thessalonians 3 “…’You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my Name’...” 1 Chronicles 22:8-10 God’s desire was for the temple, which carried his name, to be built by a man of peace. Peace and rest from all enemies on every side was the gift God granted to Solomon. God values peace, and even withheld the honor of building the temple from David, a man after God’s own heart, because he had shed much blood on the earth. Do we value peace? Entertainment today glorifies violence and many people pay to see men hurt each other for sport. Even when we know the destructive impact on health later in life, we still support

  2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21; Psalms. 30; 1 Thessalonians 2   “But Joab replied, ‘May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My Lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?’” 1 Chronicles 21:3 God’s heart is that we be fruitful and multiply, and in doing so, bring him much glory. David’s order to count Israel’s fighting men was rooted in pride and reflected the “shadow mission” of finding confidence in the size of his army. Sometimes success is more dangerous than failure. David’s commander, Joab, recognized that it was the Lord who multiplied the size of Israel’s army, and it was the Lord alone who was their strength. Counting fruit isn’t wrong; rather, it is the motive behind counting that the Lord is interested in. In the ensuing judgment of the Lord on David’s prideful sin, a single angel with a drawn sword destroyed 70,000 men. The battle really is the Lord’s!   What are we trusting in toda

2 Samuel 21-23; 1 Thessalonians 1   “Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.” 2 Samuel 23:11, 12 Shammah, whose name meant ‘astonishment’, astounded both his fellow Israelite warriors and the Philistines by risking his life to defend a bean patch his fellow soldiers had abandoned. Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field of lentils and stood his ground. On what have we taken our stand? Are the harvest and our inheritance in that harvest worth our lives? If Shammah is willing against all odds to take his stand in a bean patch, what will we defend for the sake of the gospel?   “…after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13). The spiritual battle for our cities and nations is intense. We need a

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 Why are these last words of Jesus to us, his disciples, not the central life-verses of the Bible for each of us? The enemy of our souls will do whatever he can to keep us from living this great commission. Once we surrender our lives and our will to the authority of Jesus, we are given a new identity as sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. The commands of Jesus become our discipleship manual, both for ourselves and for the nations we are reaching with the gospel. The presence of Jesus is with us as we live on mission with him. What needs to change in our lives, for this text to describe how we live our lives? What needs

2 Samuel 18; Psalms 56; Matthew 27 “…But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’…then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again…Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.” Matthew 27:23, 29, 30, 48 The humiliation Jesus endured at his crucifixion was in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (Isaiah 53:3). The passion of Christ was more than a quick execution. The event involved physical, emotional, and even spiritual pain as Christ cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).”…for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame…” (Hebrews 12:2).   What price are we will

2 Samuel 17; Psalms 71; Matthew 26 “Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;…For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.” Psalm 71:3, 5 Our hope is where we go regularly for confidence, particularly when in crisis. For many, it is their bank account, retirement funds, or job stability. David’s hope was in the anointing of the Spirit through which he experienced the Lord’s presence in his life. The presence of the Lord is not a building or even a worship service. It is literally the Lord’s presence which can be accessed through the righteousness offered to us in Christ and which gives us right standing with God. David loved to proclaim the righteousness and salvation of the Lord because he understood it was the way into the presence of the Lord (Psalm 71:15, 16).   Are we living in this hope today? The word hope is tiqvah in Hebrew, the same word used by the Israelite spies in Jericho to describe Rahab’s scarlet cord. The great promise given throug

2 Samuel 15-16; Psalms 32; Matthew 25 “Then the king said to Zadok, ‘Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.” 2 Samuel 15:25, 26 “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance…the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.” Psalm 32:7, 10 David learned to experience and trust in God’s unfailing love for him in the cave, and he did not depart from that love in his greatest leadership crisis. In our crises we, too, find our source of security and values tested. David’s dependence was on the Lord’s deliverance, not the might of his army or bodyguard. It was God’s presence and love which surrounded David. What surrounds us? What do our actions indicate about our trust when the crises of life confront us? David w

  2 Samuel 13-14; Matthew 24   “Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.” 2 Samuel 13:2 When our emotional health is tied to something that seems out of reach, we have created an idol. That object, person, experience, or attainment has now taken over our life. Amnon’s lust for Tamor devoured all the good activities, relationships, and experiences he could have enjoyed as David’s firstborn son. Has lust for things, a person, or a position tainted our lives? Repentance is our agreement with God that we have sinned. Perhaps we have not yet acted on our hidden lust, but we are vulnerable. Repentance breaks the power of sin over us as the victory Christ won on the cross is applied to our sin-battle. Sin can make us sick, while repentance is often an essential step in healing prayer (James 5:14-1). Amnon’s cousin Jonadab offered destructive counsel to Amnon in his battle with

2 Samuel 11-12; Psalms 51; Matthew 23   “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Matthew 23:25 David had a steadfast spirit which had served him well in many battles and very challenging circumstances. However, with willful sin, David’s steadfast spirit wavered and his awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence grew faint. He prayed for the renewal of a steadfast spirit, but he also prayed for the creation of a pure heart. David’s battle with lust and sexual temptation was evidenced by his many wives and most clearly in the conquest of Bathsheba. David’s cry for a pure heart was a cry for God to create in him something that wasn’t there before. It is God who takes a heart of stone and turns it into flesh. The Pharisees, in their focus on the Law of Moses, had forgotten the importanc

  2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 20; Psalms 20; Matthew 22 “Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find…both good and bad…’Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.” Matthew 22:9, 10, 12 The invitation to Christ’s kingdom is open to anyone we find, both good and bad.   What qualifies us to sit at the banquet is not whether we are ‘good or bad’, but rather, it is our clothing. Only the clothing of Christ’s righteousness will be acceptable to the King. Good people will be speechless before the King when they realize their good deeds are not good enough. ‘Bad’ people will also be amazed that Christ’s righteousness is available to all who receive it by faith and choose to surrender their lives to Christ. The door to this banquet is small and the way is narrow. Not many find it! Many are invited, but few are chosen. Few pass the test. Are we going to the street corners and inviting anyone we can find? Or, are we deciding

2 Samuel 8-9; 1 Chronicles 18-19; Matthew 21 “…’By what authority are you doing these things?’ they asked. ‘And who gave you this authority?’” Matthew 21:23 This is the key question in life. Jesus had just healed a blind man in Jericho, overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple, and then driven them out of the temple area, and later, commanded a fig tree to never bear fruit again. ‘Who gave you authority over the human body, the temple, and creation itself?’ Jesus was too wise to simply answer this question without asking a question of his own. What question regarding authority would the religious leaders be asking us? Perhaps they would ask, “If you are a disciple of Jesus who claims to have all authority in heaven and on earth, why don’t we see that authority expressed in your life?” Are we addressing/speaking to sickness with authority? Are we, with authority, confronting sin, which robs God of his glory? Are we praying with authority? Those who have fully surrendere

  2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17; Psalms 2; Matthew 20 “He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, and the ends of the earth your possession.” Psalm 2:7, 8 “…’You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…’” Matthew 20:25, 26 We are commanded by Jesus to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers who go out like lambs among wolves. We have also been given the keys of the kingdom to bind and loose [from evil] in the authority of Jesus’ name. The boldness to ask our Father for the nations as our inheritance within his kingdom inheritance is combined with the humility to serve others, like our leader Jesus. Many people focus on either authority or humility; but, Jesus invites us to live in his way with both qualities. We are sons and daughters of the King of Kings. He calls us to boldly proclaim the gospel, d

1 Chronicles 16; Psalms 106; Matthew 19   “Cry out, ‘Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise.’” 1 Chronicles 16:35 “…they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshipped their idols, which became a snare to them…Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations…” Psalm 106:35, 36, 47 David understood the seductive pull of the nations as he remembered his own efforts to find refuge among the Philistines. The pattern of mingling, adopting customs, and then worshiping other gods, including security, nationalism, and health, has been repeated countless times in history. God’s covenant people easily forget their covenant with God. It is God our Savior who remembers his covenant with us and in love, gathers us to himself. Remembering the Lord’s great love for us and renewing our covenant vows to him are essential if we are to possess our inheritance. Will we tak