Listening to the Word

2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13; Psalms 68; Matthew 17   “The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household. Now King David was told, ‘The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has because of the ark of God.’...” 2 Samuel 6:11, 12 God is not a “respecter of persons.” He will bless anyone who honors his presence. Obed-Edom the Gittite was a foreigner living among Israelites. When the ark of the Lord entered Obed’s house, everything changed. God’s presence brought blessing, favor, peace, and joy. We have no greater gift than the presence of the Lord. Obed-Edom recognized the ark of the Lord was not something to be avoided but welcomed. Even after the death of Uzziah, Obed recognized the honor of having a resting place for the presence of the Lord. Uzziah died because of presumption in handling God’s presence. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; however,...

  2 Samuel 4-5; Psalms 139; Matthew 16   “You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there you hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139:5-7, 9, 10 It is a wonderful, humbling, and awesome experience to have the hand of the Lord upon our lives. Submitting to God’s hand, expressed in the weight of the Holy Spirit’s presence in us and upon us, is our greatest gift to God. The cost of this full surrender is the Lord “hemming” us in. We now obey the slightest promptings of the Holy Spirit. We are both protected and constrained by God’s hand on our lives; with the birth of the Church of Pentecost, this amazing experience of the physical presence of the Lord, in and upon our lives, is now available to all who respond to...

2 Samuel 3; 1 Chronicles 12; Matthew 15   “’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’” Matthew 15:8, 9 Jesus quoted Isaiah as he responded to criticisms related to the cleanliness laws given by Moses. Cleansing hands prior to eating had become more important than clean hearts and pure speech. Are there traditions we follow which also have become more important than the state of our hearts and the words we speak? Are we being hypocritical by presenting a religious face in worship, but harboring jealousy, bitterness, or anger toward others in the privacy of our heart? Jesus invites us to be real and take ownership for the true state of our heart. He sees our hearts and has given us the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin so we can repent and be free from sin’s entanglements. True worship requires vigilance regarding our heart-condition and an open hand regarding discretionary traditions...

  2 Samuel 2; 1 Chronicles 11; Psalms 142; Matthew 14 “David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is Jebus). The Jebusites who lived there said to David, ‘You will not get in here.’ Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David…And David became more and more powerful because the Lord Almighty was with him.” 1 Chronicles 11:4, 5, 9 David was committed to capturing the high place and most secure fortress in the region and using it as his home and capital. The Jebusites who lived there mocked him from the walls of the city. They trusted in their secure location with its steep ravines and thick, high walls to be their defense. David trusted in the presence of the Lord Almighty. David’s mighty men risked their lives to climb up the Jebusite’s water-access tunnel which connected the fortress to the Gihon Spring, the city’s only water source. Rather than opposing the strength of Jerusalem’s walls, David was led to another strategy because the Lord was w...

2 Samuel 1; Psalms 140; Matthew 13   “’The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.’” Matthew 13:44 Jesus is the treasure hidden in the field. We have to look for him and engage faith that treasure exists. When we find Christ, we, too, will exchange all we have for the treasure of his presence in our lives. The costly exchange to sell all to buy the field didn’t fill the man with sadness, but rather, with joy. Are we living with this joy, or have we yet to surrender all for the Savior? The joy of full surrender is the mark of those living for Jesus. In the West, this costly joy-filled gospel has been diluted to a simple spiritual makeover plan for sin-management. The heart of the Gospel is not sin; it is Jesus! Have we bought the field and found the treasure? “Lord Jesus, I surrender all to you and thank you for giving all to me. You are my treasure, for your glor...

  1 Samuel 30-31; 1 Chronicles 10; Matthew 12   “Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’ He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’” Matthew 12:47-50 In response to the man’s statement regarding Jesus’ family wanting to speak to him, Jesus redefined family from biological to the family of God. More than that, Jesus pointed to those who do the will of his Father as his brother, sister, and mother. We often define the family of God as those who sit next to us in a church service each week. This horizontal definition of family can function like a religious club whose members care for one another. Jesus calls us family when we know and do the will of his Father in heaven which Jesus repeatedly said was living and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdo...

1 Samuel 28-29; Psalms 109; Matthew 11   “’All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’” Matthew 11:27-30 Rest for our souls comes from knowing Jesus in relationship and learning from him his unforced rhythms of life with the Father. The hand of God on our lives, like a yoke, is both constraining and empowering. Living under the hand of the Lord means we no longer have to carry our heavy weights and burdens. Jesus offers us his presence and his Spirit’s empowerment. Rest is found in Christ, not in the absence of challenges or pressure. God uses tests, crucible seasons, and challenges to move us toward full surrende...

1 Samuel 27; Psalms 141; 1 Chronicles 9; Matthew 10   “Let a righteous man strike me – it is a kindness; let him rebuke me – it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it…But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge – do not give me over to death. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers.” Psalm 141:5, 8, 9 How we respond to the rebuke of others reveals our level of spiritual maturity, much more than the knowledge we possess. When David received rebukes from the righteous it was like anointing oil because he knew these rebukes were God’s loving discipline. The snares and traps of evildoers were a different matter from which David cried out to God for sovereign protection and deliverance. The character and motive of those rebuking us makes all the difference. How are we responding to rebuke? “Lord Jesus, you said we could expect opposition, persecution, and attacks on our faith and life if we follow you. I humble mysel...

1 Samuel 25-26; Psalms 63; Matthew 9   “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me.’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. ‘Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.’” Matthew 9:9, 17 The new wine of the gospel and the infilling of the Holy Spirit bring life to all who receive these gifts. For When Matthew the tax collector received the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, it meant leaving his job for the Romans as a tax collector and following Jesus. New wineskins speak to new ways of thinking as well as new structures. Jesus is still calling sin-sick people to a better life. The structures and mindset of the last revival are not enough for the new expressions of renewal and revival that God initiates. We are called to get up and follow Jesus in a lif...

1 Samuel 24; Psalms 57-58; 1 Chronicles 8; Matthew 8   “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me. He sends from heaven and sees me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends his love and his faithfulness…For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” Psalm 57:1-3, 10 In the most trying time of his life with an army hunting for him in the hills of Judah, David took refuge under the wings of God. As David cried out to God for salvation, God sent him his love and faithfulness. How can God use love and faithfulness to deliver us from the attacks of the enemy? David reminded himself of the promises and purposes of God over his life. Rather than focus on Saul and design counter-schemes and strategies, David focused on the Lord God Most High. David appealed to the ...

1 Samuel 23; Psalms 31, 54; Matthew 7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you…You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1, 2, 5 To judge someone is to place ourselves in a position of superiority over another in our thinking and to pronounce judgment upon them. However, humility recognizes that we all deserve God’s judgment and leaves others to God. We trust God, the just Judge, when he says, “It is mine to avenge, I will repay…” (Deuteronomy 32:35). In humility, we invite the Spirit of God to show us our fears, pride, anger, and other “planks” still stuck in our eyes. In humility, acknowledging our own sin, relationships are freed, and others are invited to also respond to God’s redeeming grace. If any relationships are stuck, we might need a new approach and the Spirit’s hu...

  1 Samuel 22; Psalms 17, 35; Matthew 6   “’But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’” Matthew 6:33, 34 What we worry about reveals where we need breakthroughs in our faith, hope, and love. Jesus’ call to refocus our goals, thoughts, and affections on seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, is a call to freedom from worry about things that will not remain. It is also a call to trust that God is enough. The King offers us righteousness through Christ so we can enter his kingdom, and then fills us with peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Our worries reveal where we are being invited to trust our Father the King for his will in our lives, rather than our will. The kingdom of this world creates demands for its products and experiences and promises us happiness. Our Father invites us to find our...

I Samuel 20-21; Psalms 34, Matthew 5   “’Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God…Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…’” Matthew 5:9, 44, 45 Living the gospel of reconciliation is not an option for a Christ-follower; it is a command. We are peacemakers who love their enemies because we are children of our Father in Heaven. Peacemaking in the way of Jesus is an issue of identity, not just discipleship. We make peace with others because we live in peace with God. Peace with God is only possible through Jesus, so we testify that Jesus is our peace. As we live the peace of Christ in all relationships, we, too, are blessed and we enjoy the Father’s presence. Through Jesus we pray to our Father for our enemies, recognizing that our Father desires that no one would die without a knowledge of who he is. We are a living representation of our Father’s reconciling love on this earth. Who are we making pe...

  1 Samuel 19: 1 Chronicles 7; Psalms 59, Matthew 4   “When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. Word came to Saul: ‘David is in Naioth at Ramah;’ so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel, standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.” 1 Samuel 19:18-20   When attacked, David returned to the spiritual authority who had called him; and together, David and Samuel went before the Lord. The anointing in the presence of the Lord was too strong for Saul’s men and even Saul himself. David chose to find refuge in the presence of the Lord because that was where God had ministered to him again and again; “…for you are my fortress, my refuge in trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God” (Psalm 59:16, 17). Jesus’ r...

1 Samuel 18; 1 Chronicles 6; Psalms 11, Matthew 3   “The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand, and he hurled it, saying to himself, ‘I’ll pin David to the wall.’ But David eluded him twice.” 1 Samuel 18:10, 11 God allowed an evil spirit access to Saul’s life in judgment of his rebellion, pride, and jealousy. That is a sobering thought. In the midst of prophesying and worship, Saul acted on murderous thoughts. We might question how that is even possible. Just because we are exercising our spiritual gifts in worship doesn’t mean the enemy can’t influence us. David eluded several spearing attempts while in a time of worship. Our thoughts shape our character, and each of us has responsibility to guard our hearts and our minds in Christ. We have the authority in Christ to resist the enemy and command unclean and sinful thoughts to leave in Jesus’ name...

1 Samuel 17; Psalms 9; Matthew 2   “’The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine…All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.’” 1 Samuel 17:37, 47 David’s confidence, or faith, that the battle was the Lord’s guided how he faced Goliath, guided how he later responded to Saul, and much later, how he approached the kingship of Israel. Are we carrying the weight of battles and their outcomes, rather than fully depending on the Lord? David had a track record of experiencing God’s deliverance from deadly peril. He had to do his part in the battle and not give in to fear; David’s testimony was of the Lord’s faithfulness. What inner convictions are we repeating as we engage life’s battles and struggles? Are we confessing our confidence in the Lord, or are we living under fear? “Lord Jesus, you ar...

1 Samuel 15-16; 1 Chronicles 5; Matthew 1   “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah… ‘I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.’” 1 Samuel 16:13, 18 When the Spirit of the Lord came in power upon David, everything changed in his life: his worship was anointed, his warfare was anointed, his witness was anointed, and his walk with God was anointed. People noticed the Lord was with David.   Do they notice the same thing about us? Man looks at the outward appearance, and David wasn’t hard to look at, but it was the presence of the Lord in his life that made everyone sit up and notice. The anointing of the Holy Spirit changed 120 disciples into world-changing, bold witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. Today, are w...

1 Samuel 14; 1 Chronicles 4; 2 Corinthians 13   “Then panic struck the whole army – those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties – and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God…So Saul asked God, ‘Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel’s hand?’ But God did not answer him that day.” 1 Samuel 14:15, 37 The presence of the Lord struck the Philistines with such force that the ground shook. Why? Two warriors, Jonathan and his armor bearer, stepped out in faith based on who they knew God to be, and engaged the enemy. When our focus is on the Lord, he will defeat our enemies before us. Saul built an altar out of fear and indecision when the Lord was already winning the battle. Sometimes our delay is based in fear, and we, too, will not hear clearly from the Lord. Jesus promised to build his Church and the gates of hell would not prevail. We are to advance with witness and worship, making disciples of all nations on a mission ...

  I Samuel 13; I Chronicles 2-3; 2 Corinthians 12    “When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves…Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead…Saul’s men began to scatter…So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or a spear…” 1 Samuel 13:6-8, 22 “For Christ’s sake I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10 Few things discourage leaders more than the defection or desertion of their team or the key leaders surrounding them. Saul’s army vaporized from 330,000 (1 Samuel), to 600 men. Saul faced a massive test at the outset of his leadership journey, and he failed. God allowed the situation to become so dire, that the remaining 600 men were weaponless. How do you fight steel with your fists? The resulting victory led by Jonathan was miraculous. Paul ...

  I Samuel 11-12; 1 Chronicles 1; 2 Corinthians 11   “But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God was your king.” 2 Samuel 12:12 Fear is a powerful motivator to change governance systems and a host of other leadership strategies. However, when these strategies avoid or distract us from seeking the face of God and placing our full dependency on him, we, too, are in trouble. The Ammonites were not Israel’s primary threat, losing faith and dependency on the Lord was the issue. Where is God allowing significant problems or threats in our story to get our attention and turn our eyes back to him? In what way are we, too, asking for a human solution (a ‘king’), for a spiritual problem? Will we reaffirm the Lord Jesus as our king and put our full hope and trust in him, for both eternity and our current needs today? “Lord Jesus, your leadership is unlike any other. I put ...

1 Samuel 8-10; 2 Corinthians 10 “’The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person…Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.’” 1 Samuel 10:6, 8 Waiting when anointed is a very difficult thing to do! We believe the anointing is enough; however, it is in waiting on the Lord that we learn surrender, obedience, and trust. Saul was anointed both by symbolic oil and by the Spirit of God so that he prophesied. The anointing of the Spirit of God changed Saul, and it changes us. However, that still is not a license to run ahead of God. Jesus instructed his disciples to “stay in the city [Jerusalem] until you have been clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49).” Waiting on God’s timing is as important as his call. God’s desire is to forge the character-con...

1 Samuel 6-7; Psalms 72; 2 Corinthians 9   “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:10, 11 The Lord of the harvest supplies seed to the sower to enlarge their harvest of righteousness. As we call out to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers, he mobilizes people, he gives us seed to sow (both physical and spiritual resources to live and share the gospel), and he gives the harvest of righteousness as more people receive God’s gift of righteousness in Christ. When this harvest-economy centers our lives, we live generously because the Lord of the harvest is generous. We live with thanksgiving and worship to God because he is the source and the life-giver. Have we found our life and assignments from th...

1 Samuel 3-5; Psalms 77; 2 Corinthians 8   “…Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’…The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.” 1 Samuel 3:8-10, 21 Why did Samuel need to acknowledge the voice he was hearing at night was the Lord’s? Why didn’t the Lord just say to Samuel what he wanted to say? God’s Word to us is not just a message; it is based on relationship.   Our relationship with the Lord is now through the blood of Christ and indwelling Holy Spirit, but are we listening? Samuel learned humility and the fear of the Lord. He understood he was a servant of the living God. Will we liste...