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Spend More Time on Your Heart

 

Psalm 17; 1 Samuel 16

We live in such an image-driven world. The fashion industry, cosmetic industry, health and fitness industries – the list goes on and on – all constantly pull and tug on us for time and attention. I find myself spending inordinate amounts of time choosing what to wear and fixing my hair and makeup every day. I glance in the mirror and critique my wrinkles and blemishes. I try to suck in my belly and make myself look more trim. I can be consumed with my physical appearance.  Continue reading Spend More Time on Your Heart

Surrender and Obey

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 15 and Psalm 16

Good Morning, it’s Monday! As I write to you this morning, I’m aware that some of you may be heavy hearted as you face another week. Those that live in Bloomington/Normal are feeling the rippled effect of structural changes at State Farm. Having to put all of our faith in God and trusting Him to reveal His plan in His time is so very difficult. As I read through 1 Samuel 15 today I noticed two reappearing themes; surrender and obey. Oh I know, don’t you just want to open a new browser and do some online shopping about now? One thing that I just love is control. The very idea of surrendering and submitting my life and all its nitty gritty details to God just makes me sweat. I like the idea of doing good works and becoming a better Christian by reading the Bible and participating in small group. But, the idea of totally surrendering my life and obeying His commands all the time is something I really have to grapple with.

I found myself sort of sympathizing with Saul today. Through Samuel, God gave his command for Saul to attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they had. The order was clear. Do not spare any living thing that has breath. So, Saul summons his army, sets up an ambush and strikes down the Amalekites. When it’s all said and done he also kind of holds back a few of the best sheep, cattle and a few valuable objects from the plunder. He later claims that these items are to be used as an offering to God. Do you ever “kind of” follow God’s commands? I know I certainly do. It’s hard to be all in…all the time. When faced with vulnerability it’s in our human nature to take control and try to preserve ourselves. I really can’t blame Saul for holding back a few sheep. I know I hold back a few dollars for the ol’ rainy day fund whenever I get the chance. I have to discipline myself to remember that hoarding God’s gifts will not lead to security. We know this simple truth and yet we disobey our Heavenly Father over and over. Each time, he refines us and sometimes makes the next lesson in obedience a little more difficult so that we remember. I love the HCSB translation of today’s text. Listen to what Samuel says to Saul about his transgression:

“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as King.” 1 Samuel 15:22-24 HCSB

 By then end of the Chapter, Saul loses his Kingship because he wanted to do things his way. If only he had been obedient and followed God’s command, he would have been given the kingdom and so much more. The last verse in chapter 15 says this:

“Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted He had made Saul king over Isreal.” 1 Samuel 15: 35 HCSB

 The Lord regretted his choice. It’s not very often that we see the word “regret” associated with God in the Bible. Certainly, Saul felt deep regret. Of course he confessed his sin to Samuel and to God but it was too late for total restoration. This is a heavy message for a Monday morning but when you read between the lines, the underlying truth is that God keeps his promises to those that are obedient to Him. When we are willing to release control, to be all in, then and only then can His plan be revealed to us. Today’s psalm says this:

“…Therefore, my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; my body also rests securely. For You will not abandon me. You will not allow Your Faithful One to see decay. You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.” Psalm 16:9-11

 Saul may have fallen, he may have lost his opportunity to be king but he was not abandoned. If you’ve fallen off your throne, and you’re facing this week with fear and anxiety, listen for His calling. Come to his alter. He will reveal the path and you will obey. At the end of that path, no matter how many twists and turns, how many set backs or storms, your Heavenly Father will greet you at the end.

 

 

Wait

In 1 Samuel 13 we find the King Saul of Israel and his armies in big trouble with the Philistines. Saul’s armies numbered somewhere around 3,000 and the Philistines were numbered like the sand on the seashore. Not good odds.

And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude.  (1 Samuel 13:5a)

Not surprisingly, the men of Israel were trembling in fear, so they hid.

6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, …. 7b  Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. (1:Samuel 13:6, 7b)

That’s the current picture. Now let’s recall the instructions given to Saul from Samuel back in chapter 10:

“And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do” (1 Samuel 10:8).

Simply put, Saul was instructed to wait. His response… he waited until he thought it was long enough, but he didn’t follow the instruction to wait until Samuel came to him. With this one act of fear, impatience, and self-reliance Saul’s legacy as king was destroyed.

On one hand this seems like a harsh punishment for one mistake, however Saul was entrusted to be king over all of Israel, a huge undertaking and great responsibility. We can also assume this wasn’t Saul’s first sin or act of disobedience.

My takeaway is that God has all of us waiting on all sorts of situations right now. Pause for a moment and mediate on what you’re waiting on an answer to or direction on. Consider things like health, friendships, career, major purchases, living accommodations, family relationships, or education.

For me, with each opportunity to wait, there is the battle between taking matters into my own hands or seeking God’s guidance, as though He is saying “just wait… trust me”.

There is this pull at my flesh. I desperately want to give Him all control however if I’m real truthful, I want it all, and I want it now (and that’s not okay because that is a reflection of sin in my life). This struggle brings me to my knees because the more I let go, the closer I feel to Him and I sense His love, power, and ultimate wisdom. His answer and timing is often far different than my own plans but the God of the Heavens and the Earth has never let me down, nor will He let you down either.

Through it all, he’s not impressed with our outward sacrifices, he wants our heart and our faith to be in Him alone so that we may grow closer to Him and be a living example to our family, friends, and colleagues.

Challenge: Identify at least one situation right now in your life that needs a resolution involving waiting, and commit to giving it over to God, 100%. Journal the story (privately or on this site as a comment) and share what God does with it for his glory.

Dear Jesus, we thank you for your ultimate faith and obedience in The Father’s plan for us. Forgive us for our impatience and futile self-reliance. The glory is yours God. Amen.

Today’s readings: 1 Samuel 13 & Psalm 14

Fear the Lord and Obey His Commands

Today’s reading:  1 Samuel 12, Psalm 13

Samuel faithfully served God’s people as their spiritual leader for many years. Our text today covers the farewell address Samuel delivered as he prepared to pass the torch of leadership on to Saul.  Saul was the first earthly king to be appointed over God’s people.

Samuel’s opening remark (verse 1-2) reminds God’s people that appointing an earthly king to reign over them was their idea, not his. Why would he begin with this statement?  God knew an earthly king was not in the best interest of his people.  Nevertheless, he gave them what they wanted anyway.  Although it wasn’t the direction he would have chosen, Samuel also obeyed God and anointed Saul as their king.  Samuel continued to be their spiritual leader, offering guidance on how to keep their hearts right with God – fear the Lord and obey his commands.

If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good!  But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors (1 Samuel 12:14-15).

Have you ever read the Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Kings? If you have, you know God’s people did not heed Samuel’s counsel.  For almost 500 years, they were ruled by 42 different kings and one queen.  By my count, only 8 of these 43 rulers (>20%) followed the ways of the Lord.  The rest were anywhere from kind of bad to downright evil.  Ouch, those are some pretty severe consequences!

Can you think of a time in your life you’ve had a similar experience? A time when you asked God to give you something that wasn’t in your best interest, but he gave it to you anyway?  How did it turn out for you?  If you’re like me, you probably suffered through some consequences you wish you’d have avoided.  Perhaps you live with a little regret.  May I offer these word so of encouragement today?  Stop agonizing over your poor choices.  It isn’t too late to confess and get your heart right with God.  Fear the Lord, obey his commands, and he can bring good out of your poor choices.

Consider this – if God’s people had followed his ways throughout the Old Testament, would they have needed salvation through Jesus Christ? Aren’t you glad God had a plan to use their poor choices for good?  Aren’t you glad he still has a plan to use our poor choices for good?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

1 Samuel 11 / Psalm 12

1 Samuel 11 / Psalm 12– “OK, so my choices are you kill us now…or each of us has our right eye gouged out to be disgraced the rest of our lives. Say, could we have seven days to see if someone will help us first?” King Nahash of Ammon: “OK”.

In our world today, we can’t imagine what it would be like to be given those two choices. Then, once you’re in that position, it’s not like you can pick up your cell phone and call the police or the pentagon. It amazes me that they thought of asking for seven days. It amazes me even more that King Nahash allowed it. My study Bible addresses that issue saying that King Nahash probably thought there was no way an army could be assembled in that period of time…and it would allow him to take the city without a fight. It is amazing how God used Saul to spread the word and the “invitation card” (cut up pieces of oxen) that Saul used to assemble his army.

Toward the end of this chapter, the men of Jabesh tell King Nahash that they’ll be out later and “you can do to us as you wish”. However, the morning before they are to arrive, Saul does a sneak attack and slaughters the Ammonites. All of this violence and nastiness…then the final sentence of the chapter: “Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.”

Through God, anything is possible. How can He help you overcome your King Nahash today?

Mike Thomas

Arrows and Our Battle Plan

My dad was a hunter, so as a young child he would have his bow and arrows around the house. It was often during deer season you would see a deer hanging from one of our trees in the yard. It would always make for some fun bus conversations. For many of my own personal reasons, I never did pick up this love of hunting.  I can say I still truly love being outdoors exploring and taking in the beautiful creation God has made for us.  One of my only true bow and arrow experiences was in high school PE class when we had archery for a unit. I can still remember being sent to the office for some poor choices in aiming(my disclaimer is no people or animals were hurt in my choice).

Did you know that an arrow can travel up to 225 ft. per second? Or, that it can travel up to 300 yards? So why the arrow stories? Besides being one day away from Valentines (hint hint), today, we read Psalm 11 and it hits my heart with a message of trusting God in the face of arrows of pain. In addition, while reading 1 Samuel 10 you will read how God changed Saul’s heart in verse 10.

In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “ Flee like a bird to your mountain, 2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; 3 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

What are the arrows that have been coming at you? Are they still there leaving you in pain? Has any hit today? These are arrows of; pain, abuse, gossip, cheating, addiction, lust, past sin, pornography, loss, selfishness, divorce, insecurity. The list can go on and on.  I’m sorry.  The arrows have come, they hit, and they will continue. They can also leaves scars that can be a daily reminder. God told us trials would come and test our endurance. He sees and knows about them all. Yet, the closer we grow to Him we realize the love God has for us and the internal battle is short compared to the eternal life we will have with Him.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Still, Praise goes to God that no matter where these arrows come from, how fast they come, or how many come… in our Lord we can take refuge!  We can put on His armor daily and withstand any onslaught.  Ephesians 6:11-18 remember, 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…

4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. 5 The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. 6 Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

Dear God, What a promise! What a love!  Its hard, it hurts, especially when all or any of these arrows have hit and have stuck. Yet, you Lord are faithful, You heal, and provide us with comfort and hope as we face these trials.  We are never alone! We love you and praise you.  Amen

 

Choices

Today’s reading is 1 Samuel 8 and Psalm 9

From the first time I read this chapter about 5 days ago, I was blown away at the pertinence of this passage from SOOO many years ago! I can not believe the relevance it still has in our lives today!! The people of Israel were human and faced the temptations of following man, just like we do today!! In our home this week, we have been dealing with typical teenage issues. The underlying problem is that our lives of following Jesus and His Word, look different than many of my girls’ friends lives and they don’t like how that feels. They understand why we have certain rules and expectations, but it is hard, because we are not living like everyone else. We have been battling this conversation for the past few weeks and then I read this chapter and am reminded again how this has been a battle since the days of Samuel. Our human desire is to be like all the other people we are surrounded with.

In 1 Samuel Chapter 8, Samuel is now old. He names his sons to replace him as judges of the Israelites. Both of his sons, Joel and Abijah serve as judges in the town of Beersheba. However, they are not wise or righteous like their father. They abuse their authority and they accept bribes. The people do not like how they rule, so they approach Samuel and ask…

verses 4&5 – Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us like all the other nations.”

Pay close attention; they did not demand a king “after God’s own heart” but rather a king “like all the other nations”.
Why didn’t the people ask for a king “after God’s own heart”? The people’s eyes and hearts had strayed from the Lord;

The children of Israel want to be like the “nations”. Have you ever felt sick and tired of being “different”? Sometimes it seems like it would be easier to just be like everyone else.

Be careful what you ask for. Sometimes God will allow it.

In verses 9 the Lord says; “Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”     

What follows is a laundry list of known behaviors of neighboring kings. The list includes all of the disadvantages of having a king rule over them. The Lord wants the people to know exactly what they are asking for and how much it will cost.

One of the most terrifying things that can happen to a person is that God allows us to go forward in our own plans, ideas and purposes. The greatest judgement is that God allows us to have your own way.

Pleasing the Lord was the last thing on the Israelites mind. What they wanted was a guarantee that their enemies would leave them alone. They wanted a real live, tangible, visible, accessible, knowable King. Someone who would judge them, and fight their battles. Someone they could see and follow. They found it too difficult to believe in a God revealed in a book, an invisible God, and obey his commandments. In spite of all that the Lord had done for them (escape from slavery, provision in the wilderness, occupation of the land) they turned their back on the Almighty God and chose a frail, weak, temporal human being to rule over them.

In these verses, Samuel warned the people that the king they were choosing was not God’s perfect will for them. He told them exactly why they would suffer as a result. However, the people ignored Samuel and chose Saul to be their king. This was absolute rebellion to the Most High God.

The people wanted to be like all the nations and have the king they chose. By choosing the king and rejecting the One True God, God would not answer them as a result. What a terrible price to pay for making choices that are contrary to the Lord’s will! When the Lord seems to be silent in our lives, we must examine our hearts and see if we have rejected His directions and gone our own way.

CHOICES – They are so important in our ives in general and especially as we pursue living a life that is pleasing to the Lord. If we make decisions based on our desire to fit in and be like everyone else, we will also suffer the consequences. Many times, our hearts are broken as a result of bad choices we make. However, our Most High God is compassionate and forgives us when we ask Him to do so in Jesus’ name. If Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, we will desire to obey God’s will and the choices we make will lead to the healing of our broken hearts.

Who is He to you?

1 Samuel 7, Psalm 9

How closely have you been following the story presented in 1 Samuel? Take a minute to recall  1 Samuel 5 when the Philistines captured the Ark of God.  As I read through the scenario, I cant help but wonder what they expected from it.  Were they just going to lock it away in a room and forget about it?  Alternatively, maybe they displayed it out in the open.  It was an absolute prize, after-all.  This is the thing that the Israelites paraded it in front of them at every conflict.  I assume the Philistines put it in the center of the town, on a pedestal, so that everyone walked by it.  Only, they did not worship it.  Instead, they walked by and spit on it.  Maybe even threw eggs at it. The detested it because it aided Israel their enemy.  They discounted its power.  That is, until they could no longer deny it.

Now consider, what did the Israelites expect of it?  The Philistines sent the ark back to Israel.  God was returned to Israel’s presence.  The ark was the physical evidence.  God was “with” Israel, yet they were filled with lament, remaining under threat of their enemies and living in fear.  In fact, the New Living Translation says that they thought God had abandoned them.  Sadly, they lived in God’s presence, but without his power.  This went on for more than 20 years!

How about us?  2,000 years ago a man was born of a miraculous birth.  Yes, we know him as Jesus.  He is also called Immanuel, which means “God with us.”  Do you know what that means?  God is right here, among us.  What do we expect?  Are we, like the Israelites still living in fear, victims of our circumstance?  Do we wonder why God has abandon us?  Today, it is evident to me that we have a choice to make. Just like the Philistines, just like the Israelites.  Do we reject him or accept him?   If you accept him, who is he to you?  Is he for you, or against you?  I pray that we don’t waste 20 years deciding, like they did!

His Plans Cannot Be Thwarted

Today’s reading is 1 Samuel 6 and Psalm 7.

We read yesterday about how God caused tumors to come upon the Philistines because they had taken the ark. They now realize they have done a terrible thing and want to know what to do. The priests tell them to make a sacrifice and put the ark on a cart with two cows. If the cows go to Bethshemesh, then they know what they have done was bad and the Lord has caused these tumors to come upon them. If the cows go somewhere else, it was a coincidence. Where do you think the cows went? Right to Bethsemesh. In fact, they went to the field of Joshua there.

Have you ever done something so bad you don’t think God can possibly forgive you or turn it into good? Has someone else ever done something so bad to you that you don’t think God can forgive them and you doubt how God can turn it into good? I’ve seen Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark enough times to know that taking the ark of the covenant is probably a bad idea. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the Philistines repented like we should do when we sin, but they did look for direction on what to do and God gave instruction through the priests and led the cows to go to Bethshemesh so they knew it was not a coincidence. The ark is now on its way back to where God wants it, despite their actions. After Israel was defeated in battle and the ark was taken, if you were one of the Israelites would you have ever thought the Philistines would want to give it back on their own accord and that two cows with no one leading them but God would bring it back? I highly doubt it.

How often do we doubt God’s plans and His grace for us in our sin, as well as His plans and grace for other in their sin? His grace is greater than we can ever imagine and His plans cannot be thwarted in the midst of our personal sins and the missteps of others. God will work everything for the good. Romans 10:8 says, “but God shows His love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” How blessed are we that when we sin and make mistakes, all we have to do is turn to Him and trust Him! He will make it right. In fact, He already did nearly 2000 years ago on the cross.

Be gracious to me, O Lord

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3 My soul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O Lord—how long?

As I started reading 1 Samuel 5, I knew right away it would be a hard chapter to write on. As I turned to Psalm 6, it certainly fit the circumstances of my life at the moment. I thought to myself “is this my mother’s prayer right now?” Unfortunately, my mom is not in good health. She has had Parkinson’s for over 18 years and has fared extremely well thanks to an excellent physician and just being a healthy person. She has always handled her condition with grace, never complaining nor wanting to discuss it, just dealing with the cards she has been dealt.  However, in the last few months, the tide has turned. She and my dad (who is 10 years older than she is) visited at Christmas. When I asked them to come, they hesitated and it took them two weeks to say yes. When they arrived, I knew why. Her health was starting to fail. She really needed assistance to walk, get dressed, administer her medicine and just monitor what was going on. I had a few moments of frustration during the visit thinking to myself “why did they come, what if she falls (which she did several times), they should not have come, this is too much”.  In the end, after realizing we had to monitor her at all times due to falling, we did have a good visit and I tried my best to make it a happy holiday for all, knowing this was the last trip to Illinois.

Once back at home, she did not recover well from the trip and continued to go so far downhill including a stay in the hospital. After a few days, she was moved to rehab center and will be there for quite some time. Some days are good, some days she can’t talk to me because her mind is not right. It is difficult to hear and see this strong person becoming so feeble and lose her mind.

As I read this verse in Psalm 4, it made me think of her. Is she thinking this same thought? Is she ready to go be with her mother and grandmother, both wonderful people? Is she crying out in pain and agony? Our family has always been full of faith: when it’s your time, God will call you. We have not feared death. I see that in my dad now too. He’s letting it all play out.

After I wrote this original draft over the weekend, I did talk to her a few times this week. Luckily, she has been having better days. She is thinking more clearly and almost begging me to “get her out” of there. She obviously is not ready to go to heaven. She may be wondering ‘what is God intending in this rehab place”, but deep down, she’s not ready to go anywhere but home.  I hope the Lord has mercy on her as we aren’t ready for her to go either.  May God help my mom and my dad have peace and comfort this week.

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3 My soul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O Lord—how long?