Friday, May 21, 2010

One Year Bible, May 21


1 SAMUEL 29:1-31:13                                                                                                 
#10 ZIKLAG:  David's troubles at Ziklag were his final test:  What would he do when it appeared he had lost everything?  He went out to war to fight with the Philistines (out of loyalty) against Saul! But God saved him from himself. When he returned home to Ziklag, the Amalekites had raided Ziklag, burned it to the ground, and taken everyone prisoners.

DAVID: (30:6) says David was "greatly distressed" ("cornered with no way out", "pressured").   He was now about 28 years old and had just suffered great loss.  In addition the people with him were "grieved" ("bitter", "rebellious against", resistant to") and were thinking of stoning him to death!   David's men were exhausted, discouraged, angry and even in a helpless rage.  They had NOTHING going for them.  HERE WAS HIS TEST: What would he do?  This is the turning point in David's entire adult life! "but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."  How did he do that?  The word, "encouraged", means "to act like a man, rather than panic"; "to behave valiantly and play the hero".  He had learned that feelings focus on myself; faith focuses on God and what honors Him.

David didn't just pray. He got a hold of himself.  David didn't know it, but this was his last test before he became king. When he got God's plan, David destroyed the enemy and recovered all. The turning point came with a single decision. The throne "hung" on his response to trouble. Breakthrough for his people "hung" on his single decision that day.

HOW DID DAVID'S ENCOURAGE HIMSELF?  Read Psalm 16 all through. Then Psalm 59:16 where it says, "But I will sing of Thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning: for Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble." And Psalm 77:11-12, "I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings."  What was David doing? He was FIXING his heart by rehearsing the goodness and greatness of God.  He was clinging to God for strength.  He proclaimed God to be his shepherd, his life, the lifter of my head, tower, strength, shield, rock, defense, Savior, Friend, healer, deliverer.  It is part of Christian maturity to know how weak I am.

RESPONSE:   I know better than to give any credence to how I FEEL, but I still do it.  I have to wrench my brain and my heart away from the FLESH (that's where feelings come from) - and force them to consider God.  How big He is.  How God is in charge of the universe and nothing escapes His scrutiny.  He knows how many hairs remain in my head!  Surely He knows what I am going through.  He knows what is breaking my heart right now.  He knows what really makes me mad, and He wants that to stop!  I guess I'll just have to keep "turning the other cheek" until I quit getting upset over it!  Compared to young David, I'm such a weenie!

JOHN 11:54-12:19                                                                                                            
"BELIEF" in Jesus is not a "leap in the dark", but a decisive step into the Light. Although by this point in the Gospel of John, Jesus no longer moved about where the Jews frequented, He does still appear in relative public.  He is with His friends and supporters: the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  They lived in Bethany, so He was within 2 miles of Jerusalem, the place of greatest danger to Him.

MARY:  Each time in the Gospels that we read of this Mary, she is at Jesus' feet. (Luke 10:39; John 11:32; 12:3).   Mary had more understanding of Jesus' mission than did the 12.   He was a radical departure from other "gods", who never suffered for their followers!  That He came to GIVE life, not take it!   If you look at Mark 16, you will see that this Mary was not among those who took spices to prepare Jesus' body for burial.  She had already spread them on Him!

JUDAS:  Contrasted here to Mary.  Mary showed extravagant worship, has a good reputation and a good ointment.   Judas showed a critical spirit, has a bad reputation and a thieving heart.

RESPONSE:   Extravagant worship: what is that? Costly, almost a years' wages. Vulnerable, as she let down her hair in public and sat at His feet. Public as she didn't care who saw her. Intimate, as Mary and Jesus now shared the same odor from the ointment. Can we get that close?  I think we can.  I think we should! 

PSALM 118:1-18                                                                                                                 
MAN CANNOT THWART THE PURPOSES OF GOD:  This is believed to be the "hymn" referred to in Matthew 26:30, Jesus' farewell song.  Ps 118:17-18, "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death."

"Oh give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever." This verse is quoted at least five times outside the Psalms. This is our CELEBRATION song. This is our BATTLE song. What does it mean for God's mercy to endure forever? The word, "mercy" is also translated, "lovingkindness" and "goodness". In fact, God describes Himself as "abundant in goodness" (Exo 34:6).  It is God's mercy that keeps us from being destroyed or self-destructing. As I defined elsewhere, "mercy" is the response in a mother that causes her milk to let down when the baby cries, so connected is she with her offspring. God's favor and faithfulness, goodness and grace flow freely and is the full flow of affection toward us. He will always respond to us because it is in His nature to do so. He can't help Himself!

Psalm 118:8 is the exact middle of the whole Bible: "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." There are 594 verses before and 594 verses after. The word "trust" here means "to lean on someone or something".  This is a VERBAL EXERCISE. It has to be expressed to God and to our wayward, mouthy hearts.




PROVERBS 15:24-26                                                                                                            
The way of the wise, and that of the fool: the one is above, the other below; the one is of life, the other is of death. Widows were considered the most desolate of all people - and are under God's protection; while God "resists the proud". (Jam 4:6) The "thoughts" ("plans, schemes, devices, purposes, plans") of the "wicked" are an abomination to God. The "WICKED" in the original language here are "destroyers", "those who break in pieces and destroy something." It is "to destroy the purpose and design of something, to render it dysfunctional".   God detests this.   He created everything for a purpose of His own, and those who would scheme to destroy the ability of something to fulfill its purpose are "wicked".

RESPONSE:   If the Lord hadn't helped me, I would have self-destructed a long time ago.  But even MY flesh wasn't strong enough to thwart God's plans!  His mercy surely endures forever.  I count on it!

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