by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Samuel 16-18
A father’s love just doesn’t stop, does it? What a demonstration of it as David’s men have to face the rebellious Absalom.
David has left Jerusalem, but that isn’t good enough for Absalom. The son goes out to war against his father and his men. He is determined to steal the kingship for good.
His plan doesn’t work, and he gets killed instead. Such sorrow for David.
When the report comes to David, there is only one thing on his mind. How is my son, Absalom? How is my son, Absalom? No rejoicing until he finds the answer to that question.
Heartbreak for the king.
When I read this story, I think about our Father’s love for us. Regardless of what we have done, our Father’s heart is pulling for us. He wants us to repent, but He also wants our welfare – never judgment.
Today, I want to meditate on that terrific love He has for me. I want my eyes to be opened to receive it more than ever.
If God is for me, who can be against me? The answer: nobody!
Luke 17:20-37
As Jesus reveals His kingdom, His disciples must have been confused. Many of the things He says to them as He is with them can’t be understood until later – after He has sent back the Holy Spirit.
They are going into uncharted waters. No one has seen or heard what they will see and hear shortly, so there is no way they can understand it until it comes. Then they will say, “Oh, so that’s what He was talking about.”
It’s the same today. Some aspects of God’s plan haven’t happened yet.
There will be a wrapping up of this age, and God’s plan will come into completion. Just as in the days of Noah and just as in the days of Lot, people will be eating and drinking and going about their daily lives, totally oblivious to God and His kingdom. Then He will appear.
We like to see things, don’t we? We want to touch and feel and see and hear. We are led by our senses and our reasoning. If God moves in a way we haven’t seen before, the human mind wants to discount it.
When Jesus says that His Kingdom ” is not coming with signs to be observed…for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”(v.20-21), He is speaking of the new birth. God’s kingdom has come – and it’s within the hearts of men.
If you don’t have this kingdom – this new birth – its foolish to you. It makes no sense to the natural mind.
Yet one thing is for sure. God is the Creator of the natural mind and He makes it clear that there is something higher and greater. The born again spirit of a man is that something.
I’ve been on both sides, and I know how it happens. There was a time in my life when my life was based on nothing but reason. I had been raised in church, but I had never really understood about the new creation – the new birth.
Then one day, after some desperation in my life, I received the new birth. My mind was totally blown! It was shocking to me to realize that there was something so significant that I had never really known.
Suddenly, I began to see and hear what God was speaking to me. Me! He was speaking to me personally. Amazing!
The Word of God began to come alive. No longer was it just one more book. It was The Book! My Father began to speak to me as I read it.
That was many years ago, and the same awe is there when I read His Word.
I truly think that God’s Word – the Bible – is one of the greatest miracles of all times. He spoke to many men over many centuries and they recorded what he said. As we read it from beginning to end as we are doing now, we see how there is a consistency which is astounding.
It’s the love story between God and His creation.
If you are born again, you know what I am talking about. If you aren’t born again, and don’t “get it,” then why don’t you ask your Father to open your eyes?
He would love to have His kingdom – His Spirit – come to live inside of you, and to adopt you as His child. It’s better than you can imagine.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Samuel 14-15
You will hear ministers talk about the “Absalom spirit” in the church. As you read these passages, you will see why that spirit is so detrimental to God’s plans.
Absalom has nothing really to offer the people but a big ego. Yet he stands at the gate and tries to lure them into following him. “The king doesn’t really care for you like I do,” is the jist of what he would say. Seduction personified. “Your life will be better if you follow me.”
Many church splits have occurred with this spirit dominating the action. Someone gets lifted up in pride, thinking that they can do a better job than the current leader. Usually when someone is in such pride, they don’t make good leaders at all – and the outcome is devastating.
So as Absalom leads a rebellion against David, the king quickly leaves town, entrusting himself to God. Of course, he is hurt over his son’s attempted overthrow, but his attitude is one of complete trust.
He says, “If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, then He will bring me back again…But if He should say thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am. Let Him do to me as seems good to Him.”(15:25-26)
There is a book entitled A Tale Of Three Kings, in which author, Gene Edwards contrasts the attitudes of Saul, David, and Absalom. Interestingly, the king who trusts himself to God’s hand when Saul is chasing him, also entrusts himself to God when his son is overthrowing him.
David’s humility when under attack is the key to his victory. In each situation, as others are exalting themselves, he is throwing himself on God’s mercy.
Such godly character! Such a role model for any in leadership today.
When God exalts you, you stay exalted. We’ll see the outcome tomorrow!
Luke 17:1-19
“If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea;’ and it would obey you.”(v.6)
The rewards of great faith are promised us, but Jesus gives an unusual illustration concerning the slave just “performing his duty.” After the performance of duties, just say, “we have done only that which we ought to have done.”(v.10)
One time, as I had just received a tremendous answer to prayer, I was rejoicing greatly. In fact, I was sharing with many people the results of my victory.
As I was sharing, the Lord began to speak to me. He said, “It’s not your great faith; it’s your faith in a great God.”
Ouch! I began to see that I was being prideful, as if my faith had brought the results.
When we see our Father the right way, we don’t think of ourselves as high in any way. He is the One who is high. He is the One who answers our prayers. He is the One who can accomplish all things for us.
All you and I are doing is believing in the great God Who was and is and is to come. All glory goes to Him.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Samuel 11-13
Never let your guard down, and never get lazy, or you’ll get into trouble. That’s the root of the lowest point in David’s life.
After all of those years of running from Saul, and still honoring him, and after all those years of fighting with his men, David takes a rest. He takes a rest from fighting, but it seems that he also takes a rest from his honor. He must have taken a rest from attention to his God.
Not only does he violate Uriah’s wife, but he has the man killed. Unbelievable evil coming from our man, David.
Yet, he recovers his honesty and decency when Nathan the prophet brings David the word from the Lord.
So often, when people are caught in violations, they harden their hearts against any kind of repentance. They deny any wrong doing.
Not David. When Nathan says to him, “You are the man,”(12:7) David snaps to his senses and takes responsibility. He says, “I have sinned against the Lord,”(12:13) and begins fasting and praying.
So David recovers – even from that horrible sin – but sin runs rampant through his house. His sons are out of control as one rapes a sister and then gets killed by another.
Shame comes to the house of David. Shame and sorrow.
When David opens the gate of his house to the devil by committing his sin, demonic forces try to take over. His sin is adultery and murder; his sons’ sins are incest and murder. Not things which we would expect from David’s house.
David’s repentance closes the gate for himself, but the sons continue on their lawless paths.
I want to have a holy life – not only for myself and for my God, but for my children and grandchildren. I want them to have lives free from the heartache that comes with sin. I will keep that gate closed to Satan and his imps.
How about you?
Luke 16
Jesus continues to pound away at the deceitfulness of riches. There are other passages which show that our Father wants to bless us with finances, but the true blessing of God adds no sorrow. Worshiping Mammon brings great sorrow.
When men worship their money instead of God, they become very self-centered and proud. Instead of allowing the Lord to lead them in the handling of their finances, they lavish themselves with their riches. Or sometimes, they hoard the finances, worshiping their treasure.
People whose hearts are allowed to go in that direction are in for a big surprise. They may think that they are on top of things, but not so. This life on earth is only a dot compared to eternity. To live selfishly here is a big mistake. It only leads to sorrow in the end.
Consider the beggar, Lazarus, in the parable. His poor condition is not what allows him into heaven; there is no glory in being poor. His heart must be right before God. He must have tried to live according to God’s plan as much as possible. His life after death is the greater.
At the end of this parable, Jesus makes a very poignant statement. He says, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they listen if someone rises from the dead.”(v.37)
What is He saying? He is saying that if the Jews don’t believe the Word they have from God, they won’t believe another Word from Him. The same applies today. If we don’t believe the Word which we have in hand, we can’t believe other Words which may be spoken to us from God.
The Word, the Bible, is the basis for everything we believe. If we hear something else, another gospel, and we can’t see it in the Word, then it isn’t so. We must reject it.
My prayer is that we – and others of our generation – will rise up to be keepers of the truth. We will not only listen to the Word, but we will believe it and hold that higher than any other word we hear.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Samuel 9-11
What an inspiring story! David wants to make sure that he honors anyone who is left from the “house of Saul” – for Jonathan’s sake. (Remember, David and Jonathan had made a covenant that they would remain faithful to each other). So he inquires, and the only descendant remaining is a lame man, Mephibosheth. The man is summoned, and comes with fear and trembling. He is frightened, because the custom is that the descendants of the last regime will be killed.
Boy, is he in for a surprise! David welcomes him as part of the household. He is to eat at the king’s table and Saul’s remaining servants are to serve him. He is still treated as royalty!
That’s the way the Lord sees us – and our children. We are in covenant with Him, and we are invited to eat at the King’s table, along with our descendants. So many of us are like Mephibosheth. We either don’t realize our place, or we think we are too unworthy to eat at the table of the King.
In our own right, we are unworthy. Yet we are made worthy by the blood of Jesus. There is a place for us at the table, and He wants us to be there. All we have to do is receive what He has done for us.
I pray that you and I will grow in our understanding of the tremendous gift having been given to us by Jesus. And I pray that we will receive it! Let’s dine with the King!
One more quick note. Do you notice in 10:7 where David’s army is called the “mighty men?” Well, obviously, these men have grown some. If you look at I Samuel 22:2, you’ll see where they came from. It says, “everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered themselves to David; and he became captain over them.”
They may have started as a ragtag army, but now they are “mighty men.” They are like us! Sometimes we start our walk with the Lord in distress, in debt, and discontented – broken and insecure. Yet if we stick with our Lord – letting Him instruct us everyday, building us up – we will wind up His mighty men.
That’s what I want to be. One of His mighty ones.
Luke 15:11-32
There is nothing that touches the heart of the Father or His heavenly host like a prodigal son who has returned.
Over the years, as my husband and I have pastored, we have seen many people return. Often, they think that their sinful lives have ruled them out of the Kingdom. They think that there is no way that God could ever forgive them for what they have done.
They are wrong when they think that way. God is a loving God, whose arms are always open for those who want Him. There is no sin and no situation which will separate us – if we want to return.
You’ll notice that the Father didn’t go looking for the son. He let him go his way. That’s the way our Father is. If we are determined to seek our own way and leave Him, He’ll let us go.
Yet if we want to return, He will run to meet us, give us a ring and a robe – signifying the new “robe of righteousness”- and throw a party on our behalf. All of the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who has come back to the Lord.
There is no condemnation, no “I told you so,” only open arms and rejoicing.
It’s important for us to realize that our Father sees it this way for ourselves and for others. Maybe we have never been prodigals; maybe we have always served Him. That’s great. But we must remember that this is His attitude toward those who have left the fold for a season.
When they return, they should be welcomed by us – just as our Father is welcoming them.
I pray that there will be many prodigals who are right now making their way back to the Lord. I want to be ready to receive them – full of mercy and kindness.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Samuel 6-8
The first thing David does as king is attempt to return the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, but there are some missteps on the way.
From its construction, God had given very specific instructions concerning the handling of the ark. It’s important for us to realize that the ark represented the very presence of the Lord. It was to be honored and carried correctly.
So when David wants to bring it up to its proper place, the people are too casual in its handling. It is transported on a “new cart,” instead of on poles, and as they go, the ark is nearly upset from the cart. Ussah reaches out to secure it, and he dies suddenly. God’s presence can’t be maneuvered by man.
Furious with the death of his friend, David is afraid to bring the ark the rest of the way, so he leaves it with Obed-edom, who gets great blessing from its presence.
After Obed-edom’s blessing, David decides to bring the ark the rest of the way, so the journey continues – this time with greater care.
David has such a tender heart toward the things of God. As he is transporting the ark, he removes his kingly robe and adorns a linen ephod so that he can “dance with all of his might”(6:14) before the ark of God. He is a true worshipper, and before the presence of God, he cares not what others think. He will worship his God with all of his might.
Michal, on the other hand, hates to see David behaving in such an undignified manner. She rebukes David for his display, and gets a rebuke in return. David reminds her that he was nothing when God called him to be king, and that he will humble himself before his Creator and worship him in fullness forever.
Michal becomes barren after this.
A life that is full of pride, always trying to look good in the eyes of men, will be a barren life. God rewards the humble, but He resists the proud. The proud have the reward of looking acceptable to others, but they can’t count on the blessing or relationship with God as do those who humbly look to Him and honor Him as their source of accomplishment.
I want to keep a humble attitude, don’t you?It really doesn’t matter what men thin; it’s what God thinks that counts. And life with Him is truly worth looking a little foolish from time to time.
Luke 15:1-10
What makes heaven rejoice? A lost person who repents and turns to God.
In our society, with people jockeying for position, it’s hard to grasp the heavenly attitude toward people. Sometimes on earth it seems that some people are more important than others. The rich, the educated, the beautiful, the talented, the athletic…you name it. These are often raised up higher in the eyes of men than ordinary people.
Not so with our Father. The smallest and the least are just as important as the high and mighty. In fact, the Word says we are not to prefer the rich or the poor. Everyone is equal in our Father’s eyes.
So when one person – whether they live in a mansion or are homeless – receives Jesus, the angels rejoice. They are in celebration over one person who was lost and now is found.
I pray that my Father will give me His heart toward people. I never want to overlook or discount anyone I encounter. Each one and everyone is significant and needs to be honored as such. The garb of the homeless – or the wealthy – can sometimes hide their value and or their need for a Savior.
Lord, give me Your heart. Let me see with Your eyes, and hear with Your ears. Let me be sensitive to others always.
