Today’s Reading:  Psalm 118

Does the fast pace of life ever have you wishing for an extra day – a day to get caught up or to rest or to do something you never have time to do?  This is leap year and we have been given an extra day in February.  It is that unique year when we have 366 days instead of 365.  What will you do with this extra day?  What opportunities will you create?  

Today is Leap Day and so I look at my schedule and expect to see something special, something out of the ordinary.  But my Google calendar tells me it is just another day.  The girls have school, Scott has work and I have a long task list to get to.  Today is Leap Day but life does not slow down enough to notice that it is February 29th.  Aside from the 63 degree weather, there is not a lot to get excited about as I look ahead to the next 24 hours.

But in the words of the psalmist:

This is the day the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it…

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good!  His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 118:24,29

So today, February 29th, is a day to enjoy!  It only comes once every four years so let’s make the most of it!  Let’s look for opportunities OUT OF THE ORDINARY today.  Here are some ideas:

• Send a note or text or Facebook message to someone you have not talked to in at least four years.  Let them know you are thinking of them.
• Make a $29 donation to a charity, ministry or your favorite nonprofit organization.
• Pull something out of your closet to wear that you have not worn for a long time.
• Look for ways to put a smile on someone’s face.  In fact, see how many people you can get to smile before the day is over.  
• If you are married, do something special for your spouse to show them how much you love them.  Two weeks after Valentine’s Day and the romance is still alive!

Today may be a normal Monday routine, but do not let this be a normal day.  Make today out of the ordinary.  Today only comes around once every four years.  Let’s make it count!

Today’s Reading:  1 Kings 3-4; 2 Chronicles 1; Proverbs 2:3-6

Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong.  For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”  – 1 Kings 3:9

Solomon understood the enormity of the task before him and humbly asked for God to make him all he needed to be for this position of honor and authority among God’s people.  He knew what he lacked was wisdom, so he asked God for wisdom.  His father David had praised the God who could examine hearts and find integrity (1 Chron 29:17).  Solomon needed the ability to find this same kind of integrity in the hearts of God’s people as they came to him to settle disputes.  

Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled.  “Please, my lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house.  I gave birth while she was with me in the house.  Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only the two of us in the house.

“But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it.  Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep.  She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her.  And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead!  But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.”

Then the other woman interrupted, “It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.”

“No,” the first woman said, “the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.”  And they argued back and forth before the king. – 1 Kings 3:16-22

Integrity in the heart of a prostitute – that is what Solomon was looking to find.  Prostitutes were the most despised class of women in the Israelite community.  For Solomon to even agree to meet with these women demonstrated that he was kind and just.  He could have rejected them for being pregnant outside of marriage, but he took the time to hear their story and extend a helping hand.  

They were alone in this world, no one to even witness the births and testify to whose child was whose.  They were cast off from their families, used by men and then abandoned.  Yet Solomon had the gift of an understanding heart and he took time to listen to their story and meet their needs.  As God said, Solomon’s greatest desire was to help his people, so God gave him the wisdom and knowledge he had requested (2 Chronicles 1:11-12).

Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight.  Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says the dead one belongs to the other.  All right, bring me a sword.”  So a sword was brought to the king.

Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”

Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my lord!  Give her the child – please do not kill him!”

But the other woman said, “Alright, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”

Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”

When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice. – 1 Kings 3:23-28

The actions of the mother of the living baby revealed her heart.  She loved her child enough to give him up.  Solomon heard the love of a mother in her reaction and gave her back her child.  Compassion, understanding, wisdom and justice.  What God had called Solomon to do, God equipped Solomon to do.  

God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.  In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt.  He was wiser than anyone else…His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations.  He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs.  He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall.  He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish.  And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon. – 1 Kings 4:29-34

Lord, give us today all we need to be used by you in the lives of those around us.  Equip us with the compassion needed to care enough to listen to the stories of those who are in need of justice.  Fill us with the understanding we need to help them.  Give us your wisdom – not for our own glory but for YOURS!  May integrity be demonstrated in our lives and revealed in our hearts.  We love you, Lord.  Amen.

Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.

Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.

Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.

For the Lord grants wisdom!  From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. – Proverbs 2:3-6

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.

All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever! – Psalm 111:10

When I read through this story of the two prostitutes, I think of all the incredible birthmothers I have met over the years.  That moment of sacrifice when a mother cries out on behalf of her child…that courageous decision that shows she loves her baby enough to give him up…that selfless action of choosing a different life for the baby she loves…

Then I look at Solomon’s compassionate heart as he takes the time to listen to her story.  I see in him a reflection of the God who knows everything about us and cares deeply about our future.  Lord, give us this kind of compassion and understanding for others.  Help us to seek justice and search for integrity.  Give us insight and lead us into these kinds of moments today.  Amen.

Today’s Reading:  1 Kings 2:13-4; Psalm 119:33-37; James 1:5

This week I asked my favorite three year old what he wanted for his birthday.  Last night I went to his birthday party and the waitress asked me what I would like to order.  Today many of us will pull up to a drive through and hear the words, “What can I do for you today?”  What if we hear those same words from God as we sit down to spend time in His presence?  How would we answer?

If you could ask God for anything, what would you ask Him for?  If God woke you up this morning with the announcement that He wants to bless you greatly, that you are to choose a gift from Him and He will give it to you in abundance, what gift would you choose?  

Remember the wish George made in the movie It’s A Wonderful Life?  He wished he had never been born and an angel granted him the wish.  For the next few days he saw what life would have been like for everyone else without him.  The experience opened his eyes and changed his perspective on life.  What if the gift you could ask for from God was one that would forever change you?

On his deathbed, King David gives his son Solomon advice on how to lead His people.  If I put myself in Solomon’s situation, I imagine he must have felt overwhelmed and unequipped for the job ahead of him.  Scripture tells us that Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David.  But, in addition to his obedience, Solomon worshipped God and sacrificed generously to Him.  The Lord saw Solomon’s heart and asked, “What do you want?  Ask, and I will give it to you!” (1 Kings 3:2-5)

Solomon replied, “You showed faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you.  And you have continued your faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.  Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around.  And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted!  GIVE ME AN UNDERSTANDING HEART so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong.  For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”  

The Lord was pleased that Solomon asked for wisdom.  So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies – I will give you what you asked for!  I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else had or ever will have!  And I will also give you what you did not ask for – riches and fame!  No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!  And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.” –1 Kings 3:5-14, NLT

That is the God we serve!  Our God gives us what we ask for and also what we do not ask for.  God sees the heart of His people and blesses them accordingly.  Remember the words of David in his final psalm:  “I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there” (1 Chron. 29:17a).  In Solomon, God saw great humility and a desire to serve God well.  

In response to the sacrificial life Solomon was living, God offered him the opportunity to ask for ANYTHING and Solomon asked for wisdom.  Solomon could have asked for something for himself and instead he asked for something that would help him serve God and his people better.  Solomon’s request was selfless and generous.  God’s response matched Solomon’s as he generously gave him very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore… He was wiser than anyone else (1 Kings 4:29-31).  

But we know that about God, right?  We know he LOVES to give gifts, especially wisdom.  If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).   

So as my heavenly barista asks me this morning, “What can I do for you today?”,  my response is “I would like a venti of wisdom with a double shot of understanding, please!”   What do you want?  What will you ask the Lord for today?

Teach me your decrees, O Lord;

   I will keep them to the end.

Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;

   I will put them into practice with all my heart.

Make me walk along the path of your commands,

   for that is where my happiness is found.

Give me an eagerness for your laws

   rather than a love for money!

Turn my eyes from worthless things,

   and give me life through your word. – Psalm 119:33-37

Today’s Reading:  1 Chronicles 28-29; 2 Samuel 23; 1 Kings 1-2:12;

O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.

Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you.

Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.

Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. – Psalm 5:1-3

“God’s way is perfect” (2 Samuel 22:31a).  These four words in David’s psalm of thanksgiving speak volumes to me.  My mind goes back to a grieving father – grieving his sin against God and grieving God’s decision to take the life of the son produced through David’s act of sin.  God forgave David’s transgression yet did not answer David’s prayer.   The same God who answered Hannah’s prayers of anguish with the birth of a son, did not answer David’s prayers of anguish for the life of his son. What do we do with this?

After Nathan returned to his home, the Lord sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah’s wife.  David begged God to spare the child.  He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground…Then on the seventh day the child died. – 2 Samuel 12:15-18a

David’s advisers were surprised when he went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the Lord after hearing of his child’s death.  He went from fasting to eating; from pleading with God to resting in God’s decision.

David replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live.’  But why should I fast when he is dead?  Can I bring him back again?  I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.” – 2 Samuel 12:22-23

My mind cannot always wrap around our Almighty God; my human limitations cannot always understand a God who has no limitations.  GOD’S WAY IS ALWAYS PERFECT.  Even when I do not get the desire of my heart, God loves me and blesses me according to His plan – just as He did David.

Although God took the life of the baby conceived in David’s adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, God chose to bless their marriage and gave them many more children.  Out of all of David’s wives and all of David’s children, God chose the next son born to David and Bathsheba to be David’s successor as King.  They named this son Solomon, but God gave him the name Jedidiah, which means “beloved of the Lord”.  With this name, God expressed his special love for Solomon and revealed His plan to use this baby in a special way.  Solomon would build God’s Temple – God would be his Father and Solomon would be God’s son (1 Chron. 28:6).

David had some powerful words of advice for his son and for all of us who are called to do a work for the Lord:

“…Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors INTIMATELY.  Worship and serve him with your WHOLE heart and a WILLING mind.  For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought.  If you seek him, you will find him.  But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.  So take this seriously.  THE LORD HAS CHOSEN YOU to build a Temple as his sanctuary.  Be strong, and do the work.”…

Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work.  Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.  HE will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.” – 1 Chron. 28:9-10, 20

David, a man who knew what it was to fail and be forgiven, a man who knew what it was to have his prayers sometimes answered with a “yes” and sometimes answered with a “no”, ended his reign as King praising God and praying for the people God had given him the privilege to lead:

“O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever!  YOURS, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty.  Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom.  We adore you as the one who is over all things.  Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything.  Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.

“O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!  But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you?  Everything we have you first gave us!  We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us.  Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

“O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your name comes from you!  It all belongs to you!  I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there.  You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.

“O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you.  See to it that their love for you never changes.  Give my son Solomon the WHOLEHEARTED desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.” – 1 Chron. 29:10b-19

As the time of King David’s death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon:  “I am going where everyone on earth must someday go.  Take courage and be a man.  Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways.  Keep the decrees, commands, regulations and laws written in the law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go…” – 1 Kings 2:1-3

What great advice for Solomon and what great advice for us today.  God may not answer every prayer the way we want him to, but take courage and grow up.  We may fast and plead with God only to lose someone we dearly love.  But don’t be afraid or discouraged – the Lord our God is with us!  What He has called us to do, He will equip us for.  What He has asked us to do, He will provide the resources for – whether that is earthly materials or strength to face the day.  He can give us the wholehearted desire to serve and obey Him, according to HIS plan and HIS will, regardless of the circumstances around us.

THE LORD HAS CHOSEN YOU to _______________.  Be strong and courageous, and do the work.

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! – Psalm 31:24

Today’s Reading: Psalm 9, 10, 13, 16, 18

O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me.

So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!”

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;

You are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.

I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety,

for the Lord was watching over me. – Psalm 3:1-5

The book of Psalms is the place many of us go when we are struggling – when difficult times are upon us and we are wondering why God is allowing us to walk such a hard path.  The Psalms remind us that God allows us to go through pain and experience problems so that we will long for His PRESENCE, recognize His PROVISION, and cry out for His PROTECTION.  Over and over again you see this pattern in the poetry of the Psalms – this dance between man and God.

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord,

do not abandon those who search for you. – Psalm 9:9-10

Difficult times come and our faith in God causes us to seek Him in the midst of the pain – where is God (PRESENCE), how is He going to help me (PROVISION) and am I going to survive this (PROTECTION)?  We cry out “Lord, have mercy!” (9:13a) and He hears the hope in our “Helps!” – He hears our cries and comforts us, bringing justice and faith to replace the fear (10:17-18).

Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!

Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.

Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”

Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

But I trust in your unfailing love.

I will rejoice because you have rescued me. [PROTECTION]

I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. – Psalm 13:3-6

Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.

I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!  Every good thing I have comes from you.”…

Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.

You guard all that is mine. [PROVISION]

The land you have given me is a pleasant land.  What a wonderful inheritance!

I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.

I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me…

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your PRESENCE

and the pleasures of living with you forever. – Psalm 16:1-2,5-8,11

This dance of life is a partner dance – a dance rooted in relationship with God.  We are not meant to struggle alone but to allow difficult times to bring us back to the dance floor where God hears our cries, knows every detail of our problems and stays by our side through it all.  It is His PRESENCE that helps us find joy despite our circumstances.

I love you, Lord; you are my strength.  

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

My God is my rock, in whom I find PROTECTION.

He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me.

The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path.

But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. – Psalm 18:1-6

For some their pain is physical and they are faced with a disease or injury that threatens their life.  The same God is their Great Physician, listening to the cries of their heart and making the same promises – I will be with you (PRESENCE), I will be everything you need (PROVISION) and I will be your fortress (PROTECTION).

Perhaps you are thinking – I am not a good dancer.  I avoid the dance floor because it is hard for me to submit to someone else’s lead.  I can deal with my own problems without His PRESENCE, I have my own source of PROVISION and I do not need His PROTECTION.  The psalmist declares his own testimony of letting go and allowing God to draw him out of the dark and into His light.  We do not have to know what to do but simply allow God to take the lead, supporting us and keeping our feet from slipping – even in the most difficult of situations.

You light a lamp for me.

The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.

In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale a wall.

God’s way is perfect.  All the Lord’s promises prove true.

He is a shield for all who look to him for PROTECTION.

For who is God except the Lord?

Who but our God is a solid rock?

God arms me with strength [PROVISION] and makes my way perfect.

He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

You have given me your shield of victory.

Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great.

You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. – Ps. 18:28-36

God is speaking.  Can you hear Him asking, “Can I have this dance?”  Will you trust Him and allow Him to take the lead? Will you let go of the pain and the problems and hold onto Him instead?

Today’s Reading:  2 Samuel 19-22,24; 1 Chronicles 20-27; Psalm 7

God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right…

I will thank the Lord because he is just;

I will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. – Psalm 7:10,17

As I finished up 2 Samuel this morning, my heart responded to David’s psalm of thanksgiving as he finished his reign as King.  Looking back on his life, there were so many difficult times and struggles.  From King Saul’s attempts to kill David to his own son’s rebellion against him; from the violence against his daughter to the violence against his concubines; from the grief and loss of his friends to the grief and loss of his newborn son – David experienced more pain than most of us will ever know.  Yet at the end of his life, David did the same thing he had always done – he sang to the Lord who had generously blessed him and saved him from his enemies.

As I read David’s song of praise to God, I think of the times when I have called out to God in my distress and felt His presence swoop in and surround me with peace.  I thought of my own healing and the healing of others as I read of God’s emotions when death and the grave lay traps in the path before us.  

This psalm has beautiful imagery so I pray you are able to place yourself in this beautiful song and picture the love of the God who rescues you!  I pray you are able to find peace and say GOD’S WAY IS PERFECT.

 He sang:  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.
I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and HE SAVED ME from my enemies.

“The waves of death overwhelmed me; floods of destruction swept over me.
The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path.
But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I cried to my God for help.
HE HEARD ME from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.

“Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger.
Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.
A great brightness shone around him, and burning coals blazed forth.
The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
He shot arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were confused.
Then at the command of the Lord, at the blast of his breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

“HE REACHED DOWN from heaven and RESCUED me; HE DREW ME OUT of deep waters.
HE RESCUED ME from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord SUPPORTED me.
HE LED ME to a place of safety, he rescued me because HE DELIGHTS in me.
The Lord REWARDED ME for doing right; he RESTORED ME because of my innocence.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
 I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees.
I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.
The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence.

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.
To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
You RESCUE the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.
O Lord, you are my lamp.  The Lord lights up my darkness.
In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

“GOD’S WAY IS PERFECT.  All the Lord’s promises prove true.
    He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is God except the Lord?  Who but our God is a solid rock?
God is my strong fortress, and he makes my way perfect.” – 2 Samuel 22:2-33

Perfect Father, help us to come to the same place David did at the end of his life.  Help us to recognize your presence in our life and how you have been with us through every situation, from the deep waters to the battlefields.  Thank you for showing yourself faithful and watching over us.  Give us the confidence to to say that with your help we can crush any army and scale any wall.  Protect us with your shield and set us upon your solid rock.  Your way is perfect, even when it is beyond our understanding.  When I accept your way for my life, I can know it will be perfect – exactly as you intend for it to be.  You are my refuge, my rock, my Savior and I love you!

Today’s Reading:  2 Samuel 13 – 18;; Psalm 3, 58 & 63

David thought he could have Uriah killed and no one would notice, no one would care.  But God cared!  God cared about Uriah and God cared about the choices David was making.  God loved David enough that He desired to find a way to bring David back to Himself and continue to bless David.  God desires the same for us when we fall away from Him.

All of us must die eventually.  Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again.  But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him (2 Samuel 14:14).

These were the words of a woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom.  Her words came to David at a time when he was angry with his son Absalom for killing his half-brother Amnon, even though he had good reason to administer justice (Amnon had raped Absalom’s sister, Tamar, and then sent her away in shame) – 2 Samuel 13.  God had forgiven David for having Uriah killed but David refused to forgive Absalom for killing Amnon.

In response to Tekoa’s words and the request of Joab, David chose to extend grace to Absalom by letting him return to Jerusalem but he continued to ban his son from his presence.  Even when Absalom rebelled against David and tried to take the kingdom from him, the change in David’s heart was evidenced in these words to Joab:  “For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom” (18:5).  

When Absalom was killed in battle, Joab knew this would not be good news for David, even though Absalom had been so disloyal to his father (18:20).  At the news of Absalom’s death, David cried, “O my son Absalom!  My son, my son Absalom!  If only I had died instead of you!  O Absalom, my son, my son.”  – (18:33)

The way in which God loves us and values each life changed David and it can change us too.  Perhaps we have good reason to stay angry or refuse to forgive someone, but we must remember that we also have sinned against God, yet he loves us enough to continue to draw us to Him.  The God we have sinned against still wants a personal relationship with us.  If God is willing to forgive us, will we allow him to do a miracle in our hearts, giving us the strength to forgive others?

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven. – Luke 6:37

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. – Ephesians 4:31-32

God does not just sweep life away.  When I was a teenager, I asked God to break my heart at what breaks His.  I believe in response to that prayer, God called me to the pro-life ministry.  I believe it breaks the heart of God when the lives of the unborn are devalued.  I also read the above scriptures and know in my heart that God loves the mothers and fathers who have chosen abortion.  He loves them enough to want them to come to repentance so that He can forgive them and restore them.  

If you are in need of forgiveness today, know that your Savior loves you.  Know that God is not done with you, He does not just sweep your life away.  As He loved David, He loves you!  As He forgave David, He wants to forgive you.  He has not given up on you but continues to devise ways to draw you back to Him.  Perhaps today is the day to stop resisting His pull and allow God to change your heart as He changed the heart of David.

If you are in need of forgiving someone else today, know that Almighty God has the power to do a work in your heart – even what seems impossible.  Just as God wants to forgive you, He wants you to let go of the hurt and pain, forgiving others for all they have done to you.  God does not just sweep life away and neither should we.

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.

I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. – Psalm 3:3-5

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.

Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!

I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

You satisfy me more than the richest feast.

I will praise you with songs of joy.

I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.

Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. – Psalm 63:1-8

If you or someone you know has an abortion in their past, please consider taking a weekend to go DEEPER STILL in your healing from that decision.  Follow this link to learn more:

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Today’s Reading:  2 Samuel 8-12; 1 Chronicles 18-19; Psalm 51 & 60

One of the most common plotlines in movies and television sitcoms is also one of the most frustrating to watch.  The main character makes a mistake and tells a lie to cover up the truth, but then they have to tell another lie and then another lie to cover up the first lie.  Everything becomes a mess, the truth comes out, and they realize it would have been better to just tell the truth right away.  I think this is the plot of every “I Love Lucy” episode.

This morning David is that main character.  David takes a break from the battlefield and goes up on his roof to walk around.  From there he sees Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, taking a bath.  In this moment, David makes a choice.  God is telling him to look away but the enemy is telling him to look closer.  God is telling David you can’t have that and the enemy is telling David you need that, you deserve that – after all, you’re the king!

This is the moment when David makes a huge mistake – not an accident but a choice.  He gives in to temptation and to his own fleshly desires instead of listening to the Spirit.  David’s behavior is self-serving, instead of God-serving.  David did not fall into sin, he stepped into it.  When Bathsheba becomes pregnant with David’s child, David makes another choice.  Instead of confessing his sins, he tries to cover up his indiscretions through manipulation and lies and then murder.  

If you read through this story in 2 Samuel 11, take notice that Uriah the Hittite is not even an Israelite and yet he is so dedicated that he refuses to go home and be with his wife as long as the ark and the army are out on the battlefield.  David, on the other hand, is less concerned about his soldiers and the safety of the Ark and more concerned about himself.  The king of Israel has always gone into battle with his army, but David remained safe in the palace while his men risked their lives for their country.

When did this shift happen?  In 2 Samuel 6:14, David is dancing before the Lord with all his might, rejoicing that the Ark of God was coming to the City of David.  In Chapter 7, the Lord is reminding David of where he was and to what God has brought him – “I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes” (2 Samuel 7:8-9).

It would have been wise for David to remember all God had done for him.  It would have helped David to remember God was with him wherever he went – even when he was sinning in secret, God knew all.  

So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story:  “There were two men in a certain town.  One was rich, and one was poor.  The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle.  The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought.  He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children.  It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup.  He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter.  One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man.  But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”  David was furious…Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man!” – 2 Samuel 12:1-7a

David confessed his sin and suffered greatly due to the consequences of his first sin and the many sins he committed in an attempt to cover up the first.  God forgave David but there were consequences and David’s baby lived only 7 days.  This is where the movie might end but David’s story continues.  God forgives David and still has a plan for his life.  

The enemy has plans for us today, plans to trip us up and lead us into temptation.  God has another plan – a plan that involves keeping our focus on Him and saying “no” to temptation.  When the enemy says to look closer, may we hear God’s voice telling us to look away.  When the enemy tells us we need something, may we accept God’s answer of “no”.  Today may we give in to the urgings of the Spirit instead of the urgings of the sinful nature.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.  So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death.  But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace…

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die.  But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. – Romans 8:5-6,12-14

God will give us the strength to follow Him today.  We were just worshipping and praising God yesterday, weren’t we?  Let’s not forget who He is, who we were and who we now are in Christ!  Let’s make a choice today – let’s choose God and walk away from sin.

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.

Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

Wash me clean from my guilt.  Purify me from my sin.

For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;

I have done what is evil in your sight.

You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

For I was born a sinner – yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;

Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me – now let me rejoice.

Don’t keep looking at my sins.

Remove the stain of my guilt.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.

Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.

Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.

You do not desire sacrifice, or I would offer one.

You do not want a burnt offering.

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.

You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. – Psalm 51:1-17

Today’s Reading:  2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17 and Psalm 132

Now David built several buildings in the city of David, including a palace to live in.  Then he said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant is out there under a tent!”

Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.” – 2 Samuel 7:2-3

David’s desire was to BUILD A HOUSE FOR THE LORD but that was not God’s plan for David.  God loved the heart with which David served Him and He told David of His plans to BUILD A HOUSE FOR DAVID  – a dynasty of kings.

“I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.  I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes.  Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!…

“Furthermore, I declare that the Lord will BUILD A HOUSE FOR YOU – a dynasty of kings!  For when you die and join your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong.  He is the one who will BUILD A HOUSE – a temple – FOR ME.  And I will secure his throne forever.  I will be his father and he will be my son.  I will never take my favor from him as I took it from the one who ruled before you.  I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.” – 1 Chronicles 17:7-14

David recognized the magnitude of God’s blessing and was humbled at God’s words.  He did not think too much of himself, but saw that God’s favor was a gift from God – something any man would be unworthy of.  The gift was out of the righteousness of God, not David’s own righteousness.  

His response could have been – This is exactly what I deserve for look at all I have done for God.  Instead his focus was on all God had done for him as he recognized God’s unmerited favor.  He could have reacted in disappointment that God’s plan would not grant the desire of David’s heart to build a temple, but he instead reacted in gratitude for what God would choose to bless him with.

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?  And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty!  You speak as though I were someone very great, O Lord God!

“What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me?  You know what your servant is really like.  For the sake of your servant, O Lord, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.

“O Lord, there is no one like you.  We have never even heard of another God like you!…” 1 Chron. 17:16b-20

“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord!  There is no one like you…YOU made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt.  YOU performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way.  YOU made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.

“And now, O Lord God, I am your servant;…You are God, O sovereign Lord.  Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant.  And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you.  For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!” – 2 Samuel 7:22-29

Lord, we humbly recognize your unmerited favor in our lives.  You are so good, O Lord, and we do not deserve all the blessings you pour into our lives.  We are your servants, O God.  Help us to accept your answer and give you all the praise even when we do not receive the desires of our heart.  We are praying for you to use us as YOU desire.  Your words are truth and we believe that all You have promised is true.  

How great you are, O Sovereign Lord!  There is no one like you!

When I look at the night sky and see your fingers –

the moon and the stars you set in place –

what are mere mortals that you should think about them,

human beings that you should care for them?

Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.

You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority –

the flocks and herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky,

the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.
O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! – Psalm 8:3-9

Today’s Reading:  2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13-16

When your enemy says you can’t…

David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there.  The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!  Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” – 2 Samuel 5:6

David, who was now anointed King of Israel, did exactly what his enemies said he could never do.  Jerusalem became his home and is still referred to as the City of David today.  When what we face seems impossible and those around us are reminding us of what we can never accomplish, we must remember that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is with us.  When God asks us to do something, He will be there with us.

And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was with him. – 1 Chronicles 11:9; 2 Samuel 5:10

When things don’t go your way…

David made two attempts to bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem.  The first attempt was going well at first.  David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments.  But when the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark of God, he fell down dead because the Lord’s anger was aroused.  The celebration ceased and David GAVE UP on doing what God had called him to do.  Things were not going his way, and he let grief and discouragement sidetrack him from the mission (2 Sam. 6:1-11).

David was now afraid of God, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of God back into my care?” – 1 Chron. 13:12

When God does not move as we want Him to or as expect Him to, how do we react?  Do we let fear keep us from trusting God with what comes next?  Do we let tragedy paralyze us?

When we stop to praise God six steps in…

Three months later, David tried again to bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem.  This time was different for David.  His men took six steps with the Ark of God and David stopped the procession to sacrifice a bull and a fattened calf.  Just six steps into the journey and David was stopping to make a sacrifice of praise.  

And David danced before the Lord with all his might… – 1 Sam. 6:14a

So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant with shouts of joy, the blowing of rams’ horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres…King David skipping about and laughing with joy… – 1 Chron. 15:28-29

When our praise is for the Lord’s sake and not for others around us…

David let out all the stops for this celebration!  The Levites formed a choir of singers and musicians (1 Chron. 15:16) and David danced before the Lord in praise and thanksgiving.  His wife Michal was ashamed of his behavior and David responded:  “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family!  He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord.  Yes and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes…” (2 Sam. 6:21-22).

Oh the joy of worshipping before the Lord for His eyes only!  God welcomes our exuberant expressions of joy and He delights in our uninhibited worship when it is for Him only.  Oh the glory we bring to God when we dance and sing as David did when the Ark of God entered into the special tent David had prepared for it.

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.

Let the whole world know what he has done.

Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.

Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.

Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord.

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.

Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles…

He is the Lord our God.

His justice is seen throughout the land.

Remember his covenant forever – the commitment he made to a thousand generations…

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

Great is the Lord!  He is most worthy of praise!…

Honor and majesty surround him; strength and joy fill his dwelling.

O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.

Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!

Bring your offering and come into his presence.

Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor…

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting!”

And all the people shouted, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. – 1 Chron. 16:8-15, 23-36

When our enemy says we can’t, praise the Lord!

When things don’t go our way, He is worthy of our praise!

Before we get even six steps into what He has called us to do, let’s praise Him for the outcome!

Let’s praise Him with uninhibited worship!  Let’s dance as David did for an audience of One!