In hindsight it is often (not always) easier to understand why and how things that happen in life can be used by the LORD to accomplish his plan for us. The problem is that it is hard to see how present challenging circumstances can be used for good at all!

I found the following words of God to David describing this reality when he said in 2 Sam. 7:8-9, “Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.”

At this time in David’s life he is the king of Israel. He is experiencing all the privileges that position holds. He is prosperous and God has given him rest from war because he has made peace with his enemies.

The problem with this story is that there are huge gaps in the life of David from being a shepherd to being king. It is easy to forget all that David had been through to get him to this point in his life. It certainly was not an easy journey for David to move from a simple shepherd to the king of all Israel.

We wish God would move us from one situation to another without the experience of any drama, problems or difficulties. Instead, God put David through many challenging circumstances which he used to grow his character and mature him to the point that he was ready to lead the nation of Israel as king.

If you recall, David was constantly running from Saul who was trying to kill him. David became so discouraged from fleeing and hiding that he decided to live with the Philistines to escape from Saul. He also endured the destruction of the city in which he lived and the capture of all the women and children of his men including his own family. He even endured the rage of his own men who were so mad at the loss of their family members that they wanted to kill him!

From God’s perspective, he was with David all the time and he was taking care of him and leading him, but from David’s perspective, there were some real challenges. Life was hard!  In hindsight all these issues were part of God’s plan to mature David and get him ready to rule as the king of Israel. David needed to learn trust and dependence upon God regardless of circumstances.

Father, thank you for the example of how you worked in the life of David! Help me to remember that you are with me and you are constantly leading me even when circumstances seem very hard. Help me to remember that you can use all of the events of my life (including present circumstances) for good as a whole (Rom. 8:28-29) and help me to be faithful to you in spite of my circumstances. Help me to trust and depend upon your leadership.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

I remember hearing a famous theologian say in his opening prayer, “Father, thank you for saving me yesterday; thank you for saving me today; and I pray that you will save me tomorrow.”

What did he mean? He prayed that way to make a point. He was emphasizing the ongoing work of God in our lives. Salvation includes justification (past act), sanctification (present work) and glorification (future completion). As some have said, salvation means we are saved from the penalty of sin, are being saved from the power of sin and will be saved from the presence of sin.

Paul touches on this in 1 Cor. 15:1-2 which says, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”

Two things Paul mentioned are in the past. The first is that he “preached” to them. He communicated objective truth that could be understood and acted upon. The second thing he mentioned is that they “believed.” Both of these facts are in the past tense. He preached and they responded by belief in Jesus. This is referring to justification. The declaration of righteousness in the court of God forever because of my belief in Jesus who died for my sin and was raised to give me life.

The next two things he mentions are in the present tense. After believing, the readers now “stand” in the grace gospel. Barclay clarifies the meaning of this word when he said, “Standing means established and continuing firm in faith as a tree stands when it is well rooted.”

I am so thankful that I presently stand on the rock of God’s grace in my life. I couldn’t make a righteous standing before God on my own works. He had to do that for me through allowing Jesus to die for me. My faith in him has made my salvation secure, well rooted and unshakable (Rom. 5:1-2).

The last thing Paul mentions in 1 Cor. 15:2 is that I am “being saved.” This is a description of the present ongoing work of God (sanctification) in my life as one of his children. He is progressively making me more like Jesus if I cooperate by yielding to his leadership through his Word. When I yield and follow, he makes me more like Jesus. The fruit of this process is the ultimate outcome of our salvation which is glorification.

Father, your plan of salvation is nothing man could have thought up on his own. I thank you that you have a plan for me. Your plan is that I stand firm in my relationship with you. Nothing can take me away from your love and grace. I thank you that you also designed salvation so that I can enjoy my relationship with you now by yielding to your leadership in my life. The fruit of this will be your continued transformation of my character and the most fulfilling life possible. You are an amazing God!

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

All of us have made mistakes in life. Sin is a reality even for the believer in Jesus. What are we to do when we sin as disciples of Jesus?

Although this passage was written long before the birth of Christ, the process of addressing sin is beautifully described by king David in Ps. 51:1-4 which says,

“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil din your sight.”

Why is this passage so significant? Notice what the introduction to this Psalm says, “A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN NATHAN THE PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE IN TO BATHSHEBA.”

David did not just theoretically write about the topic of confession. This Psalm was a response to being confronted by his sin. He responded with a broken heart and admitted his sin and asked for mercy and God’s forgiveness.

Father, thank you for the real lives recorded in scripture. David was an imperfect man that responded well when confronted about his sin. Even in his failures he is a model to us. Help me to be as quick to confess my sin when I become aware of it so that I can enjoy my relationship with you as you designed it.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

While David was living with the Philistines, he found himself in a very difficult situation. The Philistines were going to war with Israel and David was expected to fight on the side of the Philistines since he was living with them.

As David was heading into battle I can only imagine the turmoil he was experiencing in his heart. He now was going to have to fight his Jewish brothers with the memory that he was also going to be their king one day!

It appears that God stepped in and caused concern among some of the Philistine generals so that they demanded David go back and not fight in the battle because they did not fully trust him. From David’s perspective he must have rejoiced in God’s provision and would have been very relieved as he headed home with his men.

But, when they returned to their city, they found that it had been set on fire and destroyed by the Amalekites and all the women and children were taken captive. There was such despair among David’s men that they were wanting to stone David!

WOW! This new crisis came out of nowhere.  David got out of one predicament only to find himself in another! Why did God let this happen? I can only imagine the anguish, fear, anger and grief that everyone endured and for what?

I think the answer can be found in 1 Sam 30:6 which says, “But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” The meaning of this could be clarified with these translations, “David found strength in the LORD his God” (NCV) or “he felt the LORD God giving him strength” (CEV).

The very reason David was living with the Philistines was because of discouragement. He had lost perspective of God’s leadership in his life. He was tired of running from Saul and took things into his own hands when he decided to leave Israel and live with their mortal enemy.  He thought is would be better to live with the Philistines than depend on God and run from Saul. David forgot that he was in God’s school of character development.

Even though he may have made a mistake in going to live with the Philistines, it seems that this new tragedy of losing all the their loved ones allowed David to get back on track and see God as the source and strength of his life. The proof of this is the action he took by seeking God’s leadership about the situation and then pursuing the Amalekites to save all the hostages at God’s direction.

Father, there are so many things that happen in life that are hard to understand. This story is again an example of the character training program that you had David on so that he could be the king of Israel you desired. It is also encouraging to see that mistakes made can be rectified by coming back to you and yielding to your leadership.  It is never too late to come home to you.

Help me to not lose perspective, but rather trust you to enable me to live faithfully in spite of my circumstances knowing that I too am on a character training program for service in your Kingdom.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

David was a man after God’s own heart and God had promised to make him king, but David found himself constantly running for his life trying to evade Saul and his soldiers who were trying to kill him. Notice a turn in the story from 1 Sam 26:25-27:1,

“Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place. Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”

At the conclusion of chapter 26, David once again had spared Saul’s life. But when we get to the first verse of the next chapter David gives the impression that he is weary of hiding and decided himself to flee to the land of the Philistines so that Saul would not pursue him. Most likely, David was discouraged.

As Wiersbe has observed, “David won a great victory over Saul, only to be overwhelmed by despair. Such feelings are not unusual; you cannot have mountaintops without valleys. However, when you are feeling low, it is a dangerous thing to ‘talk to yourself’ and make important decisions. David should have talked to the Lord.”

David had wisely consulted the Lord on previous decisions, but here we are led to believe that David had lost heart and made the decision to flee without consulting the Lord. Why is that likely? First, David’s circumstances had caused him to doubt God’s promises. Samuel had told him twice that he would be king. He would not be killed by Saul even though circumstances were very difficult (18:4; 23:17). Second, the name of God is not even mentioned in this chapter implying David had finally taken things into his own hands.

I certainly cannot find fault with David because he was a great man of faith. He simply was tired, and had lost perspective. He made what probably was a bad decision even though God worked through it. This also shows the amazing grace and patience of God. He worked through David’s weaknesses to accomplish his ultimate will. God also continued to protect him even though he was in the midst of the hated enemies of Israel.

Father, thank you for the example of David here. He was a great man, but he was not perfect! Even so, your grace and protection were still with him because he was one of your men. May your grace and mercy be with me even when I am weak in faith. May I remember to seek your will before making significant decisions. May you also accomplish your will through me as you did with David even when he was imperfect.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

Two of my favorite verses in the book of Psalms are Psalm 42:1-2. These verses say,

“As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?”

This passage describes an intense desire for something. The illustration is that of a deer panting for water. The Psalmist equates that strong desire to his desire to be near God. Most commentators think the description here is for the writer to go to the temple and be near God who was in the holy of holies.

It is interesting that the word “pant” is describing “to long for something, with the implication of recognizing a lack” (Luow and Nida). I often forget this part of the real meaning of “longing for something.” If a deer is panting for water, it realizes it is lacking something—water. As a result, the deer searches for it.

Before I can long for God, I must realize that I have a need for him. Am I thirsty for God? Do I sense a need to be with him and to talk with him and enjoy my relationship with him? Is that a deep need that I know I am missing? If it is, I will make time to seek him out and to enjoy my friendship with him. If not, why not? Am I preoccupied with things that are hindering my desire for God? If so, I need to set aside anything that is hindering me from longing first for God in my life. This doesn’t mean I can’t be a great husband, dad and employee at the same time. It does mean though that I need to get my priorities set so that my first love for God is possible.

Father, thank you for the great illustration we see here in Psalms. Help me to be thirsty for you first and help me to make you the priority that you should be. May you grant that I consistently have a strong desire for you.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

Paul makes an amazing statement in 1 Corinthians 6:12 when he says, “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.”

Are all things really lawful for me as a Christian? Can I do whatever I want? Have I been given permission to sin? If you notice in the text, the statement is a quote. It is thought by most commentators that this was a saying in Corinth that Paul is addressing. In fact, some think that Paul may have said this in the attempt to help Christians understand that they are no longer under the Mosaic Law as a standard of conduct. Wherever the quote came from, Paul is correcting the improper application of the principle it contains.

If you remember, this church was known for being “fleshly” (1 Cor. 3:1-3). They were not living as “spiritual” people under the leadership of Jesus. Instead, their fleshly appetites were guiding their behavior. They may have even been using this quote as a covering for evil.

So what does this statement mean? Lenski makes a very helpful observation when he says, “In the first place, ‘all things’ cannot be understood in the absolute sense … What God forbids is never allowed; what God commands, no man is allowed to set aside. Wrong is wrong and is outside of the domain of liberty; right is right and is also outside of this domain.” Paul was addressing things not specifically identified as right or wrong in scripture.

Therefore, Paul is correcting what the readers had adopted as an excuse for all kinds of sinful behavior. Right is right and wrong is wrong, but those things not specifically mentioned in scripture should be governed by the rule of profitability and enslavement. As a believer, I should pursue conduct that is beneficial to me and others and I must not allow myself to do anything that would cause me to come under the influence of something that could end up controlling me instead of God.

Father, thank you for the liberating truth of the Gospel! I have been set free from sin and its penalty, but I have not been set free to sin. I should live as an obedient, loyal follower of you. My conduct should reflect what I know to be true of your will and character. This very helpful principle of doing only what is profitable and not doing anything that could control me, is very helpful. Help me to live freely, but under your leadership in all things.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

I Samuel 24 struck me as a sad story today because of the contrast that is so evident in the life of Saul and the life of David. David and his men were hiding from Saul because Saul was hunting David down to kill him. Saul was enraged at David’s popularity and was obsessed with protecting his throne from David.

As the story picks up, David was hiding with his men in a place called Engedi. It was a beautiful hidden oasis on the western side of the Dead Sea. I actually was able to visit that site recently. This oasis is in the middle of a barren wasteland! It is somewhat hidden from view and you need to walk back a narrow path between rock cliffs to find it. When you get to the oasis, there are a series of water falls that provide refreshment from natural springs. Along these rock cliffs are also caves and it is apparently in one of these deep caves that David and his men hid. Amazingly, it is also the same cave that Saul entered to relieve himself. David and his men hid deep in the cave, but Saul was now completely vulnerable to David and his men and could easily have been killed by them.

What strikes me is that you have a man (Saul) obsessed with having his way by destroying David to protect his throne and a man (David) desperately trying to have God’s way and he chose not to kill Saul even though the opportunity presented itself and his men were urging him to kill Saul. David chose to wait for God’s timing and not force his will to be done! The story is the clash of a person seeking man’s will with a man seeking God’s will.

When David let Saul go and confronted him with the opportunity he had to kill him, Saul, the king, was deeply convicted of his evil ways and began to weep. He predicted that David would be king one day and he left a defeated man and went home. The story does not say that Saul repented and confessed his sin to God, but he made a deal with David not to kill his family when he became king. That is a very sad reality to me. Saul was broken, but not broken enough to confess his sin to God and yield to his leadership.

There have been times in my life when I desired my way no matter what God wanted. I can even say there are times that I knew what he wanted, but I wanted my will more and was going to make it happen just like Saul. I can also say that God has let me see the error of my ways many times and I have broken like Saul, BUT I also confessed my sin to God and gave up my will by yielding to God’s leadership. The key is that I saw my sin as sin against God first and confessed it to him and then chose to yield to his leadership. Saul seems to have missed this crucial truth.

Father, thank you for this story in the lives of David and Saul. They represent the clash of two destinies. Saul was seeking his will and destiny and David was seeking your will and destiny for his life. May you help me to live like David. A man who was patiently awaiting your leadership to accomplish your will rather than me trying to achieve my will. Help me also to understand the difference between the two.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

All of us have been influenced by others. We especially try to be like others as we are kids, but that can also be true as we get older. The problem with this truth is whether or not the person I am trying to be like is worthy of imitation. As I was reading 1 Corinthians 4 today I was struck again by a statement of Paul in verses 16-17 which says, “I urge you, then, be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.”

Paul is commanding his children in the faith to act like he does. Since he was their father in the faith, in effect he says, “’I call upon my children to take after their father.’ It is so seldom that a father can say that. For the most part it is too often true that a father’s hope and prayer is that a son will turn out to be all that he has never succeeded in being. Most of us who teach cannot help saying, not, ‘Do as I do,’ but, ‘Do as I say.’ But Paul, not with pride, but with complete unself-consciousness, can call upon his children in the faith to copy him” (Barclay).

I find it interesting that the command Paul gives is also in the present tense. That construction is revealing continuous action. Paul expects his children in the faith to always use him as a model for life. In fact, everywhere he goes he teaches the same thing and the same ways of following Jesus.

Those of us who are parents know how our kids model our behavior. Paul gives us the great challenge of having a consistent and worthy model of following Jesus that others can imitate in the home and outside the home.

Father, thank you for providing people like Paul that are worthy of my imitation even today. He modeled how to follow Jesus and how to help others do the same. Help me to continuously embrace this truth so that I can confidently ask others to imitate me as I do Christ. Help me to especially model life for my family.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

As I age, I better understand the desire of others who have said they are looking for the “fountain of life.” They are looking for something that will allow them to turn back the clock of life so that they can be younger, live longer and live in a more vigorous way.  But, is that what will really bring lasting fulfillment?

I was surprised to see that God actually talks about this very topic in Psalm 36:9. In that verse David says, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” If you are looking for the fountain of life, God is it! He is the source of all life and in relationship with him is found a “full and satisfying life” (Anderson).

This verse also makes me think of John 10:10 where Jesus said, “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.” Is it possible Jesus had this verse in mind when he said that? The word Jesus used for “life” is describing a vibrant “relationship with God.” Jesus said the fulfilling life is the one connected to God through a personal relationship with him regardless of your age. With God, the abundant life does not require turning back the clock of life!

Father as I age, may I keep the perspective which is described here by David and Jesus. You are the fountain of life and abundant living is found only in relationship with you. This will always be true no matter how old I become.

Thank you for making a way through your Son to restore the relationship with you that was lost in the Garden through the sin of Adam and Eve. Help me to find a full and satisfying life as I enjoy my relationship with you.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff