Daily Rock!

Have you ever been tempted to take matters into your own hands?

In 1 Samuel, Saul and David have been playing cat and mouse with Saul searching for David and David living in the wilderness.  David has about 600 men now, his numbers are growing and I am sure he must be wondering when God would make him king.  When all the wandering in the wilderness would come to an end.

Have you ever felt like that?  Called to do something, but waiting on the Lord to make it happen...  Then an opportunity arises and you are tempted to give circumstances a nudge.  Or perhaps just make a small compromise, get things moving.

"After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave.  The men said, "This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'" Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe.  He said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord."  With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way." 1 Samuel 24:1-7 (NIV)

Although circumstances at first looked like God was giving David an opportunity to kill Saul as his men urged him,  David had a relationship with the living God, he knew what was right and what was wrong.  And he chose to trust the Lord to bring about his destiny as king, in his time, in his way.

And the result was that when Saul realized David spared his life, he confirmed David's destiny.  David's enemy became a source of confirmation that he would be king!

"You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.  You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me.  When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands." 1 Sam 24:17-20 (NIV)

God was working on David's heart, forming him and testing him.  God is always more concerned with us having a right relationship with him, than any work we could ever do for him.  And to have that right relationship, we must keep our choices consistent with his word.

Without the relationship with him, we have nothing.

"Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?'  Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Matthew 7:22-23 (NIV)

Daily Rock!

So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there.  Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men." 1 Sam 20:1-2 (NIV)

David's life is not that great at this point.  He is running from Saul and hiding.  He just left another city where he pretended to be insane because his reputation as a warrior put him in fear for his life.

Have you ever felt like that?  You are doing what the Lord told you to do and it seems to be working against you.  Where is the abundant life?

It was during this time he wrote another song.

Now keep in mind he didn't write this song with the hope that millions would be blessed by it over centuries.  He wrote and sang to his Lord, because that is what a man after God's own heart does in times like these.

We talked a little about this in ReFuel the other night.  Time with God, just telling him how you feel.  It doesn't have to be a song, it just has to be honest.

There  is honesty in these words, but also the hope in who God is.  Notice how David is always turning his words back to God and praising him.

Take a moment and pray for God to reveal something to you, then read this whole Psalm.

Psalm 57 (NIV)

For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.

1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
    for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
    until the disaster has passed.

2 I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—
    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

4 I am in the midst of lions;
    I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.

6 They spread a net for my feet—
    I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
    but they have fallen into it themselves.

7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;
    I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
    Awake, harp and lyre!
    I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.

Daily Rock!

It's easy to judge the actions of God without knowing the whole story.  To view events through our own eyes, jump to a conclusion, and then react.

Reading Luke 15 this morning, this is the story of the lost son.

I think we are all pretty familiar with this.  A son takes his inheritance, parties like a rock star and then comes to his senses when life takes a turn for the worse.

We've all been there.

I have read this hundreds of times and I have never understood the reaction of the other brother before.  I did not get why he was so angry, and would not go in.  Until today I realized just how much I am like him.

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in."Luke 15:22-28 (NIV)

I always assumed that the older brother knew the whole story.  He did not.  All he knows is, "'Your brother has come,' and, 'your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

The older son did not know that the younger had repented, was wiling to be a servant just to come home.  He did not have that piece of the story.  Therefore, based on his own limited knowledge, he did not trust his father's actions.

He took the facts he knew, "My brother left, blew all the money and came home and my father celebrates?" and he reacts in anger.  Then he sits outside the party angry, refusing to go in even after his father starts pleading with him.

Notice the father does not explain his actions at first, he just pleads with him.  There is that moment with God, when he doesn't want to have to explain himself.  He just wants us to trust him.  Do we?

"So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' Luke 15:28-30 (NIV)

Then comes the amazing love and humility of the father when he explains himself to his son.

"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" Luke 15:31-32 (NIV)

How do we react when we only have part of the story?  Do we judge the heart of God when we don't have all the answers?

"God why are you allowing this?  I thought you were loving?  God why don't you fix this?  I thought you were just?"

Do we really need the God of the universe to explain himself to us before we fully trust and obey him?

Or can we just trust that he is who he says he is, regardless of what we can see with our limited understanding?

Daily Rock!

Continuing to read of the life of David in 1 Samuel.

David killed Goliath, and enters full-time into the service of Saul's army.  He is spending some time fighting and some time as a court musician.

Saul has hatred in his heart toward David, and in his spiritual condition, he tries to kill him.  Not once, but several times.

"But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the LORD suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp, Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night" 1 Sam 19:9-10 (NIV)

As I mentioned yesterday, David's life doesn't get any easier after killing the giant.  Saul appears to have forgotten what David did for him and his country, he has become his enemy.  Or really, he has sided with the enemy of David's soul.

Notice that Saul attacks David when he is living for God, following his leading and worshipping him.  Yet, God has allowed the spear to be thrown.

But he did not allow the spear to hit its intended target, that's important to note.  Even in the midst of this unwarranted attack, God is in control.

1 Samuel tells us he "escaped into the night," and that evening he wrote a song.   The song was recorded for us as Psalm 59.

"My enemies come out at night,
    snarling like vicious dogs
    as they prowl the streets.
They scavenge for food
    but go to sleep unsatisfied.

But as for me, I will sing about your power.
    Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
    a place of safety when I am in distress.

O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
    for you, O God, are my refuge,
    the God who shows me unfailing love." Psalm 59:14-17 (NIV)

What do we do when our lives are difficult?  How do we react when we live for God, yet things don't go as we feel they should and the spears are flying at us?

David is not looking at his current circumstance and judging God.  To him God has not changed, he is still "the God who shows me unfailing love."

Daily Rock!

Are you facing a giant?  Is there something in your life that is taunting you, causing you to lose heart?  Something that makes you doubt God is with you?

Reading in 1 Samuel 17 today.

So to set the stage, for 40 days a giant named Goliath was demoralizing the entire army of Saul.  Not one man would fight him, one-on-one.  The army had taken their eyes off the Lord and put them onto the enemy. 

And this guy was huge, his spear was reported to have a head on it that weighed about the same as a bowling ball! 

David hears the taunts and because of his relationship with God and love for God he volunteers to fight the giant.

"David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."

Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth."

But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,  I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.  The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine."

Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you." 1 Samuel 17:32-34 (NIV)

If you notice, he didn't say, "I'm really good with a sling shot...."  what he pointed to was a history of God enabling him to defeat first a lion, then a bear.  He never imagined his past accomplishments to be anything but God giving the victory. 

How do we move forward when we are facing a giant?  It's tempting to go around it, or to even run in the opposite direction. 

Sometimes it is good to take a moment to reflect on all the victories God has given us.  We need to remember that it is not by our own strength and power that we accomplished anything. 

"'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)

Knowing of God's past deliverance, how did David face his giant?

"As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground." 1 Sam 17:48-49 (NIV)

A study of the life of David shows that his life did not get any easier after this.  In fact, the life of a simple shepherd was far more appealing in many ways than the life David would have from this moment forward.

To be a "man after God's own heart" is not an easy road, but for David it was the only road to take.

"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:14 (NIV)

Daily Rock!

Recently my wife and I signed up for a one-day course to improve our motorcycle skills.

One of the riders we met at the BikeSafe class was a young man who rode in on a Ducati.

He was wearing a well worn leather jacket with padding.  Underneath was a padded vest, and he wore a special neck brace with his full-face helmet.  When speaking to him I found out he was a former stunt rider.  He shared a few photos on his phone, in one of them he was doing a wheelie with no hands.

I sat there thinking, why would he need this class?  You would think that if anyone had a complete  skill set it would be a stunt rider!

His answer stayed with me.

"You can always learn something new, you never stop learning.  I would never want to get to the place where I think  I know it all."

What an amazing attitude to have!

Reading Matthew 18.

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:1-4 (NIV)

A child is capable of learning two languages at once without the need of writing anything down or studying.  They are in constant learning mode and have no problem looking foolish, making mistakes, or getting the answer wrong.

A child is a learner, they are not set in their ways.  To be a learner takes the humility of a child.  It never occurs to them that they should think they know it all.  That comes later, when they are teenagers!

In our walk with the Lord, are we teenagers or children?

Let's begin this week with a prayer from Psalm 119

"Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
    that I may follow it to the end.
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
    and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
    for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes
    and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
    preserve my life according to your word." - Psalm 119:33-37 (NIV)

Daily Rock!

esterday my wife and I attended a motorcycle safety course called BikeSafe that was operated by the local police department.  All of the instructors are motorcycle cops.

There is some classroom time, and then you are given a page with the route to ride on it.  Each student is matched up with an officer who follows you on his motorcycle. 

At first it is a little unnerving being around so many cops.  But in the class time, the officers explain how this day is for you.  They are passionate about one thing, teaching you to be a better, safer rider.  I began to understand- this isn't a day about giving out tickets, this is a day they give to help you enjoy riding and staying alive while doing it.

It's amazing how confident you can be when you are riding in traffic with that police officer riding behind you!  Go ahead, see my riding buddy today?  Let him catch you cutting me off!  Go ahead, make my day...

Now I'm horrible with directions.  I taped the little paper to my tank and we headed down the road followed by my instructor.  A few times I missed the turn, had to turn around as he politely pointed to the correct way.  But although he was letting me lead, he was always there to make sure I stayed on the route.  He had my back, was watching out for me the entire time.  When we returned to the classroom, he gave me both encouragement and pointers to ride better. 

I thought about that today, how much that is like our walk with the Lord.  There is some "class time" while we study the Word, then out into the world with the Holy Spirit there to guide and watch over us, politely pointing out when we have strayed off the route God has chosen.  Then ending the day with reflection on mistakes made and encouragement on how to grow. 

"If you love me, keep my commands.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." John 14:15-17 (NIV)