Daily Posts

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Day 130 — II Samuel 11 – 12; I Chronicles 20

How could the man after God’s own heart, the one who worshiped God with joy and gladness, composing songs about His steadfast love, do what David did? It was senseless! Committing adultery with a woman at whom he was peeping (the king, no less!), covering it up by having a heroic (Uriah was one of the mighty men mentioned earlier in these accounts, in case you missed it) and devoted servant killed, and in the process recklessly wasting the lives of other soldiers. Can you believe how low he stooped?! I Corinthians 10:11-12 warns us, “These things happened to them as examples, and are written down as warnings for us…. So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.” But for the grace of God that could be any of us, and perhaps has been at least some of us. We need to take David’s example seriously and consider it our warning of what we ourselves are capable. That is doubtless why Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

So the man after God’s own heart blew it, right? How could he be a man after God’s own heart after such awful sin? God took the kingdom from Saul for much less; what awful thing do you suppose is going to happen to David? As Nathan said, God put away David’s sin and did not impose death, the punishment prescribed in the Law for the kind of sin David had committed. Incredibly, He set David up as the standard by which He later measured future kings regarding their dedication to Him. Was God unjust in not letting David have it? The answer is found in David’s simple confession, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Tomorrow we’ll read some psalms that tell more about David’s interaction with God regarding his confession and request for forgiveness. Although his simple confession may not sound abject enough to us to seem sincere, he obviously meant what he said, and his confession was obviously accepted by God, because the relationship seems to have been restored. Notice that when David and Bathsheba’s son died, David promptly worshiped God. He offered God lavish worship, having washed and anointed himself and gone to the house of the Lord to do so. The sacrifice required for such worship at such a time shows true and deep devotion.

II Samuel doesn’t cast David in a favorable light; isn’t it interesting that I Chronicles does? His humanness reminds us that man, as God-like as his heart may be, is still a sinner. David is a wonderful example to us in many good ways, but also in the bad: he reminds us of how helpless we are to save ourselves from our sin, and how desperately we need a Savior. He also serves as a foil for Jesus, shining a light on Jesus’ perfection by his own lack of perfection.

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Day 129 — Psalms 65 – 67, 69 & 70

Today’s psalms offer lessons about the various forms worship of God takes. Do you want to draw near to God? Do you struggle to find Him enough? Worship is the means by which we can know Him so intimately that we find Him to be enough in every situation. He doesn’t want us just to know about Him, He doesn’t want us to know Him at arm’s length, but to dwell with Him – that implies a close relationship. That will result in our knowing that He is great, rejoicing in Him, and being glad in Him. He wants us to delight in Him, to experience mutual delight with Him.

These psalms open with a profound truth: praise is due to God. Pause a moment to let that sink in. Whether we acknowledge it or not, whether we feel like it or not, regardless of our circumstances, praise is due to God. Further, think about what precious realities God offers the one who dwells in close relationship with Him: if we dwell in intimacy with Him, we will be satisfied and have hope. If He can still the roaring waves of the sea, He can still the tumult of the peoples – how comforting this truth is to one who is weary of the drama of life.

Every time we read psalms that speak of worship, we are reminded that worship involves joy and gladness, such joy that we shout and sing. Glorious praise would be lavish praise. It is amazing that the writer can say that when he suffered God’s tying him as silver is refined and laying a crushing burden on his back. Given those circumstances, how could the psalmist say that all the earth worships God and sings His praise? There is a lot of evil in this world that does not look like singing God’s praise. But the reality is that all of His creation demonstrates God’s glory, as evidenced in the earth’s yielding its increase to feed and shelter us. One day every knee will bow to Him; that is so certain that we can talk about it as truth. This psalm reminds us that the end of the story of earth and time is that God wins!

That God wins is such a blessing for us because He is a God of steadfast love. Even when David’s circumstances were awful, with people gossiping about him, reproaching him, making fun of him, mistreating him and treating him unjustly, even when he was afflicted and in pain, he praised God for His steadfast love. One of the important truths about worship presented here is that we are to praise God even when we don’t feel like it. The passages from this psalm that were quoted in the Gospels remind us of our Savior’s suffering; in light of what He suffered, do we suffer so much? If He can remain faithful in that, when He had the power to call angels to rescue Him, then with His victory over death enabling us, we can remain faithful, too.

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Day 128 — II Samuel 10; I Chronicles 19; Psalm 20

The Ammonite king must have been a fool to incite David’s anger as he did. You may recall that the Law forbade the Israelites from trimming their beards in the manner of the pagans around them; they took that seriously, and no one shaved. More importantly, the men of nations around them grew beards that they styled elaborately. Beards were a treasured mark of manhood to these people. That is why the men were so humiliated by having their beards cut off. It was an unmistakable insult to the ones who did the insulting as well as the ones who were insulted.

But it seems like the situation was from God, for it led to a great defeat of the Syrians and Ammonites in David’s defense against the aggressors. May God use the setbacks in our lives as He did in His Old Testament people’s lives!

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Day 127 — Psalms 50, 53, 60, & 75

Note in Psalm 50 whom God was judging and why He was judging them. What were they doing right, and what did God want them to do? Then note who the wicked were and what they were doing that offended God. What is God’s desire for His people, according to this psalm? There are some startling statements in this psalm that can instruct us.

God was speaking to His people: He called them “my people” and Himself their God. Yet He was testifying against them. They were offering animal sacrifices continually before Him, which, given all we read about in the Law, would seem to be a good thing; however, God refused to accept their sacrifices. Instead of their animal sacrifices, He preferred their sacrifices of thanksgiving, their faithfulness to do what they had committed to Him to do, and their calling upon Him in the day of trouble. It appears that they were going through the motions of worship with their sacrifices, but neglecting what would further their intimacy with God. The substitution was unacceptable to God. Do we do the same?

He called people wicked who knew His statutes so well they could recite them, and who talked about a covenant relationship with God. They were wicked because they despised discipline and were not obedient to His words, despite their knowledge of His word. They demonstrated their wickedness by whom they spent their time with and by speaking deceitfully and slanderously. Does this challenge you at all? Do you suppose God sees you as a wicked person despite your knowledge of His word and claim to enjoy relationship with Him?

Psalm 53 points out that everyone is corrupt. How we need saving from our own corruption! As we learned from the previous psalm, God wants us to call on Him in our desperate need for salvation, and then do what the resulting covenant relationship calls us to do. Have you called on Him? Have you fulfilled your commitment?

Psalm 60 was written by David during the battles we read about yesterday. The accounts in II Samuel and I Chronicles made them seem like a piece of cake, didn’t they? This psalm gives us a different view. Are the two contradictory? Not at all; it’s that the historical accounts didn’t give the full story, but a quick news byte telling the outcome of the battles. This psalm was written during the heat of battle when the situation was desperate. Even when God gave those victories, all was not ease for the Israelites. The hard battle felt like God’s rejection. But happily, that wasn’t the end of the story. We can grieve in the hard times, but we must remember that they are not the end of the story. That is the power of thanksgiving: it helps us remember, putting our current situation into perspective.

Psalm 75 offers God that thanksgiving He desires. There is a precious verse in this psalm worth noting and remembering: “When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars.” Have you ever suffered a situation so difficult that it felt like your world had fallen apart? Or consider some of the awful things happening in this world that make it seem like it is falling apart. But God – He is steady. That is why He wants us to call upon Him in the day of trouble.

The horn spoken of in the psalm is a poetic reference to strength. There are different kinds of strength: physical strength, emotional strength, mental strength, positional strength…. Think about what this psalm says about horns in light of this.

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Day 126 — II Samuel 8 – 9 & I Chronicles 18

These accounts reveal that the values of people in David’s day were much different than our values. Might made right in that day, and as victor, David did whatever he wanted to the peoples he defeated with God’s help. He took their land and their riches, or he occupied their land while allowing them to remain and exacted tribute from them, basically making them his slaves – just as any other king of his day would do. We can’t judge him by the standards of our day; he was behaving rightly according to the standards of his day.

He was obviously not perfect, however, as demonstrated in his treatment of the Moabites. Power corrupted even this hero of our faith. In this way He highlights God’s perfection and man’s need for a Savior.

The man after God’s own heart administered justice and equity to all his people. Think about what that reveals about what we can hope for in Heaven. He was also more than faithful to his promise to his dead friend. When man behaves in a way that reflects the character of God, he is handsome, don’t you think?

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Day 125 — Psalms 25, 29, 33, 36, & 39

We might be tempted to forget that the principles for which David praises God in these psalms are not promises, because we want to be able to claim them. Although we can’t claim these as promises, we can appeal to God on the basis of the principles He has demonstrated are generally true in His dealings with men historically. Aren’t we blessed that the principles He generally follows, and the characteristics He demonstrates fulfill the desires of our hearts?

Psalm 25 examines the one whom the Lord teaches His ways. Are you interested in being one who is taught the ways of the Lord? Taught not just head knowledge, but trained so that you are transformed by the truth? The only way to learn that is from God – not from any teachings of man. So to what kind of person does God reveal His ways in that manner? Why not make a list from this psalm?

Psalm 29 waxes poetic about, of all things, the voice of the Lord. Why His voice? What is so special about His voice? Think about it as you go through this psalm. Who can do such things with just His voice? What does that indicate is true of God?

Psalm 33 opens with another invitation to be joyful. The shout for joy is a powerful expression of joy, and the psalmist said it is fitting for the upright. What else is fitting? To sing a new song. What does that mean to you? The psalm justifies the powerful joy and singing of a new song with his descriptions of the Lord. If you make the effort to make a list of all the psalmist says about God, you will be moved to joy yourself. What describing words does he use? What nouns does he use? What actions of God does He list to describe Him?

Psalm 36 uses imagery to describe God’s greatness, so the meaning in this psalm is gleaned by understanding the imagery. Look up on a sunny day or a clear night to understand the vastness of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. Contemplate the mountains to understand His towering righteousness. Consider the depths of the oceans to understand His judgments; we can never fully understand such deep ideas. Imagine the tender safety that chicks find in the softness of their mother’s wings and understand the refuge available to us in God’s care. Think about the abundance of a river flowing through dry land and understand the refreshing and satisfying delights God offers. Do these images offer you a better appreciation of God’s greatness?

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Day 124 — II Samuel 7 & I Chronicles 17

Notice when David wanted to honor God by building a temple to house the Ark of the Covenant, the idea seemed like a no-brainer even to Nathan the prophet. However, God had other ideas for reasons that only God can comprehend. We need to be careful that we don’t fail to consult God about our own good ideas for honoring Him.

God wasn’t interested in the honor David wanted to give Him; He wanted to tell David of His plans to honor him. God knew what would honor and thrill David, and He was pleased to give it all to him. If that is the kind of person God is, why don’t we all have our heart’s desire from Him? One of the reasons might be revealed in what God said about the son of David who would rule in his place one day: “When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him…, but my steadfast love will not depart from him.” Sometimes God disciplines us when we need correction; but He always acts out of love for us. A loving parent doesn’t give his children whatever they want, because sometimes they want what is not good for them.

David was thrilled beyond words. Note his response: he asked God to fulfill the promises He had made. Because God had made those promises, he had the boldness to ask for the very things God had promised. Why did he need to do that, if God had promised them? One reason might be that he valued the promises so much that he didn’t want to miss out on them. Should we honor God’s promises by doing the same? We need to ask Him to do what He promised us He would do for His New Covenant people; claiming His promises.

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Day 123 — Psalms 89, 96, 100, 101, 105 & 132

Does God sometimes seem “deaf or blind or absent or afar,” so that you doubt His faithfulness? Circumstances can wear us down; they did some of the writers of the psalms, and God included their musings in His word to warn us and encourage us. Today’s psalms are wonderful reminders of God’s faithfulness.

Do you see Jesus in Psalm 89? “What man can live forever and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?” The only possible answer is “No one.” But Jesus! He changes everything! So where is God’s steadfast love of old which by His faithfulness He swore to David? The psalmist didn’t see it happening at that moment in his life, but can you see how senseless it is for him to imply that God is not faithful because of the present circumstances in which he finds himself? Our present circumstances are not the end of the story any more than his circumstances were. God’s faithfulness to fulfill the promises of which this writer spoke, was demonstrated in ancient history; does that give you hope in His faithfulness to fulfill His good promises to you?

When the writer of Psalm 96 tells the reader to sing a new song to the Lord, what does that imply? I encourage you to think about it. Is God doing new things in your life and heart on a regular basis? The psalmist gives us many reasons to praise God: new works He’s doing, His day-to-day salvation, His glory, His marvelous works among men, His splendor and majesty and strength, and (one of my favorite reasons to praise Him) His promise to judge all people in righteousness and faithfulness.

While you are reviewing the praiseworthy works of God in these psalms, I encourage you to consider what praiseworthy works He has done in your life, both of old and those new works. Could you offer Him your own psalm of praise today? Perhaps it can be something you think about throughout the day.

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Day 122 — Psalms 1, 2, 15, 22 – 24, 47, & 63

I won’t often take time to do word studies for this blog, except that the distinction between unrighteous people as in Psalm 1:1 was the subject of a conversation we had just last week at church! The word choices in the original Hebrew are interesting, given the warnings in this psalm. The blessed one, who is firmly rooted like a tree, bearing fruit reliably, does not conduct himself according to the ways of the ungodly, those who are morally wrong and actively bad, who are contrasted with the righteous. They are compared to sinners, one who sins habitually, in whose ways the blessed one does not stand. Mockers are those who are proud, whom God sees as fools; the blessed one does not lounge in such company. So whose ways do you follow today? If the examples you set before yourself are from Hollywood or Wall Street, you are not building a firm root system and will not be fruitful as God intends for you to be.

Psalm 22 directs us to Jesus because the first lines are words He cried out while suffering on the cross, and the psalm is quoted several times in reference to His anguish. The opening question is a common question suffering people ask of God: where are you in the midst of my suffering? The answer to that question is that He is in the same place He was when His beloved Son was suffering on the cross. Was He helpless or distant or uncaring in the midst of Jesus’ suffering? What if He had intervened to cut it short? Then He would not have died for the redemption of our sins, nor would He have risen again to overcome sin. He would have come to earth for nothing! What a sad waste. But happily, the Father did not prevent the completion of Jesus’ work on the cross. This psalm reminds us how perfect God is, even when we suffer; He won’t mess up by letting us suffer one minute longer than we have to, and He will go with us to help us and give us everything we need for life and godliness so that we will get through it. He will be with us as we emerge from the suffering, a refined soul and hopefully more devoted to Him. Isn’t the truth of this psalm a great help in difficult times?

Psalm 24 speaks powerfully of that which has imprisoned us so that we have no hope of freedom. Ancient doors speak of something that has been immovably in place since before anyone can remember – it has always been this way. Do you have a sin issue in your life that has been there so long that you don’t think you could ever be free? Or a wound from sin that has been handed down from previous generations so that you can’t comprehend that there even exists healing for it? How does an ancient door move? Not very well. But in God’s presence, for the sake of His entrance, that door will open itself. That’s power. That’s the power God has to apply to your seemingly immovable door that keeps you imprisoned. If there is a matter you need Him to open, please don’t hesitate to ask Him to do what is needed. He wants to be your rescuer! If you have experienced the freedom He gives, please don’t hesitate to praise Him for what He has done for you.

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Day 121 — II Samuel 5:11-25; II Chronicles 13 – 16

The evidence that God had established David’s kingdom as He had promised was in King Hiram’s sending messengers and cedar trees to David. Hiram would have been prestigious among Mediterranean kings because he ruled over the nation that was the commercial leader of its day, as the U.S. is today. That he had riches enough to send some of those valued cedar trees to another king showed his status and wealth. Isn’t it interesting that David needs no introduction today, while Hiram does?

David’s taking more concubines was one of the typically king-like actions the Law forbid. We see consequences of that disobedience throughout the rest of David’s life. One consequence is seen in Michal’s despising him. Remember how much she had loved him?

The Philistines’ leaving their idols behind as they fled before the Israelites in battle was another significant indicator that God was with them and was solidly establishing David’s kingdom. Remember another battle when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines?

David made the relocation of the Ark of the Covenant a celebration of celebrations: musicians to play music to add joy to the occasion, everyone in the nation assembled. This experience was the beginning of his instituting music as part of their worship services. Note that the music wasn’t commanded by God, but who would know better what would please God than the man after God’s own heart? As a musician he would know good musicians, and offered the best of them prestigious positions “expressly… to give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever.” If we want to delight God in our worship, music needs to be part of it, and so does giving thanks to Him for His steadfast and enduring love.

Another interesting story in today’s reading is the process David followed to move the Ark of the Covenant from where it had been housed since it was recovered from the Philistines. He consulted with his army commanders and every leader, and all the assembly of Israel – but not God. This warrior consulted God about whether he should confront the enemy, and followed God’s direction to win great battles, but he failed to consult God about moving the Ark, and didn’t even follow the directions given to the first people who ever carried the Ark. Everyone agreed it was a good idea, and likely they felt good about doing this good thing – yet God was not consulted. God obviously had ideas of His own. Whose ideas matter the most? Do you suppose we do the same in our endeavors to serve and honor God? Do we think our ideas are so great that we don’t need to consult God as we make our plans? The consequence in David’s case was deadly; what kind of consequences do we suffer, do others suffer, because we fail to consult God or follow the directions He has already given us? “These things happened to them as examples and are written down as warnings for us….”