Wednesday, January 31: 1Chronicles 27- Beware of minimizing sin.

The writer of Chronicles certainly looks past David’s greatest failures. There isn’t even a hint of the Bathsheba incident. Today in this chapter the counting of the fighting force towards the end of David’s life is mentioned in passing with little responsibility placed upon David.  David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less, because the LORD had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky. Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. God’s wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David (23-24).

The account differs significantly from 2Samuel 24. Historians routinely record what is important from their perspective and I don’t want to discuss the perspective differences between the book of Samuel and Chronicles. However, considering these 2 retellings did spark devotional thoughts about minimizing sin.

When it comes to my walk with the Lord, mentally minimizing the severity and extent of my sin creates a barrier between the Lord and me. I can’t speak for others, but as far back as I can remember, I have a bent for minimizing my wrongs. Coupled with this I have a strong tendency to blame others for my errors. I have never figured out where this comes from, but knowing its origins within me is far less important than recognizing it when it surfaces in my life. It is not relationally or spiritually healthy for me to blame others and minimize my role in my sin!

Through my reading this morning, the Lord is reminding me a well-ingrained sin patter that I need to be vigilant in guarding my heart against…

How has the Lord spoken to you in this morning’s reading???

Lord, give me eyes to see myself clearly. Allow me to have spiritual corrective lens to compensate for my human failings. Help me to see myself for who I truly am which, Lord, will help me to appreciate Your grace and love and mercy more deeply. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

 

Tuesday, January 30: 1Chronicles 26- I am responsible for my relationship with the Lord .

Temple life was critical for the people of Israel. It was their heart and soul. The temple was their connection to their God, the one who had called them to be a people and the one who nurtured them as a people.

Through the Chronicler’s history, exiles about to be sent back home after punishment, were preparing to reestablish temple practices and having the correct people doing their assigned tasks was a primary concern. Chapters are spent defining the lineage of Levites, so appropriate Levites were reinstalled into their roles and usurpers were kept out.

Today as a member of the New Covenant, I don’t have to concern myself with temple regulations. And, more importantly, I don’t have to have other people play an intermediary role between me and the Lord. God has granted every follower of Jesus direct access to Himself! What a joy and gift this is…

As my day begins, I am reveling in the joy I have in direct access to the Lord. I can sit here this morning and speak to Him, confess my sins and be absolved from my guilt without sacrifices or the work of modern day Levites or Priests.

God is so good and His new covenant is so wonderful!

Today I am basking in my wonderful Lord, and the relationship into which God invites me. However, I am also recognizing that I am responsible for my relationship with the Lord and to tend to that, I sit and read God’s Word, meditate and pray. And throughout the day I will try to think on things that move me closer in my relationship with the Lord…

May this wonderful day begin.

Oh, Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all Your hands have made…

Praise the name of Jesus, Praise the name of Jesus, He’s my rock, He’s my fortress, He’s my deliver in Him will I trust…

Thanks You Father, Son and Spirit… for the life You give. I delight in You…

Amen and amen.

 

Monday, January 29: 1Chronicles 25- Counselors and worshipers.

I was curious about who helped David designate the divisions of musicians in verse 1. David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service: Why would the commanders of the army have a say in this matter?

So I did some digging. Most translations use the phrase commanders of the army or an equivalent. Of the major translations from the original languages only the ESV chooses a different wording chiefs of the service.  I did a bit more digging. It seems that the most straightforward translation is commander or captain of the army. However, the words used could have a broader meaning like ‘chief leader’. Thinking through David’s life, he leaned heavily on Joab, the leader of his army, for advice and counsel well beyond military strategy.  So it seems likely to me that David turned to Joab and other trusted men of his military as his inner circle of counsel.

The important sense for me is that David had trusted advisors. True, they were also trusted military men, but given David spent much of his early life running from Saul and then establishing his kingship through battle with Philistines and others, it is not a surprise that military minded people became his inner circle.

Stepping out of history into devotion, God whispers, “Who are your trusted advisors, Bill? Who do you lean upon when you have weighty decisions to make? Who has your ear?...”

Advisors and counselors are so important. Who we listen to matters…

Who are you listening to???

Are they people who will move you closer to the Lord, or separate you from the Lord?

The Lord probes my inner being…

 

As I was researching above I happened across this comment in my Tyndale Commentary on the verse:

The arrangements for the musicians, the first of the specialist groups of Levites, are now given. Music was of the highest importance in Israelite worship, as is clear from many parts of the Old Testament, notably the Psalms. The Levitical musicians’ role in leading and directing worship was crucial, for it was they who encouraged the people to worship God with conviction, harmony, and vitality. David’s organization prepared for the Levites’ leading of worship in Solomon’s temple, as illustrated by the temple dedication service when the great Levitical orchestra and choir made their declaration: ‘He is good; his love endures for ever’ (2 Chr. 5:12-14; 7:1-6; cf. 1 Chr. 15-16).

This sparked thoughts about music in worship. Music is so important to worship. Music is not the whole of worship… there is attending to God’s Word, and prayer and quiet space for God to speak. But absolutely music and song is crucial.

Music for worship needs to transport us to the Lord. It is, after all, the Lord we worship. We do not worship ourselves or anything in creation. As the commentator above noted, the Levites drew the people together and they sang:

He [God] is good; his love endures forever…

The Lord God is the focus, our focus, in worship!

Having just participated in worship yesterday, I am so thankful for the church I attend and the worship leadership who constantly points us to the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

May God be forever praised by my lips. May the Lord’s songs be ever on my heart and mind! And Lord, I pray that You help me surround myself with godly voices who counsel me and push me and draw me closer

Saturday, January 27: - 1Chronicles 24- The many spiritual blessings of the New Covenant.

In some ways I feel like I am back in the beginning chapters of 1Chronicles… names, names and more names.

This chapter begins with the names of the priests. In a culture and religious system where priests are essential for maintaining personal and community connection with the Lord, listing the family names of priests is important. Doubly so if the community is reestablishing the sacrificial system after the exile.

Parallel to priests, cataloguing the Levite families is also important for similar reasons.

Contemplating the role of priests in the sacrificial system of Israel caused me to realize the great blessing we have under the New Covenant. In Christ we are a kingdom of priests.

As Peter reminds his readers in 1Peter 2:9:But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Such is our description: a royal priesthood… God’s special possession. No longer do we need to have an intermediary. We have direct access to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And no longer do we need to sacrifice the blood of animals to atone for our sins. Jesus Christ, the perfect priest, offered his life on the cross as the once for all sacrifice for sins.

Hebrews 10:10-14 …we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

So as I sat today, I pondered the many spiritual blessings of the New Covenant… what a wonderful way to prepare for worship tomorrow.

Jesus, thank You for establishing the New Covenant in Your blood and for inviting me to be part of Your new covenant. I am eternally grateful and I pray that I might live in a manner that declares You to my world. I pray this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

 

Friday, January 26: - 1Chronicles 23- No one can do it all.

In God’s economy, no one can do it all. David, the king, needed advisors. Aaron, the priest, needed the Levites to perform the ancillary functions so that he could do the priestly duties.

As Israel transitioned from movable tabernacle to permanent temple the role of the Levites adjusted but remained necessary and important.

For David had said, “Since the LORD, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service.”

According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more. The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron’s descendants in the service of the temple of the LORD: to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God. They were in charge of the bread set out on the table, the special flour for the grain offerings, the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size. They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals. They were to serve before the LORD regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them (25-31).

It seems that the Lord is intentional in necessitating many people to see that His work is accomplished. This theme continues in the New Testament where apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor/teachers (see Ephesians 4:11) were necessary for the building up of the body to do its part. Then as the church matures we see elders and deacons being added to leadership roles (see 1Tim 3:1ff).

All of this was to equip and protect the body so that the body –all believers –could use their gifts as God dispensed and determined (see 1Cor 12). Everyone is needed for God’s design for the church to work properly

I have ranged far and wide from my initial thoughts on the Levites; even so I see consistency in the Lord’s workings.

God called a people to spread His fame and God is still using a people. No longer is God’s people defined by a blood line, now instead it is defined by one’s faith in Jesus. The goal remains the same, to bless the nations by giving everyone a chance to know and follow Jesus. To accomplish this task, every Jesus-follower needs to play her or his part. There are no bystanders in the church of God. Everyone is an active participant.

Am I playing my part? Are you playing your part?

Think about it…

Lord, I am so blessed that You saved me. My appreciation is best put into action, doing what You would have me do. Show me, Lord. Apprentice me, Lord. Lead and guide me, Lord, into being the son and disciple You want and desire me to be. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Thursday, January 25: 1Chronicles 22- Great projects take tremendous planning.

David poured a huge amount of planning and resources into the Temple. Even though God had told him he was not the one to build the temple, his heart burst with love for the Lord, so he stockpiled tremendous resources so that his son Solomon could attend to the building and not be burdened with resource procurement.

What a gift David gave his son.

From a spiritual perspective, David could have abandoned his dream of a temple when he received his ‘NO’ from the Lord. But David was a man after God’s heart and since building the temple would happen under his son, David used every skill and gift he had to provide to the temple as if he, himself, was getting to build it.

His dream of providing for the Lord was more important to him than who received the honor for actually building the temple.

Love for the Lord rather than recognition drove David and this is a spiritual lesson I can learn from this text. The question filling my soul right now is this, “What drives me in my work for the Lord?” Is it personal recognition or love for my Lord?

As I chew on this question it has deep and profound implications…

I hope and pray it is love for my God and not recognition that drives me… I need to look deep within to answer this. And so will we all.

David truly was a ‘man after God’s own heart’.

Lord, my prayer is that I, too, might be a man after Your own heart. Through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

 

Wednesday, January 24: 1Chronicles 21- We all blow it.

I wish I knew what it was that blinds even a faithful follower’s heart from the ways of God. David, a man after God’s own heart, walks faithfully most days and yet there are times he chooses a wrong path that makes one’s head scratch.

Counting the fighting men is one of those choices. His closest advisor is shouting in his ear “Don’t do it.” Yet, willfully, David overrules Joab’s counsel and dives headlong into his folly.

David’s sin with Bathsheba is more understandable; done in secret he had no wise counsel to steer him correctly in a time of weakness. However, in today’s reading David plows on into sin despite the voice of those he has trusted. What gripped him so tightly that he did this?

I do not know and if David can fall like this I must beware. I am vulnerable to similar lapses. I, too, am capable of great sin.

Oh, Lord God, protect me from my worst self. Take my heart and heal it from its wanton selfishness and sin…

Fortunately, the story does not end with David’s failure. David comes to his senses… Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing” (8).

I am touched by the fact that David came to this realization on his own. His heart was not dead. The Spirit of God coursing through his life brought internal understanding of what he needed to do. David confessed to the Lord…

Even in the darkest moments of sin, confession is the way out. David, like the prodigal son, has come to his senses and the Father is waiting there for him.

The Lord never turns a deaf ear to our cries of confession. What a gift confession is… what an amazing, wonderful, life-giving gift confession is!

Sin has consequences. I might be forgiven but sin also has natural consequences. In a rare instance David is given a choice of his consequences… wisely he falls into the hands of the Lord, where mercy is possible.

Stepping back, this sad tale reminds me about the depravity of the human heart –my human heart –and the wonder and gift of confession. Most weeks in worship we hear this promise: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).

What a gift, what an amazing gift is our access to the Father and the forgiveness that is ours when we confess.

Lord, thank You for this reminder today. I love You… In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen

 

Tuesday, January 23: 1Chronicles 20- We don't have t be defined by our past.

Every history is selective. No one can record everything. Sometimes what is left out is as interesting as what is included.

The Chronicler, maintaining a history for the beleaguered exile Israelites in Babylon omitted an interesting detail in this account of David. He wrote:

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins. David took the crown from the head of their king—its weight was found to be a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city… (1-2).

Now compare this to 2 Samuel 11:1-4: In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home…

The account of Bathsheba is an important detail in the history of Israel, especially since she would bear David his son Solomon, who would be the next king of Israel.

We can all surmise why the Chronicler might omit this and seeing that this is God’s Word, God obviously wanted us to read this version as well as the Samuel version.

I pondered that… now I don’t know the mind of the Lord, but it did lead me to some interesting thoughts.

1-              From Samuel: none of us are perfect. Even the best and greatest among us sin. Even the greats have faults and areas of weakness.  Wow, these great faith heroes are real people like me.

2-              From Samuel: We are who we are and we need to be honest about ourselves… And we especially need to be honest about ourselves before the Lord since He knows all anyway.

3-              From the Chronicler: We don’t have to be defined by our failures. David rose from the ashes of failure to be a great king.

4-              From the Chronicler: The gift of forgiveness is powerful, our sins are washed away. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12).

I pondered this good news and found my thankfulness for Jesus growing… the cross provides the gift of forgiveness. Alleluia.

Thank you for the Cross, Lord. Thank for the nail scared hands… Oh, Jesus, you give me new beginnings every day when I am honest with You and confess… Praise You. Amen.

 

Monday, January 22: 1Chronicles 19- Jumping to conclusions.

 

How often we jump to conclusions. We interpret a situation wrongly, don’t check the facts and create a mess. Hanun and his leaders made a colossal mess because they jumped to conclusion.

In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun, son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?” So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away (1-4).

Our wounding, insecurities and ‘the like’ push us toward bad decisions. I have seen it over and over.

Once prior to an elder meeting, one elder told me he had to leave by 8:00pm at the latest. In the 20 minutes leading up to 8, we were in a deep discussion regarding a particular situation and the elder who spoke to me was the major voice on one side of the discussion. It was pretty obvious to me, as moderator, that this elder’s opinion was NOT carrying the day. At 8 sharp he grabbed his papers got up and left. The room was silent; everyone thought he was storming out because he was ‘losing’ the discussion. I could feel the tension in the room. Fortunately I was able to explain that he had told me he had to leave by 8 and his leaving had nothing to do with the preceding discussion. This situation would have been disastrous for the elders had I not been informed prior to the meeting.

Jumping to conclusions creates huge problems…

I am reminded about how David often spoke with the Lord before he sent men into battle or made a major decision. How wise this is… seeking the Lord’s perspective can save us some the pitfalls of jumping to conclusion. God knows what’s going on and He can direct us to wise decisions rather than rash ill-informed ones.

Many soldiers died because Hanun jumped to a conclusion and started a war. Had he known the Lord and was willing to seek the Lord’s advice, this senseless battle could have been averted.

History is history, I cannot change what happened. However, I can learn from his mistake and follow the example of David and seek the Lord and then obey His leading…

So can you, if you know Jesus because if we are Christ-followers then the Lord will lead and guide us toward what is right and true… if we will listen and obey.

Oh, Lord, tune my ears to hear Your voice and adjust my heart to want to obey You. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

 

Saturday, January 20: - 1Chronicles 18 doing what is just and right for all people.

Certainly David is being remembered by the Chronicler as the archetype king of Israel and while he is not perfect, the Chronicler leaves out some of David’s great foibles and highlights the good he did.

My eyes and heart were drawn to verse 14 and a declarative statement made about David. David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.

The idea of doing what was just and right for all his people (emphasis mine) paints a marvelous picture of David as king. While this sounds wonderful, which it is, it is so difficult to actually do. Maybe the world was simpler back then, but governing fairly, doing what is just and right for all people, seems so impossible today.

Washington, Munich, London, Beijing, Moscow, Abuja… I know of nowhere in the world where we could say that today. The news everywhere highlights how this or that law favors one group over another. Maybe the world is too complex these days? Maybe legislation has gotten too specific or maybe analytics have become so finely tuned that differences, unnoticeable in the past, are magnified now. Maybe the Chronicler was overly zealous in his appraisal of David. However, even if the latter is true what a wonderful sentiment it conveys.

As I watch our world, I am not sure that doing what was just and right for all his people is the goal of governing anymore. It seems like ‘special interest groups’ rule the day.

Ahh, I have slipped from devotion to current news analysis and opinion…

I force myself to return to the text… what a wonderful goal David establishes for governing… doing what was just and right for all his people.

That’s what God longs to see, all the people cared for justly and righteously!

I know I am not a governmental official.  What do I take home from this morning in God’s Word?

1)              I need to check my attitude regarding how I think about and mentally treat various people… ‘all people’ in my head. Am I bigoted, prejudiced, or biased toward or against any particular group of people?

2)              Am I so interested in myself that I don’t have eyes for others?  This is similar to the above but invokes a slightly different slant on things.

3)              In my country, where I have the right of voting, do I hold candidates to this standard?

Things to chew on... I am sure more will emerge as I ponder further.

Oh, Lord, I pray for men and women in office.  I pray for a heart that emulates David’s, seeking to do what was just and right for all their people. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen

 

Friday, January 19: - 1Chronicles 17- Dreams for God.

The chapter begins, After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent” (1).

David had this dream to build a house, a temple, for the Lord. The temple was to be something glorious, a physical testimony to his God. Alas, as the chapter unfolds God instructs that David is not to build this temple, but his son will do it.

The thought that captured me as I was reading goes like this, “What wonderful dreams do I have to honor the Lord?”

Sadly, I couldn’t think of any.

I have an abiding desire to live faithfully, to be generous and to be a devoted Christ-follower, but I don’t honestly have dreams to do anything great for the Lord.

Should I? Is God calling me to something more?

I am not certain. I am left to ponder, pray and listen for the leading of the Lord…

Oh, God, my prayer today is straight forward. Give me ears to hear, eyes to see, a heart to grasp, and the strength of will to enter every door You open. May my dreams and desires honor You. Big or small, may I accept with joy every assignment You give to me, that Your honor and fame may increase near and far. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

 

Thursday, January 18: 1Chronicles 16- Remembering your past.

I was touched by David’s gift of food for each adult who was at the celebration. How generous and caring. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman (3). I was trying to imagine a national celebration where as people leave each one is given a dinner meal! Extraordinary generosity.

I decided to read about this event. Apparently David and Solomon were the only kings to bless everyday people in this way. There is even a discussion about the meaning of the words translated by the NIV as ‘cake of dates.’ Apparently it can be translated ‘portion of meat.’ If this is so then David’s gift is truly extraordinary because meat was an uncommon rarity for people in those days.

Either way, this it gives me a glimpse into David’s heart. He was a common man before becoming king and he apparently never forgot his roots. That is a striking thought for me.

As life progresses, many of us find ourselves in better positions later in life and it is easy to forget what our leaner times were like. David channeled his remembering into generosity. I love that. In fact it is sparking me to pray…

Lord, increase my generosity. You have blessed me, Lord, in so many ways, health, family, even materially. May I never lose sight of the truth that everything I have is a gift from You. God, may I have the grace to enjoy Your gifts but also to generously share with others who have needs. Oh, Lord, increase my generosity. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Wednesday, January 17: 1Chronicles 15- Correcting mistakes and owning failure.

David’s heart was to have the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem so after some time he determined to bring the Ark into the city. This time he inquired of the Lord how it should be done.

Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD (11-15).

The errors of the first attempt were corrected. David was a leader who learned from his mistakes. None of us will bat 1000; learning from mistakes is the mark of a great leader. David learned.

Two observations are particularly poignant. He relinquished control that he should not have had and he owned his responsibility. The Levites exercise their rightful responsible for transporting the Ark. David should not have made the arrangements the first time so he handed it back over to them. Yes, he was miffed they didn’t assert their responsibility to do so the first time. At first reading he seems to place the responsibility for the failure on them but in the next breadth he owns his role in the debacle with the simple word ‘We.’  We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way. They, as leaders, had missed the prime rule of living with the Lord… inquiring of Him. The Lord would have told them the right thing to do.

Not only as a leader, but even more importantly as a child of God, there are practical lessons in this passage. I, too, will blow it and sin and get things wrong. I don’t want to do that, but it will happen. I, too, need to learn from my mistakes.

Learning to inquire of the Lord first is a life goal that will save much heartache if I can master it. God will lead the way if I only learn to ask. God wants us to succeed as sons and daughters and He will show us the faithful way to life.

Owning responsibility in failure and sin… my first reaction to a mistake is to blame… somehow I have built this pattern over years of practice. However, I need to re-pattern this to take responsibility if I am to grow in the Lord. I have been working on this for years and this morning’s text is another reminder from the Lord that I have much growing to do. Thankfully the Lord is full of mercy and grace.

Relinquishing control of things I shouldn’t control… I can be a control freak, letting go appropriately is another life-long lesson on which I am working. I am not there but by God’s grace I am growing. Again, this passage is a gentle reminder to keep on working at giving up control of things over which I should not have control.

Today was highly practical as I sat with the Lord. I hope it was helpful for you as well.

Thank You, Lord, for Your reminders. Give me strength to practice those things I heard in Your Word today. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

 

Tuesday, January 16: 1Chronicles 14- My sheep know my voice.

I am encouraged by David’s desire to receive the Lord’s guidance coupled with his ability to hear and follow the Lord when He speaks. It is clearest in his attacks against the Philistines.

So David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The LORD answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”

Once more the Philistines raided the valley; so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go directly after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer (10,13-16).

One thing I love is that this is so much more than a yes/no response from the Lord that David could have gotten from the Urim and Thummim. The nature of David’s connection to the Lord is particularly visible in the second battle where David is told to circle behind and to wait for a specific sound.  This suggests an intimacy of connection that I find encouraging.

God speaks… this is the first thing the Lord reminds me of this morning. I notice, too, that the Lord can give specific directions when needed.

The Lord is not some distant God disconnected with our lives. He is there for us!  He will lead and guide us… really lead and guide us!

I don’t know that I have had this level of specific direction from the Lord. I have much to learn and grow but I have been blessed over and over in my life with the strong sense of God’s leading. I have never heard an audible voice from God. I don’t know that David heard one either but David was sure of God’s leading and I have been sure of God’s leading as well.

Everyone who follows Jesus has access to the Lord for direction and guidance! As Jesus says, My sheep know my voice… (John 10:27).

Oh, Lord, I am so grateful that You speak and lead. Teach me the art of listening and create in me an ever deepening desire to hear from You, Lord. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Monday, January 15: 1Chronicles 13- God guards His honor .

The story of Uzzah is troubling and enlightening. Certainly Uzzah should have known better than to touch the Ark. Not only that but he should have know better than to have it travel on an ox cart. The ark was to be carried by long poles. That’s how it traveled for all those years in the wilderness. Israel lost sight of the Word; in their zeal to do something wonderful –bring the Ark into the city of Jerusalem –they looked past God’s Word and did things ‘their’ way. Uzzah, as priest, was complicit in all this. He ended up violating God’s holiness and honor by touching the ark. When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God (9-10). God instantly struck Uzzah with His wrath.

I am trouble by God’s exacting punishment… but I surrender to God’s Will. God decides, not me. One thing I cannot do is say God is unjust; He is not. This is a just punishment for Uzzah’s sin. But it is so rare that God judges instantly. I think this is why I am so surprised and troubled. Uzzah’s story is akin to Ananias and Sapphire’s account in Acts 5.

As I consider Uzzah’s story, I am reminded not to mess with God’s honor. The Ark was the ‘seat’ of God on earth, to dishonor it was to dishonor the Lord God. God guards His honor. This provides a lesson for me. Do not undermine the Lord’s honor and don’t defame what is His.

What is the equivalent today of the Ark in David’s day. Hmmm, I guess the closest thing would be the church, the temple of God. When we defame the church –God’s people –we are messing with the presence of God on earth. And we risk His wrath.

I have to allow this thought to germinate more.

Father, I honor You by honoring Your people. May I do that… honoring Your people by honoring Your Word and treasuring You, Jesus, and the Spirit. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Saturday, January 13: - 1Chronicles 12.

I am marveling at the mighty men who came to serve alongside of David. I was surprised to read the first group on names. First they came to David while he was at Ziglag, which means they came to him while Saul was still hunting him. The surprise is that verse 2 mentions that they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin.

So people of Saul’s own clan defect to serve David. Wow, that is amazing.

There was something about David that engendered loyalty, service and devotion that surpassed familial and kinship lines. Even Saul’s own son, Jonathan, was devoted to David and pledged a willingness to serve David when he became king.

What is it about David that garnered this depth of devotion? The text is silent, so I am left to wonder and imagine...

Skill, integrity, honor, leadership, vision, commitment to the Lord, fairness, success, personal charisma, the anointing of God...??? I just don’t know. Surely these were factors, and there were probably many others. Likewise, it was likely a mix of things...

Whatever it was David had it and people flocked to be with him.

At a time when Israel could have splintered, David became the rallying point for the nation.

I wondered about what character traits engender loyalty today... and then felt the impulse to pray for increased measure as I move into the closing third of my life...

Oh, Lord, I pray for character... God-honoring, Christ-like character. I pray this, Lord, so that I might in my remaining years continue to add to Your kingdom in increasing measure. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

 

Friday, January 12: 1Chronicles 11 - Things have changed but then again they haven't.

The account of the Chronicler seems to come to life now that David enters the picture. The text breathes with life, David is on the throne!

A glimpse of the times comes as the chapter unfolds and we read the list of David’s mighty men and some of their exploits.

David’s was a time of war and battle and enemies round about, so having a capable army and guard was imperative for establishing his kingdom.

Presidents and world leaders today still need their guard and army to secure their position. I guess some things never change.

My mind shifts to the church and the kingdom of God… we no longer need armies and guards. In fact when the church had them, like during the crusades, we got off track from God’s mandate to reach the world with the message of Jesus.

As I think about the church and advancing God’s kingdom, there remains a need for guards and an army. However, it is not of soldiers with military weapons, instead it is intercessors with the weapons of prayer and the gifts of the Spirit waging the spiritual battle against the invisible forces of evil in the world. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Additionally, the word says, For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2Corinthians 10:3-4).

I am so thankful for the people who are intercessors praying for me and the ministry the Lord has graced me to have. They are my silent guard. Their prayers and discernment have protected me and saved me from many troubles.

I hope and pray that you have an army of intercessors –your mighty men and women –too.

And if you have the calling of intercession I encourage you to put your gift in play for the leader(s) of your fellowship.

Lord, thank you for the mighty women and men of prayer. Please, Lord, keep them strong and their prayers laser guided to accomplish the purposes You have for them. I pray this selfishly for those who intercede for me and more generally for those who intercede for all Your leaders. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

 

Thursday, January 11: 1Chronicles 10- .

In 1Chronicles, Saul’s 40 years as king is reduced to one paltry chapter, which details his death! Not only that, it has yet to mention that Saul was king... unless you consider the final sentence explaining the kingdom passing to David.

Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse (13-14).

Saul’s life is reduced to the comment that he was unfaithful. How sad.

My thoughts jumped to my life. I know my life isn’t over but when it is, what sentence would summarize my life?

How I live today will determine my summary statement. And I certainly don’t want a summary like Saul’s... remaining faithful today and everyday thereafter until the Lord brings me home will ensure my epitaph will read differently than Saul’s. 

May this be so, Lord, may it be so. I long for mine to speak of faithfulness.

Lord, I pray for strength that I might live for You, honor You and serve You all the days of my life until You see fit to bring me home to You. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Wednesday, January 10: 1Chronicles 9- Gatekeepers.

I never thought about the position of gatekeeper, and particularly the gatekeeper of the temple. What an important position… needing honorable, faithful, honest men to protect the temple during the night, a time of vacancy. In one respect gatekeepers were the security system of ancient Israel protecting the country’s most important asset.

While reestablishing the Israelite community back in Jerusalem after exile (see verse 1) returning gatekeepers to their former post would be a critical responsibility. So the chronicler gives particular attention to this detail.

Altogether, those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds numbered 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. The gatekeepers had been assigned to their positions of trust by David and Samuel the seer. They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the LORD—the house called the tent of meeting. The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north and south. Their fellow Levites in their villages had to come from time to time and share their duties for seven-day periods. But the four principal gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries in the house of God. They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning (22-27).

Gatekeepers protected the temple when it was most vulnerable. And as I mentioned above gatekeepers needed to be honorable, faithful, honest men zealous for the institution and articles of God at the temple.

I found myself bouncing from gatekeepers of old to God’s gatekeepers today.

And who are God’s gatekeepers today? Pastors, elders, bishops, deacons, leaders of God’s church… the men and women charged with preserving the institutions and articles (the Word of God) of God alive in His church.

Sections of Scripture from the New Testament flood my thoughts; words about guarding and protecting the word, rebuking those who are wrong and building up those who are weak. Paul has a number of such words to Timothy and Titus in the Pastoral Epistles. But the first verses that came to my mind were Paul’s comments to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20.

“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore ... Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.  (25-32).

Unlike Judaism, Christianity doesn’t have a physical temple. Instead, God’s temple is God’s people and the leaders of God’s church are charged with protecting the people by maintaining its truth and correcting those who would seek to distort its teaching for personal or worldly gain.

So to myself and other church leaders I hear God saying… guard yourself and the teachings of My Word for the sake of My people.

Oh, Lord, I accept Your calling. Please give me a mind to comprehend and a heart to believe Your Word at studied face value. Help me to hold it first in my heart and them express it and protect it through my teachings and actions. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

 

Tuesday, January 9: 1Chronicles 8- God will remember .

I was hopeful that there would be more in this chapter when I read the heading in the NIV translation, “The Genealogy of Saul the Benjamite,” given that Saul was the first king of Israel. But, unfortunately, it was another list of names leading to Saul and at least a dozen generations following Saul.

I was amazed how detailed the genealogy was noting deportations and divorces. And these records would have to have been maintained since the time of the Benjamin. No one at the time of Benjamin knew that one of his descendants would become a king of Israel, so they were keeping these records for records sake. Hmmm.

Records, even in an oral culture like ancient Israel were important. I wondered how they maintained them and who kept the records. Obviously these records were important. I can barely recall 2 generations above mine. How the world has changed.

No matter how detailed or lacking our human records are, God knows the complete account. He knows everything… all the words I have spoken, all the sins I have committed, all the prayers I have prayed and all the deeds I have performed that honor Him. God knows everything. EVERYTHING!

And He invites me, little insignificant me, into His presence and even more invites me to be part of His family. I am humbled by this thought.

My heart sinks into His embrace… I am loved. I am cared for. I am commissioned. I am delighted in. I am remembered. Long after traces of my life are forgotten by the generations to come, God will remember. Not only will He remember He will have ushered me into His eternal kingdom to live with Him forever! Oh my… the joy that gushes from my heart.

Oh, Lord, words fail me, but my heart pounds with love for You. What can I say but that I will serve You and love You all the days of my life. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

 

Monday, January 8: 1Chronicles 7- Peering into God's word is never wasted.

I am not sure what to say. I am struggling to find a nugget, any nugget that might strengthen my faith or devotion to the Lord. But reading all these names… for a week now…Oh my, I feel parched, thirsty for some spiritual fresh water…

It is days and readings like this that remind me about duty… doing something because it is right and good and not because I am stroked in the process.

It is reading chapters like today’s that reminds me patient endurance is a characteristic of faithfulness. Patient endurance, slogging through the tough terrain so that you can find the hidden beauty of other vistas. I know if I give up reading now there will be insights in later readings that will light my soul on fire with passion and love for the Lord.

So I sit with the Lord today reading His Word. If God Almighty thought these words were worthy of being part of His written record, then I will be faithful enough to read and ponder them as best I can even if little discernable truth leaps off the page into my life.

I read and meditate because it is God’s Word and sitting on His lap peering into His Word is never wasted.

Lord, thank You for meeting me in my quiet reading and wonderings this day. Thank You for always being available to and for me. Thank You for giving us Your written record, the Bible. I thank You for the exciting parts, the deep and rich parts, and the mundane parts. All are from Your hand and mind. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Saturday, January 6: - 1Chronicles 6.

Levites held a special place in the community of Israel. They were the keepers of the temple and its rituals. Priests, musicians, temple servants, this was their calling and their inheritance from the Lord. As such they received some particular cities spread throughout Israel, but they didn’t receive a specific territory, because temple service was their inheritance.

Essentially this chapter delineates the Levites. The first part of the chapter is a list of names, a genealogy of the various Levite branches, with virtually no comment. The last portion of the chapter details the towns given to the Levites.

In terms of inspiration, it is a duty read for me.

However for people recalling their heritage during a time of national exile and crisis, I can understand the importance of listing the families important to the maintenance of their religious practices, because upon their return to their land the ritual life of Israel will have to be reestablished.

How hard it must be to maintain your religious identity when you cannot take part in the necessary rituals and sacrifices.

I am so blessed that that is not an issue for those of us in Christ. First Jesus has promised to be with us to the very end of the age (See Matthew 28:20). Also faith in Jesus, though aided by rituals and celebrations handed down throughout the centuries, is not dependent upon any particular ritual performed by a particular class or clan of people. Spiritual connection and spiritual depth can be found in any place or time because God lives in those who follow Jesus. The Holy Spirit is given to all who are disciples of Jesus (Romans 8:x, Ephesians 1:x).

What a blessing, what a gift.

As I sit on the eve of worship I look forward to my time with my church family tomorrow, but I know that if I were separated from them I would not be separated from the Lord because He is with me and His Spirit is in me. Alleluia.

Lord, what a blessing and joy it is to be Your son. I melt into Your arms right now and praise you for the love, care and presence You provide to me, every moment of every day.

I know I don’t always recognize Your care and presence, but it is there and I am grateful.

Praise be to You –Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. Amen and amen.

 

Friday, January 5: - 1Chronicles 5- .

The writer continues telling the story of Israel through the lineage of the 12 tribes. And today we read, regarding some of the tribes that they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile.… (25-26).

As Israel remembers her history, she remembers the bad as well as the good.

The Old Testament, which traces the story of God’s people Israel through millennia, doesn’t shy away from telling the seedy and sorted parts of their history. They remember the things that they as a people did wrong as well as what they did right.

It is shocking at times to read the Old Testament because of the stories of Israel’s failures. How can these people be God’s people? But they were.

Israel falls often and the Lord, who is patient and kind, would send a prophet or someone in an attempt bring them back to the truth. And when judgment was required God sent the hard judgment as He did by sending Tiglath-Pileser.

This is a reminder to me that so day, on a day of God choosing, He will again judge. But the coming judgment will not only be for His people, it will be for all people.

Unrepented sin will be judged.

I don’t like to think about this or face the fact that sin has consequences. I don’t think anyone does. We want to skate by and slip in. And many, if not most of us, think the ‘other guy’ is worse than we are so when life is graded on a curve we will be ‘ok’.

But, sadly, that is not the story of the Bible. Scripture reminds us over and over again that sin carries a penalty that we will all have to pay.

Unfortunately, we cannot pay our penalty… it is too costly. Thankfully Jesus paid the penalty for everyone who puts their trust and faith in Him. 

So even as I consider the weight of my sin, I can also rejoice in the forgiveness and salvation faith in Jesus has brought to me.

Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Jesus, for Your gift of mercy and salvation. Thank You for opening my eyes to Your truth and for giving me the faith to believe… I praise You, Lord. What else could I do for the one who loves and saves me?

In Your name Jesus, I pray. Amen.

 

Thursday, January 4: 1Chronicles 4- Where do I fit; what do I do?.

As I read this list of names, yet another list of names, I had the nagging question, “Where do I fit?” For the Israelites it was important for the people to be able to account for their lineage. What is your ancestral line? Not only did this establish your right to be considered part of God’s family, it also delineated where you fit in. Clans had particular areas of the country designated as their territory and this by the nature of the land affected occupations. And when it comes to Levites –not listed in this chapter –your lineage also determined your function.

While that system worked in the ancient world and for Israel at the time, I ‘feel’ the constraints which that system imposes. Some of my feelings are certainly due to my living in the ‘modern’ age and western culture where for the most part individuals choose their path.

A second aspect of my thoughts is generated by the New Testament where God doles out His gifts, not based on lineage but by His calling (see 1Corinthians 12:4&11). This is not the same as the individualism of the modern western world, because I do not get to choose my gifts and callings, God does… so I am not captain of my own life but servant seeking to do the will of my God and Father.

My time with the Lord spins at this point, as I consider if I am serving my God and Lord well, using my gifts to serve His purposes and advance His reign in the world.

The Lord has saved and called me and gifted me for a purpose… to do the good works He has prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:10).

Am I serving Him well and faithfully? This is the question that is burning into my soul and heart this morning…  Am I serving the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit well and faithfully?

Oh, God, I pray so. I pray so… in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Wednesday, January 3: 1Chronicles 3- Remember, relive, retell.

When life is hard, when you feel displaced or are displaced, like the Israelites who have been carried off to Babylon, roots and history are an important anchor. The Chronicler begins his history of Israel tracing their roots. He began with Adam and has carried their lineage down toward the present. Today he traces the root line of David, God’s chosen king for Israel.

While on paper this chapter is another list of names I can barely pronounce, however for Israel languishing in Babylon these names connect the people to God. For good or for ill these men charted Israel’s course through the centuries.

These names are reminders of God’s covenant.

For me the great reminder of God’s covenant is the cross. A human instrument of extreme torture has become for me the most wonderful symbol of love, forgiveness and redemption. And the fact that this horrific human instrument of pain can itself be reinterpreted to be a symbol for God, speaks of God’s ability to redeem. If God can re-make a ghastly instrument of torture into a symbol of love, then God can take a broken human life and recreate us, bringing life to death and joy from mourning.

Seeing Israel cling to her history, even in exile, spurs me to on to cling to Jesus. Israel reminds me to recount my history and to recall the many ways God has worked and is working in my life. Remembering God’s story, retelling God’s story and reliving God’s story strengthens my faith to live for Him every day…

My heart begins to sing…

Jesus… Jesus… Jesus… what a wonderful name…

Praise You Father, Jesus, Spirit. Praise You, my God, three yet One. I thank You for the line of faith that traveled from person to person depositing a love for You in my life. I pray that I may life faithfully so that others would be blessed to know Jesus through my life and the life of those people You have allowed me to strengthen and encourage in Jesus along the road of life. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Tuesday, January 2: 1Chronicles 2- Bad deeds cling like leprosy .

Another chapter of names… not the most spiritual of Bible readings for me.J  When I come to chapters like this, one discipline and devotion to the Lord, who saw fit to include this chapter in sacred Scripture, keep me reading and call me to attention.

And my attention focused on two pieces of the chapter. One, most of the names are listed with little embellishment, even David who would become the archetype king for all Israel is only mentioned by his name David. But strangely Achar is listed, naming also his evil deeds. The son of Karmi: Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things (7). Bad deeds have a habit of attaching themselves to us. They cling like leprosy and never let go.

Pondering this raises my appreciation for the Lord. As David says in Psalm 103: as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (12). God’s gift of forgiveness is more than I can fathom… what an incredible gift God offers us through faith in Jesus.

My second thought emerged from the concept that heredity is important to keep your lineage alive and fresh for generations to come. For the Jews in exile, stripped from the land, maintaining their heritage and bloodline was important, far more important than it is for me. And far more important than it is for people ‘in Christ.’ In Christ every conversion creates a direct descendant of the Father. I don’t have to be the son of x, y, or z to prove my inheritance. I am directly an heir with Jesus through faith in Jesus.

Again I am so appreciating the gift of God that comes to me and all who believe in Jesus. He is my rock and stay!

Lord, to be bound directly to You is such a gift. I don’t need to prove a blood lineage. I don’t need intermediary priests. I have direct access to You, Lord God Almighty, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. And it is in You and Your saving grace that I delight. Praise be to You, Oh God. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

 

Monday, January 1: 1Chronicles 1- People.

Lists of people… people I would never have paid any mind to.

How many people do I see and interact with everyday who I pay no attention to? Hundreds, and probably more every week.

And even though I may give them no never mind, God knows who they are. And God knows where they have been and where they are going. God knows the intimate details of their lives as well as what makes them tick.

God values them. God sent Jesus to die and atone for them. God delights when they join His family. God loves them.

I am wondering why I give some many people little or no attention. I realize I cannot get to know or befriend everyone who crosses my path but those I interact with I can treat with the dignity befitting a person whom God loves.

Every person has value in God’s eyes and I need to learn from the Lord and treat everyone with the dignity that her/his humanity deserves.

As I embark upon this New Year, I am sensing that God is knocking on my heart, reminding me my manner of treating others needs to be improved this year…

Oh, God, I will need Your help. I can be so busy, so self-absorbed in the things I am doing that I look past people You place in my life… some for just a moment or two, others for much more significant amounts of time.  Lord, teach me to value others as You value them. Teach me to love like You love. This is a big prayer, Lord, but it is not too big for You. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.