January 3 -- "Thirsting Like The Deer"

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 20 & Psalm 42

"Thirsting Like The Deer"

Korah’s descendants were appointed by David as the leaders of music in the house of the Lord. During their service under king David, they penned eleven beautiful songs which express a deep spirit of gratitude and humility towards God (Psalms 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 84, 85, 87, & 88). Their words express a spiritual thirst that they had come to learn could only be satisfied by a deep connection with God, Himself.

In Psalm 42, they depict their thirst for God as a dry and thirsty deer panting for the flowing streams of fresh water.  There is within every human heart a thirst for God. Down deep inside of everyone there is a parched soul thirsting after a meaningful relationship with Him. It is an internal sensation that causes us to know that we are lacking. We know that we need something more than what we have yet experienced. There must be more to life than this. In reality, it is God – and only God – that can truly satisfy the human heart.

“As a deer pants for water” describes the intensity of its thirst. It meant that he was becoming exhausted, worn out and depleted from being pursued by the enemy and he had reached the point inside of himself that he wanted to lay down and just give up.  For the deer, it was ‘find water or die’. It is the same for us, just as the deer intensely seeks water, we too must find spiritual ‘water for our soul’ or die.

Deer do not need to be trained to pant—and they do not need to be trained to drink water. Thirst, and a knowledge of how to satisfy that thirst, comes naturally to them. In the same way, the thirst of our soul for God comes naturally to us as well. Everyone is searching for a way to have that thirst satisfied. Some seek to satisfy that thirst in healthy ways, others in unhealthy ways (e.g. through sin, pleasure, education, entertainment, etc.). What this passage reminds us of is that not one of these unhealthy pursuits can truly satisfy our panting soul - there is only one true way to have our thirst for God satisfied.

Jesus gave us the answer to this deep thirst in the human spirit. He cried out, "If any man thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink. And he who drinks of the water that I give out of his innermost being, there shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38). It is only in Him that our spiritual thirst will ever be truly quenched. So, come to Him. Pant after him. Drink the living water that He gives freely to all who will come.

January 2 -- "Rejoice. Take Refuge. Exult."

 Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 19 & Psalm 64

"Rejoice. Take Refuge. Exult."

David (like many of us) had an occasional tendency to be a complainer. In Psalm 64, he is complaining about the dread of the enemy and the secret plots of wicked people. About halfway through this Psalm, David’s eyes turn off of his troubles and his enemies and back onto God whom he sees as the Helper who can defeat his foes. He concludes this prayer by saying rejoice, take refuge in the Lord, and exult.

Rejoice! The Hebrew word for “rejoice” means to gladden, cheer up, and become gleesome. It is a happy word that teaches us to celebrate the goodness of God – even when the pressure from our enemies is bearing down on us. Notice that he says, “rejoice in the Lord.” It is not always possible to rejoice in your circumstances or situation. Sometimes situations become hard and stressful. It is not reasonable to always be glad about your situation. But it is totally reasonable to always rejoice in the Lord. Gladden and cheer up – the Lord is here. Your God is always a cause for rejoicing, even when troubles and enemies bear down on you. He is worth being glad about. So, dear follower of Christ, REJOICE!

Take refuge!  “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” (Psalm 118:8) When you take refuge in something, you are hiding yourself in its protection. In a pouring rain, for example, you might take refuge under a canopy or umbrella. During a tornado, the wise person takes refuge in the storm cellar. And during the storms of life, the wise person finds his/her shelter in the protective arms of God. Taking refuge in Him is finding a safe place where He can protect you during the stormy moments of your life. Taking refuge in Him means to transfer your troubles and cares off of yourself and placing them in His care. He is a mighty refuge for those who hide in Him. So, dear follower of Christ, TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!

Exult! The Hebrew word for “exult” means to make a visible show of celebration. The root word carries the idea of being “foolish in your show of boasting and giving praise.” Once we have taken refuge in Him and transferred our care to Him, there’s nothing left to do but boast about Him, celebrate Him, and give Him praise. This verse exhorts us not to do so quietly or secretly, but to elevate our celebration to a public show of praise to our amazing God. Don’t be afraid to look “foolish” – just exult in Him with a great display of pomp. Become a spectacle in your praise that others can see. So, dear follower of Christ, LET YOUR HEART EXULT IN HIM!

January 1 -- "Power Belongs to God"

 Today’s Reading: Psalms 58, 61, & 62

"Power Belongs to God"

What amazing power (force, strength, might) belongs to God. He is made of intensity of force. No greater power exists than the power of our almighty God! Think about it – what awesome and impressive power He has.

Among God’s most powerful works is the creation of all things out of nothing. This is a power only He has. In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter, energy, and life forms. The human mind cannot even conceive of such power! It is vast beyond all measure. What power He has! “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things that do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3) God said it, and it was done! Power belongs to God.

Another incredible demonstration of God’s limitless power was His act of raising Jesus Christ from the dead! Again, we cannot fathom such power! In 1 Corinthians 2, the Apostle Paul wrote of his message of Christ crucified and raised from the dead which communicated the supernatural power of God. He reminds us that the resurrection of Christ was God’s “demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Death defeated! Our God has power over the grave! Power belongs to God.

One of the most active powers of God in our world today is the power to give new life! He is constantly at work taking people who are dead in their sins and resurrecting them to new life in Christ by His power. This largely goes unnoticed by the world around us, but is one of the most incredible miracles we witness in our day. Power belongs to God.

Now, here’s the amazing thing – when something belongs to you, it is yours. You have the right to keep it or to give it to whomsoever you wish. Yes, power belongs to God, and He has the right to keep it to Himself, but He chooses to impart His miracle working power into the lives of everyone who, by faith, chooses to follow Jesus. Oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength! (see Ephesians 1:17-20). Meditate on that for a minute – the power that raised Christ from the dead is the power God has imparted to you!  Yes, power belongs to God. And, power also belongs to YOU because He has bestowed it upon you.

December 31 -- "Patiently Waiting"

 Today’s Reading: Psalms 26 & 40

"Patiently Waiting"

We often think of God being patient with us. But, are you patient with Him? With few exceptions, I believe that one of the most difficult things that we have to do in this life is to wait. For most of us, waiting is uncomfortable, or even frustrating. We live in a “right now” generation where we expect instant results. We barely tolerate waiting on God. We long for Him to answer our prayers, but often find ourselves waiting longer than we want. For many of us, it is easy to lose our patience. To be honest, sometimes waiting on the Lord can be like watching grass grow; when is it going to happen?

However, God has a greater purpose in our waiting. When we do it God’s way, there is great value in waiting on the Lord. God is truly desiring to work out patience in our lives. But what is our part in this?

The Lord wants us to wait PATIENTLY. Don’t rush the process. Rather, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4). There is a surrender that is involved in this, because we have to allow patience to have its proper place in our life, with the end result being that we will be brought to spiritual maturity. Waiting patiently helps us to grow.

The Lord wants us to wait EXPECTANTLY. “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains” (James 5:7). Expect God to work! But remember, He doesn’t always work in the specific way we are looking for, and He often doesn’t work on our timeline. Trust His timeline as you wait expectantly for His blessing.

The Lord wants us to wait STEADFASTLY. “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58) There is a certain frame of heart, mind, and spirit that we should possess as we wait upon the Lord. We should remain resolute and firm. We should not allow anything to move us away from our expectation.

The Lord wants us to wait TRUSTINGLY. At times, we might feel unable to continue to wait patiently on God, but in fact, we have access to all the patience we need in Christ. We can trust the Spirit to give us the strength to bear our circumstances and enable us to use this time of waiting to grow in our intimacy with the Lord. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace… PATIENCE.” (Galatians 5:22) Trust the Holy Spirit to bring forth true patience in your soul as you wait upon Him.

“In His time.  In His time. He makes all things beautiful in His time.” (Linda Ball; Maranatha! Music) Wait patiently for Him and He will incline His ear to you and hear your cry… in His time.

December 30 -- "Dying in Another's Place"

 Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 18

"Dying in Another's Place"

David deeply loved his son, Absalom. His love for his son is considered one of the greatest examples of fatherly love in the Old Testament and one of the greatest examples of the grief that love can sometimes produce. David’s love for his rebellious son teaches all of us about God’s love for us when we, in our human sinfulness, rebel against Him.

Absalom was described as the “handsomest man in Israel” and was known for his luscious and thick head of hair. (2 Samuel 14) Other than being David’s son and growing up in the household of a father who was a “man after God’s heart,” not many positive things are recorded in Scripture about him. In fact, most of the Biblical record describes the evil things he did. He murdered his brother Amnon, committed fornication in public to torment his father, and rebelliously set up his own kingdom with the goal of overthrowing David as king.

In this final chapter of Absalom’s life, David sent out military troops to attack and defeat Absalom’s rebellious uprising. His command to his military leaders shows us the love and concern David still felt for his son: “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” David wanted the uprising to be put down, but out of love for his son, he ordered that Absalom not be harmed. David longed to be reconciled to the son he loved.

David’s care for his son is an example of our Heavenly Father’s love toward us. Although we are infected with a sinful nature, and commit sins that offend our Father deeply, and although we don’t deserve His love and forgiveness, He loves us and longs for us to be reconciled to Him. Romans 5:12 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  You may be far from God today. Perhaps you have offended Him by your rebellion and backsliding. But be certain of this – He still loves you and wants to restore you to a right relationship with Himself.

Tragically, despite David’s command to protect his son, Absalom was killed during the battle. When David learned of his son’s death, his heart breaks. You can feel the depth of his grief when he realizes that the son he loved so deeply is never coming back. David is so grieved that he actually wishes that he had died in Absalom’s place. 

Tragically, David could not die for Absalom’s sins. There is only One Man in history who could die for others’ sins – Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for the purpose of taking our sins upon Himself and opening the door to be reconciled to Him. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) 

Your Heavenly Father loves you so much that He sent Someone to die in your place! "I implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

December 29 -- "Contradictory Advice"

 Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 17

"Contradictory Advice"

What do you do when you receive advice from two people and their advice is inconsistent or even contradictory? This was the dilemma facing Absalom in today’s chapter. Who should I listen to? Whose advice is the best and most sound? On occasion, we are faced with the same dilemma. Who should you listen to? The answer is simple… get the Lord’s advice on the matter before making your decision. This is something Absalom failed to do.

Ahithophel had advised Absalom that he needed to do only one thing to make his throne secure, and that was kill David. If he did this swiftly, without war or unnecessary bloodshed, the people would soon be fully behind him. After getting a second opinion from Hushai, Absalom decided to reject Ahithophel’s counsel and proceed with a full military attack. This would turn out to be a gross mis-judgement on Absalom’s part as David’s military might would prove to be too much for him and his supporters.

It turns out that, behind the scenes, God was protecting David and his throne. If Absalom had taken Ahithophel’s original advice, he would have defeated David and taken over the kingdom. But God had other plans. He sent Hushai to give Absalom contradictory advice, knowing full well that Absalom would choose the latter. For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel. Absalom failed to seek God’s counsel on the matter, and he trusted in his own wisdom to make the choice. Proverbs 18:26 tells us, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool.” In this situation, Absalom acted according to his own human nature and his pride. A tragic mistake.

It is so important to obtain counsel from others before making important decisions. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” And again in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.” A wise person will listen to wise counsel. But always remember – in the end, it is God’s counsel that matters. Don’t just accept human advice, as sound as it may seem. Listen to the Holy Spirit who promises to “lead you into all truth.” (John 16:13)

A fool thinks he needs no advice, but a wise man listens to others. So, listen to advice and accept instruction that you may gain wisdom. But, be careful that you don’t act on all the advice you receive without consulting your God. And, don’t lean on your own understanding, or your own feelings when considering the advice you’ve been given. It may seem right in your own eyes, but remember your heart is deceitful and can cloud your judgment. Listen to God and His still small voice speaking to your spirit. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25) God is all-knowing. He has perfect wisdom and is capable of understanding the impact of every single decision on every single thing.

December 28 -- "A Walking Bible"

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 16 

"A Walking Bible"

When Ahithophel spoke, people listened! In 2 Samuel 16, we see Ahithophel giving counsel to David’s son Absalom. The advice he gave was considered “as if one consulted the word of God.” Although his name, “Ahithophel” means “my brother of folly; foolish,” his counsel was considered wise. When he gave advice, others considered his words to be as if God Himself was the one who was speaking. Whether the people’s perceptions were accurate or not, his reputation is one we should all seek.

When we speak - when we give advice to others – our goal should be that the words we speak are words of God’s wisdom and not our own earthly advice. What a wonderful reputation to have - as one whose words are as if “one consulted the word of God.”  Is that what others think of your words?

It is a mistake to rely on worldly wisdom as Paul suggests in 1 Corinthians 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” It may seem “wise” by worldly standards, but if your counsel is not firmly rooted in the word of God, it is sheer folly.

The amazing thing is that God promises to enable all of His children to speak His word with power and authority. As we absorb His word on a daily basis and the Holy Spirit imparts to us God’s wisdom, it has the effect of shaping our thoughts and words. When we then speak under the influence of the Holy Spirit, our words will be “as if one consulted the word of God.”  People should come to know you as someone who knows and speaks the word of God – a “walking Bible” so to speak.

God has chosen to use human messengers to deliver His divine truth. Whether you realize it or not, those around you who know you are a Christian will take the words you speak and the advice you give as though they were God’s advice. As William Toms rightly said, “Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.”  This is a solemn responsibility!  May your life be so saturated in the word of God that His wisdom and His counsel oozes out of your life. May you be one whose counsel is as if one consulted the word of God. May God transform you into a “walking Bible.”