Praying for the success of others.

I Chron. 22:11-13  Now my son, may the LORD be with you and give you success as you follow his instruction in building the Temple of the LORD your God.   May the LORD your God give you wisdom and understanding that you may obey the law of the LORD your God as you rule over Israel. For if you carefully obey the laws and regulations that the LORD gave to Israel through Moses, you will be successful.  Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!

David’s prayer for Solomon was for Solomon’s success in fulfilling God’s plan for him.  He prayed that Solomon would have what it took to do the job and the fortitude of heart to do it.  He prayed that Solomon would know God’s way and follow it.  What a prayer!

We too should be praying over our families and friends like this.  David was kept from doing what Solomon was now about to do.  David wanted to do it, but it was not God’s will for him.  Instead of pouting about it, he blessed his son because he could do it.  Do we have that kind of a heart?  Are we pure enough in heart to want others to succeed in what we can’t do?  Be honest with yourself.  Does jealousy creep in when someone is more successful than you in doing what you want to do?  Do you get bothered when others get to do what you want to do?

It’s not up to us as to who gets to do what in God’s kingdom.  He controls the ways things get done and who does them, not us.  He knows who is best suited to fulfill His plans, not us.  He doesn’t need our opinions; he needs our humble hearts.  He needs us to support those who are chosen to do the task.  He needs us to be encouragers and not discouragers.  He needs us to pray for the well-being and success of those serving.

Do what God has given you to do and don’t concern yourself about what you have not been given to do.  Be thankful for what the Lord has allowed you to do and do it to the best of your ability.  Bless those who are doing other things.  Be a blessing and you will be blessed.

At War with Satan

I Chron. 21:1  Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the Israelites.

Don’t underestimate Satan’s work amongst us.  He is bent on disruption and destruction.  He will take advantage of whoever he can to create havoc in our lives.  He will take advantage of every situation we are in and use it against us if we are not careful.  He will do his best to get us to do things on our own without first seeking counsel from God.  He wants us to see that which is not good as being good for us.

In order to stay on top of what Satan is doing, we must stay connected to the Lord.  We must stay spiritually alert and active so that we can recognize when Satan is at work on us or around us.  The more in tune we are with God, the more obvious it is what Satan is trying to do.  Don’t kid yourself; Satan is always working against you to drive a wedge between you and the Lord.  He gets into your heart through your mind and he does not give up easily.  Satan does not know the meaning of the word no and he keeps on the attack, always trying new ways to get to you.

We are in a constant battle for control of our hearts and minds.  It will not stop as long as we have life.  God leaves it up to us as to who will control us.  He is always there to help us and give us victory, but He will not violate our freedom of choice.  You can choose to live in victory or defeat. 

Victory comes to those who intentionally and determinedly seek God in their lives.  They invest the time and energy to know God and actively seek His role in their lives.  They stay well-fed on the Word.  They stay in close communication with Him all the time.  They stay in touch with God’s children and let them influence their walk with the Lord. 

Satan will never stop rising up against you.  Stay within the shelter of God and you will not fall victim to him.

"Who am I, O Lord?"

I Chron. 17:6  Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, “Who am I, O LORD  God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?”

The Lord had just made a covenant with David that his family would have a lasting dynasty in Israel.  Even though David would not be the one to build the Temple of the Lord, his lineage would always be blessed by God.  David, Scripture declares, was a man after God’s own heart.  David lived a righteous life and when he really messed up and sinned, he went to the Lord and got his heart straightened out.  David understood the concept of humility before God and lived it.  It was through David’s lineage that Christ was born.

I often find myself wondering the same thing that David did.  Who are we that God would favor us with His presence and blessings?  Who are we to live a life in Christ?  Why does the Lord allow us to do what we do in life?  We simply do not know.  God is gracious, loving and kind.  He chooses us for reasons He knows.  He makes no mistake in His selection process.  We are chosen by God to live in Him and for Him.  The mere thought of this wondrous reality overwhelms me.  We are so unworthy of His love and favor.

We are chosen by God.  Knowing this ought to cause us to fall on bended knee before Him in gratitude, thanksgiving and humility.  There is no one just like you.  No one else in all the world has been given the role you have been in life to fulfill.  No one else can impact your family and friends quite like you.  No one else can be you. 

We are chosen by God to be the example in our world to look up to and follow.  How are you doing?  Are you living up to God’s expectation of you in your home and the world?  You don’t deserve God’s favor, but you are a steward of it.  Can it be said of you that you are a person after God’s own heart?  You are the only person that can make it happen.  You are the only one who can seek the Lord with all your heart and live humbly before Him. 

Are you leaving a legacy of faith in your family for your family to look up to and follow?

Embracing the Worship of Others

I Chron. 15:29   But as the Ark of the Lord’s covenant entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window.  When she saw King David dancing and leaping for joy, she was filled with contempt for him.

What did Michal see?  She saw her husband totally immersed in worship.  David was not concerned about his position or how other s would think of him.  David was the king of Israel, but foremost, he was a man who loved the Lord and he was filled with joy.  David let his hair down and joined in spontaneous worship of the Lord.

We are not told, but it seems like Michal did not share in David’s faith.  She was the daughter of Saul, and Saul was not exactly remembered as a man of great faith.  She probably was not antagonistic towards faith, but neither was she enthusiastic about it.  It seems like she was more concerned about image than anything else.  What will others think now? 

Sometimes our spouses don’t share in our faith.  They don’t understand our enthusiasm for the Lord.  They may even resent it.  What do we do?   Do we let them determine how we will worship the Lord?  Do we let them influence us to the point where we don’t even worship Him?

If we are honest, we are probably more like Michal than we are David.  We are uncomfortable with anyone who worships the Lord differently than we do.  We shy away from those whom we deem to be “on the edge” or who don’t fit into our understanding of the faith.  We look down on those who are not afraid to show their enthusiasm as they worship God. 

The church is big enough to hold all expressions of worship.  Who are we to say that worship cannot happen in any way other than our way?  Who are we to look down on how others worship the Lord?  Who are we to try to stifle the worship of others?  Let us rejoice with those who rejoice, regardless of how they may rejoice.  Great is the Lord and worthy is He to be praised, no matter how the soul is moved to praise Him.

Regard God as holy.

I Chron. 13:9-10  But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark.  Then the LORD’s anger blazed out against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark.  So Uzzah died there in the presence of God.

Each time I read this passage, I am struck by the how God dealt with Uzzah.  King David was leading a procession to bring the Ark into Jerusalem.  They were doing their best to honor God, but they were not doing things in the way God had instructed the Israelites to do it.  The responsibility for carrying the Ark was reserved for the Levites.  David’s heart was in the right place, but he failed to do things the right way.

God sent a clear message to David and his people.  God was holy and He would be treated as holy or there was a price to pay.  The Ark was God’s dwelling place.  It was where God had declared He would be amongst His people.  The intent of David’s heart was to bring the presence of God back to His people. 

However, in order for God to dwell amongst His people, He must be regarded as holy.  We must respect and honor Him as holy.  Most people do not do that very well today.  If we were to regard God as holy, we would have a much greater concern about sin.  We would strive harder to not sin.  We would address sin wherever we found it amongst His children.  We would be far more diligent in our efforts to live godly lives.  We would be far more focused on God than we are the other things in our lives.

The greatest need that we have today is to reclaim our passion for holy living.  We cannot manufacture holiness by the things we do.  It is only found in a dedicated and determined life lived in Christ.  If you find yourself to be less than holy in your conduct, conversations and thoughts, return to the Lord your God.  Bow before Him with humility and brokenness.  Ask Him to forgive you for your lack of holiness.  Renew your commitment to Christ.  Rededicate yourself to loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul.  Without holiness, no one shall see God or be with Him.

Neglecting Our Savation

I Chron. 13:3  “It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul.”

Saul was a man who started out well.  He was humble and considered himself unqualified to serve as king over Israel.  However, he was weak in character and could not handle the position or the fame it brought him.  He became a proud and arrogant man.  He failed to listen to godly advice and took it upon himself to do whatever he wanted to do, whether it was right before God or not.  He also was plagued by jealousy and was prone to express it in fits of anger.  Saul failed to lead his people into a fellowship with God because he was out of fellowship with God.  There was a draught in the spiritual life of the nation during his reign because there was an obvious neglect on Saul’s part to keep his heart right with God.

The thing I wonder about is, “What have we neglected?”  It is easy to get so involved in life that we begin to neglect the things of God.  It can start so subtly and even unknowingly.  We fail to maintain the disciplines we need to stay close to God and before you know it, we progress into total neglect of those disciplines.  We must realize that we need to keep on doing those things we need to do in order to keep our relationship with God fresh.

It may begin with not taking time for our personal devotions because of the busyness of our lives.  We start off small, missing a day here and there, and then gradually finding excuses to miss more days until we begin to get the idea that it’s not necessary at all.  We begin to miss a few church services because we are too tired or busy.  Gradually we just go occasionally, as our schedules allow it.  Before you know it, it is more normal for us to stay away from church than it is to go.  Faith becomes more of a head thing than a heart thing for us. 

We dare not let up on those things which feed our souls.  We are prone to wander from a disciplined life, so we have to work hard to stay on track.  “What makes us think that we can escape if we are indifferent to this great salvation that was announced by the Lord Jesus himself?” (Heb. 2:3 NLT)  Indeed, we shall not escape.  We shall not escape a life without God nor the consequences of lives filled with sin. 

Neglecting our salvation is a grave sin we dare not let creep into our lives.

What Others See in You

I Chron. 4:9-10  There was a man named Jabez who was more distinguished than any of his brothers.  His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful.  He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh that you would bless me and extend my lands!  Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain.”  And God granted him his request.

The thought I want to dwell on today is that Jabez was found to be more distinguished than any of his brothers.  He was different.  He stood out.  What was there about Jabez that made him different?  We can only speculate, but for me it was probably more spiritual than physical.  Here was a man who knew how to pray.  He knew how to pray because he prayed.  He sought the Lord on his knees.  He endeavored to live for the Lord in a way that pleased Him.  He sought the Lord’s favor on his living.  He sought the Lord’s presence in all he did.  He sought the Lord’s protection over his life.

What sets you apart from others?  What makes you noticeable amongst your family and friends?  Do people take note because of your looks, position in life, wealth, influence, or fame?  Are you noticeable because you are gifted?  As much as these things are sought after, they are meaningless.  The only thing that God notices is the heart.  He judges the heart and not the noticeable things of life.  If our heart is pleasing and acceptable to God, others will see it and take note.  We cannot hide from others the Lord when He controls us.

What do you want others to see when they see you?  You may never be noticed because of the things the world notices, but the world should notice Christ in you.

May we be more distinguished than all the rest because we live in Christ and Christ lives in us.  May others see Christ in us before they see anything else in us.  May they know we are His and He is ours.  He must increase and we must decrease.