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As I finished 1 Kings and moved into 2 Kings, I recently read through chapter 5. The chapter tells the story of the commander of King Aram’s army, Naaman. For Carmela and I, this story brings back a time in our lives where God used this story to give us a word about obedience.

It was the early 90s and we were serving in ministry in Georgia. At that point, God had blessed us with two boys. They were born a little over 13 months apart and it was almost like raising twins! I don’t remember the exact year, but they boys were about 3 and 4 years old. Philip was our oldest son and Nathan was the younger of the two.

As they grew, it was quite clear that Nathan’s legs were abnormally bowed. Yes, at that age he loved wearing his cowboy hat, his vest and cowboy boots, but his legs were starting to look like he was “born on a horse”. We had concerns and began to pray about what to do. We were living on a limited income and there were a lot of unknowns.

Later, we spent time on vacation with our families in Florida. After all, that’s what you do when you only see them a couple of times a year. While at Carmela’s parent’s house, their neighbor made a comment about Nathan’s bowed legs. She said, “He needs to have braces on his legs and go to therapy.” Her comments were heard because, well, she worked with children as a physical therapist. Her concern added to our concerns.

Well, what should we do? We had been seeking the Lord. Now he put someone in our path who confirmed the need. We knew we should seek the Lord first and wait for his leading.

One Sunday morning a few weeks later, Carmela’s parents had come to see us. It was over a weekend. As I had been in the Word, I was convinced that we should speak with the Senior Pastor and arrange for Nathan to be anointed by the elders following the morning service. I spoke with him and he said they would be happy to, following the service that day. By the way, Carmela’s father was also an elder in his church.

After the singing, the pastor got up to preach. His message, unknown to me, was from 2 Kings 5 – The healing of Naaman. Now I had heard many messages on God’s healing power but this time it was different. In that moment, as I sat there and listened, the Lord spoke to me ‘loud and clear’, “Obey and have Nathan anointed today.” Tears streamed down my face as I listened to the pastor and the Lord that day. It was clear that we must follow the Lord in obedience.

After the service, the elders came forward and my father-in-law joined us. Carmela went and got Nathan from children’s church and brought him to be anointed and prayed for. A sense of peace came over us as we obeyed the Lord and believed the Lord could heal our son.

After we anointed and prayed together over him, nothing instantaneously happened. But we were confident that we had brought him in faith and obedience as the Lord asked. It would be over the next 9 months that we would see God gradually straighten Nathan’s legs. To God be the glory!

As I read through 2 Kings 5, yes it brought back a special memory for me. In the story, Naaman suffered from leprosy. A simple young servant girl spoke to Naaman’s wife. 2 Kings 5:3b (NLT) “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.”

After trying to follow through with the King of Israel, Naaman told the King to send Naaman to him. 2 Kings 5:9-11 (NLT) “So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house.  But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”  But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me!”

 Naaman had a way he expected the healing to be done. He did not like Elisha’s response and directive. We find out later, that not until he humbled himself and obeyed ‘the man of God’s directives’ would he be healed.

That was the lesson we learned as well: Humble ourselves and obey what the Lord asks of us. Of course, we also learned that God is the healer!

How often do we readily, humbly obey God even when it isn’t to our liking? Sometimes it doesn’t even seem to make sense to us. But as scripture often illustrates, what God asks does not have to make sense. He simply asks that we humble ourselves and obey what He asks of us.

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

We are near the end of 1 Kings. Chapter 21 contains one of the last recorded assignments from God that Elijah carried out. Again, we are reading about King Ahab who was amazed at God’s display on Mt. Carmel that resulted in Him bringing rain and an end to a three-year drought. He saw the God of the Israelites on display and yet again, we see Ahab back to his old ways. Of course, with his godless, wicked wife Jezebel still on the scene, living for one’s own desires no matter the cost would again be the way life was lived in the palace. How quickly man forgets God.

Let’s start in verse 1 to establish the setting, “Now there was a man named Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. One day Ahab said to Naboth, ‘Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you for it.’” (1 Kings 21:1-2, NLT)  Ok seems fair.  Ahab made Naboth a fair offer for his vineyard.  Going on in verse 3, “But Naboth replied, ‘The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors’” Basically, Naboth refused to sell because He was honoring the Lord’s Word (Leviticus 25; Numbers 36:7-9). In his heart Ahab was really coveting Naboth’s property. We will see this play out as the story continues.

Ahab returned home angry. He even refused to eat! I kind of picture him stewing, steaming, and pouting because he didn’t get what he wanted. He ‘wanted what he wanted!’

Well, as you would expect, his wife, Jezebel, asks him why he is so upset. Ahab tells her what happened and how Naboth refused his offer to buy the vineyard. Jezebel’s response? Perhaps it was, ‘Now, I am sure you can find another property to buy for your garden.  It’s not the end of the world.’ No, that was not her response. Verse 7, “Are you the king of Israel or not?” Jezebel demanded. “Get up and eat something, and don’t worry about it. I’ll get you Naboth’s vineyard!”

Imagine that. She was as greedy, self-centered, and arrogant as Ahab was! The difference? She was not going to take “no” for an answer. What a pair!

Scripture records in verses 8-14 Jezebel’s scheme that she devised to get Naboth’s land. Interesting what someone will do when they are driven by their selfish, greedy desires. She arranged for false witnesses to accuse Naboth of “cursing God and the king” Of course, the story was fabricated to get Naboth killed and out of their way.

When the news of Naboth’s death reached Jezebel, verses 15-16 (NLT) tell us she said to Ahab, “You know the vineyard Naboth wouldn’t sell you? Well, you can have it now! He’s dead!” So Ahab immediately went down to the vineyard of Naboth to claim it.” 

No hesitation. No questions asked. He took it for his own.

Being fully aware of what was happening, God then said to the prophet Elijah, (vs. 18-19, NLT) “Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be at Naboth’s vineyard in Jezreel, claiming it for himself. Give him this message: ‘This is what the LORD says: Wasn’t it enough that you killed Naboth? Must you rob him, too? Because you have done this, dogs will lick your blood at the very place where they licked the blood of Naboth!’” Standing for the truth in a difficult situation. God needed Elijah to stand in the gap for the truth and confront the evil of Ahab and Jezebel.

Of course, when Elijah arrived, Ahab had his typical response, “So my enemy you have found me!” Almost like he knew Elijah would eventually come. Elijah conveyed the message of the Lord concerning the destruction of Ahab’s family for the evil they had carried out against Naboth.

As I was reading this chapter, I was actually quite surprised by Ahab’s response – he recognized his sin, mourned, and humbled himself before God. God held off the immediate punishment and spared his family for the moment. The grace of God on display.

There are many things we could learn from this passage. What I want you to take away is, ‘God has the final word… always.’ He is just and will punish sin. A holy God must, or He would not be truly holy. But He will also be gracious if there is confession and repentance. Why? Because He is loving and wants man to come to repentance.

In the uncertain and evil days in which we live. When it seems the world has ‘gone crazy’ and is rebelling against its Creator (when it comes down to it), God is gracious and slow to anger. He desires that man be saved. Possible even in the darkest of times. But if man does not turn to Him, He will still have the final word and sin will be punished. For that we can be sure.

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

Many of us are familiar with this passage of scripture. You know, the one where Elijah challenges King Ahab and the prophets of Baal. Elijah’s initial meeting with Ahab was interesting. 1 Kings 18:17-18 (NLT) “When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?” “I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the LORD and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.”

What is somewhat comical, is what Ahab calls Elijah, “troublemaker of Israel”. Elijah’s response is, “No, you and your family are troublemakers.” Remember, Ahab is a wicked, evil king. He kills people for saying the wrong things. Elijah’s bold response must have been quite unexpected. He not only tells them he and his family are the troublemakers. He tells them why: “You have refused to obey the commands of the LORD and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.” (v. 18b)

 Elijah is now taking the ‘bull by the horns’ and gives instruction to Ahab. Verse 19, “Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.” Surprisingly, Ahab does what Elijah tells him. When all the people and prophets were there at Mt. Carmel, Elijah stepped forward and, as they say, ‘draws a line in the sand’. Verse 21, “Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.”

Interesting comment. In verse 22, Elijah says, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left.” Now if you were to base your decision on who wins this battle on the number of prophets, Elijah would have been soundly defeated. There were 450 prophets of Baal and 1 prophet of the Lord. But because we know the “rest of the story”, we also know that Elijah, the “1 prophet”, wins this altercation. Why? Because victory is not based on what the crowd says or what man-made solutions have been devised. One real and living God, and one man who is willing to trust God, will always win.

What is funny is, there is no real ‘battle of the Gods’ here. We know there is only one real God and all others are made up in the minds of men. Deuteronomy 4:35 (NLT) “He showed you these things so you would know that the LORD is God and there is no other.” Then in John 10:30 (NLT) Jesus declares, “The Father and I are one.”

As the story goes, the prophets of Baal go to great extremes to get their ‘god’ to burn the wood and bulls on their altar. They danced, cut themselves, and shouted from morning until noon. Nothing. No response. Verse 27 is quite daring, “About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” Oh my!  Elijah is too funny! “Maybe your god is daydreaming… relieving himself… on a trip… or asleep.” They continued to call on their ‘god’ until evening, but no response.

In the meantime, Elijah makes his altar with wood and bulls as well, and then douses it with water. What confidence Elijah has in God! We then read when the altar was ready, Elijah prayed. 1 Kings 18:36b-38 (NLT) “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!”

God showed up and removed all doubt in the minds of those present, who was really God! Verse 39, “And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The LORD—he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!” The evidence for the real God was strong and clear!

So, in your ‘day to day’ life, how is your faith in God? Are their times when you get distracted by the troubles of life and this world and lose sight of God? Do you then look for the solutions the world offers and leave God out of the equation? I love this story of Elijah because we see bold, confident faith in God! We see faith in God displayed in how Elijah proceeds in life. We see His confidence in God when the odds seem overwhelming. Let me ask again, how is your faith in God? Are you dedicated to the Lord no matter what? Is it evident to those around you that you have faith in God?

Let me challenge you to reflect on the power of God. Reflect on what your life conveys about what you believe about God. Hopefully, like Elijah, your life clearly shows your faith and trust in the one true and living God!

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

The country was divided. Opposition had risen against the house of Solomon after he died. Depending on who was king, God was either honored or evil was the rule of the day.

In 1 Kings 16:29 we are introduced to Ahab, son of Omri, who was king of Israel for 22 years. The scripture says in verse 30 (ESV) “And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.” What a great thing to be said of someone and be recorded for everyone to read in God’s Word! If that was not enough, he married Jezebel of Sidon.

Samaria had been established as the capital city of Israel (Jerusalem was capital of Judah) and in the city Ahab built a temple for the god, Baal. He then put up an Asherah pole as an idol. It is thought that the Asherah was an idol to the goddess of fertility. Clearly the people had turned from the Creator God who had brought them out of Egypt to the promised land. They had resorted to worshipping the created instead of the Creator. The people throughout the area were far away from God.

As I read through this prelude to the introduction to the prophet Elijah, I reflected on the times in which we are currently living. It is clear there are some parallel issues: a divided country at odds with each other, God and His Word being pushed aside, the worship of created things, and so on. What can we learn about God and how He prepares us to stand for the truth in evil days?

Elijah stood on God’s Word facing the opposition. 1 Kings 17:1 (NLT) tells us, “Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” Imagine going to the leader who was the extreme opposite of everything you believed and proclaiming God’s Word. It would have been frightening, but ultimately Elijah was standing as an ambassador of the heavenly king who was above all.

Elijah stood before Ahab and delivered the Word of the Lord just as God had asked.

After Elijah spoke to Ahab, the Lord provided a place for him to hide by Kerith Brook. In this time, we see God providing for Elijah’s safety and sustaining his life with food and water. In time, the brook dried up due to the lack of rain. What now? God would use this time at Kerith brook to ‘cut down’ or humble Elijah so that he would fully trust Him. This was part of the training in becoming a man of God.

Have we seen God work in this way in our lives? You know, where He called us to something and then took us through a difficult time where we had to trust Him completely. Yes, God protected and provided for Elijah, but He also wanted to train him to become a true man of God.

As we will see in the story of Elijah, God trains and tests us to build our faith so that we will represent Him well. In the training and testing, we learn who God is, what He can do, and that we can truly trust Him.

Yes, following Jesus will have great challenges. We will face opposition for being a Christian and what we believe. But we are also called to represent Jesus. We are His ambassadors with the message of truth – the gospel. In the hard times that we live in, a line is being drawn in the sand – who is on the Lord’s side? God is calling those who are truly His own to be light in the darkness. He wants us to represent Him well. Why? The days are evil and the hope of God must be displayed!

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

When just recently reading through this section of 1 Kings, a statement I had heard at one time came to mind – ‘When we make our own rules, we go our own way. That always leads to disaster’. It is what we see in our own lives when we choose to follow our own selfish desires. It is what see when others disregard the law and let their evil desires determine their actions. When we ignore God, His Word, and His ways, our lives will always end up in disaster

Thomas George, our district superintendent, uses a statement he has been proclaiming at pretty much every district gathering in recently times. It goes like this – “You were made by Him, for Him, and for His glory!” It is a reminder of who made us and for what purpose. The problem with man? When we lose sight of that reality, we fall again into sin. And sin leads to nothing but disaster.

Last time I wrote, we saw in 1 Kings 3 that “Solomon loved the LORD and followed all the decrees of his father, David.”  (v. 3a, NLT). Therefore, God spoke to him in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he wanted, and He would give it to him. As we discovered, Solomon asked for wisdom and God greatly blessed him with unusual wisdom. He asked for something that would help him discern right from wrong in governing God’s people. In the next few chapters, we see evidence of Solomon’s great wisdom in dealing with difficult decisions and in the process of building the temple for the Lord.

In chapter 8, we see Solomon summoning the elders to bring the Ark of the Covenant to the temple in Jerusalem and leading the people in songs of praise to the Lord! Later in the chapter we see written Solomon’s prayer of dedication of the temple and later in chapter 9, the Lord’s response. For Solomon, life is great, and he is honoring the Lord with what God has blessed him with.

Then we come to chapters 10 & 11. Just when everything was going great, something started to change. Solomon’s image was known far and wide. With acclaim and great wealth, often comes pride and self-confidence. Or as I mentioned before, ‘making our own rules’, leads to ‘going our own way’. Then chapter 11. Yep chapter 11. It starts, “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women (NLT). You may ask, “What’s wrong with that?” Verses 2 & 3 tell us – “The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, ‘You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.’ Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD.” (NLT)  Later in the chapter we see God’s response, “the LORD was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice” (v. 9, NLT)

Now sometimes we have done something we were told specifically not to do. The consequences were not too severe. Perhaps we can all remember a time in our childhood when our parents told us specifically not to do something, and we did it anyway. The consequences may not have changed the complete course of our lives. But there have been many other times when the consequences had a much greater effect on our lives and the lives of others. Those are the times when the statement I shared can be clearly seen. Choosing our own way instead of God’s has devastating results.

In the second half of chapter 11, after Solomon turned from God to his own desires (own ways & rules), we start to see the beginning of the division of Israel. Hadad, Jeroboam, and other royal officials rose up and rebelled against Solomon. It took the prophet Ahijah to send a word from God through Jeroboam to Solomon to get his attention. Eventually, the people of Israel were again divided into two separate kingdoms, Israel and Judah. Jeroboam then is made king of Israel and from the advice of his counselors, made idols of gold to worship instead of worshiping the one true God.

All because of Solomon choosing his own way over God’s.

When we lose sight of why we were created – “made by Him, for Him, and for His glory” – the disaster becomes the path that we chose without Him. But praise God it does not have to end there!

Titus 3:4-7 (NLT) “But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

Rejoice in His grace!

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

Do you remember the television series “Extreme Makeover Home Edition?” The show aired its first episode in 2003 and by the second season over 15 million viewers tuned in each Sunday night to watch. The basic premise was taking the home of a family who had gone through difficulty or hard times, and totally remodeling it. Led by host Ty Pennington, a team from the community in which the family resided would be assembled and charged with doing the work of transforming the chosen family’s home. When the work was completed, the show ended with ‘revealing’ the work – the finished product!

I enjoyed watching the show each week and thought the effort of bringing people together to help another family in need was commendable.  If I am honest though, at times it also left me wishing for a nicer, newer home!

Here in 1 Kings 3, Solomon has finished establishing his rule. His father, David, had given him wise counsel. We see that in 2:3-4 (NLT) “Observe the requirements of the LORD your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go. If you do this, then the LORD will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’”

Initially Solomon follows David’s advice and begins to ‘set up house’ as king of Israel. In the remaining part of chapter 2, Solomon deals with some of those who were trouble for his father. He wants to begin his reign well. Then in chapter 3 we read about the Lord appearing to Solomon in a dream. Let’s pick it up in verse 5:

   “That night the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
   Solomon replied, “You showed faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued your faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
   “Now, O LORD my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
   The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.”

Wow! Does that surprise you? He did not ask for any material possession. He didn’t ask for a better __________ (you fill in the blank). He didn’t ask for wealth or power. He asked for wisdom.

As I read through this chapter the other day, I reflected on Solomon’s request. We live in a world today that is always telling us we can have more, we deserve more – why? Because having more will make our life better and more complete!

If we look around us though, that message is not true. More possessions, wealth, and power do not truly give us a ‘better’ life. Solomon asked for a more important ingredient for a better life. Verse 9 “Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong.”

 What matters most, when it comes to a better life, is honoring God. And to honor God we need to value Him most by living life guided by His truth. “Lord Jesus, may we find our life in You and Your truth. May we be reminded that the things of this world hold little value in eternity.”

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

2 Samuel 22 starts like this, “David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.” (NLT)

As I came to this chapter this past week, I took time to read, reflect, and take a glimpse inside the life of King David. We are familiar with the verse in Acts 13:22 (ESV) “and when he had removed him (Saul), he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’” After reading through 1 & 2 Samuel, with all its transparency, we may have a hard time understanding why David was called that by God – a man after God’s own heart. I believe 2 Samuel 22, gives us a look into why.

In his book, A Man of Passion and Destiny – David, Charles Swindoll suggests these themes of 1 Samuel 22:

• When times are tough, God is our only security (vs. 2-10)
• When our days are dark, the Lord is our only light (vs. 21-31)
• When our walk is weak, the Lord is our only strength (vs. 22-40)
• When our future is foggy or fuzzy, the Lord is our only hope (vs. 50, 51)

This chapter, sometimes called “David’s Song of Deliverance”, gives us a picture of a man who had a relationship with God. No, he was not perfect. Clearly, 1 & 2 Samuel record the sin and its consequences of much of David’s life. He was a man on the run from his enemies, his own family, and his own failures. But what I found interesting was David’s heart for God. When confronted or convicted, he would always confess his sin and repent. He would seek to honor God and do His will.

When treated unfairly, he would often extend kindness and mercy to others. He would delight in the blessing of the people of Israel. He would also lament over their sin and rebellion. If you remember King Saul, you never saw those traits in him. He was too concerned with his insecurities – what everyone thought about him. He was more concerned about keeping his throne than he was about honoring God. In David, even though his great sins are recorded, we saw a man who knew God and desired to honor Him. David writes in Psalm 18:19 (ESV) “He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.”

Often, when a child of God grows old, they have times of reflection. They look back on their journey in this life and see times of regret. Times that if they had a chance to do some things over, they would choose differently. That is true for all of us. It was through those times of regret that we learned something about God though. Yes, we more than likely learned God’s Word matters. We also learned about His love, mercy, and grace. His truth does not change and the consequences of choosing against the truth are real. But His love is everlasting!

I trust that as you look back you can see the same truths about God that David did. Even if you are younger, I trust you can see God in your life’s story. Many people throughout the ages have agreed with David and were able to come to the same conclusion: God is our only security, the Lord is our only light, the Lord is our only strength, and the Lord is our only hope.

May you come to see and hold onto the same truths of God in your life.

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

 

Last time, we looked at the danger of success as it happened in David’s life. The context was the scene where he justified adultery with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. David tried to cover up his sin and when that failed, he planned the death of Urriah, Bathsheba’s husband. In chapter 12, Nathan the prophet confronted him about his sin. “Why, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.” (12:9, NLT)

Nathan continues and conveys the consequences that will come to David’s life and home. 2 Samuel 12:13-14 (NLT) “Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the LORD by doing this, your child will die.”

The good thing – God graciously forgives. David confessed his sin against the Lord and the Lord forgave him. The bad thing – there were serious consequences for his sin. One, their child that Bathsheba carried, was born, got sick, and died.

But there were also other consequences. 2 Samuel 12:11-12 (NLT) “Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” Sounds kind of like family turmoil and something very tragic.

Well, as I continued to read on, I came to chapter 13. David’s son, Absalom, comes on the scene. His sister was raped by their stepbrother, Amnon, and Absalom burned with rage and desired revenge. Absalom then planned to avenge his sister’s rape by killing Amnon. Following Amnon’s death, David’s relationship with Absalom was severed for over 2 years! Their relationship was reconciled briefly before Absalom began conspiring against David to take his throne. Absalom used his good looks and charm to win the hearts of many of those who lived in the land. So much so, David had to again flee in fear of his life just like he had prior with Saul.

Moving ahead to chapter 16, beginning with verse 15 and following we read, “Meanwhile, Absalom and all the army of Israel arrived at Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel. When David’s friend Hushai the Arkite arrived, he went immediately to see Absalom. “Long live the king!” he exclaimed. “Long live the king!” (16:15-16, NLT) Absalom had taken Jerusalem and the people began to proclaim him king!

Then what happened next was just as the prophet Nathan had said. 2 Samuel 16:20-22 (NLT) “Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and asked him, “What should I do next?” Ahithophel told him, “Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you.” So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s concubines.” Wow! The consequences of sin played out in the life of David as the prophet Nathan had said (12:11-12).

Often, we believe that God is gracious and therefore the consequences of our sin are all removed. Sometimes it is clear we have bought this lie when we contemplate something sinful. “It is not a big deal. God is gracious and the consequences will not be bad. After all, I am God’s child.” Satan deceives us into believing this lie. As a child of God, we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us to say “no” to those temptations and resist our enemy’s lying tongue.

Yes, there are consequences to our sin. They manifest spiritually, relationally, and physically. In the life of David, we see how he let his guard down. He was a success and it appears he felt invincible. In his compromised state, he saw something that appealed to his eyes, and he gave into the temptation. He could have never imagined the long-lasting consequences that were tied to one decision to sin.

What about you? Do you rationalize when temptation comes your way? Do you try and tell yourself, “This won’t hurt anyone? It’s no big deal.” If you are asking these questions, you are already in the midst of Satan’s deception. James reminds us in James 4:7 (NLT) “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” And Paul in Galatians 5:16 (NLT) says, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

Church family,

I am taking a brief break from sharing devotional reflections in 1 & 2 Samuel with you.  I feel there is something much more urgent before us. Thursday is the National Day of Prayer. Last week I shared with you that the local chapter is having their prayer breakfast on WLMB this Thursday at 7:00 am. You will not be able to attend in person but are encouraged to attend virtually by tuning in to WLMB channel 40 on television or online.

What I want to exhort you to is to do more than tune in. I want you to be more intentional beyond Thursday morning. Could we, each in our own homes, begin to be more intentional in prayer? Often we pray prayers for protection, safety, guidance, and healing. There is nothing wrong with that. We are to ask the Lord for these things. What I want to challenge you to do is to, let’s say, be more desperate in prayer. You may ask, “What do you mean by that, pastor?”

Overall, we Americans have a pretty good life. The challenge is that when we have experienced ‘the good life’ we want to stay there. We don’t want to lose it. That would be a pretty natural response. Our prayers often end up more focused on restoring or keeping personal comfort and safety. But where experiencing the ‘good life’ can be harmful is that it can also make us less urgent and desperate in prayer for people around us. Especially, for the issue of their repentance and salvation. Typically, desperate times move us to prayer – calling on the Lord for provision, for Him to move.

For many people around us, the times are uncertain. As a child of God, we know our lives are in His hands. We trust Him and know He is in control. He also has greater purposes for mankind – the salvation of their souls. With this in mind, would you take intentional time to make a list of the people in your life who are not walking with Jesus? That means family, friends, and neighbors. I am asking that you actually make a list.

Begin praying for them with intention. Here is a suggestion how to pray for them (put their name in the blank):

Jeremiah 32:17 (NLT) “O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!”

• Thank God for His sovereignty over all creation, including _____________.
• Thank God for His provision for the forgiveness of _____________ sin through the shed blood of Jesus.
• Ask God for His mercy and grace to be extended to _____________ for the sin that has grieved His heart.
• Ask God to remove the scales and blindness from ___________ eyes so that they can realize the sinful condition of their life.
• Ask God to open ____________ ears and heart to hear the message of the gospel.
• Ask God to break down any obstacles that the enemy has put up that have kept ___________ from knowing and trusting the truth of the gospel.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin, to repentance, and lead ____________ into faith in the Jesus Christ as their Savior.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NLT) “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”

Prayer is the primary work of God’s people. Are you doing the work of God’s people?

Pray with me…. people need the Savior.

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

Judah and Israel were no longer separated. David was no longer on the run. Enemies were defeated. God was blessing. Life was good! This would seem like a time of continued devotion to the Lord. A time of continued praise and resting in the goodness of God. Times were good for David the king.

Why is it that when there appears to be peace, success, and provision do we let down our guard? Why, instead of reflecting and living in the goodness of the Lord do we let our guard down and open ourselves up to be susceptible to temptation? The story of David and Bathsheba is known by most of us. It is the story of a handsome, powerful king who is taken by the beauty of another man’s wife. It is the story of letting success make one feel invincible – deserving of whatever the heart desires. Let’s take a look once again at the story.

2 Samuel 11:1-5 (NLT) “In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”

If we recall, in the previous chapters it was clear that David was having success as the new king of Israel. He captured Jerusalem, brought the Ark of the Covenant to the city, and God made a covenant with Him for His kingdom. He had great success in battle and was extending fair treatment to those he ruled over. David was blessed and God’s provision had clearly been on him.

The problem with blessing is that we soon forget how dependent we are on God. We forget that every blessing we have has come from the Lord. We begin to act like we have we have obtained all our achievements and successes on our own.

The second thing we notice is that David was home. The verse says, “in the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war.” Wait, wasn’t David the king? If so, then he should have been with his men in battle. David wasn’t engaged in what his role required. How many times do we do the same thing? We find ourselves bored, perhaps lazy. We start to make exceptions. We start assessing whether what we would normally do is always necessary. We say, “It’s okay if I relax on that. No harm done.” What often happens then is we open ourselves up to becoming more vulnerable to temptation. That is a dangerous place to be.

Finally, we then see David in a place where he should not be. He is literally putting himself in a place of temptation. As the narrative goes, “Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.” If David had been doing what he as king should have been doing, he would not have found himself in this place. But deeper still, we see that David’s heart was suspectable to temptation and sin. He seemed to think he was autonomous. Even with his successes, God’s blessing, and place of privilege, his heart was not void of temptation. In all his God given success he still was desperately in need to God.

I trust it is clear to you what you can take away from this story. All of us are susceptible to temptation. We are always being tempted to compromise. We can easily tell ourselves, “we’re fine” if we let our guard down. Let me challenge you to be honest about your weak spots. You know, those areas you are vulnerable to give into temptation and sin. Take them to the Lord.

Confess your area of weakness and your need of Jesus. Trust me, He already knows what they are! Repent, trust, seek, listen, obey, and devote yourself to the Lord. When we acknowledge our weaknesses, we then can know the strength of the Lord to resist and overcome temptation!

Let me share this insightful quote from Susanna Wesley, John Wesley’s mother, with you. She wisely taught her children to see sin as anything that caused them to fall short of the glory of God: “If you would judge the lawfulness or the unlawfulness of pleasure, then take this simple rule: Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God and takes off the relish of spiritual things—that to you is sin.”

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian