SOAP 04/28/2012; 2 Samuel 3:35

Today's reading: 2 Samuel 3; 1 Chronicles 12; Matthew 15
   
S)"³⁵ Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, 'May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.'"
     

2 Samuel 3:35 (NASB)

     

O) First, I don't think the people where deliberately trying to sabotage David's fast, but I think maybe they just didn't realize how important it was (or is). When we make a commitment to fast for a time, it cannot be overstated, how important it is to follow through with the fast. While that can make fasting a little intimidating for some people, it's something that can be practiced. Fasting is a very good way to sacrifice something to the LORD for a time (it can be specific foods, all food, types of drink, or something else done/used daily that's important, like internet or tv or texting). This particular fast of David's seemed to be just for the remainder of the day (after hearing of Abner's death, until sundown.
      
A) I've done numerous fasts throughout my walk with God. Sometimes for crucial, urgent pruposes, and sometimes just as a matter of discipline and sacrifice. But, this verse is a great reminder to follow through, because sometimes it's easy to get distracted or feel like the fast is pointless or that it's already served its purpose (like when I fast for a person who's going to the doctor for test results, and the results come back good before my fast is actually over). I need to follow through, regardless of other circumstances.

     

P) Father, Your grace to me extends to my provision, my job, my family, even my ability to do work at all. Because of that, LORD, I know that there are few things I can give You, that You haven't already given to me. I know my worship honors You this way, and I want my times of fasting to be included as worship that way too, LORD. Holy Spirit, strengthen and encourage me to follow through when I make commitments to fast as a sacrifice. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/27/2012; Matthew 14:30

Today's reading: 2 Samuel 2; 1 Chronicles 11; Psalm 142; Matthew 14
     
S)"³⁰ But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me!'"
     

Matthew 14:30 (NASB)

    

O) There are a few ways to see this verse. On the one hand, Simon Peter's faith was shaken when he took his eyes off Jesus. He lost his focus and was consequently, well, sunk. There's another way too look at this, though. Simon Peter, while he was in the middle of this miracle, lost some amount of his faith. His resolution, though, was not to give up and swim back to the boat, as I'm sure he could do (he was a fisherman, afterall). Instead, he calls out to Jesus. So, I'm left wondering, when he took Jesus' hand, did they walk back to the boat together, atop the waves?
    
A) I have the gift of faith and it's important that I treat it that way. I have no trouble at all believing God for mighty things and have seen some great miracles because of that. It's not because I'm special, but because God chose to let me believe more than the average believer - it's still a gift (albeit a small gift, when you consider that Simon Peter was rebuked for having so little faith). Having said that, though, there are times when certain things are harder for me to believe. It's that tricky place between believing God can and believing God will do something. In those moments, my first reaction needs to be to call out to my Lord, to save me, and increase my faith, and secure my place atop the waves, with Him.

     

P) Father, thank You for giving me faith to believe great things. I know sometimes, though, I still have trouble believing for certain things. Help me overcome these doubts, Lord. Holy Spirit, increase my faith, according to the will of the Father. In my moments of wind and waves, take my hand and pull me up. Show me how mighty You are to save. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/26/2012; Matthew 13:8

Today's reading: 2 Samuel 1; Psalm 140; Matthew 13
     
S)"⁸ And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."
     

Matthew 13:8 (NASB)

*Original Greek text used present tense verbs for added emphasis
    

O) This is an amazing promise that I've kind of taken for granted, I think! Consider this growth at work here. This is a parable of the words of God (seed) and the hearts of men (soil). If the seed is sown into good soil, we are guaranteed a good result! Not only are we guaranteed positive yield, but it's BIG positive yield! The minimum return is 30 times the investment! Now, I realize that it's difficult to quantify the impact that the word of God has on our lives, but it's clearly well beyond normal results. Nothing else we study, and no other book on the planet is going to improve our lives this way, because the Bible is so much more than text. There is one condition to this promise; there is a key, if you will. Have good soil. Our hearts must be in good position to receive this seed. The better the heart condition, the better the yield.
    
A) So, nothing I read or study is going to enrich and improve my life like the Bible. The important thing, though, is that my soil is not hard. Seed needs to be sown into into fertile, soft soil. In order for me to be sure God's words are going to bear fruit in my life, I need to be sure I am tilling my heart, so to speak. I need to break up any hard parts I find. The more I can soften my heart toward God, the more the positive result. While I can rejoice that my yield will at least be thirtyfold, I want to strive to yield a hundredfold.

     

P) Father, I thank You for this promise. Your grace is so abundant that I really can't open Your Word without finding it daily. This promise to yield fruit in my life, through the work of Your words in my heart, this is an amazing blessing. Holy Spirit, help me to till the soil of my heart. If I am ever unable to till it myself, then breakdown my hard heart for me. I don't want to miss any opportunities to be blessed by You, LORD. I want my life to be exactly as You intend it to be. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/25/2012; 1 Samuel 30:7

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 30,31; 1 Chronicles 10; Matthew 12
     
S)"⁷ Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, 'Please bring me the ephod.' So Abiathar brought the ephod to David."
     

1 Samuel 30:7 (NASB)

    

O) So, David and his men have just returned home, after being banished from the front lines of battle against his own countrymen (see yesterday's post). Upon their return, they find their city burned and every person (wives, children, etc) and all of their possessions have been taken. In verse 4, it says he and his men cried until they couldn't cry anymore. But then, it's time for action. David's first reaction, before anything else, is to inquire of the LORD. That's dedication to the will of the Father that goes well beyond the average commitment. David and his men were fierce warriors and he was dealing with a lot of emotion, yet he still chose to stop what he wanted, to see what God had to say about it.
    
A) One of the biggest struggles in life is to control actions despite emotions. Certainly, bitter loss creates some of the most powerful emotions. Whatever the cause, it's important that my number one priority is always to seek the will of the Father. If I truly trust that His will is perfect for me, then I'll do what He says, regardless of how I feel about a situation, not matter how severe those feelings are. When my emotions flare, I need to take time to quiet the emotions before taking any actions, then inquire of the LORD.

     

P) Father, my prayer today is simple. Your will is perfect for my life, therefore, let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I know this is easier said than done, but I also know the best time to commit to this sort of plan, is before there are severe problems. So, Holy Spirit, speak to me the will of the Father, especially now before there are big troubles. Let me inquire of You, God, and hear You clearly, so that I am certain of Your will. Help me make this a practice that comes easily, so that if or when calamity strikes, this is also my first reaction, regardless of my emotions. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/24/2012; 1 Samuel 29:6

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 28,29; Psalm 109; Matthew 11
     
S)"⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, 'As the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the lords.'"
     

1 Samuel 29:6 (NASB)

    

O) I recently started using a phrase, "If you want to be trusted, be trustworthy." It's simple and true. I think a lot of people feel like trust is a given, or they feel like trust should be given to them based on their own perspective. I imagine David felt a little bit like that, but here we see something a little different. David did, in fact, show himself trustworthy. He was fully willing to go to war for the Philistines, even against Israel. I have no doubt that he would have fought and so would the other Hebrews who were with him, who followed him loyally. But here we see that there was distrust stirred up among the lords of the Philistines, so the king sent David packing. I'm reminded of another phrase, an older phrase, "The LORD works in mysterious ways."


A) Even when I'm doing everything right, carrying myself with integrity and loyalty and righteousness, there will be times when things don't work out. Maybe I won't get the promotion I've earned. Maybe some disaster will strike, despite my precaution and efforts to prevent it. In those moments, I need to trust the LORD, to know that He's in control of my destiny. I'm not sure how it would have turned out for David, had he fought against the nation he would eventually lead. I can imagine it might've ended poorly. People have free-will, but we also know that the LORD can give us favor in the eyes of others, and He will work all things for the good of those who love Him... (Romans 8:28), but I will not always see what He sees for my life. So, if I am trustworthy but not trusted, if I am loyal but not excluded, if I am upright but scorned, if I am innocent but persecuted, I will choose to trust the LORD.

     

P) Father, Your goodness and grace are beyond my circumstances. I will choose to trust in Your loving-kindness and Your will for my life. Holy Spirit, remind me to pray for the will of the Father coming to pass, more than what I want. My perspective is obscured, my vision is incomplete. I will strive to be all the things You've called me to be, God, and I will trust You in every circumstance. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/23/2012; 1 Chronicles 9:33

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 27; Psalm 141; 1 Chronicles 9; Matthew 10
     
S)"³³ Now these are the singers, heads of fathers’ households of the Levites, who lived in the chambers of the temple free from other service; for they were engaged in their work day and night."
     

1 Chronicles 9:33 (NASB)

*NASB italics indicate inferred definition, not literal translation

    

O) Worship as a full time ministry - this is a big deal. It's nice to have numbers, though. I know in smaller churches, most of the staff members wear multiple hats. Sometimes, it's simply a matter of having a plentiful harvest and few workers. Some of that is expected and ok and even appears in the Levitical duties of the temple - except here. The singers did nothing but sing. I'm reminded of Revelation 4:8 where we see the angels continually before God's throne saying, "Holy, holy, holy," and ultimately, this verse speaks one thing to me: God deserves unending worship.

     
A) It's not enough for me to worship God each Sunday morning. When days and days go by where I'm not giving God the worship He deserves, I find myself becoming very dry and feeling disconnected from Him. It's almost like a spiritual depression, where I find myself dispassionate toward Him. I need to ensure that I am worshiping God daily. I need to make worship outside my church's walls, a regular practice. So, whether I'm driving around town, riding my bike to work, or just sitting at home, I need to separate time out to worship the LORD.

     
P) Father, You deserve all praise and glory, God. Your grace and mercies are unending and Your goodness is pure. You are slow to anger and quick to forgive, showing loving-kindness to the undeserving. You sent Your innocent, perfect Son, the only Begotten, to die the world. This wasn't a good man dying so an innocent person would live, this was the Hero dying for the villain. And all of it was according to Your plan for reconciliation, because You loved the unlovable. I was that villain, that unlovable. Thank You for this redemption, Father. Thank You that I can be counted with the heroes and I can be loved. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 04/22/2012; Psalm 63:1

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 25,26; Psalm 63; Matthew 9
     
S)"¹ O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water."
     

Psalm 63:1 (NASB)

     
O) I've read a lot of Psalms and heard a lot of songs that refer to thirsting for God with various similes and metaphors. Like, "As the deer pants for waters, so my soul longs for You." (Psalm 42:1). So, when I read this verse, I actually had to do a double take. I thought it was saying that David thirsts for God like a a desert, when the land is weary and dry. That's not what it says though. When I slowed it down and re-read it, I saw that David was saying he is actually in that place, dry and weary where there is no water. Yet, even in such desperate circumstances, it's not water or rest that David longs to have, but the LORD is still his heart's desire. It's like he's saying, even if he was dying of thirst, he would want the LORD, not water.

     
A) I sometimes feel convicted when I'm singing worship songs with severe lyrics and I do not feel that way at the moment. A classic example of this, and the song that came immediately to mind, was the song "Desperate" by School of Worship. Whenever that happens, and it's the same in reading this verse this morning, I feel like it's a red flag to slow myself down and re-focus on the LORD. So, as I prepare to worship the LORD this morning in church, this verse is my prayer - to long for God like David did, even more than wanting water if I was in a desert.

     
P) Father, I know that I'm never going to be worthy of Your grace, because that's the nature of grace. But, I want to honor You with the way I live my life, especially with the way I worship. Holy Spirit, stir within me to rekindle my heart's desire for You, LORD. O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.