David's Backstory - Saul - Self Esteem v. Humility

(Saul) - 1 Samuel 9-15

Israel insists on a king because they want to be like the other nations around them (1 Samuel 8:19-20). They had rejected God as their King (1 Samuel 8:7).

Samuel annoints Saul as directed by God. Saul has a good reputation, is handsome, strong and stands a head taller than anyone else in Israel. Similar to David, Saul when annointed and then later publicly appointed as king does not appear to let it go to his head. He did not try to build a palace or set up a throne. Instead, like David later does, he returns to his father's home and continues the work he was doing before he was annointed. And like David, we are told the Holy Spirit came on him in power.

We know David committed some very grievious sins later in his life. But what makes him different from Saul? God abandoned Saul, but never left David. Why?

I think the answer to this is very important. Not sure of the answer yet, but I do think I've pinpointed one thing that I need to address in my life.

One characteristic of Saul that stands out is that he was a people-pleaser and had self-esteem issues (when he was appointed king he was nowhere to be found because he was hiding in the baggage!) Self-esteem issues come from the same focus as those who are arrogant. The symptom which the world sees may be different, but the root is the same - a focus on self.

A lack of confidence does not equal humility. A truly humble person looks to the Master while a person with self-esteem issues is still looking to self. A truly humble person in reality has a great deal of confidence - not in themselves - but in the great God they serve.

This difference between lack of self-esteem and true humility is one I'm still trying to grasp - and one that I really don't see as being an issue in David's life. What do you think?

Tormented in Your Righteous Soul?

2 Peter 2 starts off talking about false teachers and their destruction.  It speaks of the righteous and godly who were spared when God's judgment fell on the wicked.  It speaks of Noah being spared when God brought the flood to destroy the world.  It speaks of Lot being spared when the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

While reading this chapter, one verse stuck out and a question whispered through my mind.  Verse 8 says about Lot:

for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.

The question I keep coming back to is "Am I tormented in my righteous soul by the deeds I see and hear all around me?"

In the past when I saw or heard things that were evil, things that went against God's Truth, I would become indignant.  How could they?  I would speak out at times, other times I would not, but either way I would smolder with righteous anger.

But lately I've noticed that has changed.  As I've prayed for the Lord to give me His Eyes and His Heart for others I've found that while I do still get angry about certain things, I am filled with an even more powerful emotion.  A soul wrenching sadness.  It is as if the Lord has begun to open my eyes to the person beneath it all.  Instead of seeing someone evil and defiant of God, I now more often see the deceived and lost soul underneath - the person who is hiding behind a facade of defiance and self-reliance.  A person just like I used to be and honestly still am at times.

There are times I actually find myself in horrible internal agony for a person, tears and sometimes sobs rise up in me for a particular person and the only relief is for me to pray for that person.

I would not say that I am necessarily in torment all the time regarding the evil around me, but the Lord has begun to transform my heart and open my eyes to how He sees others.  It is amazing and heartbreaking at the same time.

I never would have thought in the past that I would find myself praying for more torment in my soul, but I do find myself desiring this - to more fully understand how God sees and feels for others.  To feel the love He has for them and along with that the sadness that He feels when those He loves dearly choose to turn away from Him.

Effective & Productive Godly Lives

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ~ 2 Peter 1:3

I take this verse as saying if we have knowledge of (or in other words, a relationship with) Jesus, then we will have all we need for our lives and all we need to live godly lives.

So then the question becomes how do we have a relationship with Him? I would answer that with another question. How do you cultivate any relationship? You must spend time with the person, put aside your selfish desires and ambitions in order to listen to them and get to know them. Take the time and make the effort to learn and understand their mind and heart.

So, my next question is are we spending time regularly with Jesus? AND is that time spent talking about us or putting ourselves aside in order to truly know His mind and heart?

2 Peter 1 goes on to say we should make every effort to add to our lives the following things:

• faith
• goodness
• knowledge
• self-control
• perseverance
• godliness
• brotherly kindness
• love

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 2 Peter 1:8

I think this is one of those circles that build upon themselves. Notice it says to possess these in increasing measure. That means we can always use more, we should always seek more.

Spending time getting to know our Savior will increase these qualities in our lives as we know Him better and give Him more control of our lives. Having these qualities increases our ability to know Him better - it is a never ending circle.

As sinful humans we are not able to possess these qualities without our Savior so the best way to get this cycle going is to spend regular time in the Word, in prayer and fasting, in worship in order to see God's heart. As we begin to understand and follow His heart, these qualities will grow in us and we will become effective and productive members of God's Kingdom.

My Heart Aches

I am part of an online group of mom's with various forums in which I interact. A mom on one of the forum's today had the following in her signature:

• The bad news is God does not exist
• The good news is you don't need him

Wow! I read this, did a double take, reread it and then as it sunk in felt like the breath had been knocked out of me!

In the past this might have made me really angry but not anymore. Instead I was filled with sorrow. My heart hurt for this person and her family. Not only does she believe this, she feels strongly enough to put it in her signature. The second part hurts the most. I can't imagine living without my Savior and I hurt to think of how much it hurts Jesus to have one of His creation claim this. Imagine one of your children who you love dearly and would give your life for saying this about you!

This world is so lost and so very blind and clueless to the fact. Just because they think they don't need Him, doesn't make it true.

My heart and prayers go out to those who are still blinded by the prince of this world. I pray the Holy Spirit opens their eyes and hearts to the Lord and their desparate need of Him. We all desparately need Him!

My "Right" to Retaliate

1 Peter 2:23
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

The above verse written by Peter is talking of Jesus, who was without sin, totally innocent but when he was falsely accused and then crucified, never once retaliated in anyway. Even though he could have called down all the angels of heaven to save him, he did not.

My "innocence" is but ashes next to him, but I often believe I have the right to retaliate against those who have wronged me. Even the wrongs that others have perpetrated against me are but mere inconveniences compared to what Jesus suffered.

According to the world though I do have a right to retaliate. If someone speaks badly of me or takes the wrong tone with me, I have the right in the eyes of the world to complain and point out what they have done. The worse the offense, the more "rights" I have.

But as a follower of Him, I am bound not by the rules of this world. I live in the Kingdom of Heaven, ruled by the mighty Creator of ALL creation, not in the kingdom of the world which is darkness. So if I don't live for this world, why do I choose my "rights" based on this world?

National Day of Repentance

Today is the National Day of Repentance. Please take some time to interced on behalf of our nation and to ask the Lord to search your heart and reveal to you anything that you are in need of repenting.

To learn more about this please visit Days of Repentance

This Declaration of Repentance is a good way to start your prayers. Some of us at my work got together this morning to pray this together and then we walked around our building in prayer.

Sincere Heart

Hebrews 10 :22
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

This verse tells us not only to draw near to God, but to do so with a sincere heart. I want to draw near to God, but how sincere is my heart? In the past I would have said, “yes, definitely!” but anymore I in all honesty say that.

It is not because I have changed, as if I had a sincere heart at one time but no longer do. Instead it is that I have started to see myself and my motives more clearly recently. I’ve come to see how much selfishness I have in my heart and how much I still cling to the things of this world – material things, worldly thinking and reasoning, worldly desires, the praises of men.

So then the question becomes, if I say I want to draw close to God – what is my reason? If I don’t have a sincere heart then is it because I want something from Him? I’m still seeing Him as a genie in a bottle who will perform as I desire if I just learn the correct way to appease Him?

Lord,
Please transform my heart. Cleanse me of the things of this world which in my weakness I continue to grasp. Soften my heart that I may draw near to You.


Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
(Psalm 51:10-12)

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God,
you will not despise.
(Psalm 51:17)

Spiritual Foundations

Ephesians 2:19-22

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.

Too often we forget Jesus as the chief cornerstone of our spiritual foundation. The one who joins us all together to be a holy temple for the Lord. If we leave out that chief cornerstone and put our focus on anything else (no matter how "good" it may be), we are building on perishable, unstable materials. No matter how beautiful it may look on the outside, the inside is unstable and condemned. It will not last, it will fall and crumble into ashes.

More times than I can count the Lord has revealed to me that I am once again building upon the wrong foundation. I need to keep my focus on Jesus. Doctrine, the church I attend, rules I follow, good works I do - none of them mean anything if my focus and motivation is not Jesus.

I Can Do All Things

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. ~ Phillippians 4:13

Funny thing about reading the Bible - it is the Living Word of God and as such God will use it to reveal something new to you each time you read it if you are open and willing to listen to the Holy Spirit.

The scripture above includes giving me strength in learning to bite my tongue, even when I have the "right" to speak out. To love and be kind and gentle even when I'm not being loved. To forgive even when things are being held against me that are not true.

Why?

Because it is not about me or my fragile feelings. It is about Him and following Him. Bringing Him glory and letting His light shine through me to those who need Him most. It is about focusing on Him - not my "rights", my pride or my ego. It is about being content in Him regardless of my circumstances.

Lord,
help me to remember this when I feel the anger rising up, when my pride is hurt, when I start to feel sorry for me because nobody understands. Help me to remember to focus on You and lean into You.
~Amen

Cease striving and know that I AM God. ~ Psalm 46:10

Source of our Good Works

Everyone (or at least every "good" Christian) knows the verses Ephesians 2:8-9, but last night as I read through Ephesians 2 it struck me how that is like cutting off a thought midway. While those verses are good, I really think we do an injusticce by leaving out verse 10.

8 For it is by grace you have been samve, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift from God - 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
~Ephesians 2:8-10

I read this and realize not only is my salvation the work of God and not something for me to take pride in - but the good works that I do for God as a result of my salvation are also His doing - "which God prepared in advance for us to do". Therefore, I can't boast of them either because without Him they would be nothing, worthless, non-existent.