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| One of the Trashformation Birdhouses at the cabin by artist/owner Rolf Holmquist. Each has the Bible inscription: Matthew 6:26 ("Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?") |
My Lessons and Applications from Today's Readings
Disingenuous Talk or True Repentance (1 Sam 26 and 27) : Saul's pattern of behavior is tiring and irritating - just to read! For the second time, David has approached Saul unawares and yet refused to kill him. This time David sneaks up on a sleeping Saul in the midst of his armed men, takes Saul's spear and water jug and then taunts Abner, the commander of the king's forces, for being such a sluggard as a guardian. Saul's tired refrain to David's refusal to kill Saul, "Is that your voice, my son, David?...I have sinned...Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly." Nice words but big problem. That is all they are - words - no change of behavior...no repentance. David no longer entreats the king - understanding that Saul is beyond the point of return. David asks that God will value his own life as much as he, David, has valued Saul's (and the key here) because Saul is God's anointed - not because of Saul.
My Lessons and Applications: How do I react to people who continue to use this pattern with me? When caught in lies or disingenuous ways of treating me, sabotaging me, do I try to destroy them professionally or with others, or do I lay the situation before the LORD, waiting for Him to act?
Do I rise above this baseness - for the Lord's sake, or do I wallow in the same mire and answer back with the same vindictiveness? One thing I have been praying every day to the Lord during our study of the OT lives is: Lord, I don't want to be a complainer like the Israelites in the wilderness or a depraved soul like Saul who blames innocent people and relentlessly seeks revenge on others. I do want to bring this situation to You and ask You to lift me up to a higher plain of faith. Enable me through Your Spirit to keep my focus on You, off of the circumstances and other people out of Your Will. Let my work and my actions honor and glorify You and be for My good and the good of those whom You have put in my charge.
Disingenuous Faith or Persevering Faith (John 2) Jesus has performed his first sign - the changing of water into wine at the wedding feast. He manifests His glory, and His disciples believe in Him. (v 11) "Many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did, but Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man." At the Passover, Jesus drove out the money changers with whips of chords. "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" This was a desecration of the sacred - using what was holy for material gain. This is a precursor of what Jesus is about to do -destroy the old temple in which God had formerly resided. God now dwells in His Son, Jesus, the Messiah. At Pentecost, His disciples (and all believers that follow) become the new temple of God, indwelt by the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
My Lessons and Applications: The OT prophecy of Christ was and is fulfilled as written: "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." Jesus cleansed the old temple of the unholy, and He continues to do that in our lives, through His Word and His Spirit. We, as believers on earth - are His house, His temple. He died for us, indwells us, ever makes intercession for us at the right hand of the Father. John 17 will make it even clearer to us how His zeal for us has eaten Him up. Our lives are our gifts back to God for His indescribable gift - the sacrifice of His only beloved Son - to make us His holy, new covenant people. How will we honor Him with our time here on earth?
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