God Honors Those Who Honor Him - Day 177 Through the Bible

Fishing off of a bridge over the South Toe River - near Mt. Celo Church

My Lessons and Applications from Today's Readings

David Purposes to Honor God, but God Honors David Instead -  1Chronicles 17 and 18 - David has built and is living in his beautiful home.  David's thoughts, sitting in this grandeur, turn not to himself and his own greatness, but to God, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under tent curtains."  At first, Nathan the prophet tells David to proceed with His plans - that God is with David.  But God speaks to Nathan in a dream and tells him that David is not to build the house, (because of the blood on his hands from his commission as a warrior for Israel 1Kings 5:3) but that his son after him will do that.  God tells Nathan that He will build David a house forever - establishing the House of David (from which the Messiah will come) and his throne forever.  David's response is to go immediately to the LORD in prayer in thanksgiving, humility and praise of God.  "Who am I, O LORD God?  What is my house that You have brought me this far?...You have regarded me as a man of high degree, O LORD God.  What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant...O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You...so let it (Your word) be established that Your name may be magnified forever, saying 'The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel is Israel's God."'

My Lessons and Applications - This resonates in my mind as the most unique response of David's true heart for God - above all he has done in His walk with God.  At the time most men fail...when we have been blessed with much wealth, health, and peace...it is then that we tend to replace God with self on the throne...to think that it is was because we are singularly gifted or worked harder and better.  Not David...at the pinnacle of success his mind and heart are upon God.  When God says he does not want David to build his house because of the blood shedding associated with David's many wars, God does allow David to gather the provisions for the house from the spoils of those wars.  He grants David's son the honor of building the temple.  Even more revelatory of David's heart, he then goes immediately to God in a beautiful heart-to-heart prayer - full of the humility before God that is so distinctive of David's walk of faith.  When I am successful, do I give God the glory, do I thank him?  Am I always humble before God, regardless of my status in life or before others?  Is my relationship so very intimate with God that I "go in and sit before Him" to give all the blessing and glory back to Him in adoration?

The Persecution and Spread of the Church - Acts 8:1-25 - Saul, who has witnessed and consented to the stoning of Stephen reacts - at first - as we saw the religious leaders do with Stephen's accusation...with anger and then persecutes the church even more.  "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison." These days will later haunt Saul, who becomes the great Apostle Paul, and will declare himself "the chief of sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15) The result of Saul's persecution is that only the apostles stay in Jerusalem; the other believers are scattered.  BUT GOD uses even this as a means of spreading the gospel.  Philip brought many to belief and baptism "as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ." The heart of a sorcerer by the name of Simon is exposed by Peter when the sorcerer attempts to buy the power of the apostles (the Holy Spirit).  But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!  You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.  Repent therefore of this your wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.  For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."

Controversial Verses - There are many who disagree on the meaning of the baptized believers at Samaria not having received the Holy Spirit.  Other parts of the Scripture clearly state that the Holy Spirit is received immediately upon belief, not later, not by water baptism - the baptism of the Holy Spirit vs. the baptism by water.  This is from enduring word.com: "Whatever the Samaritans experienced, it seems to have been more than the “regular” bestowal of the Holy Spirit at salvation. This is a filling of the Holy Spirit we should always desire and seek." (Bold emphases mine)  John MacArthur goes into the Scriptural references as well as the difference between the bestowal of the Holy Spirit at the moment of faith and subsequent fillings or special anointings of the Holy Spirit in his Fundamentals of the Faith series.

My Lessons and Applications - This is further comfort and encouragement - that God can and will use the trials and tragedies of our lives (that occur even as we walk in faith with Him) to further His kingdom work.  Nothing can thwart His will and purpose (Isaiah 14:27, Job 42:2).  Also noteworthy to me was Peter's comment regarding money to buy spiritual gifts or favor.  How different this seems to be when we look at the power of money to influence the church and special favors today!  We are told the sorcerer Simon believed and was baptized (Acts 8:13).  Union Gospel Mission says "not all belief ends in saving faith." James 2:19 

"We do not need to get more of God or of His Spirit.  His Spirit is calling for more of us - more of our dependence on Him, more our our trust in Him, and more of our obedience to Him."  Union Gospel Mission: Bible Expositor and Illuminator