Tag: 2 Samuel

Devotional 158: Because You Have Done This

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Genesis 3:14
So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.
2 Samuel 2:6
And now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing.
    We are to ever be in the scale of the Father’s favor, but in our mortal, human frailty and in our compromised souls, there are times we find ourselves in the one that rebukes and chastens us, that we might return and be restored to Him.
    As we seek G-d, let us be mindful that in doing so we court His attention. He waits to see what it is we will do, and in the doing of it we completer our task, achieve our goal, or however it’s manifested, and like a child turning to their Father for approval, we turn to G-d and ask Him if we did well?
     His answers to our needs can go either way depending on what it is we’re asking, and the kind of attention we’re desiring. It is our responsibility to seek Him in all things, but it also our condition that if all goes well we are to give Him the glory for the blessing as well.
     Be mindful that He sees all, and what we do for ourselves and each other, serving and honoring Him in the process,  and the motives behind it will be revealed as a testing of works. Our rewards, if they stand the fire, will be given to us; if not, they will burn up.
Watch and pray, for at any moment the Lord may send a traveler into your midst that will say, “Because you have done this…” What follows is up to you, but know that the Blood of Christ still intercedes for you before the Father’s throne.
You’ve believed in the Son, and thereby the Father who sent Him.
Because you have done this, your Lord and Savior says to You….
Therefore I pray.
Lord Jesus,
     You admonish us to think of ourselves as unprofitable servants, doing only what we should, merely going the second mile to give the extra cloak to our Brothers and Sisters, as we were told to do. (Luke17:7-10)
     Indeed we are, to ourselves and one another. And You called us out of the world to reveal the Father to us as we minister globally that there’s only one way to be saved.
     As we follow You with our mustard seed faith, fearful hearts, worldly eyes, hard heads, stiff necks, and willful spirits, You speak peace to our souls, and tell us once again to come home to the Father’s love, and receive eternal life through faith in You and the horror you endured on Calvary for our sake, taking that which was rightfully ours so we could share in what’s rightfully Yours.
    Because You have done this for us, Lord, today we recommit ourselves to follow closer, faster, and steadfastly. Let the clouds of dust we stir with our feet in the world be as the cloud of witnesses above giving testimony to our obedience to You because of our love for You.
     Because You have done this for us, Lord, today we take hold once more of the promise that at the end of the age we come to You, knowing the sound of the great shout of Your voice as You redeem us from death and hell to drink wine anew with You in our Father’s place.
     Because You have done this for us, Lord, we repent of our sins, fast for Your presence, hold back nothing from the tithes and offerings, rejoice in our fellowship with one another, and sing glory, honor, and praise to our heavenly king.
     Because You have done this for us, Lord, Your servants can depart in peace and leave behind the suffering, trials, pains, persecutions, misunderstandings, violence, fear, and self-loathing.
     Because You have done this for us,  Lord, we will go in with joy and gladness, entering into our Father’s rest.
     In righteousness, peace, and joy, may we honor You.
     Amen.

Devotional 148: Growing Faint in Battle

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2nd Sam: 21:15-18

2 Samuel 21:15-18

Philistine Giants Destroyed

15 When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint. 16 Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

G-d did not tell David not to fight, but allowed him to grow faint in his last battle against the Philistines. Had it not been for Abishai, David would have met his end since he’d grown too old to be out there fighting.

His men perceived this, and told him he would no longer come out, as his role at that point was to continue to be ‘the lamp of Israel.’

It is a time we will all face. Having had many health challenges this year, I now find myself viewing my mortality from my peripheral vision. One day it will stand in front of us, and one day, it will put its cold, skeletal hand on our shoulders and guide us away from the spiritual battle.

Our only recourse to redemption at that point will be our faith in Christ raising me up on the last day with a great shout, as He awakened Lazarus.

In the time that remains, a lot has been shed so that I might move forward faster, as time is no longer a friend, marching relentlessly on to its own inevitable ending where it will give place to eternity.

I wonder if David found it difficult to hear, recognizing the whole latter part of their statement as a polite way of telling him that because of his weariness he might have cost them the victory. Certainly they would have been disheartened if he fell.

Even Jesus said, ‘The things concerning me have an end,’ as far as His earthly ministry was concerned, because He’ll reign over His people forever.

There will come a time when our own work will be winding down to completion, and we find ourselves faint in battle. The lamps of legacies we leave behind will testify to the work we did for the kingdom, and the rest cast out as dross.

We are warrior- priests, servant-leaders, sons and daughters, reaping harvesters, planters, water-bearers, and seed-sowing sheep all united under one Shepherd who leads the way back to the Source who created us: our Father, who is in Heaven, His Name forever hallowed as we dwell, worship, work, and live in His divine light brighter than the sun.

We will no longer cry (Rev 21:4), we will no longer have any questions (John 16:23), no longer die (Luke 20:46) we will be spotless, blameless, and pure, and there will be no more battles to fight as we live, move, and have our being for all eternity (Acts 17:28), sharing in the work where we won’t grow faint (Isaiah 40:31), now and forever.

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,
    As we abide in You, please give us the strength to do greater works through Your power imparted to us through the work of the Holy Spirit, to do the impossible with G-d, for G-d.
     Your prophecies manifest themselves with growing frequency and intensity, and we, like Israel, would not have a quenched lamp or a feeble warrior on the field to fight to where we need to be, that we might recover all. (1 Samuel 30:8)
    As we age, checking off the list of declines listed in Ecclesiates 12:1-8, let us hold ever faster to the hem of Your robe, that we might be made well.
    We would not be like the sons of Eli, neglecting Your house for our own, abusing the privilege of servants to the people to our own gain.  Be with us Lord, and help us to feel Your presence even closer in these perilous times; keep us close to You, as we are prone to wandering.
      May we hear and know Your voice as You lead us to do greater work, and bless those who give and speak life by the power of Your will.
    May it be that as we grow weary, His strengths are given us to do greater signs and wonders, not to deceive, but that those who see our works will glorify G-d, and join the family to carry on the work of the harvest, for we must all decrease before your holy power and sovereign will.

    May it be done to us as You have said.

    Amen.