Do you ever go through life feeling like everyone's out to get you? Like no matter what happens, something or someone is trying to bring you down?
Believe it or not, people in the Bible felt like this sometimes too. Let's look at some more of David's story. Saul, the king before David, really really really didn't like David. And many times Saul tried to have David KILLED.
I think if I went around every day wondering if someone was going to try and kill me, I'd be pretty stressed out! That's taking "out to get someone" to an extreme level! Saul wanted David dead!
But look at what David wrote in Psalm 18. This Psalm is in response to God delivering David from the hand of Saul.
Psalm 18: 1-19
1 I love you, LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
Wow.
Look at what happens when God's children cry out to Him in their distress? This isn't the "fluffy clouds long-bearded God" that you learn about in Sunday school...this is a God who will kick some serious butt if anyone tries to mess with His children! Smoke rose out of His nostrils and fire came out of His mouth? I DEFINITELY want that God protecting me.
Isn't it great to know that God delivered David in his distress...and He will deliver us from ours, when we just cry out to Him. He will scatter the enemy and be our support.
And look at the last part. Verse 19. "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me."
God LOVES His children. He delights in us. When we live our lives for Him and for His glory, look how far God will go to protect us!
I don't know about you, but that gives me crazy kinds of peace.
Til next time,
ST
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Human
Ever heard something on the news that talks badly about some Christian leader? How a big time "man of God" made this huge mistake and now no one wants to believe what he says? It seems as though this happens all too often lately.
I've really been wrestling with this issue the past couple of days. How is it that someone who is supposed to point people toward God can turn people away from Him just like that? How come the people in the spotlight of the Church mess up so badly to where people's whole belief systems are thrown into a frenzy?
Well it turns out, this isn't a new issue.
Let's look at 1 Samuel chapter 16. Little background here...the Israelites (God's chosen people) were looking for a king, they got one, and he wasn't doing too hot a job. So God sent Samuel to anoint a new king, David. Here's the scripture.
1 Samuel 16:12-13
12 So he sent for him [David] and had him brought in.
He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers,
and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David.
The Spirit of the Lord came POWERFULLY upon David. David was HAND SELECTED by God to be the next King of Israel.
Fast forward a little while.
David is King. Living the dream. Has a tight relationship with God. But then David made a BIG blunder.
Here's the scripture.
2 Samuel 11:2-5
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.
From the roof he saw a woman bathing.
The woman was very beautiful,
3 and David sent someone to find out about her.
The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home.
5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
So David, King of Israel, GOD'S HAND-PICKED KING, saw a woman, took her from her husband, slept with her, and got her pregnant!
If that's not messed up I don't know what is.
But it doesn't stop there, David decided the best way to fix this was to send Bathsheba's husband to the front of the battle lines, have everyone else step back, and let Uriah be killed! Then David married Bathsheba and they had a kid together.
But then, David's friend Nathan confronted him.
And a light went off.
2 Samuel 12:13-14
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.
14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the LORD, the son born to you will die.”
David made a big mistake. HUGE. And he had to suffer the consequences of his actions.
David was human. We are human, we make mistakes just like David did. David was hand selected by God to be a king, and HE still messed up! But notice the part where it says "The LORD has taken away your sin." God FORGAVE David!
2 Samuel 12:20
20 Then David got up from the ground.
After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes,
he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped.
Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.
And after God forgave him, David went and WORSHIPED. Because he realized God was bigger than all of this, bigger than the stupid mistakes of mere humans, big enough to forgive him after the terrible thing he had done.
We as Christians, we're not perfect. But thank goodness we have a God who IS perfect! So the next time you see a Christian mess up, just look in the mirror. I'm sure you've made mistakes too. I know I have. And God is BIG ENOUGH to forgive them all. I know I'm so thankful!
Til next time,
ST
I've really been wrestling with this issue the past couple of days. How is it that someone who is supposed to point people toward God can turn people away from Him just like that? How come the people in the spotlight of the Church mess up so badly to where people's whole belief systems are thrown into a frenzy?
Well it turns out, this isn't a new issue.
Let's look at 1 Samuel chapter 16. Little background here...the Israelites (God's chosen people) were looking for a king, they got one, and he wasn't doing too hot a job. So God sent Samuel to anoint a new king, David. Here's the scripture.
1 Samuel 16:12-13
12 So he sent for him [David] and had him brought in.
He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers,
and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David.
The Spirit of the Lord came POWERFULLY upon David. David was HAND SELECTED by God to be the next King of Israel.
Fast forward a little while.
David is King. Living the dream. Has a tight relationship with God. But then David made a BIG blunder.
Here's the scripture.
2 Samuel 11:2-5
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.
From the roof he saw a woman bathing.
The woman was very beautiful,
3 and David sent someone to find out about her.
The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home.
5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
So David, King of Israel, GOD'S HAND-PICKED KING, saw a woman, took her from her husband, slept with her, and got her pregnant!
If that's not messed up I don't know what is.
But it doesn't stop there, David decided the best way to fix this was to send Bathsheba's husband to the front of the battle lines, have everyone else step back, and let Uriah be killed! Then David married Bathsheba and they had a kid together.
But then, David's friend Nathan confronted him.
And a light went off.
2 Samuel 12:13-14
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.
14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the LORD, the son born to you will die.”
David made a big mistake. HUGE. And he had to suffer the consequences of his actions.
David was human. We are human, we make mistakes just like David did. David was hand selected by God to be a king, and HE still messed up! But notice the part where it says "The LORD has taken away your sin." God FORGAVE David!
2 Samuel 12:20
20 Then David got up from the ground.
After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes,
he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped.
Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.
And after God forgave him, David went and WORSHIPED. Because he realized God was bigger than all of this, bigger than the stupid mistakes of mere humans, big enough to forgive him after the terrible thing he had done.
We as Christians, we're not perfect. But thank goodness we have a God who IS perfect! So the next time you see a Christian mess up, just look in the mirror. I'm sure you've made mistakes too. I know I have. And God is BIG ENOUGH to forgive them all. I know I'm so thankful!
Til next time,
ST
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Guilt or Regret?
Ever said something to someone that you IMMEDIATELY regret and wish you could take back? Like as the words were coming out of your mouth it felt like a slow motion "NOOOO" in your head. And you feel horrible after you say it, but there's nothing you can do. The damage has already been done.
I have one of these instances from when I was little that I still regret to this day. I was probably a bratty pre-teen or something like that when this happened. My family and I were living in an apartment at the time because our business was struggling and my parents had to cut costs as much as possible, so downsizing temporarily to an apartment was one of the ways they did that.
A couple times during our stay there, the economy started to get better and it seemed as though we may be able to move back into a house. And then - things like 9/11 happened...sending the economy TANKING again. As a younger kid I didn't understand how at one second we were looking at house plans and the next second all of our plans and hopes were thwarted.
As an inherent part of their being, Dads want to provide for their family. Always. No matter what sacrifices they have to make, they want to make sure their family is taken care of. So my Dad was always trying to be positive and encourage us that the economy was doing great and we'd be able to go back to normal soon. I have so much respect for my Mom and Dad for all they did for us during this hard time in our family's life. Anyway, back to the bratty pre-teen that I was during this story. My Dad and I were talking one day, and he said "Sarah, things are looking good for the economy and the store and hopefully we can get into a house soon!"
And then the slow motion hurtful words came out of my mouth. I looked him dead in the eye and said...
"Dad, I'll believe it when I see it."
You should have seen the way his face fell. He worked his whole life to provide for me and there I was throwing back in his face everything he wanted to do for me and our family. I still apologize to him to this day for those hurtful words I said. I'd do anything to take them back. But I can't.
We're this way with God all the time aren't we? Something doesn't go our way and we throw a spiritual temper tantrum and tell God, "Hey, I'll believe what you say you'll do when I see it happening." Our faith kind of sucks sometimes, but hey we can't help it, we're inherently selfish. It's part of that thing called being human.
We do things in life that we regret all the time. We want to take them back. We WISH we could build a time machine and take back every awful thing we've ever done or every hurtful thing we've ever said.
Wanna know the cool thing? God has this neat thing called FORGIVENESS! And when God says he forgives us, he doesn't remember our sinful things anymore! Here are a couple verses from the Bible about this.
Jeremiah 31:34
"...'For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.' "
Hebrews 10: 16-17
"16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”
Just like I don't need to feel guilty about the hurtful words I said to my Dad because he said he forgave me, it's the SAME THING with God! When He promises He forgives us when we confess our sins to Him, we don't have to feel regret or guilt anymore! God doesn't remember our sins anymore, so why should we?
I pray that you find encouragement from this. These verses sure help me when I struggle with guilt or regret.
Til next time,
ST
I have one of these instances from when I was little that I still regret to this day. I was probably a bratty pre-teen or something like that when this happened. My family and I were living in an apartment at the time because our business was struggling and my parents had to cut costs as much as possible, so downsizing temporarily to an apartment was one of the ways they did that.
A couple times during our stay there, the economy started to get better and it seemed as though we may be able to move back into a house. And then - things like 9/11 happened...sending the economy TANKING again. As a younger kid I didn't understand how at one second we were looking at house plans and the next second all of our plans and hopes were thwarted.
As an inherent part of their being, Dads want to provide for their family. Always. No matter what sacrifices they have to make, they want to make sure their family is taken care of. So my Dad was always trying to be positive and encourage us that the economy was doing great and we'd be able to go back to normal soon. I have so much respect for my Mom and Dad for all they did for us during this hard time in our family's life. Anyway, back to the bratty pre-teen that I was during this story. My Dad and I were talking one day, and he said "Sarah, things are looking good for the economy and the store and hopefully we can get into a house soon!"
And then the slow motion hurtful words came out of my mouth. I looked him dead in the eye and said...
"Dad, I'll believe it when I see it."
You should have seen the way his face fell. He worked his whole life to provide for me and there I was throwing back in his face everything he wanted to do for me and our family. I still apologize to him to this day for those hurtful words I said. I'd do anything to take them back. But I can't.
We're this way with God all the time aren't we? Something doesn't go our way and we throw a spiritual temper tantrum and tell God, "Hey, I'll believe what you say you'll do when I see it happening." Our faith kind of sucks sometimes, but hey we can't help it, we're inherently selfish. It's part of that thing called being human.
We do things in life that we regret all the time. We want to take them back. We WISH we could build a time machine and take back every awful thing we've ever done or every hurtful thing we've ever said.
Wanna know the cool thing? God has this neat thing called FORGIVENESS! And when God says he forgives us, he doesn't remember our sinful things anymore! Here are a couple verses from the Bible about this.
Jeremiah 31:34
"...'For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.' "
Hebrews 10: 16-17
"16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”
Just like I don't need to feel guilty about the hurtful words I said to my Dad because he said he forgave me, it's the SAME THING with God! When He promises He forgives us when we confess our sins to Him, we don't have to feel regret or guilt anymore! God doesn't remember our sins anymore, so why should we?
I pray that you find encouragement from this. These verses sure help me when I struggle with guilt or regret.
Til next time,
ST
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Missing the Bus
I had an interesting thing happen to me today.
I got a phone call this morning saying I was needed to cover for someone in the main office (I hover between two offices). So I left a few minutes early, mainly so I could get a good parking spot in this teeny little lot that is WAY too small for our building, but also so I could catch the bus across campus to cover for my coworker. I grabbed my morning paper like I always do, and proceeded to walk to the front of the building to wait on the bus (It's WAY too cold to wait outside...obviously).
Before I could even get to the door, THERE'S THE BUS! I started to hurry by some people to get outside and catch the bus before it leaves (isn't it funny how when you walk with a purpose people just magically get out of your way? Yep, I love that). The bus is about to pull up to its stop....wait...no it couldn't be...the bus ISN'T STOPPING! That dang bus drove right past its stop and didn't even consider if someone (um, me) needed to get on! I vigorously waved my newspaper in the air as I start to jump up and down and run after the bus shouting, "HEYYY WAIT FOR MEEEE!!!!" Funny, the bus driver clearly couldn't hear me but I still thought yelling was a good idea. Kind of like when you're in the car and someone cuts you off, you think it's appropriate to shout "YOU IDIOT" at them...but nope, they can't hear you. Anyway, I digress.
I felt pretty much defeated. I succeeded in getting to work early, getting a good parking spot, but I failed in catching the bus to get to where I needed to be. So I stood inside, defeated, waiting on the next bus to arrive...in 15 minutes. This SUCKS, right? It sucks when things don't go the way they're supposed to. When your "bus" leaves you in the dust...whatever your "bus" may be.
But all of this was about to change. A lady who typically works in the office I was heading to walked right in front of me. I was glad to see a familiar face, so I started to tell her the story about that nasty-ole-bus and how it flat out left me. And then, she offered to drive me over to the other office! She was heading there anyway! I didn't have to sit at the 4 stops between here and there on some rickety old bus, I was headed on a direct route! Got to work much faster than if I would have taken the first bus.
Isn't it funny how that happens? Like, you think you have your day planned out, exactly what you need to do and when...and then BAM...your plans are wrecked. Things never happen the way you think they will. And in the moment...it really sucks! Your bus left you...and you are stuck in the suckiness of the situation. But then God sends something to make the situation even better than how you planned it in the first place!
Jeremiah 29:11
11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
God knew that bus was going to leave me, but He also knew that my colleague was about to walk past me and offer me a ride.
We all have situations like this. Don't let the bus leaving you get you down, but look forward to the car that God is excited to provide for you. He knows what's coming next even when we don't...even when we can't see any good coming from the situation...God knows. And God is good.
Have a GREAT day!!
Til next time,
ST
I got a phone call this morning saying I was needed to cover for someone in the main office (I hover between two offices). So I left a few minutes early, mainly so I could get a good parking spot in this teeny little lot that is WAY too small for our building, but also so I could catch the bus across campus to cover for my coworker. I grabbed my morning paper like I always do, and proceeded to walk to the front of the building to wait on the bus (It's WAY too cold to wait outside...obviously).
Before I could even get to the door, THERE'S THE BUS! I started to hurry by some people to get outside and catch the bus before it leaves (isn't it funny how when you walk with a purpose people just magically get out of your way? Yep, I love that). The bus is about to pull up to its stop....wait...no it couldn't be...the bus ISN'T STOPPING! That dang bus drove right past its stop and didn't even consider if someone (um, me) needed to get on! I vigorously waved my newspaper in the air as I start to jump up and down and run after the bus shouting, "HEYYY WAIT FOR MEEEE!!!!" Funny, the bus driver clearly couldn't hear me but I still thought yelling was a good idea. Kind of like when you're in the car and someone cuts you off, you think it's appropriate to shout "YOU IDIOT" at them...but nope, they can't hear you. Anyway, I digress.
I felt pretty much defeated. I succeeded in getting to work early, getting a good parking spot, but I failed in catching the bus to get to where I needed to be. So I stood inside, defeated, waiting on the next bus to arrive...in 15 minutes. This SUCKS, right? It sucks when things don't go the way they're supposed to. When your "bus" leaves you in the dust...whatever your "bus" may be.
But all of this was about to change. A lady who typically works in the office I was heading to walked right in front of me. I was glad to see a familiar face, so I started to tell her the story about that nasty-ole-bus and how it flat out left me. And then, she offered to drive me over to the other office! She was heading there anyway! I didn't have to sit at the 4 stops between here and there on some rickety old bus, I was headed on a direct route! Got to work much faster than if I would have taken the first bus.
Isn't it funny how that happens? Like, you think you have your day planned out, exactly what you need to do and when...and then BAM...your plans are wrecked. Things never happen the way you think they will. And in the moment...it really sucks! Your bus left you...and you are stuck in the suckiness of the situation. But then God sends something to make the situation even better than how you planned it in the first place!
Jeremiah 29:11
11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
God knew that bus was going to leave me, but He also knew that my colleague was about to walk past me and offer me a ride.
We all have situations like this. Don't let the bus leaving you get you down, but look forward to the car that God is excited to provide for you. He knows what's coming next even when we don't...even when we can't see any good coming from the situation...God knows. And God is good.
Have a GREAT day!!
Til next time,
ST
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