1 Samuel 23:28-29

“Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela hammahlekoth (Rock of Parting).

Here’s what’s happening, David’s being chased by Saul who wants to kill him because of his own sin and insecurities, so Saul hunts David down. Many times it seems that David is going to be captured and killed but seems to be able to make is way out of tight circumstances. As you read the Psalms of David you sense the overwhelming feeling of defeat sometimes in the words that he writes. God had promised David that he would be king and rule over Israel and that the Seed of Christ would come through him, yet for years he was on the run from Saul and his enemies.

            What I think I need to see is that the journey of knowing and living out God’s will isn’t always easy and if a lose sight of the promise I’ll give up. Just like with David God has a plan and he determines the success of it not me. Scripture says that a man will make his plans but God directs his steps. Part of the journey of Faith is that God wants me to succeed more than I do and he can protect me and lead me in his timing. David eventually became the greatest king of Israel and was able to permanently establish God’s kingdom on Earth. It might not of been the path David would have chosen but in the end you can see God’s wisdom and providence in David’s life.

            My hope is that I can trust God in the same way and continue to believe that I’m in his hands and he will take me and make me into what he has determined. And no enemy will be able to knock me off course or steal God’s plan away from my life.  

 

Going the Distance

One phrase we hear in our life time, especially when we are younger is, It doesn’t matter how you start it matters how you finish.

We hear cliches like, Finish Strong, Run the Race, Winners Never Quit and Go The Distance.

It’s sad to say but most of us don’t live by these sayings out because of our society has taught us that we should have it all right now. If we have to give more energy than the investment then we choose to believe it’s not worth the time or energy. I’ve seen many people start off well but within a few days, months or years they have come to a stand still. They’ve lost motivation and focus on where they were heading and the reward at the end.

The main area where I think we fail is not in our own lives, because we can be very motivated when we have a me mentality but with our commitment to others. We so easily give up on people and the relationships that God has put into our lives. When people don’t respond to us correctly, or they let us down or when they even choose to live wicked lives, we just start to slow down. The end is no where in sight, becomes our famous cliche and we lose hope and just let people go.

Jesus said “If you have a 100 sheep and one gets lost, your responsibilty is to go and find that one sheep. Take the time and give the energy to not give up on the one who everyone else may say isn’t worth the effort.

Here’s what I’ve found out about life and relationships. Life is messy and so are people. What is the longest you’ve ever walked with some? How is your distance journey going? What’s the shortest you’ve ever walked with someone? Why?

I see people give up on themselves and others on a regular basis. It’s truly disheartening and frustrating because I know that if we can just keep walking, keep searching, keep loving the rewards will be great.

Here’s a few Ideas to help us to go the distance

1. See your own personal value. You’r worth someone coming after you.                                                                                                                            

2. Don’t run people Walk. Pace is important.

3. Check your motives

4. Be willing to fail and learn from your relational mistakes

5. Let Love always be your energy

1 Samuel 2:9

I’m reading about Hannah, a barren mother who is distraught about not having children and feeling abandoned. Every year she would go with her husband to Shiloh the place where you would give your yearly offering for the sins you had committed. During one visit she cries out to God and he answers her and the following year she has a son, Samuel one of the most powerful men of the Old Testament. A few years later Hannah gives her son to Eli the priest to raise in God’s temple. The day she gives Samuel to Eli she prays a very powerful prayer and one of the lines says this. “It is not by strength that one prevails”

Hannah could obviously testify to this statement considering her personal struggle for years in trying to have child. What I love is that in the midst of confessing her weakness before God and Man (Eli) the Lord provides for her.

This is by far my greatest struggle in my relationship with God the Father. I vacillate between living in God’s strength and living in my own. Just like Hannah, I think to walk daily in the strength of God is a revelation of humility. When I can honestly asses my life, intentions and abilities I can see my need for God. Jesus can and will give me strength but until I either become crushed by failure or open my heart to the one who saves me, I will struggle with walking in my own strength.

James says God opposes the proud but lifts up the humble. I’m amazed how prideful I can be in my humiliating circumstances. In the love of Christ, God the Father shows me my neediness and offers me grace so that just like Hannah I can rejoice in Him.

Judges 1

There is a word that I think of when reading this chapter, co-habitation. It’s what we call a fake marriage. It means we are not truly committed to each other. God commanded the Israelites to completely destroy the nations that lived in Canaan. They chose to not drive them completely out and they ended up causing them plenty of trouble and dis-pare. Eventually they caused them to worship their god’s.

Here’s what I’m learning. Spiritual co-habitation is when I put up with stuff in my life that weakens my relationship with Jesus. I convince myself that it’s not really affecting me. Even if God told me to get rid of what ever was causing me to stumble I wouldn’t believe it was him. You see what happens is it blends into my soul and becomes a part of me. Co-habitation doesn’t seem like a negative decision at first. The Israelites would have known the distinction and figured they could keep their enemies under control and not let them influence them. This chapter teaches us that the enemy wore them down until they gave in and let them live among them. Co-habitation is a wearing down of my convictions until I’m sure it’s all right what I’m doing. When I look at where this decision took God’s people it seems it would of been worth fighting for total freedom from their enemies.

Somethings are worth fighting for!

Joshua 24:14

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness”

I think one area where I don’t focus as much thought in my relationship with God is Respect. Fear means respecting the authority, power and sovereignty of God. Here is a question that came to my mind while reading about Joshua and the Israelites. Can you really love someone you don’t respect?

The area the Israelites were weak in was seeing God as Holy and Intolerable of Sin. Constantly Moses and then Joshua had to remind the people to view God as all powerful.

Disrespecting God this way has always led me to have a dysfunctional view of his Grace. Instead of Grace giving me power to live a holy life it became a spiritual crutch so I could keep making wrong decisions and expect to stay in a love relationship with God. I’ve found that I have lost my passion for Jesus when I lost my respect for what he has done for me on the cross.

God’s plan for me is the same as in the times of Joshua. He reveals his love to them though his holiness, then provided a way for them to live with respect to who he is. Then gave each man, woman and child an opportunity to love him because of that revelation.

Joshua 18:2

“But there were still Seven Israelite tribes who had not received their inheritance” 

Chapters 13-19 seem laborious to read since historically we don’t understand where each tribe settled. At first it’s easy for me to skip over these chapters but i realized there is a personal truth hidden away in the details. The key word is inheritance. Just like the Israelites there is a place and purpose for me spiritually and physically. God the Father is two fold in the blessing of my inheritance. First is Jesus, who is my all in all. If I have him, then no matter what else I receive or don’t I will be content. Within the story line, God wants me to be blessed in the earthly life also. I believe there is a physical place of blessing for me and my family. The country I belong too, the city I live in and the home my wife and I have. I sometimes take fore-granted, where God has placed me and need to remind myself that this is part of my inheritance. The physical blessing is also a part of my witness to those who don’t know God. this the only plane they live in and God uses this to reveal himself to others. I believe God has a place for everyone and I enjoy helping people believe and find it in Christ.

Joshua 11:18

“Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time.” Whether I like it or not life is a war and series of battles. The physical battels I see with Joshua are an illustration of spiritual battles that confront me each day. I have an enemy his name is Satan, I have another enemy his name is Jorn. There is a battle outside and a battle inside and each can only be confronted and won through God.

God is love scripture tells me,b ut he is also called a Warrior God. Jesus is his commander and captain of his kingdom. Joshua knew it would not be and easy assignment to conquer all those evil kings and kingdoms. I need to remind myself that though life is a struggle at times Christ has empowered me to live victoriously. Here’s a motto I like, “Anything worth living for is worth fighting for”. Christ fought on my behalf, though the cross. I want to live up to the victory he has provided for me and those I love.

Lord, let me be a brave soldier!

Joshua 9:14

“The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord” One thing I’ve heard many times is assumptions are a dangerous. Here Joshua is deceived by the Gibeonites, who are his enemy and have heard how every where he goes he completely destroys his enemy. So they act like they are foreigners who come to serve Joshua and wants his protection. Instead of going to God and asking what his response should be, he assumes by all outward appearances, that what they are saying is true. The story goes on to tell us that he makes an agreement or Covenant and they end up being under his protection instead of being destroyed.

I hate to say it but I struggle with being naive at times. Part of my personality is wanting to believe the best in people and the events in their life. That in itself is a good virtue. The weakness is that it sets me up for disappointment, failure and harm sometimes, because the nature of Satan is lies and deception.  So he uses this good quality against me because I’m ignorant to his ways. God’s desire is that I include him in my decisions because he is all knowing. Scripture says“We have not because we ask not.” Inquiring of God is part of our relationship with him and it protects us and leads us to be in his perfect will.

Joshua 4:8

This passage is about remembering what God has done, to empower me for the future. Joshua was getting ready to move the Israelites across the Jordan into the promised land. It says the one man from each tribe took a stone from the middle of the river as they crossed over and carried it on their shoulder. The significance is in having this experience on account, so they could draw from it to build up their faith for the days ahead. Joshua’s people would face insurmountable odds at times and would be overwhelmed with enemies. So it’s wise to have a memory of when God’s sovereignty did something so powerful that it helps me keep my faith intact                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

I know in my own life it can be tough following God. Scripture says, “where much is given much is required.” The more the Lord does the more faith I need for what’s ahead. Trusting Christ causes excitement and anxiety all at the same time. It’s comforting and builds faith when I look back at what God has done in my life, so it gives me hope for the future and whatever I may face. These are uncertain times in America and only those with God moving in their lives will be successful in their faith. What ever Jordan’s need parted in my life, I’ll trust that my faith in the future will come because the Lord has been faithful in the past.

Duet 31:7

Moses is just about ready to face his death when he passes the baton of responsibility over to his first in command Joshua. He tells Joshua to be strong and courageous. Usually when someone says that it’s because of the possibility of facing grave danger and death. I think the reason Moses said this to Joshua is because of having to deal with people. Joshua is a good and faithful soldier and loves God. He has been through some tough times already, facing war, death and adversity. So this doesn’t seem the main issue behind this statement. I think Moses reflecting on his own short comings and missing the privilege of crossing over into the promise land (Canaan) sees Joshua’s role and the potential to make the same mistakes. So the courage he needs is in leading the people, understanding that some will reject him, rebel and frustrate the plan of God. Joshua’s responsibility is the same as mine. Follow the plan of God and encourage those with me, to do the same. It takes strength and courage to care for people, who’s own issues can get in the way of God and myself. Why do so many men fault-er in their attempts to follow God’s will? Because they take more stock in the opinions and influences of men than obeying the living God. God help us all, to be who you’ve created us to be.