Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 113, 2 Samuel 12
In reading 2 Samuel 12, I noticed how quick David was to say, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,” not realizing that Nathan’s story about a rich man who stole a poor man’s little lamb was about him. How easy it is for me to see sin in others while willingly overlooking it in myself. That reminds me of one of my favorite parts of C. S. Lewis’s book, “Mere Christianity.”
I remember Christian teachers telling me long ago that I must hate a bad man’s actions but not hate the bad man: or, as they would say, hate the sin but not the sinner. …I used to think this a silly, straw-splitting distinction: how could you hate what a man did and not hate the man?
But years later it occurred to me that there was one man to whom I had been doing this all my life — namely myself.
However much I might dislike my own cowardice or conceit or greed, I went on loving myself. There had never been the slightest difficulty about it…
Christianity does not want us to reduce by one atom the hatred we feel for cruelty and treachery. We ought to hate them…. But it does want us to hate them in the same way in which we hate things in ourselves: being sorry that the man should have done such things, and hoping, if it is anyway possible, that somehow, sometime, somewhere, he can be cured and made human again.”
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Heavenly Father, Forgive me for being quick to judge and slow to serve. Forgive me for being quick to see the speck in my brother’s eye while being slow to see the log that is in my own. Help me, please, to labor diligently to dig that log out, so that I can help my brother and glorify You, my perfect king. Help me to heed the words of Galatians 6, that I would restore with gentleness my brothers and sisters who are caught in any transgression, helping to bear their burden with humility and wisdom. Give me wisdom to talk to my Christian sisters and brothers with boldness, compassion, love, and empathy, remembering the words of Titus 3 that I myself was once foolish, disobedient, and led astray, a slave to various passions and pleasures, passing my days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another, that I was not saved because of my own righteous works but according to Your own mercy. Help me to remember that apart from Your incredible grace, I could fall as hard and far and fast as David did. It is by Your grace that I stand and by Your grace that I pray. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 112, 2 Samuel 11
Have you ever gone to a corn maze (or a sorghum maze if you’re in the south)? I’ve taken my kids a few times and discovered I really don’t like them. I hate how easily one wrong turn can lead you down the wrong path, forcing you into another wrong turn and another, until you finally find yourself at a dead-end where you then have to try retracing your steps to get back where you were 30 minutes ago. I’m just not a fan. How about you?
In reading 2 Samuel 11, I couldn’t shake how many times someone could have made a different choice and changed the whole course of events. Chapter 11 begins with the words, “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.”
What if David simply had gone to battle instead of staying home?
Then David “arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of his home late in the afternoon.”
What if David had been commanding his armies or counseling his people?
What if David had spent the afternoon in prayer and Bible study?
So often in life it’s how we spend our leisure time that really trips us up!
When we’re worn out, worn down, and trying to relax, what do we do? What do we turn to? Food, Facebook, or the phone? Sex, shopping, or scrolling? How differently things could’ve been in David’s life if he’d spent his afternoon differently.
Then David sees a beautiful woman bathing.
Accidentally seeing someone bathing is not a sin, but what if this wasn’t the first time David had gone up to his roof and noticed Bathsheba.
Had David made an intentional choice to go up on his roof, hoping that he would see Bathsheba?
And what about Bathsheba? Was it really just an accident that she was bathing in the afternoon in such a place that the king who lived nearby would see here?
We don’t know, but how different things could’ve been if Bathsheba had bathed somewhere else or had been more careful to shield herself from David’s view.
And then David sent a messenger to find out more about the woman, and he is told that she is the wife of one of his mighty men, Uriah the Hittite.
Why did David send someone to find out more about her? Was he planning to take her as another wife or maybe a concubine?
But then, I wonder, how did David not know who she was? Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah, one of his chosen mighty men (2 Samuel 23:8-9) the daughter of Eliam, also one of David’s chosen mighty men, (2 Samuel 23:34) the granddaughter of Ahithophel, one of David’s chief counselors (2 Samuel 23:34, 2 Samuel 15:12), and she lived near enough to David’s home that he can see her clearly from his roof. Did he really not know who that bathing woman was?
What if David had never inquired of her? David had more than enough wives already. Surely he didn’t need to find out anything about this beautiful young woman.
Next David sends someone to take Bathsheba to his palace and she becomes pregnant.
What if the messenger had refused to help David?
What if Bathsheba had refused to come, preferring shame, imprisonment, or even death to breaking her marital vows?
What if she had fled like Joseph had when Potiphar’s wife tried to get him to lie with her and he ended up in prison? (Genesis 39)
By the way, this phrase, “David sent messengers and took her,” reminded me of 1 Samuel 8 when the Lord warned the Israelites through the prophet Samuel about the troubles that a king would bring upon them. This same Hebrew word for “take” is used again and again in 1 Samuel 8. The king will take their sons and their daughter, their fields and their grain, their servants and their donkeys. And here, David, the king, has taken even the wife of one of his most valuable warriors.
Then David asks Joab to bring Uriah back home, hoping that Uriah would spend some time with his wife, so no one would find out how she had become pregnant.
Like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden after they had taken the forbidden fruit, David chose to hide his sin.
Maybe David was afraid of hurting his friend, Uriah.
Maybe David was afraid of losing his position as king.
Maybe David was simply afraid of losing face.
What if David had come clean at this point and repented of his sin?
What if David had brought Uriah home so that he could confess his sin to him and seek his forgiveness?
Proverbs 28:13 ESV says, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Think of how differently this story would’ve ended if David had confessed his sin and sought mercy from Uriah and Bathsheba.
Next when Uriah refuses to go home to be with his wife, then David tells Joab to “set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down and die.” (11:15) and Uriah was killed in battle.
What if Joab had refused to be a party to this?
People might say, “Joab HAD to obey the king,” like they say that Bathsheba had to obey the king.
Don’t believe those lies. You DON’T have to do it. You don’t. Sure, you might get in trouble. Yes, you might face some embarrassment or other consequences, even severe, or life-threatening consequences, but no one ever has to choose sin.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace (Daniel 3) because they refused to bow down to the king’s golden idol.
Daniel was thrown into a den of lions (Daniel 6) because he refused to stop praying.
God will always provide a way of escape (even if it’s death) that you may be able to withstand temptation. Read 1 Corinthians 10 for more on this.
David’s sin hurt lots of other people: Uriah, Bathsheba, the child Bathsheba bore, not to mention David’s other wives and David’s other children, as well as Joab and the Israelite army and the list goes on and on. But so does ours.
When we lie or cheat or boast or complain, we hurt other people.
When we think malicious thoughts about others and make plans in our minds to hurt them, we are hurting them as well as ourselves and others. We have got to remember that those people were made in the image of God and when we put our desires above them, it hurts them and it hurts God.
David knew that what he was doing was wrong. David knew the Ten Commandments. He knew it was sin to covet his neighbor’s wife and commit adultery, but he did it and then tried to cover it up. He knew God had said DO NOT MURDER. That’s why he had Joab arrange the murder for him.
Your sin might not look like David’s sin. Maybe you will never get another man’s wife pregnant or have anybody killed, but your sin separates you from God just as much as David’s sin did.
“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Mark 7:21-23
God was displeased with David’s sin, and God is displeased with our sin, too. God made a way for David to be saved, and God made a way for us to be saved, too.
As we will read tomorrow, David’s innocent son died, but so did God’s. God sent His own Son in the flesh, Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, to be born as a human baby, to live a perfect and sinless life and to die on the cross to pay the punishment that our sins deserve. And He promises to us eternal, abundant, new life in Christ – AS SOON AS we trust in Him His Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us, to be our ever-present help, our ever-present counselor … and for all eternity to dwell in heaven with Him.
David needed to repent, to turn away from his sins, and so do we. The only way we can do that is to place our trust in the Lord and seek Him for strength to overcome temptation moment by moment and day by day. David fell because he had stopped seeking God; his eyes were on earth instead of on heaven.
Let’s pray and ask God to help us to resist the devil and submit to Him.
Heavenly Father, I need Your help. I can’t do it on my own. My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak. Help me to trust You moment by moment. Help me to be so careful how I spend my leisure time. Help me to get the rest I need so I can be strong in the moment of temptation. Help me to resist the devil and submit to You. Help me to see that way of escape that You will provide for me each and every time. Help me to be in Your Word day after day, remembering that it is my weapon to fight against the devil. Help me to hold up that shield of faith so I can extinguish all the flaming darts that the evil one throws my way. Help me to fasten the belt of truth firmly around my waist and strap the breastplate of righteousness tightly to my chest. Give me the strength and courage I need to stand firm and fight this battle, so that I will not bring shame to Your name. I love You, Lord. You are worth the fight. Death is not the worst thing. Denying You whether in word or deed is. Help me, Lord, for the glory of Your Name. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 111, 2 Samuel 10
And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.”
2 Samuel 10:11 ESV
How often do I try to do it on my own, refusing to ask for help from others?
Sometimes I need help physically – carrying something, reaching something up high, opening a jar.
Sometimes I need help emotionally – someone to listen to me or give me a hug or speak an encouraging word to lift me up or a stern word to snap me out of a pity party.
Sometimes I need help spiritually – someone to pray for me or give me wise counsel or point me to an applicable passage of Scripture.
But, I’m afraid that all too often I want to do it myself like my younger daughter is famous for saying a few too many times. I’m reminded of Galatians 6:2-3, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (ESV)
Heavenly Father, I need Your help, Your guidance and strength, Your encouragement and chastisement. But, Father, I also need help from others, from the body of Christ here on earth. I need others to be eyes and ears for me. I need others to be hands and feet for me. I need others to speak truth to me. Please, Father, help me to be humble and to ask for help when I’m in need. Help to see the great company of fellow workers who want to labor together side by side for Your kingdom and glory. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 110, 2 Samuel 9.
I’ve loved the story of Mephibosheth since I very first read it. I hope you will love it, too.
“And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
And he said, “I am your servant.”
And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?”
Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”
The king said to him, “Where is he?”
And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”
Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!”
And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”
And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”
And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.”
2 Samuel 9:1-10a
It reminds me of my 2024 Word of the Year, “ENOUGH” and the refrain of Dayenu, a traditional Passover song, “it would have been enough.” Click here to read the full lyrics.
If David had allowed Mephibosheth to continue living in Israel, Dayenu, it would have been enough.
If David had given Mephibosheth a daily allotment of bread to eat, Dayenu, it would have been enough.
If David had given Mephibosheth a small plot of his land, Dayenu, it would have been enough.
If David had given Mephibosheth a single servant, Dayenu, it would have been enough.
If David had allowed Mephibosheth to eat at his table once a year, Dayenu, it would have been enough.
What a picture this is of what Jesus has done for us!
Jesus has given us more than a meager portion of bread and a scant cup of water. He has given us the living bread of His Word and the living water of His Spirit. He has prepared a bountiful table before us. He has filled our cups to overflowing.
Jesus has given us more than a corner in a godforsaken land. He has brought us to His own banqueting table and spread His banner of love over us. He has even gone to prepare a place for us in the glories of eternal heaven.
Jesus has given us more than a mere human servant could give. He washed more than our feet; He washed our whole lives white as snow
Jesus has given us more than the very best, friend friend could give. He has sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in us and to walk with us as our ever-present counselor and comforter.
Jesus has made us more than the very best human Father could give. He has made us more than just slaves in His heavenly kingdom. By His very own blood, He has made us more than just His friends. He has adopted us as His very own children and He has invited us to live in His home and eat at His table forever and ever.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God;”
1 John 3:1a ESV
Have you received this gift? If not, what are you waiting for?
If so, who does God want you to share it with?
Our Father’s table is large enough to fit people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Let’s go out to the streets and bring them in to join us at this feast.
Heavenly Father, It would’ve been enough to be a gatekeeper at the door of Your palace. It would’ve been enough to dwell in the courtyard of Your temple. It would’ve been enough to sit at Your feet. It would’ve been enough to be Your handmaiden. Yet, in Your immense, boundless grace, You have brought me to sit at Your banqueting table and You have spread Your banner of love over me. Thank You. I don’t deserve it. I could never earn it. I could never work hard enough or be good enough to merit all this favor that You have poured over me. Let my life be one of grateful submission to Your will die me. I love You today and every day. In the Name of Jesus, Your Son who gave His life for me. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 109, 2 Samuel 8
Reading 2 Samuel 8, we see that David is having great victory over his enemies! The Philistines are finally being subdued. Many Moabites are defeated, but some are spared. Side note: I wonder if that’s because of David’s Moabite heritage (Ruth) or because they helped care for his parents (1 Samuel 22:3-4). King Hadadezer and his army are defeated all the way to the north at the Euphrates River, and 22,000 Syrians were struck down. And the list continues.
“And David made a name for himself…” “David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.” (2 Samuel 22:13a, 15)
But, then, the chapter ends with verses 16-18, a list of his team, who was over his army, who was his recorder, who were his priests, who was his secretary. Even David’s sons were helping him. Another side note: the ESV refers to David’s sons as priests, but many other translations say they were his chief rulers or officials, and 1 Chronicles 18:17 ESV reads, “David’s sons were the chief officials in the service of the king.”
We mustn’t forget the importance of having a team to serve alongside us. Yes, we need God! Yes, God was working these great things through David. But David had a whole team of people working with him, helping him to achieve these incredible feats.
Sometimes it takes more work to involve a team. Sometimes it’s easier to just “do it all yourself.” But we need to remember that in the long term, we can achieve more, with longer lasting effects, when we involve others in the process.
Where do you need to ask for help? Who do you need to thank for the help they’re giving? How can you expand your reach by bringing in more people to serve with you?
Heavenly Father, and thank you for the body of Christ. Thank you for making different people with different gifts, some to be heads and some to be hands and some to be feet, some to be mouths or eyes or ears. Please help me to recognize the many people who have helped me to get to where I am today. Help me to be truly thankful for them and to welcome in even more. Protect Your kingdom from the devil’s schemes of division and pride and envy. In the name of Jesus Christ, our great high priest and Savior. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 108, 2 Samuel 7
I love using scripture as a starting point for my prayers. Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, Who am I, and what is my house, that You have brought me thus far? You saw me when I was running far and fast away from You, and You drew me to You. And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord God. Nothing is impossible for You. No heart is too hard for You. No one is too far from Your reach. You know my heart and You have brought me to know Yours. You are indeed great! There is none like You. There is no God besides You. You are not like idols made up in human minds or fashioned with human hands. You are eternal. You are infinite. You are almighty.
I pray that Your people Israel would confess Messiah Jesus and be saved. I pray that You would open the eyes of each Jewish person living in Israel and around the globe. May Your Name be magnified forever, saying, “The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,” and God over all creation, and Jesus Christ is Your Only Begotten Son and the Only Savior of the world.
O Lord God, You are God and Your Words are true. Please bless my home. Bless my husband. Bless my children. Bless my parents and my siblings, my aunts and uncles and cousins. Bless my church. Bless my city and state and nation. Bless us that we might glorify Your Name as we humble ourselves before Your almighty throne. Use us, Your people, Your servants, to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to do all that You have commanded. It is in the Name of Jesus Christ that we pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 107, 2 Samuel 6.
Have you ever been mad at someone, not just for a few minutes, but for hours or days? Have you ever allowed your anger to stew like a 8-pound chuck roast left in a crockpot to bubble all day, causing a seed of bitterness to take root deep in your heart?
How did that effect your relationship with that person? How was your attitude toward them? Did that bitterness ever make it hard for you to think kind thoughts or speak kind words about them?
Now, how about your feelings toward God? Have you ever been mad at God for days or weeks? Have you ever felt like He didn’t treat you or a loved one the way He should’ve? Did you ever let that anger plant a seed, no matter how small, of contempt toward God?
How did that effect your relationship with or your attitude toward God? Did it make it hard for you to meet with Him or submit to His commands?
In my life, I’ve noticed that often my bitterness toward a person is intimately tied to my disappointment with God.
Maybe a friend, a parent, a sibling or even a spouse has hurt you deeply. They’ve let you down. They’ve attacked you and disappointed you. They’ve done you wrong. Maybe it’s substance abuse or pornography. Maybe it’s lying and deceit. Maybe it’s an emotional or physical affair. Maybe it’s a lack of regard for your thoughts and feelings.
How has that relationship with a human being effected your relationship with God?
How have your feelings toward a person effected your feelings toward God?
In today’s passage in 2 Samuel 6, we read about Michal, King Saul’s daughter and David’s first wife, who despised David in her heart when she witnessed his joy before the Lord. Michal had been hurt again and again by David, a man she had loved. David had taken other wives and then had allowed her to be sent away, only to be brought back after she’d married another man. I don’t know that Michal ever trusted in God. In fact, Michal may have been a pagan idol-worshipper, but we do know that it grieved her deeply to see David dancing with reckless abandon in the presence of God and all the house of Israel. Click here to read through an overview of Michal’s life in the scriptures.
Thinking through Michal’s response to David’s joyful worship, I asked myself these two questions:
When have my feelings of disappointment toward a fellow human being resulted in me treating them with disdain and contempt rather than love and forgiveness?
When have my feelings of disappointment with my Heavenly Father resulted in me turning my back on Him rather than turning my face toward His open arms?
Heavenly Father, Your ways are certainly not our ways. You are always holy and righteous and good, and we are not. You have told us what You require of us, yet we have disobeyed You again and again. We have shunned Your scriptures. We have mocked Your Words and Your workers. We have treated Your Creation and Your commands with contempt. We have blamed You for circumstances that we have brought upon ourselves. We have turned our backs to You instead of our faces. Please, Father, forgive us. Remove the root of bitterness from our hearts, bitterness toward our fellow sinful man and bitterness toward You, our perfect Father. Renew a right spirit in us. Give us a new heart, a new mind, and a new soul. Strengthen us to love others as You have loved us. Help us to love You, our Lord and God, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help us to cast all our cares upon You and to trust that You care for us. Help us to fully believe that You are at work, working all things together for good for those who love You and have been called according to Your purposes, bringing beauty out of the ashes of our lives. In the Name of Jesus Christ who died in my place I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 106, 2 Samuel 5
Today as I asked God what I should write about in today’s blog post, I couldn’t shake the thought that I was supposed to write on the topic of genders. So, in fearful obedience, here it goes.
Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, the thought that there were anything beyond two genders never even entered my mind. My sister and I were girls. My mom was a girl. My dad was a boy. My cat, Bandit, who I’d adopted off the streets as a stray was a boy, too. I always wished that my mom and dad would have another baby, a boy, so I could have a little brother to play with and boss around. My world was made up of two genders: boys and girls, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, men and women, males and females.
Though I wasn’t a Christian and though I believed that the world and everything in it had evolved through a series of random events, it was still clear to my rational , scientific brain that everything that reproduced was either a male or a female. Roosters and hens, bucks and does, worker bees and queen bees, males and females.
In today’s chapter, 2 Samuel 5, verse 13 says, “And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.” David was a male, and every single one of David’s concubines and wives were female. All of David’s sons were male, and all of David’s daughters were female.
My dad and my cat both had operations that prevented them from fathering babies, but they were still male. In fact, my dad could have grown his hair long, and worn a mini skirt, heels and a stuffed bra, and it wouldn’t make him female. He could even have changed his name to something more neutral or feminine, and left my mom for a guy, but my dad would still have been a male. Why? Because that’s how he was born. Dare I say, that’s how he was made by His Creator? When my father was knit together in his mother’s womb, he received an x chromosome from his mom and a y chromosome from his dad, and he was born a boy.
This issue is especially personal for me for a whole myriad of reasons. I won’t go into all of them now, but one of them is this: when my sister and I were young, my parents usually kept our hair cut short and dressed us in very simple gender neutral clothing. I liked climbing trees and getting dirty. I didn’t like playing with Barbies. Most of my years growing up, my best friend was a boy. But did those things make me a boy? No, they didn’t. I was a girl, whether I liked it or not. That’s how I was born. That’s how I was made by my Creator. When I was knit together in my mother’s womb, I received an x chromosome from my mom and an x chromosome from my dad, and I was born a girl.
Back in the “rad ’80s,” when I was teenager, it was shameful to admit that you had homosexual desires. A person was said to “come out of the closet” when they confessed to homosexual tendencies.
Now here we are in the “roaring 2020s,” and it’s shameful to stand up for Biblical gender identities, but today I’m taking a stand. I refuse to hide in the closet, ashamed of the Bible’s very clear teaching that God gave David sons and daughters. David’s sons were boys and his daughters were girls. God created them male and female just like He’s been doing from the beginning of time and to say anything else is a lie, a lie that hurts both the Creator and the creature.
Will you join me in prayer?
Heavenly Father, I come to You with the deepest gratitude for making me to be me. Thank You for making me a girl and granting me the gift of being a mom. Thank You for giving me sons and daughters. I pray that You will encourage the people of this generation to love You as their Creator by accepting themselves for how they’ve been made – their hair color and skin color, their height and their gender. You don’t make junk. We do. We take what You have made and we ruin it, hurting others and hurting ourselves. And hurting You in the process. Forgive us, Lord. I pray that You will also encourage the people of this generation to stand up for what they know is true, what the Scriptures so clearly state, that You are the Creator and that You create male or female. Help us not to be ashamed of the gospel and not to be ashamed of the truth of Your Word. Please, Father, help us to defend our faith with gentleness, respect, and humility, for the glory of Your Name and the good of Your creation. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 105, 2 Samuel 3-4
Reading today’s passage about the murders of both Abner and Ish-Bosheth, I was reminded of Ezekiel 33:11.
“As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.”
Ezekiel 33:11a ESV
1 and 2 Samuel are both so full of sin and death, jealousy and deceit, immorality and corruption. I have sometimes found myself cheering for whoever is the bad guy of that chapter to “get what he deserves,” forgetting that I’m just as bad as him.
Without the Holy Spirit constraining me, that would be me. Apart from God’s grace, I’m just as selfish, just as cruel, just as spiteful as any of them. So, today, I want to reflect on God’s mercy and pray that I could be merciful toward others as He has been to me.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace and mercy, poured out for me on the cross, and continuing to flow over me day after day. My sins are beyond number. I deserve death more than Abner and Ish-Bosheth. I deserve Your judgement as much as Joab and Rechab and Baanah did. Each of those men were selfish sinners, and so am I. Help me daily trust Your hand of judgment rather than trying to take vengeance into my own hands. You are perfectly just and I am not. Help me to be grateful for Your grace and not to take pleasure when the people in our world today get what their sin deserves. The wages of sin is death, but Your gracious gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank You, Father. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 104, 2 Samuel 2
Even now in my fifth decade of life, I’m still learning every day. I’m definitely still learning about history and science, but I’m also still learning to be a better human. One thing I’m actively trying to learn is to ask questions. Maybe that sounds like an odd thing to need to learn, but in my sinful nature I find myself prone to pride and talking more than listening.
I’m not only learning to ask questions when I’m with my family, friends, or strangers, but I’m also learning to ask questions of God. I want to be like David who inquired of the Lord, “’Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?’ And the LORD said to him, ‘Go up.’ David said, ‘To which shall I go up?’ And he said, ‘To Hebron.’” (2 Samuel 2:1)
Father, What do You want me to do today?
Spirit, What does this verse mean?
Lord, What should I say right now?
Spirit, How can I apply this passage to my life?
Father, What do You want me to write about from this passage?
I want to be a better asker and a better listener. I want to heed the inspired words of James 1:5.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
James 1:5 ESV
Heavenly Father, thank You for always being faithful to give wisdom and guidance when I come to You humbly in need. Help me to learn to ask, and help me to learn to listen. And, then, Father, help me to obey. I fear sometimes I don’t ask because I don’t want to obey. Forgive me and change me. I want to be more like Jesus who faithfully asked and listened and obeyed. I love You, Lord. You are worthy to be obeyed. Grow my faith. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Teach What is Good 
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