1 Samuel 24:1-25:44 ~ John 10:22-42 ~ Psalm 116:1-19 ~ Proverbs 15:20-21
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on OneYearAudioBible.org or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~
Old Testament - Interesting chapters today! David is essentially put to the test by God over the next 3 chapters - 2 tests today and 1 tomorrow. And the test is this - obedience. You'll recall that Saul fails the test of obedience early in his kingship. David passes the tests - he does not kill Saul and he does not kill Nabal. He could have killed both. First Samuel 24 verses 5 through 7 are a great look at David's character when Saul was in the cave - "But then David's conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul's robe. "The LORD knows I shouldn't have done it," he said to his men. "It is a serious thing to attack the LORD's anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him." So David sharply rebuked his men and did not let them kill Saul."
How impressive is Abigail in First Samuel chapter 25! Her speech to David in verses 24 through 30 is awesome. She takes all the blame. Calls out Nabal. Gives David gifts. And smartly lets him know he doesn't need this blood on his hands. David is clearly impressed. Below is Dutch artist Jacob Willemsz de Wet's painting from the 17th century titled "The Meeting of David and Abigail":
Bible.org's commentary on today's First Samuel readings titled "A Time to Kill, or Not" is at this link and "Dear Abby" is at this link.
New Testament - John chapter 10 verse 30 is a powerful teaching from Jesus! "The Father and I are one." Many churches celebrate Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles in the Upper Room after Jesus' ascension into heaven. Thus, rounding out the Trinity. (Bible.org has a great overview of the Trinity at this link.) The Father. The Son. And the Holy Spirit. Do you believe Jesus when he says, ""The Father and I are one" ? Jesus smartly quotes from Psalm 82 verse 6 in verses 34-36 today: "Jesus replied, "It is written in your own law that God said to certain leaders of the people, `I say, you are gods!' And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people, who received God's message, were called `gods,' why do you call it blasphemy when the Holy One who was sent into the world by the Father says, `I am the Son of God'?"
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in John titled "The Sovereign Shepherd" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 116 verses 1 & 2 are amazing- "I love the LORD because he hears and answers my prayers. Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!" How is your prayer life these days? Do you believe God bends down and listens to your prayers? And answers them? Will you pray as long as you have breath?
Proverbs - Wow. Proverbs 15 verse 21 is convicting to me - "Foolishness brings joy to those who have no sense; a sensible person stays on the right path." Sometimes in the past I got joy from foolishness... not a good sign! And yes, I noticed sometimes that when I was getting joy from foolishness I was no longer on the right path... I'd strayed off a bit... God brought me back and welcomed me back on the right path once I got my senses. I pray we can avoid foolishness and the fake joy that comes with it. There is a difference I believe between healthy rest & play - and foolishness. We should know better.
YouTube: Today's Proverb reminds me of the wisdom in Rebecca St. James' beautiful song "You are Loved:"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq0gtxumSrU
Do you know that you are loved? Click here for LOVE!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "I and the Father are one." John 10:30 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you fully know and realize that Jesus is God. Pray and worship Jesus as God. Pray to the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in thanksgiving for their blessed Trinitarian nature.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: How are you doing with discerning the difference between healthy rest & play and foolishness in your life today? Do you ever veer toward foolishness? Why do you suppose this happens? Is this healthy? What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,
Mike
1 Samuel 24:1-25:44
When we are in sin we become illogical, irrational and unreasonable. Here we see a picture of a man who marshals all the resources available too him and channels all his energy to pursue a personal grudge. The pursuit of David in reality is a fight against God. Saul’s response to David after David shows him that he had the ability to take his life, lets us know that Saul knew just like God had anointed him king, God had removed the kingship from him and given it to David.
Saul had a “beef” with God. I believe no matter what our excuse or justification we put forth when we rebel against rightful leadership, spiritual or political, we are fighting against God. The lawlessness and crime committed against people, family friends or foe, is are puny attempt to fight against God.
There are clear contrasts between David’s response to Saul’s physical pursuit against him to take his life, and Nabal’s insult: one wanted to harm his body, the other harmed his feelings. Saul pursued David for years; Nabal’s insult came by way of messenger and probably took a couple of minutes to convey. How do we respond to a “slight?” Do we muster up a greater desire to carry out revenge and retaliate when we are insulted then when confronted with the possibility of direct physical harm? Thank God for the people who are placed in our paths to speak reason into our lives. If David had been allowed to continue on his path to destroy Nabal and all of his servants, he would have become as corrupted as Saul. That thought gives me great pause to think as well as give me a greater understand of, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
John 10:22-42
It annoys me to no end when people ask me a question, pretending to want information, then turn and challenge the answer given. I’m not talking about a test situation but people pretending that they don’t know something but in reality they are setting you up. Jesus went thought this experience daily, religious leaders asking only to try and trick Him but never could. I don’t know about you but I think I would give up doing that after the first year, and surly after the second, or would I?
Jesus had already told them previously that they were like their father, the Devil and he never gives up. The trickery didn’t work and not only could they not trap Him, they couldn’t even arrest Him because it wasn’t His time.
I love the last two verses of this reading because it shows that there is a “remnant” that adhered to and clung to Jesus because they honestly took the words of the Prophets, the words of John the Baptist and measured Jesus by them and found He measured up.
Psalm 116:1-19
1 I love the LORD because he hears
and answers my prayers.
In the book of First John the writer pens this statement, 19 We love Him, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19) For me that is a true statement not based on theology but based on my own experience. When I first came to faith it wasn’t because someone had dragged me to church. Like Saul I was in deep rebellion of God. I hated anything and everything that smacked of Church, Jesus, God and any and every religion. Church folk had so scarred me that by the time I was sixteen I had pronounced God dead. It is a good thing that God didn’t take orders from me.
Almost twenty years latter I found myself in total despair but that didn’t change my mind it only opened it to a challenge I received, “You can spend all day debating whether or not there is a God. The only way you are going to really find out is to try some of His commands and see if they work. If they don’t throw everything out in the trash, if they do then keep it.” I tried and I kept. I love God because I know deep down in the very fiber of my being that He loves Me.
Psalm 34
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
4I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
Proverbs 15:20-21
We try to justify, quantify and rationalize unacceptable behavior, but the writer of Proverbs lays all that raunchy disrespectful rebellious behavior on “sin” and the "i" that is in the middle of it all.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
Posted by: Ramona | May 18, 2012 at 07:35 PM