A Fool for God

Scripture:

2 Samuel 6:22

Yes, I am willing to look even more foolish than this, but I will be respected by the girls of whom you spoke.

Observation:

Girded with only a linen cloth, King David danced uninhibited before his troops, wives and children and all the people of Israel. 

It seemed that those present weren’t even there in the eyses and heart of the king, for it wasn’t the display of dancing for their eyes – but for the Lord himself.

The journey of David had come to the point in his life of the fulfilling of the prophet Samuel’s words.  It was a celebration in thankfulness and reverance to his God.  Michal peering through a window and mocking her husbnad, was pure pride and she had totally misunderstood the demonstration that David did through the city. 

The willingness to look like a fool was ok by David.

Application:

To be a fool for God displaying or declaring wholeheartedly allegiance is ok.  Answering to man is not needed if it is God’s eyes you are seeking.  I need to forget and dismiss the one looking down from the window mocking.  God is the one who will honour, He will lift me up in time, if I am willing to close my eyes and look foolish if need be.

Prayer:

Lord,  my eyes are closed.  It’s you I seek.  May those peering through the window see me as an uninhibited fool for God – who does not please man.

 

 

Terry B

 

 

Short-sightedness

Scripture

Matthew 16:23 “Jesus turned to Peter and said “Get away from me Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view and not from God’s”.

 

Observation

Peter had just completed a wonderful conversation with Jesus where he declared that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Then this conversation takes place and Jesus is rebuking him for his short-sightedness. Poor Peter! But through this conversation Jesus made it clear that we can have a human point of view or a kingdom point of view. The human point of view seeks to preserve itself through self protection, insulation from predators, and attack or be attacked strategies. Whereas kingdom thinking goes beyond the human life we live here and now and looks at the cause and effect well into the future – in fact into life beyond this one. Jesus’ rebuke to Peter is centred on Peters short sighted view of life and opens up a view of Gods perspective of the events unfolding on that day. Look beyond the things that you see happening Peter, Jesus is saying and see the eternal ramifications of what today’s events are going to achieve.

 

Application

Having a human view of life is my default and that is a totally normal position for me to have – because I’m human! But when I accepted Jesus into my life and I became a citizen of heaven through the redemptive process of salvation, I am now expected to begin to think differently. Human but a citizen of heaven, earth bound but eternally focused. My short sightedness needs to be surgically fixed by the Holy Spirit. When things happen throughout my day I need to understand the kingdom cause and effect that is being played out and not default back to my human short sighted view. I could be very easily making human based decisions and statements that require rebuking from the Holy Spirit today because they aren’t conducive to the standards and focus of the heavenly kingdom I now represent.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus please help me to continually be lifting my eyes toward you and seeing your perspective of the situations I interact with each day. Help me to submit to the searching of Holy Spirit as he heals me of my short sightedness and gives me new sight to see beyond here and now and to view all from Gods view point.

 

Jim Jung

An Investment of Strength

Scripture:

David strengthened himself with trust in his God. 1 Samuel 30:6

 

Observation:

 As David's mighty men come home to find their wives and children have been taken captive by the enemy they lift their voices and cry out in great distress.  I can imagine them howling from the depths out of grief for their loss.  And here is David, he has brought these guys thru battle, often rejected and at times the victors but at this point they turn on him and start speaking of killing him.  David's spirit was disturbed.  He was distressed and grieved by the situation.  When he felt all were turning on him he had only one place to go- into God's presence.

 

Application:

The word strength often reminds us of a physical type of  strength.  But 264 times in the Old Testament the Hebrew word for strength is used and majority of the time the word refers to a spiritual strength- the strength you find in the Lord. It's not the physical strength, but the strength that comes from God to deliver his people so that they can keep doing His will.  When trouble comes on all sides, the ability to endure and press through does not come from any power i can find within myself, but instead lies in the fact that the Lord invests His strength in me.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded that God is all you need- When God is all you got! 

 

Prayer:

Father, I thank you that you choose to invest your strength in me.  Often I feel like I need to push through with my own ability.  But you remind me today that i only have the capactity to endure when i strengthen myself in you.  Father, you know the enemies that surround me and you give me the skematics to defeat them- but i can only do that when i have stengthened my trust in you.  Help me to wait on you.

 

 

 

 

God's SWOT Analysis

Scripture:  Matthew 10:18 “You will stand trial before governors & kings because you are my followers.  But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me”

 

Observation:  Jesus never tried to hide the fact that following Him would be difficult.  He never said “Follow Me & all your problems will be instantly solved!”  No, He said: “Follow Me & I will always be with you”.  He has promised (v16) to send us out in weakness (as sheep among wolves).   He has promised persecution and difficulties because we are His followers.  But He has also promised that, if we will see every “threat” as an opportunity in God, He will fill our mouths with His words & give us His courage in the midst of the trial.  Businesses do SWOT analyses.  God has His own.  S=Strengths – God’s Strength.  W=Weaknesses – my weaknesses- for when I am weak, He is strong.  O=Opportunities – He will make the opportunities out of every situation – good or bad – if I am seeing from His perspective.  T=Threats – the biggest threat is me not trusting Him for the outcome, not stepping forward in faith when I need to “step up to the plate”.

 

Application:  When I am feeling Weak or Threatened, I must remember that my Lord has His own SWOT Analysis of the situation.  He answers my Weakness with his Strength.  He answers any Threats by reassuring me that He wants to use them as Opportunities.  But I must remain vigilant – listening to Him, seeing with His eyes, and above all trusting Him.

 

Prayer:  Thankyou, Lord, that with You every Threat can be turned into an Opportunity.   With You my Weaknesses are covered by Your Strength.  You have promised that You will build your Kingdom and You invite me to participate.  Thankyou for this privilege.  May I never allow my Weaknesses and fears of Threats to hold me back from the Opportunities You want me to grasp so that Your Strength might be evident in my life.

 

In Jesus’ name,   Amen.

 

Sue Otto

 

'Where is my Refuge?'

S -       Psalm 57:1

 

            “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster is passed.”

 

O -       David is expressing his thoughts and fears in the midst of his personal disaster. He is in hiding and is in fear of his life. He seems to know there is not just a need for a physical place to take refuge; there is the need for his soul also to find strength renewal and perspective in a place of refuge. I see it was a time not for him to take action, although he was being encouraged by those around him to do so. It was rather a time not for his human reactions but to halt and let the presence and awareness of God in his situation be both his best and safest response. I feel he knew that if he acted out of his own or others counsel he was going to add to the disaster rather than fix it. He seemed to know the disaster was going to pass, but it was a question of where was the safest place; in his trust and rest in the Lord for a greater wisdom and protection, or in his own actions?

 

A -       How often and easy it is for me to want to take actions in my own personal disasters or in those around me. I feel that if I am not taking some action then I am not being responsible or effective. Yet so many times my actions do not avert or fix the disaster. I have quickly discovered that my own strategies and insights do not take me to a place of refuge. There is only one place that I can continually turn to – that is God’s covering of protection and refuge. This then becomes a place of strength and safety for me. It keeps me safe from my own impulsive reactions and thoughts. It gives me strength as I learn to rely on His promises of protection and power. This refuge builds my faith and reestablishes the Lord’s power and preeminence over any and all disasters.

 

P -       Lord I realize how easy and readily I take refuge in my own ideas and perspectives. Forgive me for the number of times I believe I can solve the issues of my life outside of your wisdom and protection and then miss the safety and blessings of your refuge as I wait for the disaster to pass.

Leaving it all behind

Scripture

Matthew 4:26 “And they left their nets at once and went with him”

 

Observation

When Jesus called these men they dropped everything and followed. Fishing was their life, it was their livelihood, these nets were the very tools that made their income. Yet when Jesus called they dropped them and they went after Jesus. A complete transformation of their future occurred on that day. Peter and Andrew didn’t sneak a little net into their backpacks as guarantees “just in case” it didn’t work out. They left it all behind and followed Christ into an uncertain and an unknown future.

 

Application

Accepting Jesus is easy. Following Jesus is costly. To follow him means I leave behind everything familiar to me. Drop everything I see as valuable and useful and take up a life of uncertainty with an unknown future and just simply follow Christ. I discover that he has all I need and the future he offers is more than I would ever have built by myself. But is starts when I choose to leave behind my “nets” and follow.

 

Prayer

Lord I lay my nets down and follow you. I don’t just call you Lord from within the familiar surroundings and settings of self sufficiency. I choose to lay all of that aside and follow you.

 

Jim Jung

Quick to Obey

 

Scripture:

 

Matthew 3:16  ‘After his baptism, as soon as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God coming down in the form of a dove.

 

 

Observation:

 

Jesus was quick to obey – to do what was right in the sight of his Heavenly Father.  The only sinless man on earth – doing what all sinful men on earth is required to do – obey.  Jesus’ lack of hesitation is the example that I am sure God was pleased.  For as Jesus was quick to obey, the Spirit of God was quick to respond and show his pleasure.  Heavens opened, the form of a dove descending and words of affirmation spoken.

Application:

 

How quick am I to obey God’s commands?  How much do I desire the heavens to open just as quick in response to my obedience and see the Spirit of God?  Yes my desire is to be all he requires me to be.  And yes my expectation of the Spirit of God to quickly come down from an open heaven and speak is what I desire.

 

My obedience to God is paramount – I know it is holding fast.  To stay strong and flinch not.  I need to look up and keep looking up and SEE what my God is saying – for I know that as I look up, keep close to my God, those heavens will open and I also will see the Spirit of God coming down in the form of a dove.

 

Prayer:

 

Lord, my neck is stretched. . . .  my eyes are open.  May my obedience to you be pure and strong and holding fast.

 

I trust you so much.

I rely on you so much.

I want to obey you so much

And I desire you SEE you so much.

 

May I hold fast ‘til you come.

 

Terry B

 

 

True or false?

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:8, 11  Goliath stood & shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called.  “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul……When Saul & the Israelites heard this, they were terrified & deeply shaken.

 

Observation: Goliath was pretty formidable, but it actually wasn’t only that that caused the Israelites to tremble in their boots.  It was their own mindsets, their own belief in what Goliath said to them – that they were just the “servants of Saul”….in other words, pretty unimpressive!  Even Saul himself apparently agreed with Goliath’s view – he certainly wasn’t rushing out to fight the giant!  It took the shepherd boy David to rise to the challenge – not because he was particularly brave, but because he didn’t agree with Goliath’s view that the armies of Israel was just Saul’s servants….David realised that the picture was much bigger than the one Goliath painted.  The armies of Israel were, in fact, the “armies of the living God” (verse 26).  David called Goliath’s bluff.  David knew the truth, & that truth was what he stood on as he faced the enemy.  This was God’s battle, not Saul’s, not David’s.  It took just one small person to see God’s big picture above the “natural’ picture before him for truth to prevail and the victory to follow.  This battle was as much one of truth versus deception as it was giant versus shepherd boy. 

 

Application:  The enemy of my soul still operates the same way today.  He can hinder me as much as I will allow him by my belief in the lies he tries to spin me….that I am pretty puny, that I am without influence or power to change situations, that I am not worth very much compared to whatever “giant” is before me, that I have no hope of victory.  Is that what the Lord says about me?  Of course not!!  Truth be told,  Christ lives in me!!  That gives me a strength far beyond my human puniness.  I have instant access through prayer to the very throne room of Creator God – what greater “influence” or “power” could I possibly ask for?  The Lord tells me I was worth Him dying on a cross to buy me back to Himself.  As for victory….I am MORE than a conqueror through Christ who loved me & gave Himself up for me!!!  Like David, I can stand in God’s truth any time, any place, against any “giant”, knowing that, as I stand on the truth, the lies shrink from giants to midgets.   

 

Prayer:  Thankyou, dear Lord, for the weapon of Your truth which is so mighty against the lies of the enemy designed to make giants out of my difficulties.  Father, help me to promptly recognise this ploy of the enemy & run to defeat the giants as David did Goliath, rather than trembling in my boots as I listen to the enemy’s taunts.

 

In Jesus’ name,  Amen

 

Sue Otto

'No Hiding Places'

 

 

S –    1 Samuel 10:20

 

“When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri's clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage."

 

 

O -    In this scripture I see the account of how Saul was chosen by God to fulfill the people’s answer for a King. In the natural Saul was a stand out, tall and no doubt brave. However when it came time for him to step forward and respond to the anointing to be king, he was no where to be found. He is hiding among the baggage. No doubt his inadequacies, his inner fears maybe his lack of inner preparation took him to the baggage to hide rather than to the response of stepping up to be the King. I see though that God knew where he was and revealed his hiding place, so that he could be found and then to be brought to a proper place.

 

A -    I know if I give in to my inner fears, my inadequacies or my self perceptions it will always take me to a place of hiding. It can be comfortable to hide amongst the baggage of the familiar weaknesses and excuses that I can readily create around my life. Yet I know that I will never step up to be or do what God has for me while I hang on to the baggage as a place of refuge. Like Saul, God wants to come and expose my hiding places for what they are. Wrong places to hide and flee to rather than step into what He has planned and purposed. I know he wants to continually reveal the baggage in my life. Not so that it will condemn me or make me feel inadequate, but rather so that He can unpack it and replace it with gifts and strengths to fulfill a different mission. I need to be open to His identifying my baggage and allow Him to unpack it.

 

 

P -    Lord I thank you that you come to my hiding places. I thank you that you want to expose the baggage in my life and those wrong places I retreat to for my own protection and even solace. Help me to respond always with your courage and strength to whatever you have for me and not to be found hiding.

 

 

DEFENDED, RICH & STRONG

 

 

Scripture:   Psalm 72.12

 

‘He will take care of the helpless and poor when they cry to him, for they have no one else to defend them.

 

Observation:

 

David has been both rich and poor – both strong and helpless.  David has hidden in caves from his enemies, crying in sheer terror and abandonment for help – to be rescued and delivered.   His integrity was high.  He would not kill the man who wanted to end his life, King Saul and even grieved when he heard that Saul actually did die. God rescued and delivered David and he became King – rich and strong. 

 

God was his defender.  He only needed God has his defender – no one else compares.

 

Application:

 

My God takes care of me.  My helpless and poor state is OK.  I grasp onto the comfort that He will take care of those that are helpless and poor when they cry out to Him.  That’s me – I want to be there. I don’t desire to be strong and independent with a ‘I don’t; need anyone’ mentality – ‘Leave me alone – I will work it out for myself’.  It won’t get me any Brownie points. 

 

My cry – I know – goes straight to my Rescuer, my Comforter, my Defender.  My God will take care of ME.

 

Prayer:

 

All my groanings and crying out . . . . . . . I know you hear.  You are my Defender – no one else compares.  My enemies I leave in your care, my concerns I leave in your care.  My life I leave in your care – I desire to be no-where else but under your wing.  And as helpless and poor as I seem, I know you transform me to be strong and rich – an overcomer. 

 

My head is held high – I am defended and loved.

 

 

Hidden Pathways

Scripture

Ps 77: 19 “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters – a pathway no-one knew was there”.

 

Observation

Roads don’t go through oceans and pathways don’t meander through raging rivers. But God saw beyond the physical barriers and impediments – He saw an escape route for His people – a pathway no-one realised was there. How often do we baulk at the first sign of impossibility thinking or physical encumbrance? The road forward often is littered with debris that appears unmoveable yet God has prepared a way through on pathways we cannot see with our natural eyes or senses. They are pathways of faith – pathways no-one knows are there – but the One in whom our faith exists – God knows they are there.

 

Application

How often do I rationalise and posture myself before the unpassable issues in my life and allow defeatist attitudes to wrack my thinking? Habits, attitudes, emotions, motives all form at times oceans and raging rivers of impassable barriers that I so quickly capitulate to. My trust and faith in God needs to allow me to believe that He hasn’t led me up the garden path to a dead end but that a pathway exists – I just haven’t seen it yet. This is where faith and trust come in. He hasn’t forsaken me – He has led me to the site of a miracle and He asks me to step onto a hidden pathway that He created for me to walk upon.

 

Prayer

Lord, how humbled I am at this word. So often I doubt yet when I lift up my eyes to you, you reveal pathways that lead me to life. Thank you.

 

Jim Jung

About to burst!!

Scripture:  Psalm 89:1 & 2 “I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever!  Young & old will hear of your faithfulness.  Your unfailing love will last forever.  Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens”

 

Observation:   The psalmist appears about to burst, so full is he of praise for his God whose love is SO unfailing & whose faithfulness is SO enduring.  Unfailing & enduring are superlatives in their own right, yet it seems the psalmist just has to try to get out even more descriptively how amazing – awesome-incredible is his God!!  He is bursting at the seams.  The only way to express his response to this amazing God is to tell all and sundry – young & old – about Him!!

 

Application:  My God is the same God as the psalmist’s!!  My response can be no less than his!  I, too, must surely be filled with His praises for the mighty things He has done, for His wonderful faithfulness & enduring love!  I, too, must sing of His love forever, I must share His incredible love & faithfulness with all & sundry – young & old- around me!  This is but a side-effect of realising just how amazing He is!!....and just how blessed I am!!

 

Prayer:  Dearest Heavenly Father,  I thank you for the  incredible unfailing love and enduring faithfulness that You have shown to me through Your Son.  To think that you, Creator of the Heavens & the earth, would stoop to walk on this earth as a man & die for me is just too amazing!!  I wonder what the psalmist who wrote this psalm would have made of that fact had he known it ….I think he actually WOULD have burst!!!   Lord, forgive me for almost taking You for granted sometimes.  May my thankfulness never grow cool and stale, but, like the Psalmist, may I continue to be fired by the truths in your Word to continually be filled to bursting and overflowing to others with Your unfailing love& enduring faithfulness.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen

 

Sue Otto

Trust

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 1:9-10

We expected to die.. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. And He did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us.

Observation:

Learning to rely on God mostly comes through terrible times, when all of my own strength is gone and I have to depend and rely on God. Even when I think I’m at the end of my rope God is waiting for the “I trust You” call. Discovering the confidence that God will take care of me in difficult times is comforting, but the process of that discovery is often difficult.

Application:

I read these words and know this to be true, but until I discover this truth for my self it’s difficult to implement “Trust” this comes when I have nothing else to do, but once it’s learned what trust is all about it’s much easy to go there earlier in troubled times than in the past.

Prayer:

Father my trust is in You that You will always be there at the most difficult times, I trust you to speak into my life and give me words of wisdom. I am confident that you are always watching over me, giving me every blessing as I grow and follow your word.. Amen

Stephen Hutchison

Scripture

1 Corinthians 16:13,14

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Do everything in love.

Observation

To keep your eyes open, noticing everything, all that go’s in and out of my life, in and out of our church. To be on guard, watch, be vigilant for attacks from the enemy, and be on watch for where possible attacks could come from. Standing firm in faith, knowing what is from God and what is not. Standing against what is not from him. Sometimes this requires standing and being courageous, in prayer and in actions. Greatest of all our actions, our motivation must come from the love we have through Jesus and not offer our own backs.

Application

To be on guard is full time alert, not just checking every now and again. The enemy is sneaky and knows how easily distracted we can get. We need to be focused, on the ball. To look with not only natural eyes but with spiritual eyes; ask the Lord, he will show you. The more you see, the quicker you will be able to see planning of an attack and boldly stand against it, to be strong in the faith you have in Christ Jesus. There is no need to mouth off to others what you have done, just act as the Lord has told you. In this show love, do it with the right heart, which is hard, really hard sometimes. I need to look at it from God’s heart and not my own.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for opening my eyes to see what is from you and what is not. Help me to be on guard, l need your strength, to guide me, to be courage and to be an example of your love through me. In Jesus Name Amen.

Candice Pleiter