A Conflict of interest

Scripture:  1 Kings 11:1a, 4 “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women……..In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been.”

 

Observation:  Even wise King Solomon displayed the greatest foolishness at the end of his days…..yet this foolishness started early in his reign, when he married the daughter of Pharaoh & thought to keep her separate from the things of God (2 Chronicles 8:11).  Serving the Lord wholeheartedly means that every part of our lives is dedicated to Him – Solomon thought he could keep his foreign wives & his faith in the Lord separated – but, as God’s appointed & anointed King, nothing pertaining to Solomon could be kept “separate” from  the Lord & His ways.  Instead, Solomon set up a “conflict of interest” for his heart – the Lord or the women he loved.  It was a battle that even wise Solomon’s heart could not withstand.  “For where your treasure is, there  your heart will be also “(Matt 6:21).  It was a battle that he clearly lost – not just for himself, but at the expense of the Kingdom’s future.

 

Application:  If even wise Solomon could be deceived in this area, how much more can I?  The warning here is clear -  where is my treasure?  Do I seek FIRST the Kingdom of God?  I cannot be half-hearted in my devotion to my Lord & His ways, or in my conduct as a result.  Nothing pertaining to me & my life can be effectively separated from the Lord.   If I attempt to do that, I am simply setting up a conflict of interest for my heart – a conflict that could easily pull me away from my source of life and hope into a life of disobedience, the consequences of which could even have ramifications for those who come after me!

 

Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, Thankyou for Your warning through Solomon’s example that whole hearted means just that – and that anything less just causes difficulties further down the track!  I boldly pray for a wisdom that even Solomon didn’t display - to recognize  when my heart is starting to experience any sort of conflict of interest with regard to treasuring other things above You and Your ways, and to choose You every time.  In Jesus’ name I ask this  Amen.

 

Sue Otto

A compelling obligation

Scripture

Romans 1:14 “For I have an obligation to all peoples, to the civilized and to the savage, to the educated and to the ignorant”.

 

Observation

As an Ambassador for Christ, Paul understood that his destination and connection wasn’t always of his own choosing. He had an obligation to carry out the message of the kingdom he represented – God’s kingdom. Therefore it didn’t matter whether he stood before kings or parliaments, or peasants and townspeople he was there to proclaim the message on behalf of Christ. This obligation was a compelling one that he could not ignore if he was to continue to work for Christ. It drove him to go wherever he was called to attend next regardless of the risk, sensibility or even popularity.

 

Application

I need to ensure I clearly understand who I work for. I don’t just work for a church in a local suburb. I understand that is where I have responsibilities and expectations to fulfil; I even have obligations to an employer there. But as a Christian I represent Christ as an Ambassador of the kingdom my Christianity has come to me from. I work for and on behalf of Christ. I have an obligation therefore to all peoples, civilized, savage, educated and ignorant. My task is to obediently go wherever Christ calls me to go.

 

Prayer

Father in heaven I humbly submit again my life and its actions to you, as my God and my Redeemer. Though I am very weak and my inabilities far outweigh my abilities you continue to send me as your Ambassador into the world I live. I often question your choice of placement for me but I submit to your wisdom and find myself with a compelling obligation to fulfil the mission to which you send me. Grant me ongoing wisdom, courage and strength to ensure I carry out my duties in accordance to your standards. Thankyou for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and presence in my life. May I represent you well always. Amen.

 

Jim Jung

A statement of purpose

Scripture

Psalm 101:2-4  I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before my eyes. I have hated the work of those who turn aside; it shall not hold on to me. A perverse heart will depart from me; I will not know the wicked.

 

Observation

The psalmist makes certain that he has separated himself from the wicked ways of men! He covers all bases of the depravities that lay before him as temptations. He even says that he will not associate with those who will draw him away from the things of the Lord. He chooses to follow these paths even though it may cost him as he separates himself from the things he knows are incongruent with the ways of the Lord.

 

Application

This statement of purpose should become my daily startup. Behaving wisely, having a perfect heart attitude, nothing I look at will draw me away from righteousness, no entertainment of quitting, clean thoughts and words and association with people who influence my life toward a godly attitude. That’s what the psalmist is shouting into my life today. Set this up as your purpose statement for today.

 

Prayer

Lord, thank you for your word to me today. May this purpose statement be declared over my life like a song that wafts through all of my senses and focuses my day. Help me to live as you have called me to every moment of my existence.

 

Jim Jung

'Owner or Steward'

S – 1 Chronicles 21: 3

 

‘But Joab replied ‘May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over – my lord the King are they not all my Lords subjects? – Why does my Lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?

 

O – Joab asks David three important questions – these three questions were directed to his proposed actions which eventually brought the three options of consequence from the Lord. David no doubt thought his motivation to census the troops was a strategic one. Yet Joab saw that these three actions were wrong both in his motivation and how they would be viewed before the Lord. Maybe David’s action was prompted by fear, insecurity a sense of his own confidence in the physical nos. around him. Joab questions though nailed the issue. David appears to have assumed ownership of the men, their resources and abilities, rather than see himself as a steward of what belonged to the Lord. Joab sees this and tries to warn him, knowing that it would have consequences on the Nation.

 

A – There is a subtle but nonetheless consequential line in crossing the difference between being a faithful steward and an owner. I can never forget that the things entrusted to me belong to the lord and I am responsible to Steward and to take or assume ownership. David in his action took the fighting men out of God’s hands and in doing so removed them from God’s blessing and power. When I take ownership I then replace what God is able to do with my own weakness and limitation. What belongs to the Lord he blesses and protects. When I take ownership in attitude, language and actions I move from being a steward to an owner.

 

P – Lord, forgive me when I default to thinking and behaving as an owner of the things entrusted to me. Everything belongs to you – let me only put my hand to it as an entrusted steward.

'Wrong place at the wrong time.'

S – 2 Samuel 11; 1

 

‘In the spring at the time when Kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the Kings men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.’

 

O – No doubt David never contemplated what the outcome would be in his life when he chose to remain in Jerusalem. He missed the season of warfare irrespective of what the reasons may have been. There was though a strategic season for war but David chose not to be part of it. I wonder what his reasons were. His reasons were no doubt legitimate in his own thinking. I see he was distracted, or decided to stay in a safe place no matter what the reasons. Subsequent events proved his distraction and consequences which almost negated his prophetic purpose and destiny. This was the season for Kings to go to war, not to be distracted for lesser reasons or leave it to others to do the warfare.

 

A - There is a season for warfare and I cannot be complacent in it or leave it to others when the time comes. I know as on of the Kings men this is an area I neglect in my life. I can major on all the other seasons; being blessed, growing, discipling, planting. But there is a season to be in warfare and not to be distracted by safer seasons or to leave it to others. Joab did experience victory in the warfare. I wonder how long David had to live with the consequences of his distractions.  I want to ensure I don’t neglect or miss the season for warfare. Not to allow other distractions or safer seasons to take me from the front line or to leave the fighting to others.

 

P – Lord I don’t want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am part of the ‘Kings Men’ and have a responsibility and given authority to engage in warfare. Forgive me when I allow attitudes and distractions to take me to a different place. Help me to see and know the season for war.