Sonshine's Journal

Many are the walking dead for how they deny the God of the universe, but there are some who are the walking living for they have found the secret to His favor and blessing. The secret is obedience to His commands and precepts. “Vs 10: To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living;” Simple, profound and true words regarding our responsibility to God for all He has done for us. How does one do this? 

First we must honor Him for from whom comes all life. Secondly, we must endeavor to “faithfully and properly carry out” His precepts. The result is 

That  “all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight.” The result is recorded in Psalm 112 “blessed is the one who obeys the Lord, who takes great delight in keeping his commands.” 

Where are you today in your obedience to Him? Are you experiencing His favor upon your life today? If so do as the psalmist says in all of these chapters: Praise the Lord! If we begin with praise, follow and obey His precepts that will be the way to God’s heart. PHOTO

Today as in years past, we stop and honor those who gave all that we might be free. There will be gatherings at cemeteries and at churches to honor them. King David wrote this lengthy psalm to remind us that as then, so today and in years to come, God sees it all and He alone is to be praised. “ If we were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be.” Those who perished in the fight for freedom knew those words and lived by them. 

Today, stop to honor those who went before us. 

Someone has spoken against you. How do you respond? King David records his feelings and thoughts about them. Although he writes as if he is going to take matters into his own hands, in truth,he is calling upon God who is the God of vengeance. He alone has the authority or means to take care of those who demean us without reason. 

David begins and ends his prayer with praise which is significant because it shows us his true heart. The other words are words of his heart but not of his actions. Sometimes that is just like us. We have been deeply hurt and our thoughts and words echo those hurts but instead of fulfilling our words, we take them to God. There in His holy temple God hears and He responds in accord with the sinners. That is His character and not ours.

Only the NET uses the word adversary. All other translations use “satan.” Why the difference? Here’s what the NET tells us “Many interpreters and translations render the Hebrew שָׂטָן as a proper name here, “Satan” (NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). However, the Hebrew term שָׂטָן, which means “adversary,” is used here without the article. Elsewhere when it appears without the article, it refers to a personal or national adversary in the human sphere, the lone exception being Num 22:22, 32, where the angel of the Lord assumes the role of an adversary to Balaam.”

So what is the truth for us today from this passage? No matter who you are,if you are a believer, know this: Satan is your and my adversary and he will use his tactics to thwart God’s divine plan. There is a warning here for us today. Beware of Satan and his plans.  David did not go to God and ask if he should take a census and often we step out without asking God for His plan for us. Our pride overtakes our vigilance and we find ourselves in the muck and mire of the sin nature that is ours. 

David was a sheepherder and from him we learn much about sheep.For instance in Ps 95 he writes “For he is our God; we are the people of his pasture, the sheep he owns.”  Similarly he writes in the beloved Ps 23 what the Lord, our 

God, is the master sheepherder and He provides all of our needs at the proper moment. He leads us, He comforts us, He protects us from the enemy. 

If today you are wondering how good God is take time to read this chapter and then stop and praise Him as one of His chosen sheep. 

Several readings this morning in 2 Samuel and in Acts 12 and out of that came this verse in 2 Samuel: “but you watch the proud and bring them down.” God was watching King Herod as he stood before that crowd. He saw the heart of Herod and took action. 

In our reading in 2 Samuel we read that David is extolling the victories given to him by the Lord.  “My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, my stronghold,my refuge, my savior” David praised God and gave Him glory! 

Fast forward to the story in Acts 12 where God gave Peter a victory in the middle of the night by sending an angel to release him from the prison, but the king was incensed, blamed and executed the guards. Not too long after King Herod went to Caesarea and it was there that he took God’s glory for himself. [Read the rest of the story in Acts 12] 

God desires that we give Him glory and no other.  He protected David and He protected Peter and both gave God praise! 

Take a moment and share where God has protected you from the evil one. Or, could this be your question: where have I taken God’s glory for myself? God desires humility and giving honor to Him alone! Today give Him honor and glory! 

Engage with David in this psalm. Note how many times he praises God.”Lord, in the morning you will hear me; in the morning I will present my case to you and then wait expectantly for an answer.” 

Each morning as I sit with the scriptures I look for something to guide me through the day and this verse is one that echoes my prayer. My King and my God hears when I awaken and sit before Him. As I pray, I list my requests and then as David says, I will wait expectantly for Him to answer. Sometimes the answer is no, other times it is yes and then sometimes it is wait. The last is the hardest and in my impatience sometimes I echo that prayer again and again. How about you? 

Further the psalmist writes what is on his heart: “as for me, because of your great faithfulness I will enter your house; I will bow down toward your holy temple as I worship you.” In the wee hours of the day I enter my sanctuary of my office, and I do as he did, worship Him. How do you worship? Do you sing? Do you pray? What is the way you worship your King and your God? 

Two examples from real life. When my father died, within the hour my aunt had cleaned out the closet, his dresser and changed the sheets on the bed. I was distraught but her words remind me of what Joab said to David. He is gone, he will not return,  and now it is time to move on. That was one of the hardest and saddest times I have ever experienced. Then again, I have a widowed friend whose life echoes this chapter. Her husband died and yet she kept clinging to his effects for 7 + years. It was as if he stepped out of his office to get a cup of coffee but never returned. His desk, his closet, all of that which were his remained. She could not part with them but finally a dear friend took over and cleaned out the office, his closet and other personal effects.  David acts like this widowed friend. He mourned after Absolam until Joab comes to move him to mourning to acceptance. We all need aunts and friends who help us in our mourning and sometimes it is the hardest step but the most profitable. If David had not gone to the city gate to the people, Joab’s words would be found to be true. The people would not have come alongside David. 

Where are you mourning excessively? What is God saying to you? Remember what David said at the loss of his child with Bathsheba. “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Perhaps the Lord will show pity and the child will live.’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back at this point? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!”[2 Sam 12:22] David seems to have forgotten these words now as he mourned over Absolam. 

In writing this psalm, the author notes: “I do not associate with deceitful men, or consort with those who are dishonest.” [vs 4] The psalmist then is discerning regarding those who seek his association. The NT reminds us to beware of those who come with flowery words but inside are raving wolves. As Jude wrote he witnessed those very same characteristics in the church and thus is one reason he cautioned the attendees to be careful. Here the psalmist wants the reader to know how he is discerning. Two character qualities are noted—deceitfulness and dishonesty. They come across as god-fearing and men of integrity but when their true character exposed we then realize the truth that the prophet Jeremiah tells us about them. Their heart is deceitful, saying one thing but living another. The psalmist notes that these are dishonest both in word and deed. 

We live in a culture that boasts both of these character qualities and thus we must be discerning. Psalm 1 echoes these words and tells us that we are blessed when we do not walk, stand or sit in fellowship with them.  So where do we spend our time? Are we in the company of those whose lives mimic these qualities or ones that proudly lifts up Christ? 

As David wandered the hills looking for a safe place to reside while his errant son was living in luxury in Jerusalem. Absolam was that child and now his true self revealed itself as a murderer and a man of deceit. Amidst this comes Ziba bringing food to David. When asked why he answered with a lie that was not detectable to David. Deceit seems to run in the Davidic kingdom and as the true king, David is oblivious to what is truly happening. How often are we led astray by words of sweetness only to be revealed later as words of deceit. That is the way of our enemy Satan. 

In the midst of all this, two men lead Absalom to trick men into following him and in the end, but it took Joab to bring him to his end. Hearing this news, David mourns openly and loudly as any parent does when their child has gone astray and is killed. 

Howdy

How do we handle deceit, lies and wickedness? How do we handle children who are deceitful? Absalom is a grown man but his heart is like an errant child’s. He cares only for himself and not for his father. He is unrepentant and it will be his undoing.This story teaches us to always seek the face of God in trying times so we do not fall victim to the ways of the enemy.