Tag: Saul

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A Psalm of Praise

Psalm 18 I doubt any of us have faced enemies as King David did. The OT graphically portrays those who hated David and sought to kill him. As I said, I doubt few of us have faced such vengeance and hatred. These attitudes and behaviors come out of the pit of hell and are encouraged by the enemy, Satan. We saw it in the first family when Cain killed his brother Abel and now in the psalm we see it in the life of Saul. How do you face such enemies? You do it by looking for and praising the God who is sovereign and in control of our every waking moment even when we do not understand what is taking place. Instead of saying why me, say instead as David did: I love you, Lord, my source of strength! 

It is God’s strength that will carry us through the deepest trials of life. We pay attention to the circumstances around us and see that in Him we are safe, for He is our refuge. We do it when we cry out to the Lord and seek His face both in the ongoing circumstances and in the future when it has all passed. 

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The Power of the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is a changer of lives

Acts 9 The Conversion of Saul

As we read this story, we are drawn back to Jn 16:2 and the words of Jesus “They will put you out of the synagogue,…the one who kills you will think “they are” offering service to God.” Before this, the religious leaders did not think twice and plotted to kill Jesus and later Lazarus. As the Jews heard Saul share his conversion, they too plotted to kill him.  Is this any different than today? No, the unbelievers often do the same. The irony is that not one of them sees this as breaking the commandment: “thou shalt not kill.” Satan is a master of not only disguise but a master of lies. “Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature because he is a liar and the father of lies.”  [Jn 8:44] Satan’s one desire is to blind “the minds of those who do not believe so they [and you] would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” [2Cor 4:4]

How easily we are duped or hoodwinked! Yet, the conversion of Saul is a testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit. He alone can change our thinking, our relationship to God, and our way of life.

How has the Holy Spirit changed your life?

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Our Invisible Shield

psalm 31 8 invislbe shield2aTeaching 6th graders has been so exhilarating! Each week we get to know these kids better and better and it is exciting to see how much they retain. But the grandest gift of all is when they leave saying ‘I can’t wait to hear what happens next.” Smile, Smile, Smile on these teacher’s faces! Last week as we walked through Acts 22-23 with Paul we really saw the truth of an invisible shield about him when the whole world was in an uproar just because he said he was going to take the gospel to the Gentiles! Yet, God in His way protected Paul step by step because as He said: “you are going to  Rome to testify of me.”

Have you ever experienced God’s invisible shield? David did. In Psalm 31-33 we find one word repeated. Like an echo, we hear “protector.”  He certainly could look back over his life and see instances where God lovingly covered over him in and from danger. In Saul’s palace, God placed his invisible shield to protect David when Saul threw his spear at him. Or again as Saul entered the cave and David could have taken Saul’s life but God’s invisible shield protected him from committing sin.

Obviously, David, as the author, realizes he has been seeking shelter from King Saul. Only God could put His invisible shield about him to blind the eyes of Saul and give David peace in the midst of the storm.

We wonder how often David stood out in the open overlooking the hills of Judea, looking for Saul as his enemy to surface. In those times he shares “you do not deliver me from the power of the enemy, instead “you enable me to stand in a wide open place.” Although vulnerable, God had his invisible shield about him and he sensed that presence.

Stop here and think, where did you see or “feel” God’s invisible shield about you recently? Did you stop and say thank you God for protecting me? Did you or would you share your experience below?

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How do stories like God killing someone make you feel? Queezy? Sad? God has a lesson for us in how we are to treat him.

1chron 10 to 13 no other goda

1Chron 10-13  These chapters begin and end in the same way: The Lord killed.

The scripture is plain and clear; death is the enemy we all face once and after that the judgment. Thus the sadness of that statement is overwhelming because of the stench of death is what we avoid. We euphemisms like one has passed, gone to a better place and others, but God simply says He killed.  Do you have trouble wrapping your mind around that statement? Like the world, we fail to realize that God is holy and He is the author of life and death.

Why does God kill someone? 

God killed Saul for his unfaithfulness and God killed Uzzah for the same reason. God is jealous and He is holy and we are to treat him as such. Both Saul and Uzzah treated God carelessly. Because Saul failed to listen to the prophet Samuel and failed to listen to God, God eventually quit listening to Saul. In the end, God finally killed him because Saul’s attitude was irreverent.  Because Uzzah had perhaps come too comfortable with the Ark in his home, he failed to remember that the Ark was the very presence of God. When he reached up to touch the Ark, his irreverence was revealed and God killed him.

Do these two stories cause you to be uncomfortable?

Perhaps it is because we, like Uzzah or Saul, have become too comfortable with God.

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Do You Know How to Face Goliath?

Psalm 73 one simple stone2AHere’s your sneak preview of the post on https://www.facebook.com/bible.org which will be published on July 27th.

Just as physical waves toss about, the waves of the world try to toss us about. We face the giant Goliath’s that David faced whose “bodies are strong and well fed, arrogance is their necklace, violence is their clothing.”  Goliath thought he had the victory all sewed up but David knew differently. Goliath defied the God of Israel and he tried to intimidate the Living God’s army. We have to be careful that we do not fall into a similar trap called envy. Goliath’s strength was only outward and it took just one stone to bring him down and it only takes the word “JESUS” to bring Satan to his knees.

The Army of God was floundering in the waves of uncertainty. We too can flounder if we try to wear someone else’s armor as Saul wanted David to do. Or, sometimes we flounder when we hear the words “you can’t do it, you are too young” or the XYZ reasons. But, if we sit and ponder God and His plans in the Temple or in His Word we find peace and encouragement. It is there God can and will dispel the arguments of the Goliath’s. It is in the quietness of the sanctuary that Asaph was reminded that one day the destiny of the fool who lives for the moment will find his end before the holiness of the Almighty. In fact, Asaph notes that they will be desolate in a mere moment and terrifying judgments await them. It was in the valley that David told Goliath: “This very day all will know that the Lord will deliver.” [1Sam 17]

Take time to be quiet before the Lord and come away knowing that all you need is one simple stone with this one simple word: “JESUS.”

Just a reminder: See this post on https://www.facebook.com/bible.org on July 27th.

Photo Credit: Brina Blum:Unsplash.com  + Author’s Caption

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Meeting Jesus on a Dusty Road

acts 9 saul meets J+2One day in the teaching ministry of Jesus, he told a parable about a Pharisee and a Publican to illustrate the truth of those who were confident in their own righteousness while they looked down on others. In much the same way, Saul, whom we meet in Acts 9 is a picture of that Pharisee.  His prayers might have sounded just like the Pharisee: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people:” …in addition, God I thank you I am not one of those followers of that Jesus pretender. And so with that mindset, Saul set out to murder the Lord’s disciples not only in Jerusalem but also in Damascus. But unbeknownst to the high priest and Saul, God had a different plan. He needed a Jew who was a scholar, fluent in both Greek and Aramaic, knowledgeable in the Torah and the Prophets. Who better to fit that bill than Saul! Clearly, Saul must have overlooked Is 55 “my ways are higher than yours, and my plans are superior to yours.”

And so it was on a dusty road that Saul met Jesus first hand and it radically changed his mind, his heart and his lifestyle. He wrote later: “I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung! – that I may gain Christ,”[Phi 3:8] Saul, soon to be Paul, now picked up where the martyred Stephen left off unapologetically proving Jesus is the Christ.

Beware lest you think like Saul—Jesus may meet you and your life will be forever changed.

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The True 007 Stands Up!

ImageIf anyone could write a novel of real life as a 007 agent it is King David. His life of hair breadth escapes reads like a James Bond novel and Psalm 54 fits in perfectly with the plot line. If you are a fan of James Bond, you know that he often escapes with finesse and clever tactics, thanks to cinematography, and you walk away with your heart palpitating. David lived it in real life and today’s psalm finds him seeking a respite as he had done previously near the camp of the Ziphites, who were in fact blood relatives. However, they are the Judas Iscariot’s of the OT as they betray and double-cross on more than one occasion revealing to Saul where David is hidden. Chapters 1Samuel 23 and 26 is a record if you care to read it and see the true 007 in action.

This is the backdrop and prominent theme in Psalm 54. Our true 007 did not trust in harrowing car chases but instead as he wandered from oasis to oasis learned to trust God (Elohim—Creator who interacts and reveals Himself to His creation, one who has sovereign authority over all). David voiced his prayer to Elohim and asked him for deliverance in vs 1-3 and in vs 4-6 records his thankfulness for having his prayers heard.

Vs 1: O God deliver me by your name. God’s Name is strong and powerful; by His Name He brought creation into existence and by His Name He continues to reveal Himself. “For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen,”[Rom 1] Paul reminded us in Ephesians 6 to: “be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power.”

Vs 2 O God, listen to my prayer. God hears and responds to those whose heart is perfectly aligned with him. Pro 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

Vs 4 Look, God is my deliverer! God, Elohim is the only one who has the power to deliver when we are in dire circumstances. David trusted that God “is” that he is currently and always will be. Secondly that according to his character he will deliver. Deliverer is “’azar” and carries with it the meaning of one who helps or supports.

Vs 7 Surely, he (Adonai = Lord- master) rescues me from all trouble. The confidence that David had in this challenging time is seen in this last verse. Pro 3:26 for the Lord will be the source of your confidence, and he will guard your foot from being caught in a trap. Where is your confidence this day?

You may not be living a life as a 007 agent but your life may be just as Paul described in Ephesians 6
“a struggle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” In whom do you put your trust for deliverance when the roaring lion roves about seeking whom he may devour?

 

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