Highlight Verse: ““Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.”” 1 Samuel 23:17 NLT
Well, he was half right.
Jonathan died before he got to be King David’s right-hand-man.
But David did become king.
I’d like to think that Jonathan played a part in that by encouraging David.
Encouragement literally gives courage.
Jonathan believed in David so much that he encouraged David even though he knew that David would take his rightful place.
He put David’s courage and welfare ahead of his own.
I believe God is still rewarding Jonathan for that selfless act.
We would do well to give courage to those around us who need it.
Do you have stories about how encouragement made a world of difference to you? Share them. How can we give courage to those around us?
“But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn.” Genesis 48:14 NLT
I can be a contrary old man sometimes.
True, Jacob was more than twice my age (that would be something else).
But, I’m reaching that point where people allow me to disagree with respect.
I just pray that anytime I feel like I need to disagree with the prevailing opinion, I understand God enough to have a Biblically accurate reason to disagree.
Jacob was close enough to God to see which grandson would flourish more.
And he wasn’t afraid to act on that knowledge.
He did so gently but firmly, continuing to give Joseph the respect due him.
As you grow closer to God, have you had moments when you had to differ from popular opinion to stay true to God’s Word? Were you able to disagree in a way that preserved respect and love for those with whom you disagreed?
“You rule the oceans. You subdue their storm-tossed waves.” Psalms 89:9 NLT
When I lived in the Santa Cruz, CA area, I loved to go out to West Cliff Drive toward Natural Bridges State Park.
I would stand on the cliffs and watch the waves pound so hard, the ground vibrated and the water sprayed higher than the tops of the cliffs.
Despite its plural name, Natural Bridges State Park now only has one natural bridge. One stormy night in 1980, the second, larger bridge collapsed under the constant pounding of the waves.
Every time I went there, I stood in awe when I felt the immense power of the ocean waves overwhelm my senses.
And God created that mighty ocean with a word.
With power that immense, my little problems are no problem at all to God, if I can only trust Him.
What parts of creation inspire you to worship God? How does His amazing power affect the way you see Him?
““In that day,” says the Lord, “when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”” Jeremiah 23:7-8 NLT
Google auto-completes the phrase “as surely as…” with “the Lord lives” and “the sun rises.”
Good to know A.I. has learned from the Bible, even if people forget the events to which Jeremiah refers.
That brings to mind the question, “How would you complete that sentence.”
As surely as (or as sure as) – • The Lord lives. • The sun rises. • Jesus saved me. • Peaches are poison (actually a Google suggestion). • Death and taxes. • Jesus is Lord.
It’s good to know beyond doubt that God lives and He is good!
We all need something solid we can rely on.
There is nothing more certain in my book that the facts that Jesus lives, He loves me, and He saved me.
What are the surest facts in your life? What funny alternatives to this saying have you heard?
“But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.” 1 Samuel 17:34-35 NLT
Today, I’m bringing back what I am currently calling the “In the Garage Series” where I feature a classic car and relate a lesson from the Bible to that car. It’s a car guy thing so my apologies to those who are not into cars.
Today you are looking at a 1968 Plymouth Satellite Station Wagon.
This wasn’t just any Satellite, it was my first car.
I learned to drive in this car.
Normally you would think an American station wagon would be an easy car to learn with.
This one… not so much.
The only thing power on it was the rear window.
That’s right, no power brakes, no power steering.
If that wasn’t enough, it was a 3 speed column shifted manual transmission.
And I learned to drive on the narrow crowded curvy streets of the San Francisco Peninsula.
It took a while but I mastered that beast and felt like I could drive almost anything afterward.
David, as a teenager, drew the short straw and was sent to mind the families sheep.
From today’s verses, that sounds like a challenging job as he had ferocious animals to deal with.
But, with the help of God, he mastered those beasts.
That gave him the confidence he needed to convince Saul he could beat Goliath.
It also gave him the confidence to stand up to Goliath.
That brought freedom to Israel.
I’m not advocating fighting lions and bears or even learning to drive on a difficult car.
I am saying that we shouldn’t always take the easy path.
We especially shouldn’t always offer the easy path to our kids.
A difficult path often offers the greatest gifts.
What have you learned from the hard paths in your life? How have you safely led your children down the more difficult paths?
“When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.” 2 Corinthians 7:5-6 NLT
Have you ever had one of those “But God” moments?
• Everything is going wrong. • The bills pile up. • The kids get sick. • The car dies. • Conflicts arise with family or friends.
But God –
• Brought an encouraging friend. • Provided some unforeseen money. • Brought your family through illness. • Provided a helpful mechanic. • Brought healing to relationships.
All of those “but God” situations have happened to me and then some.
God has brought me through the lowest valleys and celebrated with me on the mountaintops.
I would be a lost and lonely man… but God…!
Have you been through the “but God” situations I listed above? What “but God” situations can you add to the list?
“We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food.” 2 Corinthians 6:5 NLT
This verse always reminds me of the bumper sticker that reads “But did you die?”
When it comes to lengths one takes for the sake of the Gospel, Paul’s answer to that question would be “yes.”
He was all-in.
He gave it all for the sake of the Gospel.
No compromise.
And it can certainly be argued that there has never been a more effective missionary.
I don’t advocate working so hard for the Gospel that you are always exhausted.
Nor should you put yourself in unnecessarily dangerous situations.
But I do recommend following God’s call on your life wholeheartedly and without compromise.
If that brings days of exhaustion and moments of risk,
I believe God will honor and reward that commitment with effective ministry outcomes.
Your life will bear fruit in direct correlation to your level of commitment.
What spiritual fruit have you seen from times of sacrificial commitment? What can we do to increase our level of commitment?
“Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts.” Jeremiah 14:14 NLT
Lies come at us from all directions.
Broadcasters cater their news around ratings and advertisers.
Social media influencers put out whatever gains them views and followers.
Even some pastors shape their messages so they don’t offend, even if that means ignoring sound doctrine.
I’m not going to say it’s worse now than ever.
It might be but this sort of behavior has been going on for thousands of years. Paul spoke of it and here, Jeremiah speaks of it too.
What happens when people ignore outside pressures and speak the Gospel boldly in love, without fear as lead by the Holy Spirit?
Revival!!
That can start today.
If you read this on the day I post it, you can remember to be honest, bold and loving as you share Gospel truth with those you meet at Independence Day gatherings.
In the future, you can follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting whenever you meet people.
Are you ready for revival? Have you seen it? How have you seen it come about?
Walk in the Light 