Here's the passage
Two principles leap out at me while reading this passage:
1) A good opportunity doesn't equate to God's best
2) Don't take out of place what God has put into place
I've heard on countless occasions (and even said myself) when trying to discern God's will that we're to walk through open doors. Good is good, best is better! God has a best in mind. Just because a door is wide open doesn't mean it's right. Remember, prison cells have doors too!
But for David, this seems like a dream come true. He's finally going to be free! It's the perfect opportunity to take over the throne. The army will swoon when they wake to find Saul pinned to the ground with his own spear! They would immediately follow him and finally the rightful king would sit on the throne. There's only one little thing: IT'S AGAINST GOD'S LAW TO MURDER!!!! Why is it so easy to forget that detail?
God's sovereignty is trustworthy. Do you really believe he sees all and knows all? DO you really trust, that in due time, he will be faithful to what he says? David had the perfect opportunity, but he knew not to take out of place what God has put in place. David knew God had put Saul into position, and at any time, he could take him out.
Do we trust God enough to turn over our grievances, our plans for revenge, even our desire to be found right? Do we trust him enough to relinquish our rights? This is the calling each of us have. Are you ready?
Showing posts with label discipline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label discipline. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
SOLO Day 15 – Deuteronomy 6:1-9
I could learn a lot from a deeply committed Jew.
Did you know that for thousands of years there has been such a deep reverence for God's name, Jewish scribes would use a different ink or different pen to write the name of God-because his name is that holy. Often the Israelites refused to even say the name of God, because it was too holy to be uttered. In the giving of the law, every instruction was to be carefully followed, so it makes perfect sense that they would make phylacteries to hold the scripture about their heads and carry prayer shawls. This was the Holy God that brought them out of Egypt. A holy God that made the mountains shake when he met with Moses. A Holy God that would provide manna from the sky and water from a rock. He is big, He is powerful, He is good, He is holy. Their deep reverence and righteous fear is inspiring and beautiful. Their commitment to it runs deep into every fabric of their culture. How cool is that?
But we humans have an amazing way of messing with God's creation. Missing the heart of God in the shema (Attention, Israel! God, our God! God the one and only!), Israel chose to cozy up and worship the rules rather than the Rule-giver. And we do the same thing. We cry out for freedom, yet secretly want rules because then life's black-and-white. So Jesus comes and refers to God as "Abba" or Daddy, to show that God is an approachable, personal, father. He is still Holy and longs for our unbridled reverence and devotion, but he's so much bigger than the rules he's given.
I could learn a lot about devotion and commitment from a deeply committed Jew, and I'm sure you could too. So may you and I learn to hold deep reverence for God and for his word. May we never forget that God is our God! and he is the one and only! And may we know that we can run to him in confidence, knowing him as the Holy, approachable Abba!
Did you know that for thousands of years there has been such a deep reverence for God's name, Jewish scribes would use a different ink or different pen to write the name of God-because his name is that holy. Often the Israelites refused to even say the name of God, because it was too holy to be uttered. In the giving of the law, every instruction was to be carefully followed, so it makes perfect sense that they would make phylacteries to hold the scripture about their heads and carry prayer shawls. This was the Holy God that brought them out of Egypt. A holy God that made the mountains shake when he met with Moses. A Holy God that would provide manna from the sky and water from a rock. He is big, He is powerful, He is good, He is holy. Their deep reverence and righteous fear is inspiring and beautiful. Their commitment to it runs deep into every fabric of their culture. How cool is that?
But we humans have an amazing way of messing with God's creation. Missing the heart of God in the shema (Attention, Israel! God, our God! God the one and only!), Israel chose to cozy up and worship the rules rather than the Rule-giver. And we do the same thing. We cry out for freedom, yet secretly want rules because then life's black-and-white. So Jesus comes and refers to God as "Abba" or Daddy, to show that God is an approachable, personal, father. He is still Holy and longs for our unbridled reverence and devotion, but he's so much bigger than the rules he's given.
I could learn a lot about devotion and commitment from a deeply committed Jew, and I'm sure you could too. So may you and I learn to hold deep reverence for God and for his word. May we never forget that God is our God! and he is the one and only! And may we know that we can run to him in confidence, knowing him as the Holy, approachable Abba!
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