In 2 Samuel 24 God gives King David the opportunity to choose which judgment he would receive for acting in a sinful manner. He could choose a judgment from nature, a judgment from man, or a judgment from God.

David chose to be judged by God. But, why?

Listen to David’s own words: “Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” (2 Sam 24:14) So who do you see as the lenient one…God or your fellows around you? Put differently, from whom have you received more mercy throughout your life? An honest answer to this question just might open our eyes to the fact that God exemplifies mercy and not just judgment. God is fair, yes, but he is also merciful.

The plain fact is that we will all mess up from time to time. The great truth is that mercy is to be found in God and his son Jesus Christ. The next time you find yourself needing to work through the results of a foolish act, take David’s advice and seek God’s judgment rather than human judgment…it just might save your life.

Community Questions:

1. How have you experienced the mercy of God in your life?
2. Do you know someone (or were you someone) who believes that God is vindictive? What are some of the reasons this person offers to substantiate their claim? Are they valid? Why or why not?

Community Questions:

1. Why is it hard to rest during a difficult or tragic season of our life?
2. Have you ever experienced rest from the hand of God? What happened? How did it help?

In 1 Samuel 20 David had promised to show kindness to Jonathan and his family, no matter what. But after Jonathan died in battle it would seem that David could have easily forgotten about his commitment. But that’s not the way David operated. When David found out that Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth was still alive he kept good on his promise. He restored Mephibosheth to a place of honor giving him a place at the king’s table, the home and lands that had belonged to Saul, and servants to work the fields on his behalf. David never intended on leaving his promise to Jonathan unfulfilled.

Obviously the commitment that David made to Jonathan cost him something. It cost him the time to find Mephibosheth. It cost him the land of Saul, it cost him servants, it might have even cost him some respect from those in his court who thought it foolish to bring in a relative of the former king. But keeping his word was more important than the cost David incurred.

So do we take as seriously the promises we make? The promises we’ve made to our spouse or children, co-workers or friends. The promise where only two are privy? The promise made to one who has since passed away? David was not released by death, change of status, or time from the promise he had made to Jonathan. Let’s commit to be people who keep our word no matter how long it takes, how much it costs, or how the situation has changed.

Community Questions:

1. Why is honesty and important character trait of the follower of Christ?
2. Why do you suppose David kept his promise despite the fact that Jonathan was dead?
3. What are good boundaries to place around the promises we make?
4. What are bad reasons to leave a promise unfulfilled?

The Bible is not all riddles and proverbs. Sometimes, as is the case with Psalm 133, it as simple as getting things right with the ones you love.

Well…what are you waiting for?

Community Questions:

1. Have you ever had someone come to you in an effort to make peace? How did things go?
2. Is making peace with someone easy or difficult? Why?
3. What are some suggestions you would give on making peace another?

The Bible tells us that they were numerous and that at the helm were 7 qualified men. These men, the Bible tells us, where brave warriors. They were famous. They were the heads of their families. It would certainly seem as though they had the right skills for success. Yet, there was one problem. The Bible tells us that they were “unfaithful to the God of their fathers and served other gods.” This ultimately led to the exile of the entire tribe.

So come back to your resume for a moment. Are you developing your skills at the price of turning your back on God? If you truly want to be successful pursue righteousness. Make sure your relationship with God is firm. Only when we stand in right relationship with God will we find the true purpose of our skill set. Skills are important, but living in right relationship with God is what really matters.

Community Questions:

1. What are some ways we can make sure that we are focusing on what really matters in our life on a daily basis?

2. What are some examples, Biblical or modern, of individuals who put God before their own “skill” and experienced success?

3. What are some examples, Biblical or modern, of individuals who did not put God before their own “skill” and experienced failure?

David regularly petitioned God to be the one who would fight for him. In Psalm 35 David goes as far as to ask God to pick up arms on his behalf. “…fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me.”

Many of us know God as the “Good Shepherd” but how many us know God as the “Contender”?

If you are a child of God and your faced with a fight you have two options. First, you can fight in your own strength. You can gather an army and wage a war. Or, second, you can plead that God fight for you. You can cry out to the one who is strong enough to defeat any foe. The next time you find yourself in battle I hope you won’t forget that God is both Good Shepherd AND the Great Contender.

Before we finish thought, let’s be clear that God is not a thug for hire. He defends the righteous. If you call on him to deliver vengeance you’ve missed the point. You need to re-read Psalm 35. But if faced with a fight for living in righteousness, call out to God and be sure He will hear.

Community Questions:

1. Why is it difficult to trust that God still fights battles on our behalf even today?
2. What type of men was David asking God to fight off? How should that relate to our requests?
3. What should be are attitude, even as we request God to intercede for us?

En Hakkore is a Hebrew phrase “the spring of the caller” or “the spring of the namer”. As the story goes Samson had just fought with a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey being his only weapon. After gaining the victory he cries out to God because of His great thirst. Judges 15:19 tells us that in response to Samson’s cry God “opened up a hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it.” Only after Samson refreshed himself did he name the spring. Look again at the title Samson gave to the spring…the spring of the one who calls. Or if I can modernize it a bit for us…the spring I called for and got because I asked. Samson was more interested in taking credit for getting God to do what He wanted than he was interested in thanking God for what God had given to him in his time of need.

Before you start harping on Samson stop and consider…do you have an En Hakkore sitting around in your past? When God uses you to accomplish something for the His kingdom are you quick to give Him the credit or do you start spinning a tale of epic adventure that casts yourself as the main character and relegates God into the background?

Today let seek to be men and women who give God the glory for all that he does instead of taking credit for things which we could never do in our own strength.

Community Questions:

1. Can you think of an En Hakkore moment in your life? What happened?
2. What are some ways we can “rename” those events in our past in order to give the glory to God?
3. What are some ways we can avoid naming events in our past after ourselves instead of giving God the glory?

….yeah me too.

Sometimes things that are out of our control keep us from doing what we promise.  We are all subject to “acts of God”…or are we? Joshua 21:45 reveals that God was able to accomplish ever single good promise that He had made to the people of Israel. Every “I promise” was delivered.

Funny thing is “acts of God” really doesn’t apply to “acts of God”.

In other words God is strong enough to do what He says…always! So the next time your eyes fall upon a promise of God in the Bible pause and consider what God is saying, after all He will do what he says.

Community Questions:

1. What is one of your favorite promises in the Bible?
2. What is one promise you need to trust God to deliver on today?

Life and Death.

We really don’t like to talk about matters of life and death, or at least we try and soften our discussion of matter’s of life and death.

“That was a close call.”

“Whew, dodged that bullet.”

“Missed me by that much.”

Deuteronomy 30:11-16 reminds us that sin is always a life and death issue.  Yet if we’re honest we rarely call sin what it is. We use terms like, “little white lie” or “a moment of indiscretion.” I want to challenge us to call sin what it is…the invitation of death and destruction. As we define sin correctly we begin to sharpen the image of the alternative. You see by dulling the reality of sin sometimes we dull the reality of the Christian life. We begin to believe that the Bible is just a bunch of rules that make us moral. This would be true if sin were just simple acts of indiscretion. Yet when we call sin by its true name, death and destruction, we can clarify that to follow God is to invite life and prosperity into our lives.

Today, choose life…life that comes through obedience to the Word of God.

Community Question:

1. What are some ways that you keep the Word of God in front of you as an individual or a family?