May 7 - Tough Love

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 13,14; Matthew 24

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
We can’t let our children play hookey
from the school of hard knocks! 

Yesterday we talked about good friends who care so deeply for us that they are willing to challenge us when we go astray. Parents should fall into that category. The problem is, who doesn’t want to be the “cool” parents, the ones who are so chill that the kids want to invite their friends over. But to properly guide your children in the way they should go (Prov. 22:6), we will soon discover they don’t always want to go that way. The resulting clash of wills often ends with the child, or teenager, saying “I hate you!” That is not cool.

Tough love hurts everyone involved. I remember teaching my daughter’s Ladies Bible Study group about spiritual gifts. All of them were young mothers, and many of them had the gift of mercy. They instinctively wanted to alleviate their child’s pain, and if they were brave enough to try tough love, their own sensitive hearts would break when the child lashed out.

King David had a sensitive heart too (study his psalms and you’ll know that’s true). He also had a troubled family life, with too many competitive wives and lots of competitive children (1 Chron. 3:1-9). While that was the culture of his day, (and particularly true of kings), it was never God’s plan. He designed marriage with one man and one woman in mind (Gen. 2:24). While it is unfair to always blame parents when their children make bad decisions, we do get a sense that David pampered his kids. He certainly avoided confrontation with them over bad behaviour (eg. Adonijah – 1 Kings 1:6). The result - Amnon rapes his half-sister Tamar; her brother, Absalom, has Amnon killed, sleeps with his dad’s concubines, and then tries to usurp his throne; later Adonijah tries the same thing. Can you say “dysfunctional”?

David became stronger in his faith as he went through adversity. But his children played hookey from the school of hard knocks. Like David, if we coddle, appease, and excuse our kids, they can become spoiled and entitled. The judgments prophesied in Matthew 24 shows us that God is not afraid of attaching consequences to sinful behaviour. “Lord, help me to love my children and grandchildren the way you do, even in those tough moments when they may not love me back!”

May 6 - You Are the Man

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 11,12; Psalms 51; Matthew 23

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
Those who really care about us
will risk offence to make us better. 

“You are the man!” - everyone wants to hear those words (well, maybe not women). It’s even better in street slang – “You da man!” If you’re wondering where that phrase originated, it predates all the movies, posters, and rap songs that have recently urbanized it. King David heard it over 3.000 years ago from his bro Nathan. But he didn’t hear it as affirmation; it was actually an accusation.

That’s not the version we want to hear, but sometimes it’s what we need to hear. Faithful are the wounds of a friend (Prov. 27:6a). Insecure people tend to surround themselves with Chesters (check out the dogs, Chester and Spike, of Looney Tunes on youtube). Friends who constantly flatter us are usually looking out for themselves. They’re working us! They speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage (Jude 1:16b). Solomon wisely said, in the end, serious reprimand is appreciated far more than bootlicking flattery (Prov. 28:23 MSG).

Those who really care about us will risk offence to make us better (Jesus confronting the religious rulers is a prime example - Matt. 23). David was a godly man who had lost his way. It’s likely he was burned out by the demands of leading a nation. That might be the reason he stayed home instead of leading his army like he usually did (11:1). Clearly his behaviour - lustful thoughts, adultery, deception, murder - was a drastic departure from his well-earned reputation of integrity. Nathan knew the real David, having served him for almost a decade, and he cared enough to intervene.

Notice that “the Lord sent Nathan” (12:1). Notice also the prayerful and thoughtful way he confronted David. By telling the story of the rich man who stole a poor man’s sheep, he helped David see for himself the sin behind his actions. When David repented, his friend reassured him, “the Lord has taken away your sin” (12:12). David’s beautiful prayer of repentance has become a model for us to follow when we blow it. We can’t hide, we can’t deflect blame, or make excuses. We simply need to admit our sin and ask God for mercy. Restoring our relationship with God is more important than anything else at that moment.

David’s prayer is mine today, because sometimes, I am that man: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you (Psa. 51:10-12).

May 5 - The Desires of Your Heart

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 20; Psalms 20; Matthew 22

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

 When God promised to give us the desires of our hearts He was promising to give us His desires!

Today is my son’s birthday and I’m actually home to enjoy it, although ironically Greg is away in Vista, California! From 1987 until 2013, I would miss his birthday (and Mother’s Day - sorry Jan!) while on the road with PLBC tour teams. Those two things were on my mind as I read the Bible today. When I read, May he give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed (Psa. 20:4), I thought of Greg making a lot of important life decisions right now. And I thought of life on the road, and how it illustrates real life.

Life, like college tours, is a journey. The destinations along the way may be exciting (we would often visit Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Niagara Falls, New York - oh, and the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota!). But because our ultimate destination is Heaven, life on this planet is more about the journey and making sure we keep our final goal in mind. That should affect every decision, the plans we make, and the desires behind those plans.

When David wrote this Psalm, I’m sure he was thinking of the daily decisions he had to make as King of Israel. We see from our other readings today that he was busy fighting battles and keeping his people safe from enemy oppression. He tells us why he was successful: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God (20:7). His army was often out-numbered, surrounded by multiple nations conspiring against him, but God, time after time, would miraculously intervene.

I believe the secret for God’s blessing is found in this psalm. When David asked God to give him the desires of his heart, he was not talking about blessing his own human desires - he was asking God to give him His desires (note the capital “H”). David was called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). He was known for consulting God before every decision, at every turn in the road, before proceeding any further in his life’s journey.

“Lord, You said that I am to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind (Mat. 22:38,39). I pray for myself and for my son on his birthday, that You would give us Your desires for every decision we make on the road ahead!”

May 4 - Justice and Mercy

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 8,9; 1 Chronicles 18,19; Matthew 21

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 Our God is consistently just and also
consistently merciful! 

Sometimes it’s hard to understand holy wars in the Old Testament and God’s righteous wrath in the New Testament. Our readings today have both, but, in each case, they are tempered with gripping illustrations of God’s tender mercies. How can these two godly qualities, justice and mercy, co-exist?

God’s blessing of David and Israel, the nation he governed, included victories in battle. It’s difficult for a pacifist like me (I’ve never really been in a fight, not counting siblings) to understand the bloodshed among the armies that opposed David. I have to remind myself that these nations, and the individuals within them, had the opportunity to make the God of Israel their God. Some did and, because of God’s mercy, were spared judgment. But the ones who defied God faced the promised consequences of their defiance. 

Yet, right in the middle of these accounts of God’s judgment executed by His appointed leader, King David, is this moving story of David and Mephibosheth. Wanting to honour the memory of his friend, Jonathan, David extends kindness to his last remaining heir. Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, was often overlooked because of his crippled feet. But David does not dismiss him. Instead he offers him all of Saul’s estate and invites him to become an honourary member of the King’s family, including all family dinners. Mephibosheth is shocked by the King’s kindness, especially since his grandfather was David’s mortal enemy: What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me? (9:7,8). What an amazing picture of God, our King, noticing you and I, despite our brokenness, and inviting us to be part of His family and joint heirs in His Kingdom!

While the Old Testament often portrays God’s judgment and wrath, Jesus, in the New Testament, often shows us His mercy and grace. But today’s reading reveals that Jesus is not some milk-toast hippy pacifist, as some would like Him to be. Here He is riding into Jerusalem as King, commanding the praise of His followers. Shortly after that, He is seen overturning tables and driving money changers out of the Temple. Follow that with a cursed fig tree and some pointed parables condemning the religious rulers and you have some glimpses into God’s righteous wrath. But remember that in less than a week’s time, Jesus, God’s only real Son, will be taking God’s judgment upon Himself, extending to all of us His incredible mercy and grace. “Lord, I acknowledge that You are consistently just, and that my sins must be paid for. But I am deeply grateful that You are also consistently merciful, and that You personally paid the wages of my sin with Your own life.”

May 3 - Attitude of Gratitude

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17 ; Psalms 2; Matthew 20

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 If you want to be great, learn to lay down your lives
and serve others, not yourselves.

Those who have heard me teach or preach often, know that I have one favourite theme, one string on my guitar – it’s the “A” string, and it stands for “Attitude.” I see that topic in almost everything I hear, watch, or read, particularly when I study God’s Word. Attitude seems to be important to Him as well!

The parables and interactions of Jesus in our NT reading today seem random, but a theme of attitude emerges in each story. The parable of the vineyard challenges our sense of fairness when those who worked for an hour earned the same as those who worked all day. But the owner delivered on His promise to all of them (20:1-16). Some will come into eternal life with minutes to spare (like the thief who repented on the cross beside Jesus) while others have served God their whole lives. The reward is the same, Jesus paid for it with His life, none of us deserve it, and our only response should be gratitude.

After teaching His disciples this parable and then explaining His plan to pay their wages with His own life (20:17-19), can you imagine how Jesus felt when he heard from the mother of James and John (they were called the Sons of Thunder so I guess she was Mrs. Thunder!)? She asked Jesus for preferred seating, power positions, for her boys in His coming kingdom. Jesus patiently reminded her and all the disciples of His example - if you want to be great, learn to lay down your lives and serve others, not yourselves (20:20-28).

Next, they met two blind men on the road outside of Jericho, who, unlike the disciples sometimes, had exactly the right attitude. Because of their desperate need, their approach was perfect: Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us! They knew they had nothing to offer but their need and their gratitude for anything they would receive.

Our OT readings show us the attitude of this same David, the ancestor and foreshadow of Jesus, the Messiah. After hearing of God’s promise of protection and prosperity for him and his family, this is how David responded: Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?....O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant” (2 Sam. 7:18,28; 1 Chron. 17:16,26).

My prayer today is like David’s: “Lord, I deserve nothing, yet You have given me everything I need, freely by Your grace alone. When we combine “grace” with “attitude” we get “gratitude” - all I can do is say, thank You!”

May 2 - Jesus “Needles” His Disciples

Read today’s texts first: 1 Chronicles 16; Psalms 106; Matthew 19

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 If we want to follow Jesus into eternity,
we must be willing to leave everything else behind.

One of the more controversial conversations of Jesus ended with this statement: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (19:24). The person on the other end of this discussion was a sincere young man who simply wanted to know how to receive eternal life. He had kept God’s commandments from his youth, but according to Jesus, he also needed to go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me (19:21). After that conversation killer, the young man walked away discouraged because he was very wealthy.

So what did Jesus mean by the camel comment? Some have taught that there was a short gate in the outer wall of Jerusalem called the “Needle’s Eye,” where camels needed to kneel and be unloaded before entering the city of God. While this story beautifully illustrates how we should approach God, it lacks historical support. More likely, Jesus, the Master Teacher, was using a common Jewish teaching technique called hyperbole - exaggeration to make a point. He used it often, like removing a plank from our eye (Mat. 7:3-5) or swallowing a camel (23:24).

The point He was making is the need to love God first, above everyone and everything else. The commands He talked about with the rich ruler covered those which relate to loving our neighbor as ourselves. But when Jesus asked the young man to sell his assets and give to the poor He was questioning whether he loved money more than God. The truth is, if we want to follow Jesus into eternity, we must be willing to leave everything else behind (19:29). That’s what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). The money is not the barrier; it’s the love of money (1 Tim. 6:10). From our OT reading we can see that you can still be rich, as David clearly was, as long as you put God first, as David clearly did.

“Lord, I will seek You first today, setting aside the other things of life I tend to worry about. You reminded me today to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (Mat. 6:33,34).

May 1 - Who Is The Greatest?

  Read today’s texts first: 1 Chronicles 14,15; Psalms 132; Matthew 18

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
We can only be great when we completely
depend on the One who is the greatest!

Muhammad Ali was mentioned in the news recently - on April 28, in 1967, Ali dodged the war draft for religious reasons. A year before his conversion to Islam he said these now famous words: “I must be the greatest. I showed the world. I talk to God every day. I know the real God. I shook up the world, I’m the king of the world. You must listen to me. I am the greatest!”

I’m sorry Ali, but if you knew the real God you wouldn’t have boasted “I am the greatest” and you certainly wouldn’t have embraced Muhammad as your god. Every man worshipped as a god is now dead; every man-made statue once worshipped as a god was never alive. But the one, true God, who created all of us and this world we live in, is not dead. He’s alive and well, and He stands alone as the Greatest!

In our OT reading today, the Philistines learned that the hard way! They had heard about David’s coronation as King and decided to assert themselves, mustering their “full force” against him at Baal Perazim, which ironically means “God has broken through.” The true God did indeed break through and the Philistines were routed. They abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire (14:12). David was consistently successful in battle and in life because he consistently “inquired of the Lord” (14:10,14).

David illustrated what Jesus was saying in our NT reading. The disciples aspired to greatness, as do we (18:1). Unlike Ali, we know God is the greatest, but we still want to be among the greatest in His Kingdom. Jesus responded to them, and to us, by holding a little child and saying, whoever takes the lowly position of this child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (18:4). The great quality of child-like faith is complete trust. Like David, we need to realize we can only be great when we completely depend on the One who is the greatest!

“Lord, You stand alone as the greatest, the real God, the King of the world. Any great plans You have for me depend on how much I will depend on You!”