May 19 - Built to Work

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Kings 4,5; 2 Chronicles 2; Psalms 101; 2 Thessalonians 3

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 If we do what we love and love what we do,
we will never worry about job security! 

When I took almost a year off from regular employment, I developed a renewed passion for work. My parents successfully passed on a strong work ethic to their six kids - maybe too strong. Trying to do three demanding jobs in my mid 60s may have been too much of a good thing for me, but after a needed break I felt fully restored - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Along with new energy, I acquired a new perspective on why we work.

As I was reading today about Solomon’s administration and preparations for the building of the Temple, I noted the emphasis on skilled craftsmen working together. People gained recognition based on their commitment to excellent work. I believe God created us with something to contribute in at least one area of excellence. It usually starts with a passion that can often be noticed at a very early age. I already envision possible career interests for my grand kids (even our youngest Gracie, who would make a great ballerina, model, or circus clown!). There’s always a need to add more knowledge and skills, but if we do what we love and love what we do, we will never worry about job security!

Unfortunately, many young people today pursue certain careers based on how much they pay. When that is the motivation, neither the job nor the money will bring satisfaction. We were created in the image of God and He built us for meaningful work, work that makes a difference in the lives of others. If we work for money, or for ourselves, or to build a nest egg to fund a self-centered retirement, we will become disillusioned and disappointed, guaranteed!

Work is not a curse. Adam and Eve were busy as gardeners before sin made work seem like a drudge (Gen. 3:17-19). When we leave this sin-polluted planet, we will be ruling with Jesus over the new heaven and new earth - that sounds like work! Lazy people (1 Thes. 3:6-12) or TGIF people who work to fund their parties are the real party poopers in life! Real fun and true fulfillment happens when we invest our lives in making a significant contribution to our community.

“Lord, Your Temple, then and now, was and is a collaborative labour of love. You know I want to contribute to building up the church, to do what I love and love what I do!”

May 18 - Integrity or Skill?

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalms 78; 2 Thessalonians 2

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY
Maintaining a balance between skill and integrity is critical. We can never become so good at something that we no longer need God! 

Two observations after a busy time of supervising our energetic grand kids: you won’t always have a regular time for your daily devotions (the realities of life), but the opportunities you get to watch God at work make up for it! The theme of our readings today center around leadership and it has been fun witnessing a natural leader in action, directing the other neighbourhood kids in playing family.

It reminded me of another memorable moment with the grandkids. After returning from their reward at Chuckecheese (the kids had been earning tokens all week long playing Nana’s “good behaviour bingo”), Kaitlyn, who cashed all her tickets in on too much candy, was experiencing an overdose of sugar combined with some God-given charisma. She soon organized the neighbourhood kids into decorating our cul-de-sac with road chalk. While I was sitting in my lounge chair at the end of the driveway, again a little too engrossed in my reading, they soon had my son’s car covered in creative chalk designs. The party quickly changed to a neighbourhood carwash (after my leadership skills kicked in), with my granddaughter encouraging her friends to join her tomorrow in a new carwash business venture.

Asaph’s psalm today alluded to David’s leadership skills, which also started at a young age. David learned as a young boy that practice makes perfect, multi-tasking some target shooting while watching his father’s sheep. He also used that time to make music and write psalms of praise to His God. Those two things, his faith in God and his random slingshot skills, combined for a career-launching encounter with a giant named Goliath. From then on, his “integrity and skill” became the hallmark of his life and 40 year reign over Israel: He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them (78:70-72).

Solomon, David’s son and chosen heir to his throne, had similar integrity and leadership skills: Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great (1:1). What will be interesting to observe in the days ahead is how Solomon’s skills increase while his integrity is weakened through compromise. Maintaining that balance is critical and, unfortunately, very difficult. As leaders hone their natural abilities they can soon forget their need for God’s supernatural help. “Lord, while I know You made me a leader I also know I can only remain a leader with Your help. To continue to make an eternal difference in people’s lives, especially with my kids and grand kids, I need to lead with integrity of heart and skillful hands.”

May 17 - Obey and Live

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Kings 2; 1 Chronicles 29; Psalms 95; 2 Thessalonians 1

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 “Obey your parents [and grandparents]… that you may enjoy long life on the earth” - a promise or a threat?! 

Jan and I take care of our precocious grand kids when their photographer parents travel to destination weddings. I used to invoke the fifth commandment a lot when we were raising our own kids, but by using a little “Hebrew original language” word study I was able to convince them the command applied to us as well: Children, obey your parents [and grandparents]… so that it will go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth (Ex. 20:12; Eph. 6:1-3). It’s said to be the first command with a promise, but when uttered with the right tone of voice, it sounds more like a pretty serious threat!

It does make sense. When I was at a playground with the kids, I noticed the other parents and grandparents were from many different nationalities and socioeconomic backgrounds. Yet it was obvious that they had one thing in common - they all loved their children and wanted to protect them from harm!

Like King David and his farewell speech to his son, Solomon, these parents also want to pass on their collective wisdom to spare their kids from having to learn their lessons the hard way? I had a mini moment like that with Kaitlyn, who I accompanied to the playground washrooms. She rode her scooter into the ladies room but came out without it. Standing by the door, I asked, “forget something?” Her “oops” suggested she knew what I was talking about, but when I heard the water running followed by the hand dryer, I knew she was remembering something else, another good lesson she had been taught. We repeated the process again before the scooter came to mind. Sometimes it’s fun being the older, wiser one!

King David had a lot of life experience to pass on to Solomon. The incentive he offered sounded familiar: So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: walk in obedience to him.... Do this so that you will prosper in all you do and wherever you go (2:2,3). God then blessed Solomon for all that he did to honour his father’s words. Unfortunately the compromises he made later on meant that he would not be as successful in passing on his legacy to his son.

“Lord, I am so grateful for my godly parents and the wise words they passed on to me. As I watch these wonderful children of my children, playing, laughing, making friends, preparing for the harsh world waiting for them, I pray for wisdom for us and their parents and the grace to successfully pass it on, that their days may be long on the earth!”

May 16 - Bubble Boy

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 28; Psalms 91; 1 Thessalonians 5

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 Faith is not the denial of reality,
but the firm belief in a greater reality. 

Our title today was inspired by my wife’s term of “endearment” for me. I have always enjoyed a positive outlook, some think to an extreme. What some call my rose-coloured glasses, I call faith. The bubble Jan thinks I live in is really my shield of protection. I believe everyone can live there, so consider yourself invited.

David understood God’s protection. He started out his career running for his life, pursued by his predecessor, King Saul. His career came full circle with his successors trying to usurp his throne, beginning with Absalom, and now in today’s reading, ending with Adonijah. So David was not oblivious to the troubles that surrounded him. In fact, many of his psalms start off with a review of his calamities, but they often end with praise for the safety he always felt in God’s presence.

Look at the confession of my fellow bubble boy in today’s psalm:  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust”.... If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord , who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways (91:1,2,9-11).

When we are walking with God, we really have nothing to worry about. Everything that happens to us is under His control and is always for our good, whether it feels that way or not. That’s the faith part - not denial of reality, but embracing a greater reality. The worse thing that can happen to us, death, is actually the best thing that could happen to us, as we are immediately transported to be with Jesus in Paradise!

“Lord, my praise to You today centers on the promise found in my other reading: But let us who live in the light think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing (5:8-11).”

PS. To all my readers: Welcome to my bubble!

May 15 - David the Worship Leader

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Chronicles 25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY

 King David’s worship was current with his day,
just as ours should be.

One of my favourite things to do in church, or anywhere for that matter, is worship God. I especially love worshipping through music and I’ve had the privilege of leading worship for most of my ministry life. That may be one of the reasons I’ve always felt such an affinity with David, who clearly had the same passion.

Today we read about the 288 musicians who were assigned by David to lead Israel into the presence of God through music (25:7). Apparently, as if David wasn’t busy enough, he also made the instruments they played (or at least had them made - 2 Chron. 7:6). If that isn’t convincing enough, then perhaps the psalms he wrote (78 of the 150 included in Scripture) prove David’s obvious passion for musical worship.

While studying and teaching about worship, I noticed many books on worship refer to David. Some from the “restoration theology” camp think that we should restore a type of Davidic worship in the church today. They support their idea with an obscure reference to restoring David’s tabernacle (Acts 15:16). The point James was making to the Jerusalem Council was that the Gentiles need to be included in the church and in their public worship.

Ironically, when we try to bring a 3000 year old worship style into today’s church, we alienate the unchurched (the Gentiles of our day) and actually undermine the Great Commission. To be intentionally missional we need to communicate the gospel and express worship in meaningful and relevant ways. Singing Jewish songs, dancing with flowing robes, and waving banners may be a novelty for Christians but it is generally irrelevant and unattractive to our neighbours. King David’s worship was current with his day, just as ours should be.

“Lord, thank You for the gift of music. You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel' (Psa. 22:3). I become even more aware of Your presence and Lordship in my life when I sing Your praises.”

May 14 - The Place of Sacrifice

Read today’s texts first: 1 Chronicles 22-24; 1 Thessalonians 3

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
The very humility God requires of us
comes natural to Him. 

It took almost 1000 years from the early beginnings of God’s people, Israel, before they finally built Him a temple. It seems the very humility God requires of us comes natural to Him. The Creator of all that we see, on earth and in the heavens, has every reason to be proud and demanding. Yet He waited and waited, content to live in a tent with no fixed address. He waited until His people were settled peacefully in the land He promised them. He also waited until King David had built a spectacular palace for himself first.

The temples built by pagan nations for their false gods were far more opulent than his tent. Yet there was no hint of one-upmanship, no concerns about how other nations would judge Israel’s God. Their God was very different from man-made myths and idols. Greater than man’s sacrifices to God were His sacrifices for us! That’s the theme of the story behind Solomon’s Temple, starting with Abraham.

The location of the Temple Mount was Mt. Zion, located in Moriah, the very place where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his only begotten son, Isaac. While he climbed that hill with Isaac, Abraham said, God will provide Himself a lamb (Gen. 22:8 - I love the messianic reference in that wording). We read yesterday that this was the same place where David built an altar to stop the plague he caused with his senseless census. When Araunah wanted to donate his threshing floor, David said, No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing (2 Sam. 24:24).

Ironically, as David gathered the materials for his son to use in building the Temple, it wasn’t just from his resources. Gold, silver, iron, bronze, stone and cedar logs came from all over, including the surrounding nations who served other gods (22:2-4;14-16). This massive project was a foreshadowing of the much greater cost paid by God Himself when He fulfilled Abraham’s promise: God did provide Himself as the perfect sacrifice on Mt. Calvary, a short but arduous walk from Mt. Zion.

“Lord, You no longer live in a temple made by human hands (Matt. 14:58). We are now Your temple (1 Cor. 6:19). The only response to the sacrifice You made for us is this: Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Heb. 13:15).

May 13 - The Devil Made Me Do It!

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21; Psalms 30; 1 Thessalonians 2

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 Neither God nor Satan can ever be blamed for our sin. The blame falls squarely on our shoulders!

The hilarious Geraldine Jones (aka Flip Wilson), along with her boyfriend “Killer,” made this a catch phrase in the early 70s, to explain why they were always in trouble! But the devil has been influencing rebellion against God since the very first man and woman arrived on planet earth. He doesn’t exactly make us sin, but he does all he can to encourage it.

Satan isn’t talked about a lot in the Old Testament but he is mentioned by name near the end of David’s life: Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel (21:1). Note that the parallel passage in 2 Samuel says that God incited David (24:1). That’s because Hebrew thinking doesn’t always differentiate between first and second cause. Reading both passages helps us understand that God allowed Satan to tempt David, but we know God never tempts us to sin (James 1:13). In fact, neither God nor Satan can ever be blamed for our sin. The blame falls squarely on our shoulders!

David knew he shouldn’t do it. When Joab, who was not the most spiritually sensitive man, tells him it’s a bad idea, that should have been a clue (24:3). After he had completed the census, David was suddenly “conscience-stricken” (24:10). When we feel remorse immediately after we sin, that’s a good indication that we knew it was wrong ahead of time.

Numbering his people was not inherently wrong, but it is obvious from this story that David’s motives were. Contrary to the humility David had consistently shown throughout his life, he was allowing an attitude of pride to infect his life and the national identity of Israel. If God had not intervened, that pride would have swept through Israel with greater devastation and loss of life than the plague David chose as their punishment. If left unchecked, Israel would have been overrun again by their enemies.

“Lord, I know I have an enemy who is determined to separate me from You forever. Thank You for reminding me how powerless Satan is when I turn to You before I sin instead of after” (30:1).