May 11 - Make Your Death Count

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 19,20; Psalms 55; Matthew 28

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 God simply must come first! No one, not even our family, cares for us more deeply or more purely.

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” features Spidey’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacey, who gives this quotable valedictorian speech: “I know we all think that we are immortal, but what makes life valuable is that it ends. So make yours count for something, fight for what matters to you, because even if we fall short, what better way is there to live.” Sorry Gwen – good conclusion, but wrong premise.

My last few journal entries have talked about taking a stand in life for God. Jesus challenged us with these words: Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. But the verses before these give us the reason why we should boldly put God first and make Him known to others.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows (Matt. 10:28-33).

It was that conviction that kept David strong in his faith while facing the betrayal of his son and Jesus determined to obey His Father during the denial and desertion of His disciples. It was that realization that not only shaped their lives, but also inspired their willingness to lay them down. Christ’s resurrection should always remind us who holds eternity and who should determine how we live our lives on earth.

God simply must come first! No one, not even our family, cares for us more deeply or more purely. He knows everything about us, including the constantly changing number of hairs our heads, and yet His love never changes. Give your burdens to the Lord, he will take care of you. He will not let the godly slip and fall (55:22). Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age (28:20).

“Lord, the truth is, I am immortal. What makes my life valuable is that it never ends. You hold my eternity in Your hands so I will trust those hands to guide me in this life on into the life to come!”

May 10 - What Can Man Do To Me?

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 18; Psalms 56; Matthew 27

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 Whose favour do we want, God’s or man’s? 

In today’s readings I noticed something that may be a factor behind the betrayal and denial we talked about yesterday. In the movie, “God’s Not Dead,” the reason our protagonist, Josh Wheaton, struggled with his decision to defend the existence of God is the pressure he faced from his fiancé, family, and fellow students. His choice was between gaining favour with God or man. That is a daily dilemma for all of us. We are all insecure, to varying degrees, and the affirmation of the people around us is one of the main ways we prop up our sagging egos.

Absalom’s craving for public attention completely undermined his love for God and his love for his own father. The disciples caved under public pressure to the point of denying they even knew Jesus in the moment He needed them most! In our readings today both David and Jesus faced that same pressure.

David faced it on all sides, from Absalom and his army of usurpers to his own men who wanted to crush Absalom. But David, while no doubt fearing for his life and certainly his future as King, only wanted to trust God’s plans. He made these kinds of decisions a lot in his life and his psalms reflected his thinking process in those moments:  In the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? (56:4 and 10,11).

Jesus faced even greater pressure hanging helplessly on the cross: Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”  (27:39,40). Jesus had already made His decision in prayer the night before, Your will be done, not mine (26:39). He knew if He didn’t defend Himself, His Father would, and He did: When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!'” (27:54).

“Lord, right now I too need to choose between what people want and what You want from my life. As a chronic people-pleaser I need Your strength to say with David: in God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

May 9 - Stand By the Man

                                Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 17; Psalms 71; Matthew 26

                                    MAXIMize YOUR DAY

Public opinion is exchanging the authority of God’s Word for the words of atheistic scientists and professors, who may be intelligent but not very smart. 

The movie, “God Is Not Dead,” received some harsh reviews from the cynics out there. But that’s kind of the point of the story. Our western world is drifting from its solid Christian moorings and attaching itself to the free floating dock of so-called “science.” Public opinion is exchanging the authority of God’s Word for the words of atheistic scientists and professors, who may be intelligent but not very smart. Paul predicted it: Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ....They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:22,25).

Here’s the premise, without spoiling the movie (which everyone should watch): a freshman is faced with the decision to join the rest of his philosophy class and unanimously agree that God is dead (or does not exist). If he takes a stand for God, he faces the wrath of his professor, the rejection of his friends, family, and fiancé, and the possible derailment of his career plans. Believe it or not, Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty (one of my fav “reality” shows) makes a guest appearance in the movie, setting the plot with Christ’s words, Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven (Matt. 10:32,33).

Our readings today feature similar stories of betrayal and denial. We have Absalom trying to kill his own father, King David, and usurp his throne. We also have Christ’s most promising disciple, Judas, betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Compound that disappointment with the rest of the disciples denying or at least deserting Jesus after vowing they would stand by Him (26:35). These are the critical moments in life that define our faith. Fortunately eleven of the disciples had a second chance to redefine their faithfulness to Jesus. All but one (who survived being boiled in oil) gave their lives for the Man.

My prayer today again is David’s, In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed.... I will hope continually, and will praise You, yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and of Your salvation all day long (71:1,14,15).

May 8 - Blind Ambition

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 15,16; Psalms 32; Matthew 25

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 Do not strive for position or power
unless God is assigning it to you. 

The comparisons continue. The differences we observed between David and Saul are similar to what we read today about David and his son Absalom. Despite the serious mistakes David made, with Bathsheba, Uriah, and his own children, he kept coming back to the Lord.  He knew he became king and stayed king only because of God’s appointing and anointing. David never aspired to rule, but like Saul, Absalom was driven by blind ambition.

Like Saul, Absalom was the people’s choice. He was tall, good-looking, with long flowing hair. He was the consummate politician, promising what he couldn’t deliver, literally kissing up to his supporters (15:1-6). He tried to use God to get what he wanted, offering sacrifices and seeking godly counsel (15:12). But he seemed to have no personal relationship with God and was convinced that he could achieve power through his own manipulation.

Even though David was still king, he didn’t fight back. Just like when he refused to strike out at Saul, David would not lift a hand to harm Absalom. As he was fleeing Jerusalem, he said to his men, If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again (15:25). David knew that all human ambition is blind; God alone sees and controls our future. He wanted nothing to do with position or power unless God was assigning it to him.

Our NT reading illustrates how our future is in God’s hands and our part is to be ready when He comes for us (25:1-13). It’s human nature to want to take back control. I remember a few years ago at this time, for the first time in 40 years, when I was looking for employment. Other than my first job, short-order cook at Burger Chef, I had never applied for work. God clearly opened doors for me and I simply trusted Him enough to walk through them. Like David, I felt God telling me then and today that He will continue to lead me. There will be no need for human striving or manipulation, no blind ambition! Finding my way to become a Chaplain was yet another miracle of God’s leading.

David’s prayer is mine today, You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. “Selah”. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you (32:7,8).

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!”