Proverbs 11:14 - Guidance Counselors

Proverbs 11:14

Where there is no guidance the people fall,

But in an abundance of counselors there is victory.

Message: Guidance Counselors

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God.

What the Lord is Saying: We all need guidance. I think we all seem to believe this. And when we try to do things ourselves without guidance problems seem to arise. It seems pride gets in the way often for us and we think we can do things on our own. The classic example of the man driving to get somewhere without consulting a map. And often the result is getting lost. 

I also think about the structure that we have in the United States with our government and infrastructure that has been established while many poor parts of the world do not have the leadership that organized cities infrastructures and in the process the people are involved in much disorder. 

We need guidance. We need to be educated and instructed. Things can easily get off course without the guidance. 

The contrast is having an abundance of counselors provides us victory. Whether we are going to school or homeschooled I believe we need a lot of sources to be taught. It seems the point here is we need others and we need other points of view outside of ourselves. I notice in my job it is not healthy that I am doing so much. I need to be flexible to different perspectives. I need to also not assume these counselors have bad motives. I often have people re-read what I have written. I need them to make sure that what I have written is right. 

Big decisions need trusted people. At its simplest state is the idea that riding a bus needs a driver, flying on a plane, we need a pilot. It is good that we have others guiding us in life and we are not doing things on our own. 

Prayer: O God, thank you for your guidance in my life. Thank you that Your word and Your Law is a guide for my life. Father, you have placed good people in my path which guide and direct me. Thank you for the wisdom you have given others and the gifts they have. I thank you for books I read that provide help and perspectives I need. Lord, You are Holy and true and your ways are right and they are what I need in my life. Help me to be receptive to others and their help. Remove pride from me. You are gracious and good God. Thank you. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

I Samuel 14:47-15:9 - Military Victories and Spiritual Loss

I Samuel 14:47-15:9 

"Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff." (verse 52)

Message: Military Victories and Spiritual Loss

Time: This book is a biography of Samuel's life and career up to his death. It took place over a period of about 110 years, stretching from the closing days of the judges, when Samuel was born (ca. 1120 BC) through the death of Saul (1011 BC).

What the Lord is Saying: In Chapter 14, after Jonathan went forward and initiated the defeat of the Philistines, it seems that Saul feels threatened by this. He therefore erects a requirement that no one of his army and people can eat anything until he can avenge himself and this issue. The people are starving and out of their need for hunger they start devouring the spoil of the Philistines and along the way eat the blood of animals which is strictly prohibited by the Law. Saul confronts them on this. He has to be reminded by a priest to draw near to God. He does do this, and in not hearing an answer expects that some sin must have gotten in the way. The sin he believes is Jonathan and him eating of the honeycomb on the ground, despite not knowing his father's requirement. Saul in his urgency to fulfill the requirement is ready to kill Jonathan. 

Verse 47 and 48 provide a summary of all that Saul had done in his wars up to this point. In verse 49-51 is another summary of who his sons are (Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua), his daughters (Merab, Michal) and his wife Ahinoam, the captain of his arm, his uncle Abner, his father Kish. He concludes by saying in all of his wars with the Philistines, when he found good soldiers, he brought them into his regime. 

In chapter 15, verse 1 is another summary given by Samuel - confirming his anointing of Saul as king and also confirming the Lord's work to punish Amelek (sons of Esau) (verse 2) who attacked and opposed the Lord's people. And now Saul (verse 3) is to completely eradicate and destroy these people which would mean not taking their spoils. 

And yet, Saul will now in the remaining verses not follow through completely on this destruction but will instead spare some groups. He saves the Kenites (verse 6) stating their kindness to Israel. He spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites (verse 8) and instead it says, "everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed." Saul felt justified in what he spared. 

There does seem a possible problem in what Saul is doing. On the surface at times, it seems like he is doing the Lord's work, but rather than following it to a tee, he adapts it and changes the command to fit what he feels is right, justifying it himself. It is a problem I think we all have at times. We adjust the Lord's commands to fit our needs and wants. We perhaps say, "Oh, God couldn't have meant that." We do this because we think we know better than God. We have done this. We justify divorce, abortion, being unequally yoked. We justify lying and coveting. We justify the Sabbath day and working on Sunday. We text OMG thinking we are not blaspheming God. We skate often on the commands that God gives, making it seem more reasonable to us. But are we really following God's command or are we adjusting them slightly to make them more palpable to us and our ways. 

Summary: An overview of the victories Saul has been involved in is given and he is commissioned by Samuel to eradicate the Amalekites, he almost does it complete, but makes a few adjustments to fit his liking. 

Promise: Our focus should be on faithfulness to the Lord before any of the other achievements we pursue. 

Prayer: God, your ways are right and I admit sometimes I feel like it is too harsh and so in the process, I make adjustments to adapt things to my own way. But Lord, I need to be a people that is straight forward in obeying Your commands. Help me to really trust You and do the things you are asking me to do. Thank you for this truth and this lesson that you give. Thank you for the richness of this text and how Your word speaks of so much to us. Help me to honor You with my words and actions always. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Judges 16:23-31 - Samson Victorious

Judges 16:23-31

Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”

Message: Samson Victorious

Time: Judges covers about 250 years from death of Joshua to birth of Samuel (1360-1110 BC). The people of Israel largely divided with different local triable judges. It was a period of stirring interventions by the Lord and also great disobedience on the part of the Israelites. Without a king, everyone did right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). 

What the Lord is Saying: Following Samson's capture by the Philistines, his eyes were gouged out or put out and thus he lost his sight. The Philistines want to make sure that even if he recovers his strength he will not be effective. Following his capture, his captors celebrate. Verse 20 makes mention that "the Lord departed from him." To his captors they saw it as their doing, but from God's perspective, his capture was of the Lord, His discipline. Thus, two things are going on, God's sovereignty on display through the free will of man. But I wonder if this description of the Lord departing him is the idea from Samuel based upon what he sees. Or perhaps the phrase departed refers to His strength. 

In verse 23, the Philistines then pay homage to their god - Dagon, a prosperity god. They followed this by having Samson come out to them and amuse them. They mocked his strength by having him stand between two pillars. 

But as they are amused by him, he does something as a prelude to showing his strength. He leans against the pillars of the house or temple. And then he calls on the Lord to give him strength. He understands that His strength comes from the Lord. His focus though is on avenging himself and yet he is willing to die in the process. “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it." The temple falls and the Philistines fall and Samson falls. But hopefully God is glorified. Samson dies and the conclusion is he was involved in judging Israel for 20 years. 

Summary: The Philistines ridicule Samson but Samson implores God's strength one last time and bring the temple down.

Promise: God uses imperfect people. 

Prayer: O God the Father, please root out the imperfect ways in me. Let your Word instead shine in my life and may I be a person that is constantly modeling you in my life and living according to your promises. Help me to stand firm before others, not backing down from the Word of God. Help people to see who you are clearly. Lord, you are real and your way is the best. May people keep seeing this. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Psalm 118:17-29 - The Cornerstone

Psalm 118:17-29
¹⁷ I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord.
¹⁸ The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.
²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it.
²¹ I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation.

²² The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.
²³ This is the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴ This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
²⁵ O Lord, do save, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity!
²⁶ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
²⁷ The Lord is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
²⁸ You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You.
²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Message: The Cornerstone

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Feeling the opposition of others
Taking a moment to go back and think about this chapter 118 and what it means to me. What I see is the psalmist walking through a stressful situation in life. But it isn't just a hard day, but feeling opposition. He is in distress (v. 5), feeling oppressed by man (v. 6), feeling the hate of man (v. 7), being surrounded (v. 10), being surrounded like a swarm of bees (v. 11), being pushed in order to fall (v. 12), and feeling like he is going to die (v. 17). This isn't simply a trial, but a feeling of being attacked. He is feeling oppressed, hated, surrounded, pushed, and near death.

No Matter What - I thank God
As he experiences this opposition, his response to those situations is to lean on God. The first thing the psalmist does is give thanks (v. 1) and speak of God's lovingkindness (v. 1-4). It is not that he is thanking God necessarily for the opposition or bad situation he is in, but his life perspective remains in thanking God. He continues to exercise thanks to God and his lovingkindness. The events of his life have not changed his thankfulness of God.

The Lord is for me 
At the first moment of him being in distress and feeling oppressed and hated, he calls upon the name of the Lord. He is reminded that God is there. He is reminded that God is for him. I need to know that though I am feeling alone, I am not. I am reminded of our recent trip to Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. My wife and I were riding bikes and we turned a corner and came upon a lake and a view of this large place with rolling hills, on this beautiful spring day. In my distresses and feeling oppressed, I get small and narrow. At times, I can't see but the closeness and immediacy of the trial. But, here, the psalmist says, "The Lord Answered me and set me in a large place (v. 5)." The Lord opened my eyes to show me that the I felt isolated, I am not alone and he is there, centered on me, and there is peace as it takes me to this large expanse and I can know there is more than this problem. The Lord is for me, my refuge is in Him, therefore my enemies are not big, but small.

The Lord is Victory over the Opposition
God is not just there, but God has given me victory over the opposition. In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off. I need to know that these forces, at times spiritual, Satan and his dominion will be defeated and cut from my life. In verses 10-12, it is repeated three times, "In the name of the Lord, I will surely cut them off." The Psalmist reminds me that victory is something God gives me and I get to carry it out.

The Lord Helps Me
The Psalmist begins with thanks, is reminded that Lord is for me, and then sees that victory can be had, and now sees that the Lord is my helper (v.13), my strength and song (v. 14), and my salvation (v. 14). I experience joyful shouting, like a crowd of people, cheering my victory. He is omnipotent or has all power. In verses 15-16, it says that the "Right hand of the Lord" which refers to God's omnipotent or all powerful way does valiantly and is exalted. To be valiant is to be boldly courageous.

I was reading this sermon online by Charles Spurgeon from 1872 - http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols58-60/chs3361.pdf

• At the red sea, God there overthrew the host of his enemies, by dividing the sea and Egypt swallowed up and the foes of Israel were swept away. 
• When the people of Israel, untrained for war, marched in the land of the Canaanites, they found that their enemies had chariots of iron, entrenched in their cities -- but the Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites could not stand against the 12 tribes of Israel
• David smote the Philistines hip and thigh with great slaughter
• the hosts of Sennacherib lay like the sere leaves of autumn when the breath of the archangel had blasted them

The right hand of the Lord does valiantly is repeated in verse 16. O how I need that reminder daily of the work God has done for His people, for His glory. The Lord helps me. He is there, against all odds, despite the way my circumstances may seem, the Lord is on my side. Help me O God to not forget this. Don't allow the world to squash you out and me forget the work you have done. Difficulties will arise, but I can know that you are there, to rescue.

Transition
I suppose the above is a different look of those first 16 verses of Psalm 118 and now we transition to the rest of this text.

Over and over this passage is about giving God thanks. There are tough times of oppression and feeling attacked from all sides in this passage, but the Lord still works valiantly in our lives. When we are rescued, God gets the praise. God gets the thanks. Lord, this is a chapter I need in my life. I need to give you thanks more for each day. You give me gifts and us gifts. There is too much of a feeling that man is the active agent and he bears good works. God is on the throne. God is to be praised. Turn me away from having a critical eye and help me to continually place my faith in you.

The Lord Disciplines
The reality is that hard times we have could be the result of God disciplining us. The passage speaks earlier of being in distress (v. 5) and surrounded (v. 10). While my attitude is one of thanks and dependence on God, I can't forget that God could be disciplining me and unhappy with me. I am too quick to think that I must just get out of this mess and figure out a plan. I do not look inward and ask myself, "Lord, is this happening for a reason? Is there something in my life that you want to correct or deal with? Or Lord, possibly it isn't even me. You could be dealing with the sin of society in which I am a member of or even the sin of this entire world. The reality Lord is you deal with sin." 

In verse 17 is the reminder that I am to recount the deeds of the Lord. He works and he works in people's lives and in my life and I am to voice this from the mountaintop. In verse 18, the Lord does discipline me, but not to the point of death. I am still here and still able to speak of him. Lord, make my words more eloquent in speaking of You.

Walk though the gates of righteousness
In response to discipline and perhaps sin, put me on the path of righteousness. Jesus, you are my righteousness. You are the perfecter of my faith. You are my redeemer and you are to live through me. Put me on the path of righteousness. As I live and walk in righteousness, again, I give thanks to the Lord (v. 19).

Answered me
I call upon the Lord and he answers me and I thank him for answering: verse 21, I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. What others reject, like Jesus and the Messiah, becomes the foundation or the cornerstone of my life. This it the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes....be glad in it (v. 22-24).

My confidence in me
Even in the reading of this text is my thinking that I give thanks because of what he is doing in my life. I need to be reminded that I give thanks because he is good. Who saves us? The Lord (v. 25). The Lord shines his light on me. You are my God, and I will give thanks to you (v. 28). Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever (v. 29). In conclusion, God is great. He is good. His love endures. 

Conclusion
I am realizing more and more that too much of my life is focused on me, my needs, my family needs, but my focus over and over should be on God and simply giving thanks for him being great. Lord, you are good. Your love endures forever. 


Promise: Ultimately, I deserve separation from God because of the sin in me, but he has rescued me nevertheless, but this doesn't mean that judgment still may not occur in my life or in life, in general. My Maker disciplines me, turns me from sin, and fights against my trials for me. You are my cornerstone Lord, my foundation.

Jesus Calling: January 5

You can achieve the victorious life through living in deep dependence on Me. People usually associate victory with success: not falling or stumbling, not making mistakes. But those who are successful in their own strength tend to go their own way, forgetting about Me. It is through problems and failure, weakness and neediness that you learn to rely on Me.
      True dependence is not simply asking Me to bless what you have decided to do. It is coming to Me with an open mind and heart, inviting Me to plant My desires within you. I may infuse within you a dream that seems far beyond your reach. You know that in yourself you cannot achieve such a goal. Thus begins your journey of profound reliance on Me. It is a faith-walk, taken one step at a time, leaning on Me as much as you need. This is not a path of continual success but of multiple failures. However, each failure is followed by a growth spurt, nourished by increased reliance on Me. Enjoy the blessedness of a victorious life, through deepening your dependence on Me.

Psalm 34:17-18
English Standard Version

When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:7
New King James Version
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

My Prayer (1/5/13)
Wow God. So, the secret to victorious living is not to try my hardest, but to relinquish all to you. Lord, how opposite to that have I trained myself to be in life. My dependence is not deep. Train me Lord to depend on You. Lord, in this time, when we are struggling to pay bills and have enough, in this adverse circumstance we find ourselves in, that in some ways we have chosen, change us. Help us to increase our dependence on You.

Lord, show me how to depend on Your strength. Help me to redefine success in life. So, that I'm walking in Victory versus aiming towards personal success.

Lord, I want your desires to be my desires. I want to be trained by You. Lord, I pray that you would start me going and I would follow, versus me deciding what I want and then asking You to bless it.

I admit that this reliance and trust and dependence on You is something that I don't completely comprehend. I can't see it. I don't know what it looks like. I want to see steps to this.

For instance, this car buying decision. I stare out at our finances and see we are already committed with our future money and to buy this car we need more future money. Can we survive without a car? Do I need to consider the bus or my bike? Lord, 3 months ago we started praying for a 3rd car and now we need a second car. I want to rely on You Lord.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young and you can find the book at many online and local stores.