Psalm 83

 

Don't just stand there, do something! This line has been said in many books and movies to persons who have the power to intervene and are not. As we have noted before, this is something we face in our lives. There are times when we wish God would do something. We know he is able, but it seems he is ignoring us. What we do know about God is that he is righteous and will do what is right, but I appreciate that God doesn't tell us to be quiet and accept what is happening, but is okay with us asking him this question. 

God wants us to come to him and ask him to intervene. This isn't because he has an ego, but because there are times when our prayers make a difference. I can't say how, but they do according to God's own word. God may say no, but he does listen. What makes the difference for us is our attitude when we come to him. An attitude of humility and even desperation is okay; an attitude of anger and blame isn't. Come before God.

Romans 12

What is worship? For many, it is the songs we sing before the message, or the slow songs after the fast ones, in a service. They can be, but it is only part of true worship. True worship, as defined by Paul, is when we present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. There is nothing in Paul's teachings that says that our salvation is a separate thing for our bodies than it is for our spirit. If we are going to be Christians, our bodies, our actions are just as important as our spirit. Worship is the holy use of our bodies for God. This can be singing, but it can also be doing taxes if we are doing it as unto the Lord.

Paul says lust be sincere and follows that with hating what is evil (what not who). Love in the Christian sense isn't let and let live or ignoring evil. It involves clinging to what is good. 

1 Samuel 30

 

David did something that became an ordinance in Judah that all who are part of an army share in the rewards. The men who stayed behind weren’t cowards; they were exhausted. These men didn’t have the strength to fight, but they stayed behind, and it seems they guarded the things that they didn’t take with them. David wasn’t setting up a communist ideal;
He was saying that all who were in the army, front-line fighters and support, deserved the spoils of the victory. We see this as just fair today, but in those days and still in many places today, it is only those who fight who enjoy the spoils.  

The Dragon's Queen: Revelation

Blurb for my new book coming out late November 2025.

Princess Sarah of Rishona, the last royal heir, has found herself enslaved by a tyrannical dragon and a kind and brilliant giant. The oddity of this is that the dragons of Adamah are good, and giants aren’t known for their intelligence or kindness. For Sara, the goal is simple: learn the skills she needs to survive, escape, and then find her way home, but nothing is ever that simple.  

About the Author

Charles (CS) Areson lives with his family in Indiana. He enjoys reading, board games, D&D, and writing a variety of fiction and religious non-fiction. His current focus is to take his stack of finished but unedited works and prepare them for publication. These works include (the working titles): Carpenter Tales, The House of a Thousand Rooms, Closing the Door, Teia and the Dragon, Braydon the…, The Max and Link Trilogy, and of course, The Dragon’s Queen Trilogy. Got an hour? Ask him about them. 

His children’s book, The Bee in the Blackberry Bush, is available in Lao, Spanish, and English. His children’s book, The Heirs of Nosera, is a mostly true fantasy written for the love of his grandchildren. 

Jeremiah 31

When I read verse 24, I couldn't help but think of the musical, Oklahoma. In it, there is a song that argues that the farmer and the cowman should be friends. Understand that historically, their different roles caused a lot of conflict. The song is saying that the territory folks should stick together for a better future. We see this fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus even in his choice of disciples picked people that would normally be on different sides of issues that could have caused conflict, but in Jesus, there was unity. 

Don't know if they will keep this up forever, but here it is at least now, https://youtu.be/biNrKEgg8jg?si=UQhLlajB3agEWNrs

Photo by Kiy Turk on Unsplash

1 Samuel 28

 

The outcome of the chapter is pretty clear: Saul is going to die. Yet, I have to wonder if things could have ended better for Saul. Saul was fasting, and though this could have been the act of a man who was desperate and depressed, it was also a sign of repentance. Could Saul have had a final change of attitude toward God had he refused to eat? We will never know, but what is true is that repentance is always the right choice, no matter what others may say.

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash

Romans 9

 Israel had so many benefits, yet many, according to Paul, are not really Israel. Yet as Paul goes on in this chapter, it can be seen why some believe that God makes people behave the way they do. Everyone's choices, however, do matter. This is what John Wesley sees in this chapter. God has the right to show mercy on those who believe and to harden those who are hard. If we truly believe that God is the creator (the potter), then God has the right to do what he thinks is right. God doesn't have to show mercy on your or my sins if we don't repent. The fact that he does when we repent is because he has chosen, not because we earned it. John Wesley didn't see this passage, according to his notes, as proof that God predestines every action, just his reaction to every action.  

Photo by Paolo Chiabrando on Unsplash

Psalm 82

 

You are gods, but you will die like men. What a fall. Yet it reminds me today that though we might start off well, we can end poorly. I was reading about Hezekiah today, a king of Judah who started off great but ended in a place of pride and disobedience. Starting great can be a great boost, but none of that matters if you don't cross the finish line. For many, they start out with lots of energy on a project or even in ministry, but burn out as the trials of life wear them down. 

This is why maybe God gave us the Sabbath. It was a reminder that we can not keep going all out, even if we think we can. It is also a reminder that we need to trust God. Then I wondered if the saying attributed to both St. Augutus and Ignatius, as we take it, is accurate: "Pray as if it all depends on God and work as if it all depends on you." Shouldn't we pray that it all depends on us (which means we are desperate in our prayers) and work like it all depends on God (which means freedom to sabbath). 

This may seem a far cry from what this chapter is teaching, but I don't think so. Ultimately, our trust and our work need to depend on God and his faithfulness. 

In looking up who made the quote, I came across this article, which summed up what I was thinking. 

Work as if Everything Depends on God

ByJim Manney

There’s an old saying that we should “pray as if everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on you.” It’s been attributed to St. Ignatius, who said something similar, if not using those exact words, as reported in Vida del Bienaventurado Padre Ignacio de Loyola by Pedro de Rivadeneira. Many think the phrase captures the Ignatian spirit: turning it all over to God in prayer and then working tirelessly and urgently to do God’s work.

I prefer to reverse it: “pray as if everything depends on you, and work as if everything depends on God.” This means that prayer has to be urgent: God has to do something dramatic if everything depends on me. It also puts our work in the right perspective: if it depends on God, we can let it go. We can work hard but leave the outcome up to him. If God is in charge we can tolerate mixed results and endure failure.

Ignatius writes about work and human effort in a letter to an aristocrat named Jerome Vines, whom I imagine was a busy, hard-charging, Type A character who was getting upset about the fate of his many projects. A busy man, Ignatius writes, “must make up his mind to do what he can, without afflicting himself if he cannot do all that he wishes. You must have patience and not think that God our Lord requires what man cannot accomplish.” He concludes with this: “There is no need to wear yourself out, but make a competent and sufficient effort, and leave the rest to him who can do all he pleases.”

https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/work-as-if-everything-depends-on-god/

Photo by Alex Kotliarskyi on Unsplash

1 Samuel 27

 

I have discussed before about David's actions and my thoughts on them, so I won't go into it here, but I would like to look at Achish's assumption. Achish assumed David was an outcast and would be his servant because he had no place else to go. This, of course, was not true. David's loyalty to Israel was just as strong as ever, but Achish couldn't see it. David was an obvious enemy of the Philistines, but Achish couldn't see it. This tells me that we should never assume someone else's motives. Yes, action can show intent, but the truth was Achish didn't see the actions, only words. For Christians, the person we can always assume is for us is God. 

Photo by Alireza Attari on Unsplash

1 Samuel 26

God protected David when he snuck into Saul's camp. This protection also gave David a chance to show his worth and Saul another proof that David wasn't a threat to his life and power. However, I do see that even knowing that God protected him and would protect him, David didn't rejoin Saul. Saul requested that David come to him, and though Saul might not have tried to kill him then, David knew that Saul's attitude might change. David trusted God, but he also didn't purposely put himself in danger, and neither should we. Yes, there are times when God calls people to stand firm, though it may mean their life, and other times God expects us to use wisdom and not put ourselves in danger. As I heard it said, God may save you if the Devil pushes you off the top of a building, but if you jump on your own, God will let you try and fly on your own too.  

Photo by Yeshi Kangrang on Unsplash

Jeremiah 30

 

God promises his people that they will non be destroyed utterly. However, God says that he will discipline them with justice/justly and he won't let them go unpunished. God can't discipline the nations and just let Israel and Judah off when they have committed the same sins. There has to be justice, and God is just. We see his mercy in the promise not to wipe them out, but they have done terrible things. Their sin in made worse because God had blessed them and taught them the right way to go. They had special revelations from God and ignored them, and worse, didn't share them with their neighbors. For God to be just and loving, he has to punish wrong. However, that isn't the end of the story. God said I will restore my people. 

If you don't understand, that is okay, because the chapter ends with this promise, "In days to come you will understand this." 

1 Samuel 25

 

Why does David respond so violently in 1 Samuel 25 against Nabal when he is cheated, and yet spares Saul, who was trying to kill him? He doesn't seem like the same person, but we know he is. Looking at the life of David, we see, he is passionate, and sometimes, as we see with Bathsheba, impulsive and violent. Yet with Saul, he is merciful and very patient. What is going on? We don't know for sure, but I am going to guess that it is because of expectations. David expected that God would deal with Saul, and he didn't have to. He had determined long before the episode in chapter 24 that he wasn't going to attack Saul and followed through. He expected Saul to act a certain way, and when he did, he was able to respond correctly. However, when it came to Nabal, David wasn't expecting someone to take advantage of his goodwill and refuse to give the normal gift to those who offered protection to his flocks. When David's expectations weren't met, he got angry.

Does this sound familiar? I won't ask (or admit) who might have done something similar. Yes, you might not have strapped on a sword, but words can be as powerful. You might not have intended to kill physically (because you would have gotten caught), but you got angry and maybe even held a grudge. These reactions aren't good for Christians, and God gives us commands not to hold on to anger or to plan vengeance or to post nasty comments. Okay, that second one isn't in Scripture directly, but it is included in the commands. Our solution is to follow God's commands, forgive, and set our expectations on God, not on people. Even the best of people will not meet our expectations all of the time. Let's be honest, some people won't even try to be kind, and they won't ever meet our expectations. So, when it comes to humans, understand that they fail and respond as Jesus would have us.   

Photo by Random Thinking on Unsplash

Romans 8

In the middle of this wildly victorious chapter, Paul says, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Part of the Christian life is suffering trials and hardships of various types. The promise that all will be well is what we are waiting for isn't going to happen until our bodies are redeemed. In the meantime, when suffering and trials take place, remember that they do not separate us from God's love. We have hope that is beyond this world. 

Psalm 57

 

Commentator Dr. Herbert Lockyer pointed out that David's faith in God to save him and avenge him is strong, but David himself isn't vindictive in his actions.  David proclaims twice that his heart is steadfast (set, confident). David's heart is set on God, not the problems around him, and because his heart (faith) is set that is why he can sing and praise God. David, as it were, can say thank you even before he receives help because he knows God. We can have that same confidence if we truly place ourselves in God's hands. 

1 Samuel 24

 

As bad as Saul was, I have to say, that here, he showed wisdom. Not only did he not attack (truly evil men will attack even if shown mercy), but he also had the wisdom to ask for mercy for his household when David became king. There is much in Saul's life that we can say we shouldn't imitate, but the wisdom shown here to humble yourself and ask for mercy is something we should. 

Photo by HijabSalma.de on Unsplash

Psalm 54

 

Verse three ends with the word, Selah. This means stop/pause and consider. Consider the dangers you face and who you are calling on for help. Why am I pointing this out? It is because there are times when, after a danger has passed, we forget how bad it was. The reason we need to consider is that once we are through, we can praise the God who brought us rather than dismissing it as nothing very bad. If we realize how God has truly saved and helped us, then our hearts can praise Him with greater sincerity. Also, when we consider who we are calling on, then our hearts can have hope and peace because we know it will work out. 

Jeremiah 29

I find it interesting that God tells the people there to settle down, to make peace, that he is going to bring them back later, after 70 years from Babylon, back into the promised land. Yet in the midst of this, he also tells them that, though he has brought them there to keep them safe, they, too, have not been obedient. They, too, have disobeyed and are looking for false answers and looking to false prophets. Yet these are the very people whom God gave the vision to Jeremiah that were the good figs, the good people. These are the ones that God is saving.

 

Just a reminder that sometimes what God is going to do may not be right now. God is going to make these people ready to return. But for right now, many of them aren't looking to God the way they should.

 

But God's got a plan. And God is going to take these, many of these, who are still looking for salvation in their time and deliverance from Babylon, he's going to take them and change them and prepare them so that they will be the people, or their children or grandchildren will be the people that God can take back to the promised land. Because God has a plan. A plan to prosper and take care of them, even if they may not be looking for it right now.

Photo by Breno Assis on Unsplash

1 Samuel 23

It's been said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. And though it is actually not often true, because sometimes the enemy of your enemy is your enemy too. The truth is that God sometimes uses people that we wouldn't expect to help us. In this story, Saul is pursuing David. And what saves David? The Philistines. The Philistines, who are attacking a different place in the kingdom, cause Saul to leave and thus allowing David to escape. 

And I find this is interesting because God often uses methods we wouldn't expect to take care of his people. God used Roman imprisonment to get Paul into Rome. God used people in ways that we wouldn't expect in the Bible and in history. 

God uses things we don't understand for his good. That is why we must always trust that God will take care of it, even when things look bad. Because he promises he'll work it out. And who knows, he may actually use your enemies to protect you from other enemies, like he did for David here. Yes, the enemy of your enemy might be your enemy, but God could use them to protect or deliver you, so just keep trusting. 

Photo by Monika Simeonova on Unsplash

Romans 7

  

As I consider the first part of Romans chapter 7, I'm reminded that Paul is talking also, not just to Gentiles, but also to Jews. And those Jews felt like, "We are Jews, we have to obey the law." We have to look to the law for our salvation. Paul is saying, No. You have been released from that law and don't have to seek that law for salvation because you have died in Christ. And therefore, you have a new law. This doesn't mean the law has no purpose. Paul talks about that, how it helps us, and points us in the right direction. But it is not the law that we look to for salvation. We are dead to that law, but have a new law which brings life in Jesus Christ. 

Now we have a new law that's put within our hearts, we are, as Paul is saying, "we are now married to another." We are connected to him who is raised from the dead, that is, Jesus. And through him, we can have power over that sinful nature that the law could never give us the power to do. Now we don't have to be bound like those who are under the law. We have a new life.

Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Psalm 142

David says, "I have no refuge. No one cares for my life." There have been times in my life where I have felt like there are no places to refuge. That no one cares. Or nearly no one. But David answers correctly when he says, "I cry to you, O Lord. I say, you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." And I point that out because we often think that God will reward us in the life to come, but God doesn't just reward us in the life to come. He can reward us, and he can protect us, even now. He can give us the grace and provision we need now to hold on to him. This is even when times are bad, even when times are horrible. God is our refuge. Not just in the life hereafter. He wants to be our refuge now. In the land of the living. And for those who are believers, he is. He is that refuge. He is the one we can lean on and trust.

Photo by Wilfried Santer on Unsplash

Psalm 52

 

This psalm reminds us that there are people out there who do evil, who are definitely awful people. Just as Dagog the Edomite was, there are people out there who will do evil. But this psalm reminds us what the Bible teaches in other places. That they will eventually meet their due. God will destroy them. And those who are righteous will survive. The righteous will flourish. They will be rewarded.

It looks like when we read the story in 1 Samuel chapter 22 that Ahimelech and his family have been wiped out. They're gone. They are not flourishing. But those who are faithful, God will reward. And there is coming a day in heaven where we'll reach out and we'll be able to shake the hands of Ahimelech and his family. And we will know in that moment that God blesses those who follow him and that those who do evil will be no more.

This isn't a gloat over the evil because they've been destroyed. This is a rejoicing that God does what is right. He will raise and protect those who are true. And he will deal properly with those who are evil. We can praise God because he watches over us. He preserves us despite what it may look like in the world.

Photo by Doncoombez on Unsplash

1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel 22 reminds me that someone who's holding a grudge, holding on to anger, doesn't want to hear the truth. Ahimelech, the priest, told Saul the truth that David had been faithful. Of course, he acquired of God for David, but also that David was always supportive of Saul. 

When Saul heard the truth, Saul was angry. And it was true, David had never conspired against Saul, and David had never worked against Saul. But that wasn't what Saul wanted to hear. And therefore, he ordered the death of Ahimaleck and all his family. It's a reminder that people who are holding on to anger and bitterness don't want the truth. They want something to justify their anger and their bitterness, and will lash out at anyone who contradicts what they want to hear, even if or especially it what they say is the truth. Facts and truth don't matter. What matters is what they want to be true. Saul has fallen into that. May God keep us from ever repeating that mistake.

Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash

Jeremiah 28

 

We see a prophecy come to pass in this chapter: Hananiah dies. Yet, there is no evidence that anyone noticed. They all seemed to believe Hananiah, causing the yoke that was to come upon them to be worse, but they missed a real prophecy. The death of Hananiah should have been a sign, but as is often the case, those who don't want to see a sign rarely do. 

Be willing to see what God is saying, even if you don't like it. Jeremiah himself said he liked the prophecy of Hananiah, but recognized that it wasn't true. If it's wrong, it's wrong, like it or not. 

Photo by Rusty Watson on Unsplash

1 Samuel 21

 

The Levitical law said that no one could eat of the showbread except the priest. Yet in this chapter, the high priest gives it to David since he and his men are ceremonially clean. Some scholars see this as an example of a lack of obedience on the part of the priest; others see it as them trying to fulfill the greater law of loving your neighbor.  When Jesus references it in the gospels, it seems that it is the second interpretation that Jesus believes. Both might be true, but ultimately, I have to believe the greater truth is the second because if Jesus says this is an act of compassion, it is. 

Photo by Yulia Khlebnikova on Unsplash

Romans 6

Romans 6 offers freedom now, but a greater freedom in the world to come. The promise of freedom from sin means that we not only have hope here but hope of life eternal. Paul never says we have one or the other, but both. We have the promise of a better life after this, and we have a promise to have a better life now since we are free from the bondage to sin. Let's celebrate and live into the reality of both. 

Photo by holigil 27 on Unsplash

Psalm 56

 

What can man do to me? Actually quite a lot.  This is one of those times when we look around, and it may seem that God sometimes isn’t able or willing to help us. We see in the Scriptures that those who follow God do suffer, so what is going on here? Is the Psalmist wrong? I don’t believe he is when it is put into perspective. People can harm you physically, emotionally, but the one area where they don’t have power is in our spirit. Jesus tells us in Luke 12:4 not to fear those who kill the body, but God, who can destroy the soul. In perspective, it may seem that this is horrible, but in the greater picture, it isn’t anything. If I recall correctly, Michael Jordan, the Basketball player, was cut from the basketball team in school, but as bad as that it may have seemed at the time, ultimately it didn’t matter. I’m sure it hurt, but 15 years and 6 championships in the NBA show it turned out okay. How much more will it for us?

Photo by Duncan Kidd on Unsplash

1 Samuel 20

 

Jonathan has a good heart and wants to believe the best about his father, but also knows that David would not lie to him. At the end of the chapter, Jonathan has lost not just a friend, but in a real sense, his father. Saul claims he wants to kill David to protect Jonathan's throne, but then tries to kill Jonathan, showing that those words are a lie. Saul might want the kingdom to go to Jonathan, but not as much as he wants to kill David. This is a sad time for David, but how much more for the son who has lost a father's love. 

Photo by Sebastián León Prado on Unsplash

1 Samuel 19

 

This chapter ends with people asking if Saul was among the prophets. This is another time that breaks my heart when it comes to looking at the life of Saul. Saul again has the presence of God on him. This is an opportunity to submit to God and embrace the truth. Yet, just because God's spirit has given Saul the ability to prophecy (speak the truth of God), Saul hasn't let that truth settle into his heart and change him. A reminder that someone may speak the truth and not be redeemed. 

Saul has once again been touched by God. Light has entered Saul's mind, and it has changed nothing. What a sad, sad story. Let it never be said of us.   

Photo by Aldrin Rachman Pradana on Unsplash

Jeremiah 27

God again gives a warning that the force of Babylon can't be beaten. God has given Babylon the victory, so fighting against Babylon at this time would be fighting against God. Yet it is the end of the chapter I want to focus on. God is telling them that not only are the articles of the temple that were lost not coming back, but what they had left was going to be lost. This reminds me of Jesus' word in Matthew 25:29, "For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." If we aren't faithful in following God, we will not only not get back what we may have lost, but we will also end up losing everything.  

Photo by Pedro Farto on Unsplash

1 Samuel 18

 

David and Jonathan's relationship has been misrepresented often. They had a very strong bond. Something that I have read and heard about by those, especially, who have served together in the military. What I want to point out is that in the action of Jonathan, he is recognizing that David is going to be the next leader of Israel, not himself. I have said that a truly great leader can allow those around him to receive praise and honor and not feel threatened, but what makes a truly great person is when they can realize that even though they could take the position, they give it to a person more qualified. Jonathan was just such a man. It would have been amazing to see them work together when David became king, but Saul kept that from happening. 

Photo by Jacob Elliott on Unsplash (Why this picture? A guy giving up his Harley, enough said)

Romans 5

 As bad as sin is and how long it has gone on, Jesus’ gift on the cross is greater. It is like the sin of Adam in that the actions of one affect all others, but it is greater because it does so much more. Paul points that out here when he says the gift isn’t like the trespass. As Paul will explain later, this gift of Jesus doesn’t just negate sin; it gives us power to live above it. When we walk in the spirit, we don’t have to sin. It seems impossible, but that is what is taught. John mirrors this when he says, “If you sin, you have an advocate with the Father.” He didn’t say when. Jesus’ gift is greater. 

Psalm 59

 

This Psalm is in two parts, the first points out the actions of David's enemies, and the second is calling for God to allow their sins to trap them and for their desires to be unsatisfied. Yet at the end of both, David sets his trust in God, calling God his tower. The image of a tower gives the idea of strength and peace(security). When in a tower, the enemy may devise plans, but you are safe. God is our tower. Remember, in him we are ultimately saved from all evil, and because of Jesus, the consequences of our sins. 

Photo by David Vives on Unsplash

1 Samuel 17

 Something I have rarely heard talked about is the words and actions of David's brothers. Yes, it would be easy to say they are just looking down on their younger brother, except is it just that? Remember, these same brothers saw David anointed the next king of Israel by the prophet. They should have known his destiny, yet they seem to despise him. It is a reminder that sometimes the very people we think should support us, family, don't. Jesus was rejected by his family (originally) and his hometown. Jesus warned us that "and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household" Matthew 10:36. It hurts that this can be true, but it is; however, our job is to be faithful no matter what anyone, including family, says.

Photo by Mattia on Unsplash

1 Samuel 16

 

There was peace in Israel, but distress in the life of Saul. God sent this spirit, but it wasn't meant to serve as an act of torture, but rather as a reminder that Saul needed to repent. Too often, if things are going well, we think that everything is okay, when the truth is that there is a problem. I feel healthy, but cancer is growing. My children seem fine, but they are in trouble. I feel like I'm okay with God, so I must be. Yet, God, at times, sends problems to remind us that something is wrong. I believe this is what God is doing here. God is telling Saul he isn't fit to be king, and Saul rejects the idea and tries to find a cure. Yet, the cure is to bring someone into the life of the kingdom who is the answer to the problem in a way Saul doesn't expect. Saul calls unknowingly for the new king to come to, as it were, the capital. 

We see this again illustrated in 1 Corinthians 5. Paul says he has turned someone over to Satan so they may repent. Yes, their life may be wrecked, but if they repent, it will be worth it.

Photo by Jules D. on Unsplash

Jeremiah 26

 

Jeremiah was commanded to tell the people of God everything and not to omit anything. They weren't going to like it, and there is an example of another person who was killed for saying the same things. Yet Jeremiah was faithful. 

Why? Why would God put Jeremiah in danger? The answer is in verse three, where God says perhaps they will listen. We do know that some did, though most did not. God was willing to put his man in a place of danger to save those few. Why, because God isn't willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Time after time, God is willing to send his prophets to save the few. Paul himself said he did what he did so that he might save some (1 Corinthians 9:18-24). Jesus came not to save the many, because according to his own words, only a few would find the way of salvation (Matthew 7:14). 

If God himself and the prophets in this place, why should we expect something else?

Photo by Timon Reinhard on Unsplash

1 Samuel 15

Let's consider the danger of partial obedience.

 In 1 Samuel chapter 15, starting at verse number 19, it says, this is Samuel talking. "Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?" But I did obey the Lord, said Saul. "I went on the mission as the Lord assigned. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took the sheep and the cattle from the plunder, the best of what was to be devoted to God in order to sacrifice to them the Lord your God at Gilgal." But Samuel replied, "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice as much as he is in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like evil of adultery. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king."
When I look at this, I remember sometimes that people say, "I did it. I did the right thing." But what they really did was what they thought was important. They obeyed partly. Their obedience was not complete but partially complete. And a half-truth, as most everyone will know, is still a lie. And Samuel here makes it very clear that the choice of Saul to reject God's command was so bad that God was rejecting him as king. Period. No way out?
This was it. This was the final straw for Saul. Do I believe that Saul could have found repentance and made his life right with God? Yes! The problem was, Saul's trajectory wasn't going that way. Saul had made decisions again and again to serve what he thought was right, his version of obedience to God rather than God's version.
But why is obedience so much better? Why is rebellion so bad?
Obedience is better because it demonstrates your love for God. Jesus said, "if you love me, you will keep my commandments." John chapter 14:15. So clearly, if you want to be in a relationship with Jesus, you have to obey him. Obedience is the best thing you can give God.
Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft. How could it be like witchcraft?
Rebellion is fighting against authority. Witchcraft is looking for a way to manipulate supernatural powers to do your will. It's looking to make yourself the authority, which is rebellion.
Arrogance is like adultery. Why? Arrogance says that I am more important, thus making myself higher than God. In other words, it's self-worship or self-love.
It's saying "I know better than God" or “I’m god,” and this is why God rejects these people from being part of his family.
This scripture is more than just about Saul making a mistake or doing what's wrong. This scripture shows us what we need to look out for in our own lives.
Partial obedience is, in reality, doing what we want to do anyway, and this attitude will get us cast away.
What do we need to do?
We need to obey God completely, and when we mess up, like David, we truly repent and try to do right.

Photo by Vanilla Bear Films on Unsplash

Romans 4

 

Paul starts off speaking of Abraham as the physical father of the Jews and of Paul himself. Jews considered that having Abraham as their father was the key to their spiritual hope. However, Paul is going to show that those who are living in faith also have Abraham as their father. Indirectly, Paul is saying that claiming Abraham as your father doesn't mean anything unless it is through faith. Our pedigree doesn't guarantee salvation then and now.

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

Psalm 81

 

This is a very interesting psalm. It begins as if the psalmist is ready to praise God and celebrate His feast, but then it shifts. A new voice steps in. It is as if God were clearing His throat and interrupting the psalmist's praise with a warning. This has caused me to wonder if there are not times in our lives or in our churches where God would like to step in and say, "I'm waiting for you to repent." Praising God is good, but I think that, as with sacrifice, God would prefer obedience over praise (1 Samuel 15:22).  

Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash

1 Samuel 13

 

Look a mistake!

If you read the first verse of 1 Samuel 13 in different translations, you do see differences. This is not a mistake in the Scriptures but in translations. One might argue that if God couldn't protect these numbers from being lost to history and translations, then we can't trust anything. This is a very cynical approach to the Bible. The truth that can be seen is that, first, Christians are willing to see and point out where there may have been issues, unlike other religions. Second, this is not critical to the purpose of God. Finally, just because there is disagreement among scholars doesn't discount that the facts can't be known. 

If we can only believe that something is true when there is perfect consensus, then we won't believe anything. The danger is when we pick our experts based on whether they agree with our agenda. In this disagreement, I can say, it doesn't matter. What mattered is that Saul didn't trust God and paid the price.  It is a reminder for us not to do the same. 

Photo by Antoine Dautry on Unsplash

Chasing Your Dream

 This is a post from February 2014, but it fits here today

Today I listened to a young man, Jacob Salem, from Olivet Nazarene University, preach. I enjoyed it. What caught my attention was not the running leap from the podium, but the scripture he used. 

Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab's two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. (1 CHRONICLES 11:22)

I do not know if he has read the book "Chase the Lion" by Mark Batterson (I haven't yet either), but whether he did or not, the question both ask is basically the same:

Do you trust God enough to chase your dream, even if it looks crazy?

WELL?

Are you?

The sermon prompted me to reflect on all that surrounded the publication of my first book, The Bee in the Blackberry Bush. 

When I began to chase this dream in July 2012, I set aside the facts:

• I was no expert in writing
• English was my worst subject growing up
• I had no talent in art (I can not draw a straight line with a ruler)
• I did not know any illustrators
• I had no money to pay an illustrator
• I had no money to pay an editor
• I did not have a good name for the story
• I did not have the money to pay a printer/vanity publisher
• I had no experience in book design 
• I did not know any translators (this comes into play later)
• I had no money to pay translators
• I had no platform

Despite what has happened. 

The Bee in the Blackberry Bush is published in print in 3 languages, 2 in Kindle format. The title was given to me by Garrett Lee, who also assisted in editing the book. Garrett's brother Don is an excellent illustrator, and both brothers donated their services(This was Don's first published work, WOW, he has a future, hire him). I learned how to self-publish for next to nothing. I learned how to design a book(this is harder than it looks). Two great people took up the challenge of translating the book into their own languages.

It was a lot, A LOT, of work, but it was worth it.

Update: At this time, I have self-published twelve more books (11 nonfiction, 1 fiction) and have also helped others get their work published. I know of at least 20 books that are in print because I helped encourage or actually format the books. I have 6 drafts of fiction books (Okay, Confession: I've been afraid to do the work to finish releasing them, but that is going to change).

How did all of this happen? I chased the lion (And I will again).

I can not promise this will happen for you, but if you do nothing, nothing is what you will have.

Published and Drafts

* I am not endorsing Mark Batterson and he is not endorsing this blog.

He has never heard of me, I'm sure.

Jeremiah 25

Jeremiah isn't written linearly. The narrative goes forward and then goes back, and here in chapter 25, it happens again. For me, however, I see why the change is taking place. God, in the previous chapter, spoke of the good people going to Jerusalem. Now, we are given the prophecy about how long those people will have to stay in exile. It is also a reminder that God tried to warn his people before this took place. Yes, God is saying, "I told you so," but in this case, God isn't doing it to brag but to give directions, and though it is a long way off, hope. 

Seventy years is as long as many people live. This means that most of those who were exiled will die away from the land God promised. To me, it is a reminder that in this world, in our exile as it were, we may die before seeing God's promises fulfilled. Yet Jesus tells us that in this world we would have trouble, but he has overcome the world (John 16:33). He will make all things right. Yes, in this world life may be hard, but a better day is coming; it just may not be in this lifetime. 

Photo by Chandler Cruttenden on Unsplash

Jeremiah 24

 

The people left in Jerusalem had the temple. They had prophets like Jeremiah. They were in the land that God had given to their people. These people had everything that one might expect to do right, yet they were the rotten ones. Good fortune, good luck, or what may seem to be God's blessings don't prove righteousness. In truth, if you aren't trying to serve God faithfully, then being in the church and having faithful teaching available is a curse. Jesus said to whom much is given, much shall be required (Luke 12:48). Knowing this, one can understand why the disobedient people in Jerusalem were so rotten. They had what they needed to serve God and did nothing. It is like someone dying of starvation in a grocery store full of free food. 

Photo by Bodie Pyndus on Unsplash

Romans 3

 

I have heard many people judge Christianity by the failure of some Christians. That argument is faulty, according to Paul, when he says, "What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all!" Yes, the Jews failed to follow God, but this didn't mean that God wasn't faithful. What it proved was that humanity was the problem. People today can no more judge God on the actions of some people who call themselves Christians than by the lack of faithfulness of Israel could prove that the Law was worthless. Neither the disobedience of others nor the faithfulness of God justifies our continuing in wrongdoing.   

What is amazing in this chapter and actually in much of Romans, is Paul’s referencing to the Old Testament. For those who would like to say that Paul has forsaken the Law and embraced something completely foreign (and there are some, He sure uses the Old Testament to show what he is teaching is true. The truth is that Paul uses the Old Testament because he believes what Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17), and is using the Scriptures they had to show this. 

Photo by Juanma Clemente-Alloza on Unsplash

Psalm 80

 

We see verse 17 saying, "Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself," and can understand that this man, the psalmist, is thinking about is Israel. Yet in light of the New Testament, we can see that there is another son that God has put his hand on and raised up. Jesus is, in a real sense, the one whom God is going to use to save and keep his people. It is Jesus who will bring about salvation for Israel and for the whole world. 

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

1 Samuel 12

 I noticed here in this chapter that Samuel doesn't say that if your king does evil, God will judge you, but if you, the people, do evil. Leaders have influence and power in our world, and how much more when they were little more than dictators. Yet, Samuel says that the people and their king would be swept away if they sinned. We might want to blame leaders, but we still have a choice. We can choose, as Jesus said, to give to Ceaser the things that are his but give to God what belongs to him. We do not have to follow the example of ungodly leaders. We can choose a better, a holy, and godly way, because if we don't, the destruction that comes is on us, not our leaders. 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash