Directing Our Hearts

II Chronicles 20:32-33

And (Jehoshaphat) walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord. The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet directed their hearts to the God of their fathers. --

Asa was a good, Godly king who not only worshiped the Lord God himself, but promoted the Lord throughout Israel (II Chronicles 14:2-5). Asa reigned 41 years (16:13), then his son Jehoshaphat became the king. He also worshiped the Lord God, and did right for the people. He had all "the high places and Asherim removed from Judah" at the beginning of his reign (17:6), but by the end of his life, 25 years later, the high places were back. Even after 66 years of good leaders bringing them back to the Lord, "the people had not yet directed their hearts to the God of their fathers." It takes constant vigilance to keep the people faithful. We need to make the decision to direct our hearts toward the Lord and continue to monitor our attitudes because the world is just too enticing.

Even so, Come, Lord Jesus!

The Wicked And The Good

Psalms 36, 37

(36:1) I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked. There is no fear of God before their eyes. --

David's message tells us why wicked people do what they do: They don't acknowledge any accountability to God, so they have no brake on the sinfulness of our human nature; the result is that they express in their attitudes and decisions all the selfishness, greed and vengeance that are inherent in our fallen nature. 

These two Psalms describe God's view of both the wicked and those who know God, who are called good, because God's power overcomes the bent of human nature. The evil will become the victims of their own schemes and be destroyed, while the good will live their lives according to God's ways and reap the benefits in this life and enjoy God in His glory forever. There are no greys with God, only the black (deep crimson) and white.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

God's Lovingkindness

Psalm 118

(1) & (29) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
(9) It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
(14) The Lord is  my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.
(24) This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. --

The theme of this whole Psalm is God's lovingkindness to us, as evidenced in the first and last verses. So all the middle verses show how this lovingkindness works out in our relationship with the Lord. He protects us and rescues us from our enemies; He gives us prosperity and joy; He gives us each day as a gift (I've heard that's why it's called "the present"). The more we trust in Him, the more blessings we allow God to shower upon us. And every day is a new beginning.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

David's House

I Chronicles 17

(1) And it came about, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the Prophet "Behold, I am dwelling in a house of cedar, but the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord is under curtains."
(4) "Go and tell David My servant, 'Thus says the Lord, "You shall not build a house for me to dwell in;
(10) Moreover, I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you.
(11) I will set up one of your descendants after you, who shall be of your sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
(12) He shall build for me a house, and I will establish his throne forever."'"
(16) Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord and said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that Thou hast brought me this far?" --

David wanted to build God a house, and God said that He will build a house for David instead! What a wonderful God we have! And God did build an eternal house of David's family: Solomon's throne endured many generations, every one of Judah's kings was of his dynasty (contrasted to Israel, the Northern Kingdom, that had a new dynasty with almost every king they had). And it is the same dynasty, same throne, that King Jesus will reign from when He returns; the eternal reign, that will extend from the Millennial time on this world to the New Earth, and New Jerusalem forever.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Ask In Faith

James 1:5

But if any of you lack wisdom, --

Has a need of something you don't have, in this case, wisdom.

let him ask of God, --

Don't just assume you'll have it, or try to get it in your own power; but ask God for it.

but let him ask in faith --

Believe and know in your heart that God is faithful to always do everything He said He would do, and He has promised to give us every good thing in this world and so much more in the forever life to come.

without any doubting. --

If we're not sure God will answer, if we think it's impossible, or we don't deserve it, or for some other reason we think won't get whatever it is, then we won't get it.

For let not that man (who doubts) expect that he will receive anything from the Lord. --

When we doubt, we break that connection. When we firmly believe, we leave the door open for whatever we ask for to come to us. Expect it. Trust God that much.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Ziba

II Samuel 9, 16, 19

David loved Jonathan, and honored his name by welcoming his lame son, Mephibosheth. That's where we first meet Ziba, "a servant of Saul's household" (II Samuel 9:2). Ziba wasn't a slave, because slaves couldn't own anything, but Ziba had a big family, 15 sons, and 20 servants of his own (9:10, 19:17). We first see that David told Ziba to serve Mephibosheth by farming all the land that had belonged to King Saul for Mephibosheth's benefit and income. 

The next time we see Ziba is when David is fleeing from Absalom and he meets David with provisions for him and all who are with him. David asks about Mephibosheth, and Ziba lies to David, telling him that Mephibosheth has deserted him to try to be king, himself! David believes him, and gives all of Mephibosheth's land to him! Here Ziba has accused his master of making a power-play when he, himself was doing so.

Then when David returns to Jerusalem, he talks with Mephibosheth and finds out how Ziba slandered him, and David divides the land between the two of them (19:24-30). But Mephibosheth renounced his claim on any of Saul's lands, saying that Ziba could just have it all, and now that King David was back in Jerusalem, he could still eat at the king's table and be provided for.

It seems to me that Ziba had no regard for his lame master, who owned the wealth (the land) and tried to steal it from him by slander and deceit. But Mephibosheth was not competitive with him, and had little regard for material possessions. Ziba wanted earthly riches; he got the land. Mephibosheth had gratitude toward David, and was provided for by the king. They both got what they wanted.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Able To Admonish

Romans 15:14

And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able also to admonish one another. --

Paul is writing to Gentile Christians in Rome before he has been able to go to Rome to meet them. But from what he has heard about them, he concludes that God has given them His goodness, and that they have studied or been taught the knowledge of God's Truth; this is what qualifies them to "admonish one another."  
So when we perceive that another brother or sister has slipped into some wrong or deceptive or harmful act or thought process, then we must examine ourselves first to make sure we have God's goodness in us and have accurate knowledge, then we will be qualified to admonish them, but only in love (see I Corinthians 13).

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!