James 4

This one is heavy......

"Brothers and Sisters, do not slander one another.  Anyone who speakes against a brother or siter or judges them speaks against the law, you are not keeping it..."   

"As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes.  All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, konws the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."

both of these are tough ones for me. 

1.  Don't pass judgement on those around me.  enough said.

2.  Don't boast of plans for the future.  I have to admit that I never really thought about this one.  But, I am in complete agreement with it.  The future isn't up to me, and my plans.  Is completely up to God.  So, why would I talk about the future in such a way that makes it sound like I think I'm in control?   It seems that if I could really practice this one.....it would be really liberating to know and live in the idea that my future is in God's hands, and not mine.

James 3

⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 


This is fitting with the quick to listen slow to speak theme that has been striking me this week.  The illustrations in this chapter used to draw parallels to the tongue are great.  This particular one with the spark struck me because it illustrates how long after me and my tongue have left a conversation a brief word spoken can turn into a burning fire of destruction.


It would never be my intention, but I know I am always playing the devils advocate which can be interpreted as being negative--who knows when I have said something that was frustrating or hurtful to someone and left them burning inside with frustration or anger that could have been avoided if I was slower to speak or chose words more carefully.


Quick to listen, slow to speak 
knut

James 2

²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.


Well this is a convicting chapter for me.  I have faith but what deeds to I have to illustrate my faith?  I don't feel I have many, it makes me feel a little weak in substance.  The second half of the chapter uses several different examples in case your dense like me to illustrate that if you have true faith it will shine through your actions.


Our church mission statement is A House of Prayer, a Serving Church.  I can see I need to focus on the serving aspect or I should consider my faith dead--which is a sobering thought.


Note:  It was nice for a change to understand a reference to the Old Testament when he used Rahab from our Joshua reading to further illustrate his point.


Quick to listen, slow to speak and steadily living His perfect law (good deed and all!)  Have a great day!

James 1

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry


I really love this verse I remember quoting the highlighted part this past week in a conversation with Gina.  I don't become angry often, but I really have to work at the listen/slow to speak part as I often find someone talking and I'm not listening very well waiting for an opportunity to interject my own thoughts.  Its something I don't like that I do and so this verse has helped me both personally and at work too--I think I'm better than I use to be but reading this is a good reminder today.


The verse below reminds me to make these morning chapter a day lessons part of how I live not just a study I do from 5:30 to 6:00am and forget about after I close the blog down for the day.  


²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.




Quick to listen slow to speak and steadily living His perfect law.  Have a great day!

2 Samuel 24

David counted all the men that were able to fight, in Israel.  He counts 800 thousand in all of Israel, and 500 thousand in Judah.  Here again the tribe of Judah takes on its own significance, outside of the other tribes.....perhaps its due to the fact that it is the largest.....or perhaps some foreshadowing as to the historical significance of the tribe.

The second part of the chapter seems funny to me.  It seems that God is bargaining with David, a little bit.  Although, I guess I do the same thing with Max and Ben sometimes.  I call it the "Pick you punishment" game.  The thing I don't like is that God is ok with punishing the innocent, for something David has done.  David even says that in there....although, at the beginning of the chapter it reads that that God's anger burned for Israel.  Its pretty scary to read David's desciption of God in his song, in chapter........21 I think......and then thing about that God's anger burning against you!
No thanks!

2 Samuel 23

"The Spirit of the Lord spoke throught me; his word was on my tongue"

I love the reference to David being "one" with God.  That's really something to strive for.  The tongue is the most powerful weapon that we have....and to think that only good things come from that weapon would be an awesome thing.

The second half of this chapter, read like....blah, blah, blah........

have a good one!

2 Samuel 22

This one was fun read for me.  It seems like we've gotten a little mired down in the drama of the life of David lately.
Chapter 22 is very refreshing.  The thing that really strikes me here is how I could feel in his writing, how much he truly loves, relies on, and waits for direction from God.  You can tell this writing is from his heart.  Even when he refers to the victories he's had, that other people attribute to him....he quickly gives credit to God.
Some of these songs are difficult for me....but there are a lot of really good lines in this one. 

2 Samuel 21

"there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot"
that sounds a lot like the 6 fingered man from the Princess Bride, doesn't it?  too funny

The main jist that I take from this book, is how David had to make things right with God before he would hear/answer his prayers.  I've been thinking about that lately.  One big reason why I don't hear from God as much as I would like is that there are things in my world that aren't "right"

something to work on!

2 Samuel 20

WOW!

²² Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.


Was this Xena the warrior princess?....sheesh
Some of the brutality in the Old Testament is hard to believe.  It seems there is not a high regard for life sometimes.  A different time, I guess. 

2 Samuel 19

²² David replied, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? What right do you have to interfere?


I don't have much from this chapter.  It seems that these are all blending together.  But, I do like this line from David.  This is a good lesson for me that I shouldn't interfere in things that don't pertain to me.  And don't try to undermine those around me that I think have done wrong to others....it really isn't any of my business.


not much....but its a little grasp

2 Samuel 18

hhhhhmmmmmmm.  We knew this had to be coming.
Absalom - self promoter - dead
David - follower of God - still alive, but sad that his son is gone (even though he was trying to kill him)

2 Samuel 17

I love the references that this person said to do so and so, and that person said to do this and that.....its almost like the yadda, yadda, yadda from Sienfeld.  Makes me laugh.

The only take away I have from this one is that God truly is in control of everything that is happening to us.  Absalom gets very different advice from 2 sources.  God makes it so that the bad plan sounds better to Absalom. 4 "This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel."

How about how harshly Ahithophel takes the news that his advice wasn't followed?..........WOW!  I can't imagine telling you that I think you should jet your carbuerator a little leaner.....and then killing myself cause you chose not to do it.  I know this situation is a little more serious than that.  But, it seems like Ahithophel is more concerned about the perception of himself by those around him that know the king didn't follow his advice.....than he is about following God.

2 Samuel 16

David is still paying for his issues.
I think having it be ultimately, from his own son must have been really difficult to take.  Although, his family unit wasn't really structured like our modern families.

I think its funny that he takes full ownership in his troubles and tells his men to let the stones be thrown.  We talked about this with Saul.  Davids men shouldn't take the punishment or blame for the things that David has done....but they are bearing the brunt of it.  Agian, be careful who you are aligning yourself with....make sure they are following the right path.  And, maybe more importantly, make sure I am leading those around me on the right path.....or they might suffer for my decision.

more to come
tp

2 Samuel 15

Seems a little like Saul doesn't it?  David is fearful of Absalom.  So he flees.  I find it interesting that he leaves the city and then designs a test for God to tell him if he should go back or not......he didn't ask God if he should leave in the first place.  Every time David does something without consulting God,....it always goes bad for him.

more evidence to check in with the Big-guy before doing anything.

tp

2 Samuel 14

¹⁴ Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.


I didn't discover any particular nugget today to follow or work on personally.  I did notice the reference here to God's desire for us to be with him.  It seems to reference his plan to have Jesus come and reconcile us with him.  Its always interesting seeing these references tucked throughout the Old Testament, illustrating his plan so long before Jesus came to fulfill it.  Its a great illustration of his total control of the world and why we need to no worry about tomorrow--he has a plan for us.


have a great day

2 Samuel 13

This chapter tells how David's sins of adultery and murder are now continuing with his children.  A downward spiral of behavior that both punishes David's past sins but also negatively impacts the lives of his kids.  Seems like a powerful reason to follow God's commandments, to prevent bringing future harm to our kids.  Hopefully this illustration of kids following the model set by the parent also works for the good things, not just the sins.

2 Samuel 12

the rest of the story...¹³ Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”   Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. ¹⁴ But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for^[a] the LORD, the son born to you will die.”


So in chapter 11 we don't get the full picture or recognition of the impact of David's sins.  We see here the child dies because of David's immoral actions.  Feels like foreshadowing of Jesus dying for us--though I don't find those comments in any other bible commentaries I have read through.