April Archives

 

April 1

Judges 1:1 to 3:6; 17:1-13

 

O my Father, my patient Father, You have loved Israel with an everlasting love, but their feet were so quick to enter the way of fools.  How could their hearts darken so quickly?  How could they embrace the idols of self-love so defiantly?  Never a sadder reading.  But sadder still, Father, is those places where I could remove the name of a tribe of Israel and insert my name without doing an injustice to truth.  Such as the verse: “Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh…”  Father, it seems a sobering but appropriate lesson to imagine an applicational rendering: “Neither did Chuck drive out those living in his heart.  My Father, we know – I know - the great work You have done in my heart.  Your mercy endures forever.  But I also know that I have at times entertained the enemy when I should have been dining at Your table.  Help me, Father, to cleanse the land (my heart) and dedicate all to You.  Amen.

 

April 2

Judges 18:1-31; Judges 3:7 to 4:24

 

Father, salvation is of You – it always has been.  And of course You know the hearts of men.  You always have.  You have seen the cycles of sin, rebellion, repentance, and obedience, before we do them.  And yet You respond to repentance with blessing, and to rebellion with discipline.  Father, I think You do this for two reasons:

1.  You love Your children unconditionally.

2.  You want future generations to realize their hearts are wicked and they must look to You for salvation or they will surely perish. 

It just seems so shocking that the Danites would act so godless in everything they do, and their words betray that they carry (in some manner) the knowledge of You.  Father, please purge these inclinations from me.  You have filled my heart with Your Spirit.  Please forgive me for allowing guests into my heart that should not be welcome.  Help me crush all the idols from my life and serve You alone.  Amen.

 

April 3

Judges 5:1 to 7:25

 

My Lord, Your Spirit fills my heart as my mind takes in Your Words.  The reading speaks strongly of Your patience; or maybe a better word would be forbearance.  Even though Deborah herself appeared to have a clear understanding of the roll of women and men, she knew in the absence of the obedience of men, God will raise up women; but woe to the men who have suppressed the faith given to them.  And since I have been among such men during my lifetime, I ask Your forgiveness and deliverance from cowardice in spiritual battles.  Your patience, Father, shines even brighter in the account of Gideon.  What a paradox he is!  I suppose any of us might have significant apprehensions in the same situations, but he knew that it was You, Lord, Who was speaking to him.  He knew but still seemed to lack trust.  It is a mystery to me but I suspect it should not be, considering how dull and hard-hearted I can be at times.  Forgive me, my Father.  Amen.

 

April 4

Judges 8:1 to 9:57

 

My Father, receive my giving of thanks this day.  Your mercy saves us every day.  You have made us to be Your children through Jesus Christ.  The cross teaches us so much about truth, justice and mercy.  This section of reading is very sad, Father.  The lessons are good to learn, but they are sad lessons.  We learn once again how evil the hearts of men can be.  And we learn once again that Your justice is righteous and certain, even if it is delayed.  These are good lessons for those who learn them, because they are the ones that point us to the cross.  Only the sacrifice of Jesus can remove the despair of our evil hearts exposed to the wrath of God.  And this is why, Father, that the cross shows us that Your wrath cannot be secluded from Your love.  Father, may Your name and holiness be lifted this day in my heart.  Fill me with Your Spirit, with love for others, and the mind of Christ will be revealed this day.  Amen.

 

April 5

Judges 10:1 to 13:25

 

Loving Father, Your compassions are new every morning.  I love You.  You have forgiven me seven times seventy plus.  Only let me not be a repeat offender, Lord.  Strengthen me against the enemy and protect me from that which is in my flesh.  There is no rock but You.  I am not a rock.  But if You plant my heart firmly in Your truth, my foundation will endure the storms.  The account of Jepthah angers me as much as it saddens me because of his foolish vow.  His speech to the Ammonite king seemed so capable.  He does not seem like one who gives himself to foolish vows.  It is interesting that the name of Manoah’s wife is not given.  She must have been devout though, because just like the Lord’s resurrection, the angel appeared to the woman first.  This reading, Father, speaks mostly of Your patient heart that hurts for His children when they suffer.  Your grace can only be explained by love and Your love is too wonderful to comprehend; but I love that we have eternity to enjoy it.  Be glorified, my Lord, this day.  Amen.

 

April 6

Judges 19:1 to 20:48

 

Father in Heaven, the account of the dismembered concubine and the brief but destructive war that resulted is more shocking to me each time I read it.  I am sure there are cultural issues that come into play in this story, but there are certain things that are the same in all cultures and the influence is the same.  Father, this account teaches me that when men distort the natural sexuality of the body, it naturally follows that their entire worldview regarding the value of life becomes distorted.  Murder and other unthinkable acts can become common place.  Father, keep me from such loss of control, regarding holy behavior.  My wonderful Shepherd, protect me from the wolves that may visit the flock, but also from the wolves that may visit the heart.  Regardless of what men may think, we do not live in a vacuum.  Our actions always have consequences, and when our actions are evil the consequences will eventually and inevitably be costly and undesirable.  Thank You, my Lord, for Your enduring mercy and limitless love.  May all my actions glorify You this day.  Amen.

 

April 7

Judges 21:1-25; 1 Chronicles 6:4b-15; Ruth 1:1 to 2:23

 

My holy Father, I praise Your Name.  May all the earth rise in praise to You this day.  Hear my heart, dear Lord.  You are worthy of all devotion – Your mercies endure – Your justice is true – and Your salvation flows from Your throne like a river.  Thank You, Father, Son, Holy Spirit.  Thank You, God.  The reading today spans the entire gambit of how wicked the hearts of men can be and how gracious they can be when regenerated by You.  From the foolish vows and behavior of the men of Israel at Mizpah, to the gracious ways of Boaz toward the newly arrived Moabitess in the fields outside Bethlehem; the power of Your Gospel is vividly revealed.  Thank You, Father, that You sent Your Son to take on flesh, to become our Kinsman (sinless, pure), to become our Redeemer, and to give the ultimate payment.  I offer no vows today, Father.  I only recognize my bankruptcy.  My only asset is not even of me.  It is Your grace – Your relentless loving heart.  For Your awesome grace, I worship You.  Amen.

 

April 8

Ruth 3:1 to 4:22; 1 Chronicles 2:3-16; 1 Samuel 1:1-28

 

Father, receive my adoration this day.  While daily responsibilities compete for my immediate attention – while all of the wounds of past failures are redressed and the scars of sin try to accuse; Father, may I pause to rest in You and the finished work of Your Son.  Please forgive my sins and grant wisdom to prioritize the demands of life in accordance with what is important to You.  There is cleansing for my mind in the reading today.  After reading the last three months of corruption and chaos alongside grace and faith, it is stunning to read back-to-back, the accounts of Ruth and Hannah.  Father, I could linger on circumstances, tragedy, triumph, etc., but I would rather dwell on Your Providence and Your Sovereign Grace.  My favorite words that I read today are, “the Lord remembered her.”  Such is my prayer.  Govern my heart, Lord.  Amen.

 

April 9

1 Samuel 2:1-10; Psalms 113:1-9; 1 Samuel 11-21;

Judges 14:1 to 16:22

 

Father, I have read this many times (about Samson’s apparent naiveties).  And each time, I (like others) marvel at how he could be so stupid - so easily duped.  Today it has occurred to me that I have failed so foolishly at times, even since my conversion; and most of such times, if read about or viewed by the entire world; would cause the world to say, “How could he be so stupid?  How could he be so easily duped?”  I am not attempting here to excuse Samson’s atrocious behavior nor do I excuse mine.  Only You can justify, and You will only justify through Christ, the Just One.  Nevertheless, Father, I am thinking: if when reading such accounts in Your Word, should we not wonder at wickedness in others a little less and wonder at wickedness in us a little more?  And then I am convinced that the Holy Spirit using the Word will lead us to repentance and the brokenness that eventually comes to Samson.  Amen.

 

April 10

Judges 16:23-31; 1 Samuel 2:22 to 5:12

 

Today, O Lord, from time and space, from decay and suffering, will come many shouts of praise to You.  Most however, will continue in their digression, moving about in slumber and blindness – in their endless individualisms.  Some will shake their fists toward heaven.  But most simply continue within the snicker of evil birthed in the confidence of victory in stealing the next breath – the next heartbeat from you, my Father.  Occasionally, the fear will swell, but only for a moment, because after all, life must go on.  And so, the critical suppression of truth is employed for the ten-thousandth time.  But Your Spirit still moves, and even when the cherubim that frame the visitation of Your grace seem to have departed from Your Temple; yet the lost and broken strays continue to be carried one at a time back into Your flock.  Father, strengthen our arms, lead us to the pillars and consume us for the glory of Your purpose.  Blessed be the Name of the Lord!  Amen.

 

April 11

1 Samuel 6:1 to 7:17; 1 Samuel 8:1 to 9:27

 

Father, this reading reveals to me more strongly than any other reading just how undesirable the knowledge of Your holiness can be to people who have no desire to surrender to Your Lordship.  The Philistines tried to appease You with gold tumors and rats, but they tried to appease themselves by distancing themselves from the symbol of grace that they could have learned from.  Even Your own people wanted to distance themselves from the Ark after they realized it was not something they could handle flippantly.  O That people would not only see Your holiness and the despair it can bring to the sinner, but that they would see Your love shown forth in the Person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Once they understand that our High Priest has removed the curtain into the Most Holy Place – has anointed the Mercy Seat with His blood - they would know that redemption is paid and access to God’s presence is secure, only through the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

April 12

1 Samuel 10:1 TO 13:22

 

Father, the significance of Saul’s early disobedience is sobering to me and I should visit with You about that.  The society that we live in is a high-tech, high-stress society – one that is given to entertainment and competition.  Everything about our culture seems to breed impatience and compromise.  The breakdown of integrity is acknowledged by all, except in one’s own self.  Father, I have yielded myself too many times to these darknesses, and conducted myself as if I was the controller of my life.  I know this is sin and I know repentance is required or there can be no real peace in the days of this life.  Saul usurped the duties of the priest, assuming that he merited access to You by way of shortcut.  In our way of life in America today, it is a temptation to seek access to Your throne on our own merit, rather than on the merit of Jesus Christ.  Forgive us, Father – forgive me and grant a delivery of repentance that places the feet of Your children on a sure, Christ-honoring path.  For Jesus, amen.

 

April 13

1 Samuel 13:23 to 14:52; 1 Chronicles 8:1 to 9:1a

 

Wonderful father, I never know about Jonathan’s headstrong ways.  He seems so foolish, and yet there is so much recorded about his faith in You.  He apparently just can’t stand everyone hiding and trembling – not God’s people.  Perhaps he figures it is better to die in surrender to God than to live in surrender to the enemy.  Father, may this concept find spiritual application in my heart, for I desire to never give over to the enemy, no matter how weak or outnumbered I feel.  I also marvel at the faithfulness of Jonathan’s armor-bearer.  I am sure the primary objective of his faithfulness was Jonathan but there are indicators that he also trusted in You, Jonathan’s God.  And even if he thought it was suicide, he considered his identity inseparable from his duty to Jonathan even to death.  Such lessons as these, Father, belong in the heart of the Christian – to be completely surrendered to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

April 14

1 Chronicles 9:35-44; 5:7-10; 5:18-22; 1 Samuel 15:1 to 16:23

 

Lord of my heart – Lord Almighty – Father of the redeemed, may Your Name be praised.  You are exalted beyond the heavens.  All that You are is true and holy.  You gave the Amalekites every possible chance to repent, but they were a constant affliction to Your people and showed no mercy to the weakest ones.  You instructed Saul to kill everything that breathes and everything that does not breathe.  You told him to destroy everything.  But he did not.  He kept the best of everything and his excuse was religious reasons.  How this must anger You and break Your heart.  Father, is it not exactly the same with sin?  Isn’t this literal account also intended for an allegorical lesson regarding sin and repentance?  You have not called us to partial repentance.  You have instructed us to destroy everything.  Forgive me, Father - far too often the possessions of the Amalekites have been allowed in my camp.  Father, thank You for grace.  Amen.

 

April 15

1 Samuel 17:1-58; Psalm 144:1-15

 

Wonderful Savior, I am thinking again today of how You protect me from the enemy of my soul.  You know the inclinations of my flesh and You know that I am outmanned and outgunned.  Like David coming against Goliath in an impossible situation by man’s estimation, Father, I claim the Name of the Lord Almighty.  David deplored the disgrace incurred by Israel.  He felt so deeply about the honor of the armies of the living God, that he said, “I will fight!”  He was confident because God had watched over him in previous battles when David was outmatched.  Even though David did not trust his aim with the slingshot (he took five stones), he nevertheless trusted God.  Father, You guided that stone, and I know You can effect the defeat of my enemy as well.  You are Creator and the Lord of Creation.  I trust Your Word.  I trust Your Name.  Please, gracious Lord, fill my heart with the knowledge of Your goodness and Your power.  Amen.

 

April 16

1 Samuel 18:1 to 20:42

 

Glorious Lord – Holy Father, Your Word amazes me everyday.  The layers of depth and truth challenge me to seek You – to want You – to love You – to know You.  Father, it seems to me that You must have felt much love for Saul.  Rather than leave him peacefully in sin, You ministered to him in a way that left him terribly unsettled, and yet he was so committed to himself and to his sinful ways that he refused to turn.  The gift of repentance was made available to him but he would not acquire it.  Father, may my heart never harden and cease to be responsive to Your chastisement.  May my love for You be well-plowed, nourished, and seeded for You; and bring forth fruit for Your kingdom.  You knew what Saul’s reaction would be, but Your love is never restricted by foreknowledge.  O Lord, may the love of David and Jonathan be the love of those in the body of Christ; and may those considering a relationship with You, see it and know that it is good.  Amen.

 

April 17

Psalm 5:1-12; Psalm 59:1-17; Psalm 133:1-3; 1 Samuel 21:1-15;

Psalm 34:1-22; 1 Samuel 22:1-5; 1 Chronicles 12:8-18

 

O great Deliverer – wonderful Strength of David, blessed be Your Name.  Such heartbreaking things are going on with David, but all of it seems to be forging him into Your man.  His recorded poetic prayers to You indicate that his loftiest thoughts are of You.  He is full of Your Spirit and his soul is overcome with songs of praise and petition.  And he clearly desires others to know You as the only Source of strength and deliverance.  Many times his prayers are imprecatory, but his actions that followed such prayers indicated no hatred for his enemies whatsoever.  Father, anoint my tongue, as well as my pen hand.  Anoint my heart, as well as my mind.  May all the issues of my soul be revealed as glorification of You and Your gracious and mighty works.  Even as my faculties begin to dim and my days on earth wind down; Lord, may all who come around me encounter an overwhelming draw to Your mercy.  Amen.

 

April 18

1 Samuel 22:6-23; Psalm 52:1-9; Psalm 109:1-31; 1 Samuel 23:1-29

 

My Father in Heaven, the reading today reminds me of the emotions and twists and turns of watching a movie.  We watch and we judge the characters.  We employ standards of right and wrong that actually are written in our hearts.  Problem is: we violate those standards ourselves.  But who will judge us?  We won’t.  Father, we are so quick to exempt ourselves from the standards we impose on others.  I find that all the characters in this reading have serious problems.  Even the most devout of them, David, admits himself that he knowingly caused the death of the priests of Nob.  But Father, what seems to elude us is that these characters should not be a movie screen of defendants that we judge, as much as a mirror that shows us our own wretched condition.  Such knowledge breaks the proud and brings him empty and helpless to a merciful Father full of grace and truth; Who saves and makes all things new.  Thank You.  Amen.

 

April 19

Psalm 13:1-6; 17:1-15; 22:1-31; 1 Samuel 24:1-22

 

How long, O Lord?  This was the cry of David when he was in so much distress from the relentless pursuit of Saul.  It seemed only a matter of time and yet David believed – he believed You, Father.  And his heart reached Your heart.  Even though sin would be exposed in him, his sincere cries and his diligent seeking of You, Father, truly touched You.  Indeed, Your Spirit inspired his words and showed us in such vivid terms Your salvation through the cross, through Your Son.  Father, may I see such salvation today.  May I know such deliverance today.  The forces that oppose You and regard You foolishly, also seek to discredit You somehow by discrediting me.  But who am I?  Your victory rises regardless.  It is not bound by my actions.  Lord, may the enemies of my soul know that I walk by Your strength, not mine.  In fact, may all know that Your hand covers me and that even in my most spiritually clumsy times, I will not fall because You lift me and sustain me.  Amen.

 

April 20

Psalm 7:1-17; 35:1-28; 57:1-11; 142:1-7

 

My Savior Father, these Psalms are so filled with exhilaration, even as David seems to dip his head at times regarding his troubles and his enemies.  David never is far from reminding his heart of Your awesomeness, Your goodness, and Your mercy.  He constantly appeals to and then affirms Your protection.  Even though we know that David is in physical distress in these Psalms, we often find him praying for his spiritual well-being.  This is evident in Psalms 35:3.  He speaks of spear and javelin as Your weapons and then he petitions You with the cry that should be the cry of every soul in every age.  “Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’”  No wonder the word “Jesus” means The Salvation of the Lord.  This is my cry to You, Lord.  The cry of my life.  I may call to You to spread Your wings over me, Your nets around me, Your protection and support beneath me, but in the end there is only one petition that matters.  Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”  Thank You, Jesus.  Amen.

 

April 21

1 Samuel 25:1-44; Psalm 18:1-50

 

Almighty God, what wonderful love it is that You are my Father.  What wonderful mercy that Your Son would so empty Himself to enter space and time and become flesh.  Even before creation, Your intra-Triune covenant began Your death to rescue the lost – to rescue me.  My righteousness fails, but Yours prevails.  My hands are decayed with corruption, but You give me Yours – Your clean hands.  My heart was that heart of stone – black stone, but Your purity is imputed to me by faith and You transplant with a heart of flesh.  Praise be to Father – to Son – to Holy Spirit.  So many times I have stumbled, but Your mercy reaches farther and endures longer than my defeats.  And that is why I know that no matter what happens today; in the morning I will be found standing once again, solidly on the Rock.  That Rock is Christ!  And I love Him!  Amen.

 

April 22

2 Samuel 22:1-51; Psalm 14:1-7, 53:1-6; 1 Samuel 26:1-25

 

Our Father, even now I rejoice and I am glad because of Your salvation to come out of Zion.  And how wonderful it is, immediately after David proclaims this, he prophetically announces, “When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and be glad!”  If David did indeed draft this Psalm after Nabal had insulted him, then I wonder if we take it out of context.  It is a heavily quoted text, but regardless of how it is interpreted, its breadth clearly spans the entire Bible.  It takes us from the fall of man to the final triumph of Christ, from the first verse to the last.  Father we can learn much from David’s respect for “the Lord’s anointed.”  He makes it clear he believes Saul’s fate is negative, but he also believes (firmly) that he should not interfere with the Lord’s will.  Father, may I conduct myself with such patience.  Amen.

 

April 23

Psalm 31:1-24; 1 Samuel 27:1-12; 1 Chronicles 12:1-7;

Psalm 56:1-13; 1 Samuel 28:1-2; 1 Samuel 29:1-11;

1 Chronicles 12:19-22; Psalm 40:1-17

 

My Lord, I wonder at how weary David must have been when he went to the Philistines.  He must have been very tired of running from Saul.  He got Saul off his back, but he also seems to have drawn considerable negative attention from Achish’s rulers.  His Psalms reveal a man who is very tired at times, stressed at times, and downright afraid at times.  He admits these things, but he always includes “but” or “when.”  In Psalm 40 he says, “When I am afraid I will trust in You.”  He always endeavored to give himself over to Your mercy.  As an autonomous individual, he understood his bankruptcy.  All life, all confidence, all hope is in You and You alone.  You are David’s Rock, You are the Word he trusted, and You are the Rescuer that he praised.  There seems to be much that is negative in many of his actions, and yet he seems to always know and affirm Who his Redeemer is.  Father, be praised in all I do and say today.  Amen.

 

April 24

Psalm 69:1-36; 86:1-17; 131:1-3; 1 Samuel 28:3-25

 

My God, my Lord, You are all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful.  This is why it is so awesome that You are all-loving and all-holy and all-righteous.  In fact, all of these things speak of Your holiness.  Father, I know the first three cannot be transmuted to Your creation, but You have made it possible through Your Son on the cross and through raising Him from the dead, that the fallen sons of men might have the last three.  Your mercy endures forever.  These Psalms are like precious metals with priceless jewels mounted within them.  So many prophetic utterances, so many revealing deviations, so many profoundly humbling truths.  These were written by a Spirit-inspired, fallen-but-redeemed man and we should keep that in our minds.  It would also do us well to join with David, affirming, “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.”  To do so, Lord, might steal the simple joy of dancing before You.  Amen.

 

April 25

1 Samuel 30:1 to 31:13; 1 Chronicles 10:1-4; 2 Samuel 4:4; 1:1-27

 

My Father, the reading today spans an array of emotions.  I felt deeply the comparison between the armour-bearer of Saul and the Amalekite who foolishly lied to David about killing Saul.  While suicide is not to be condoned, I still felt much respect for the armour-bearer who had much fear regarding that which should be feared.  Father, our culture today does not foster respectful or reverent behavior toward elders or toward You.  Even within churches today the norm is to adopt a casual attitude toward You.  That grieves me, Father, because even though You have opened access to You through Jesus Christ in the most intimate way, the fact never ceases: it is still Your kingdom, Your power, Your glory forever.  My Lord, Your majesty will never cease to be awesome beyond words – and awesome is not casual.  It is natural to react initially with fear and trembling in Your presence.  But it is wonderfully supernatural to rise in peaceful bliss when You gently pick us up and say, “Do not be afraid.”  Amen.

 

April 26

2 Samuel 2:1 to 3:5; 1 Chronicles 3:1-4a; 2 Samuel 3:6 to 4:3;

2 Samuel 4:5 to 5:5; 1 Chronicles 11:1-3

 

Father in heaven, may Your Name be regarded as holy, and may it begin in this heart in this room.  I am reminded this day of those attributes of Yours that are transmutable and I call to You, Lord for the creation of a clean heart.  May that heart be so passionate for You that my mind refuses to entertain the unseemly.  My Father – my Awesome God and Redeemer, in the Name of Jesus, be exalted O Lord; be praised and blessed in every moment – in every action – in every thought.  When I think of the people that I have read of in Your Word today, I marvel at the complexity of the human soul – not complex because of You so much as complex because of war waged in the depths of each person.  And I am reminded as I read, and as I live, that victory is available; but only from You, and only through our Lord Jesus Christ.  I declare Your glory, Father!  Amen!

 

April 27

1 Chronicles 12:23-40; Psalm 2:1-12, 78:1-72

 

My merciful God, my loving Father, it is all here!  All of the triumph and tragedy, all of the success and failure, all of the devotion and apostasy, all of the teaching and rejection (of generations); and there, rising in the midst of it all is God’s mercy.  We are not a quick people, Father; we are dull.  Lord, it is no stretch at all to contemporize this reading in a very personal way.  And I weep when I read, but I finish with rejoicing, because even through all of the sadness of how we conduct ourselves toward You, I see two things emerge with great power; reminding me of Your great purpose.  First, I see how Psalm 78 ends and I am reminded of what You have promised for the future regarding David’s throne.  Second, I read in the 2nd Psalm “I have installed My King on Zion, on My holy hill.”  Father, be not angry at Your errant child, for this morning I kiss the Son.  Amen.

 

April 28

Psalm 16:1-11; 2 Samuel 5:6-10; 1 Chronicles 11:4-9;

2 Samuel 5:17-21; 1 Chronicles 14:8-12; 2 Samuel 23:13-17;

1 Chronicles 11:15-19; 2 Samuel 5:22-25; 1 Chronicles 14:13-17;

2 Samuel 5:11-12; 1 Chronicles 14:1-2; 1 Chronicles 13:1-14;

2 Samuel 6:1-11; Psalm 101:1-8

 

Father, it seems that the two Psalms that encase today’s reading are quite different.  David wrote both and You are referred to in both.  One (Psalm 16) is nearly all about You; the other nearly all about David.  In Psalm 16 David is wholly given to praise of You and acknowledgment of Your sovereignty.  The second one (Psalm 101) is all about personal commitment.  One looks into the mirror and expresses promises that we know will ultimately be broken; but the other looks beyond the mirror to the One Who holds in His hands the person, David, (and the mirror).  Wonderful Father, I believe the first of these demonstrates the higher virtue in our relationship to You – the virtue of submission.  Commitment is truly a high virtue, but I know from David’s life (and my own), it does not necessarily produce obedience.  On the other hand, obedience just naturally follows when one submits in praise to You.  Commitment (Psalm 101) appears to be more self-focused, but praise is more God-focused.  And ultimately, praise – this abandonment of self-attention – produces a truly committed – truly surrendered individual who simply obeys without analysis or pre-approval.  And so, Father, be glorified and hallowed this day.  Amen.

 

April 29

2 Samuel 6:12-23; 1 Chronicles 15:1 to 16:43; Psalm 15:1-5

 

My Lord, this reading has a sober side to it and a joyous side, but there is always reverence – except in the heart of Michal.  Her actions are sadly pathetic.  Father, I don’t completely understand what came over Michal, but I have seen this attitude before in others – even in my own heart.  Father, purify my mind and heart, as well as those around me, that we might always have gracious thoughts toward those who rejoice in You.  Indeed, Lord, I pray we all join with those who are rejoicing.  May we all become a community with our union in Christ and the worship of You.  Praise the Lord!  The Lord reigns and He is good!  Blessed be the Name of the Lord!  Father, I don’t know that David was all that good of an administrator directly, but it seems he knew how to surround himself with strong managers and skilled organizers.  And David knew much about worship and ascriptions of praise.  Thank You, Father, for such inspired leaders, then and today.  Amen.

 

April 30

Psalm 24:1-10; 65:1-13; 68:1-35; 110:1-7; 19:1-14;

2 Samuel 8:1; 1 Chronicles 18:1; 2 Samuel 21:15-18;

1 Chronicles 20:4

 

The Lord Almighty, God our Savior, You are the King of Glory.  Jesus, You have ascended the hill of the Lord – You dwell in the Most Holy Place.  And it is Your clean hands and Your pure heart that I desire today.  The only true righteousness in my life is personally Yours, only by the power of Your Spirit.  The only standing that I have is founded on Your imputation of righteousness.  The only walking, the only doing, the only thinking that may be considered blameless in me flows from the Christ – the King of Glory – and His righteousness.  You, O Lord, are the Selah of my life.  The rest, the peace, the pregnant pause, the Sabbath – all are realized in You, and all are enjoyed by those who walk in surrender to You.  Why would men refuse to declare Your glory, when the heavens, the mountains, the valleys do not hesitate to proclaim Your majesty in amplified harmony.  God, my Redeemer, be blessed my Father.  Thank You for the care of Your Law and the faithfulness of Your Spirit.  Amen.

 

 

 

Ó 2007 C. E. Briggs