Life Lessons from the OT (again)

What do you do when you’re fed up? 

Who do you turn to when you’re at the end of your rope?

Recently, I stumbled upon (again) a passage of scripture that I forgot about… It comes from 1 Samuel 30. Let me try to set the stage just a bit

David, had been making ‘his home” in Ziklag for more than a year and a half, and had become friends with a dude by the name of Achish… and david had gone out on a few battles and raids and had been successful on these raids. 

One day, Achish was going into battle with— not against— the Philistines, and David and his men had been bringing up the rear. the Philistine commander had wondered about david, and he said something to Achish and one thing led to another thing and David was not allowed to accompany Achish into battle; even though he had turned out to be a help to Achish, not a hindrance. (The Philistines had thought David would turn against them and go back to Saul once again…)

So, David and his friends make their way back to the place where they are staying and: “Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground. 2 They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.

3 When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, 4 they wept until they could weep no more. 5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured. 6 David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.” (NLT2)

If things aren’t bad enough, when Dave and his posse arrived back home, they found that it had been raided by their enemies; they had completely torched it and stole the women and children. 

After an intense time of mourning, David’s men started to turn against him because not only had David’s wives been stolen, but the men he was working with had their wives taken from them, too. David was about to get stoned. 

Things are bad for David. He was kicked out of the hunting party; his house had been raided, burned to the ground and wives had been taken away from Him. He had every right to be mad. His companions had every right to be mad. 

Its the last part of verse 6 that interests me: But David found strength in the Lord his God.”

Instead of putting his hand through a wall, or yelling at the top of his lungs, (which he could have, and did indeed do in some of the Psalms) He found strength in the Lord. 

David took his troubles to the Lord, and he let the Lord figure things out… 

I’ve been trying to do this same thing. I often take my troubles to the Lord, and often tell Him what I don’t like— particular being sick and tired of being sick and tired— and, well, I guess the Lord is giving me strength to make it through the day, and when I get too tired of it all, I take a nap. Or try too, but that’s another topic all together.   

I want to encourage you to do what David did, and what I am trying to do: Look to God when you feel the world is coming after you. 

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31, NIV)

What's in a Name?

I think I have mentioned this before, but I am reading my way through the Bible. I am following a Bible plan on youversion.com by the good people over at thebibleproject.com. 

As I have been making my way through the Bible, I have been keeping notes about various names in the bible. These could be names of people or places. Usually they are names that have some sort of meaning behind them, so I write them down for future reference. here are a few of the names…

• Joseph named his sons: “Manasseh- Sounds like “God has made me forget”- Genesis 41:51 AND
• Ephraim- Sounds like “God has made me fruitful”- genesis 41:52
• Ishmael- (God Hears)- Genesis 16:11( for the Lord has heard your cry of distress- telling this to Hagar)
• El-Roi- the God who sees- Gen. 16:13
• “So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.”Genesis 16:14 NLT
• “Yahweh-Nissi”  (which means “the Lord is my banner”- Exodus 17:15
• Immanuel means God with us- Matthew 1:23

The other day, I stumbled upon another name: Jabez. 

Apparently Jabez’s mom had some complications, because the name means; “Distress” or “Pain”.

What a great way to enter this world. But, jabez didn't let this name define him. For we read in 2 Chronicles 4 “Jabez was more honourable than his brothers….. Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." 

And God granted his request.” (2 Chr. 4:9,10. niv) 

I love this prayer! It’s simple, bold and extremely powerful. 

Even though his name meant “pain” and/or “distress”, Jabez grew up to be a person of God, who did wonderful things for God. What were they? 

We have absolutely no idea. 

There is no record of him after these 2 verses. All we know is that Jabez gave his mama a hard time during birth, but went on to do wonderful things for God. 

This is proof that you don’t have to let your past define you. This is proof that if you place your trust in God, He will use you in a powerful way. It may not look like what you think it will look like, but God will still use you for His good. 

Paul gave us this promise in Romans 8: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (niv)

Your name probably isn’t Jabez. It’s probably not even Manasseh or Ephraim. But it can be “Child of God”. 

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1,niv)

Whatever your name is— or isn’t- why don’t you spend some time this week asking God to use you where you are to reach people for Jesus. 

You never know, God might grant your request!

Psalm 13

I have been reading today Psalm 13- It seems very appropriate to my situation. Here is the Psalm and then after some remarks…

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.” (NIV84)

This Psalm is of interest to me. Particularly the first three words… “How Long, Lord” (NIV2011)

David was feeling as if the Lord had left him. While we aren’t giving any indication as to why David felt like this, I’m almost positive that each one of us has been in this exact situation. 

I know I certainly do. If you are reading this, then you are at least mildly familiar with my story. I am awaiting my 3rd liver transplant and I am unable to do many of the things that I enjoy doing, because of my not so great functioning liver. 

I’m going into my 6th year full time of dealing with these health related issues; and it's starting to take its toll on me. 

I feel like David. I feel like asking God: “Will you forget me forever”? (NIV2011)

I want to be done with this life situation. I’m done being sick and tired of being sick and tired.  I feel exactly like David: “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?” (13:2)

Notice that while David didn’t have an answer as to why he was going through what ever it was that he was going through, he did make a choice. Two of them to be exact. 

While David was in distress, while David didn’t have a reason as to why he felt God had left Him, He chose 1) To trust in God. 

Even though David was in way over his head— and he wanted out of his situation, he chose to trust in God. He chose to trust in God’s unfailing love. In the Love that never left David. 

2) David remembered the Lord’s goodness to him. (He remembered God’s many blessings to him.) 

What started out as a rough day for David, ended with Him thanking God for His goodness. 

David was able to come to the place where he realized that God had been good to him every step of the way and he wanted to thank God for those blessings. 

I think this is a model for us to follow. I’m guilty of questioning more than I am trusting. 

I think this is ok— it means we’re human’s, and its ok to question— but at the end of the day, I want to trust that God sees the whole plan and that His unfailing love are enough to get me through, not only my best of days, but also on the days— like today—- that I’m left scratching my head, asking, “How Lord, Lord?” 

Do you need to move away from Asking :How long, Lord” and say, “I will trust you, Lord.”?

If you’re not there yet, that’s ok! there is nothing wrong with spending time asking: “How Long, Lord?”… just don’t stay there too long. Make the commitment that, while you are still asking: “How Long, Lord”, you will thank God for His goodness to you over the years; and you will begin to trust Him with the days and weeks that follow.