Baffled Ambition

582 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 17:21-23) Now it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said to David, "Arise and cross over the water quickly. For thus has Ahithophel advised against you." 22 So David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed over the Jordan. By morning light not one of them was left who had not gone over the Jordan. 23 Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father's tomb. (2 Sam 17:21-23) The spies report to David and he crosses the Jordan and not one of His people were left behind. This should cause us to remember the high priestly prayer of Jesus on His last night on earth, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. (Jn 17:12) Jesus was speaking of Judas as “the son of perdition,” who like Ahithophel, committed suicide when his plans did not work out according to what he had envisioned. The biblical commentator Paul E. Kretzmann called Ahithophel's suicide, a “suicide of baffled ambition and despair.” That may seem a little simplistic in the complex matter of suicide, but it should cause us all to consider one of the major tactics of the devil, whom Jesus described as a murderer and a liar from the beginning. (Joh 8:44) To baffle as a verb means to confuse, or cloud one's thinking, “Did God really say?” as a noun, a baffle is something that restricts flow. The devil continually seeks to block the flow of God's grace and truth to us, he ever seeks to extinguish hope. When Jesus was laid in the tomb, His disciples were baffled. All hope seemed lost, but it wasn't! Because on the third day He rose again from the dead. Hope is alive! He is risen! He is risen indeed, and with His resurrection hope is alive! Pro 23:18 says, “Indeed surely there is a future hope, And your hope will not be cut off.” When life baffles your ambitions, when despair comes knocking at your door, seek to cling to the truth of God's Word. He really did say! He really does have plans for your future and they include a future with a hope! (Jer 29:11) In those dark times seek to stick with Jesus as the people stuck with David, He like David will get you safely across the Jordan.