The Glory and Splendor of God In YOU

460 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 7:4 But it happened that night that the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, 5 "Go and tell My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: "Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 6 "For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 "Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?'"' David has purposed in his heart to build a temple for God. This was a really nice gesture on his part and God later commended him for it in 1Ki 8:18, we read, “ "But the LORD said to my father David, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.” For now though, God makes it a point to tell David that He is okay with the situation the way it is. It's a great idea, but the timing isn't right. This lack of a permanent home for God on earth is a beautiful picture of the time that Jesus walked this earth. Mt 8:20 says, “And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Jesus, like His Father, tabernacled on this earth, and I think one of the reasons was to show us that He is indeed Immanuel, “God with us!” Like Father, like Son, roaming with His people. When the time was right, Jesus departed this earth and ascended into heaven to sit on the right hand side of God the Father, and again, when the time was right He sent His promised Holy Spirit who has set up shop in all believers. As a believer, YOU are the temple that Solomon built. As we read in 1Co 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? All the glory and splendor of God in YOU! I wonder how believing this truth might impact the way we live? I wonder how it may affect our roles as caretakers? Of the Temple? Father, the scandal of it all! You making Your home in us! Help us to reflect Your glory and splendor in our daily living.

In A Van Down By the River

459 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 7:1-3, “Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains." 3 Then Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you." (2 Sam 7:1-3) My heart is greatly warmed as I read these verses, and I pray that God would help me to have the grateful heart of David. I mean here he is, settled in this brand new luxurious home that he didn't pay one cent for and enjoying the good life of peace in the nation. It's been a struggle to get here, but he has arrived. Now he might as well just sit back and enjoy it right? He could be like that rich farmer Jesus told us about in Luke 12:19, “And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But David looks around his plush surroundings, and maybe, while taking a walk around town, he comes to the tabernacle, and it hits him. “I'm living in a castle, God's living in a van down by the river.” It was on his heart to do something about that and so he comes to Nathan the prophet with his plan. David's response to the physical blessings that God has granted him, places a choice before you and I. What will we do with our blessings? Will we be like the rich fool farmer, who decided to hoard them and build bigger barns for himself, or will we be like David, seeking ways to bless God in return? Before we answer that question, let's see what Jesus had to say about the farmer. “This night your soul is required of you, and the things that you have prepared, whose will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20,21) As we enjoy living in this peaceful land of plenty, let us all be thankful as David was, and let us seek to understand what it means to be rich toward God.....then pursue whatever that may be. God, thank You for blessing me. Show me how I might bless you!

The Spiritual Recliner

458 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 7:1 Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies all around, (2 Sam 7:1) Picture David in his magnificent house that Hiram had built for him, enjoying his life to the fullest. The Philistines and all other enemies have been defeated and he is enjoying this time of rest in his life. The word rest here means “to settle down.” I get a picture of coming home after a days work and settling down in the comforts of my favorite recliner. Ahhh comfort, Ahhhh peace, Ahhh security. What a gift! Living in this world is not easy. There are so many problems that come our way simply because we live in a fallen world. We are always one doctor's exam away from unrest, one layoff, one break-up, one besetting sin, from disturbing our peace. Persecuted Christians are one regime away from suffering, pain, loss and even death. Where can we find rest from the day to day stress of living? Jesus said in Mt 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. The word “rest” here means to repose, and repose is just another word for settling into your favorite recliner. Come to Jesus and you will find a recliner for your soul! Let that word picture sink in for awhile! Take His yoke upon you, in other words, let Him share the load that comes your way by the mere fact of your existence in this sin-sick world. Cast your cares upon Him for He cares for you. David caught a break here from all his enemies. He was experiencing a time of rest, and note that this rest was a gift from God. There are times in our own lives when we might get a respite from those things that rob us of our peace. I have learned with David that these times are a gift from God, and I try to remember to thank Him for them, and at the same time, remain alert, lest I be lulled into spiritual apathy. When things are going well, and God has granted me peace, I think the best thing I can do is use that opportunity to pray for that same gift for those who's lives are in turmoil.

God Knows Life

457 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. What do we do when we see the word “therefore” in Scripture? We go back a couple of verses to see what the “therefore” is “there for.” Something happened in the preceding verses to cause God to close the womb of Michal. Wait a minute. You mean God can open and close wombs? Yes, He has the power to do this. He is the Creator of all life. He opened the womb of the aged Sarah, and she gave birth to Isaac. He opened the womb of Leah and she gave birth to Reuben. He opened the womb of Hannah and she gave birth to Samuel. He closed all the wombs in the house of Abimelech (Gen 20:18) It is as He says in De 32:39 'Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.' In Michal's case, this closing of the womb was a judgment of God against her. She would not experience the “reward of God” spoken of in Ps 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.” I fear that the barren women of today can read this passage and assume that they have committed some terrible sin against God and that He is punishing them by closing up their wombs. Don't go there beloved. Don't mess with the sovereignty of God! The Holy Spirit included this incident in Scripture to show how displeased God was with Michal's attitude toward David's expression of joy. This punishment was His prerogative. This passage is not to be taken as God's preferred method of punishment for a sinning woman. If that were the case, there would be no more open wombs! All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God knows life. He knows when to bring it, and He knows when to end it. Ps 139:16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. He has purposes for the shortest life and the longest. Let us learn that truth, and believe, that in the matter of life and death, He knows best. Father, thank You for the gift of life. Help us always to remember that it is indeed....a gift.

Undignified, It's A Good Thing

456 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 6:20-22, “Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" 21 So David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD. 22 "And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor." (2 Sam 6:20-23) Two different perspectives here. Michal sees an undignified display put on by someone who is suppose to be the king. David sees it as a show of humility. David tells Michal that his outward display of shedding his kingly garments and dancing in the procession of the ark was meant only as an expression of joy and gratitude for the Lord who had appointed him ruler over Israel. The New King James Version of the Bible takes some liberty here in its choice of words. It says that David will “play music” but the word “play” in the King James, stands alone, and it means to laugh or rejoice. Friends, this is unbridled joy, not excluding being displayed in music, but not restricted to it either. Then in another poor choice of words, we see the term “undignified.” The word actually means to be light, with the idea of having less weight or importance. The connection to humility is obvious, and it matches up with the cliché we often hear, “More Jesus, less of me.” It also matches up well with the spiritual truth that Jesus shared with His disciples in Lu 14:11 "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." David was merely saying that as he continues to lighten his opinion of himself, others, (the maidens in this case) will have a higher view of him. This is a simple fact of life, and one that we would all do well to emulate. God's grace comes to the humble, and His grace elevates every situation. Father, help me to not think more highly of myself than I ought. Give me that spirit of humility that opens the floodgates of Your grace.

A Royal Spat

456 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 6:20-22, “Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" 21 So David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD. 22 "And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor." (2 Sam 6:20-23) Oh my, it's not often that we get a glimpse of the home life of biblical characters. David pulls into the driveway after the big celebration and his wife comes out to meet him with a blast of sarcasm.. “Oh boy didn't you look great today. That's some king, dancing around half-naked. I'm sure you put on a good show for all the ladies!” “Oh yeah, well you're just mad because God chose me over your father to be the king of Israel. Therefore you better believe I'll dance and play music before the Lord! In fact, wait till next time! You don't like undignified....I'll show you undignified! Besides, I was just displaying my humility before the Lord, and as for those maidens, unlike you, they will hold me in high esteem!” Then they both slammed their doors as they went off to their rooms. Perhaps I'm being a little unfair here to this royal family, but those of you who are married can certainly identify with this little episode. It's a pretty good picture of some of the arguments that happen in all our homes. The husband comes home after having what he considered to be a great day at work, and he is greeted by a wife who has a bone to pick with him. She snips at him, and he roars back at her and words are spoken that are hurtful and unkind. It happens to the best of us....even in the royal family of Jesus. All I'm going to say about this is, please, be slow to speak, quick to forgive, and don't let the sun go down on your anger. Three biblical pieces of advice that can go a long way in dealing with marital flareups. Father, help us to work through our marital flareups, that we may continue to be a picture of Your Son's relationship with His bride...the church.

The Holy Happy Meal

454 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 6:17-19, “So they brought the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 18 And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. 19 Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house. (2 Sam 6:17-19) Here we see some of the planning that David did this time around as he brings the ark to Jerusalem. He had properly prepared a tabernacle for the ark, and then made all the proper sacrifices. After this was completed, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord, and sent them all away, men and women, with a holy happy meal. What this “happy meal” consisted of is not totally clear as evidenced by the various translations given in different versions of the Bible. I personally prefer the Modern King James version which states, “And he gave out among all the people, among all the multitude of Israel, to the women as well as men, to each one a cake of bread and one raisin-cake.” The word for raisin cake here is “flagon” which can also be interpreted as a container for wine. With this interpretation, we can see this meal serving as a type of celebration of the Lord's Supper. God's community of believers gathered for worship, celebrating their restored fellowship with God through the sacrifice of Christ. Even the “cake of bread” mentioned here according to the Strong's Concordance, is a “punctured loaf!” With that “holy meal” comparison in mind, I have two quick questions for you: What was the mood of the people as they received this meal from David? What is your mood when you leave the Lord's house after receiving the Holy Supper? I hope it is as joyous as those who went home from this celebration! It should be! You are a child of God's. Your sins have been forgiven! This should be and is the happiest of happy meals for God's people!