Bible Reading (May 20)
- 2 Sam 21-22
- Proverbs 8
- 1 Corinthians 8
What Spiritual Gift is God giving me for my growth today, that I can share with others? (Rom 1:11)
Prov 8:10-11 Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. Prov 8:35 For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.
1 Cor 8:1-3 But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning or foundation of wisdom (Prov 1:7). The fear of God is to truly know God, His love for us, and all He has done for us. We love Him because He first loved us, and gave His life as atonement for our sins. (1 Jn 4:10-11). This is an awesome gift that will change our lives when we fully grasp it’s significance!
What encouraged me in my faith? (Rom 1:12)
Even at the end of David’s life, he continued to seek God’s counsel. (2 Sam 21:1)
2 Sam 22:1-3 David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.
What spiritual fruit does God want to work in me? What can I share with others that God can use to produce fruit among them also? (Rom 1:13)
I continue to hear the same message from God. It’s in weakness and need that God displays his greatest strength. (2 Cor 12:9-10) As I have read through the life of David, the thing that stuck out to me this time is how often David faced enemies. Chapter after chapter of conflict. If He wasn’t fighting the Philistines or some other nation, he was on the run from Saul, or Absalom, or one of his own countrymen. But, through all of those times of weakness and trial and troubles, He witnessed God’s incredible faithfulness. These words that he writes are eye witness testimony of what God had done over and over in his life.
2 Sam 22:1-3 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.
2 Sam 22:17-20 “He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.
As David reflected on the power of God, God’s strength in the times David was the weakest, David says: (2 Sam 22:29-31) In your strength I can crush my enemy; with my God I can scale any wall. “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.”
In God’s strength, David says he can “crush his opponent and scale any wall.” In his weakness, God was strong. As he reflected back over the years of all the times God proved His strength, David concludes with, (2 Sam 22:47) “The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted! (49) You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents (50) For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.
Oh how I want this to be how I live my life! To fellow believers who need to be reminded that in their weakness and poverty (Ps 70:5) God is their strength. And for unbelievers to see that we have a peace that passes understanding, because it’s grounded in our saviour who loves us.
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