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Leave the Results to the Lord
Day 196
1 Chronicles 19:1‐21:30; Romans 2:25‐3:8; Psalm 11:1‐7; Proverbs 19:10‐12Leave the Results to the Lord
King David is seemingly on a roll! He has come against formidable foes and defeated them in rapid succession. He has defeated the Amorites, the Syrians, and even the Philistines with their giants! Through his military might, his training, and his leadership, he successfully led the armies of Israel against their adversaries. He seems to have a tried and true battle strategy: he gathers his troops, he is prepared, he is strong and has studied his opponent. He has assessed their strength and his strength, their weaknesses, and I am sure, his own weakness. Then he leaves the results to the Lord: “May the Lord do what seems good to him” (1 Chr. 19:13).
However in Chapter 22, the adversary changes. This time the leader of the opposing army is Satan himself! David fails miserably and then, to add insult to injury, is then called upon to select one of three punishments for the nation for his offenses. He chooses pestilence and some 70,000 men die as a result.
In the very next chapter David gathers materials to build the House for the Lord in Jerusalem, a task that will ultimately be passed on to his son, Solomon. He took his eyes off of his successful strategy and that is when the problems appeared.
Seek to find a plan that the Lord blesses and refine it, practice it, honor God through it, and yet leave the results to God. Often when we try to start tweaking successes, it is then that we shift our attention to “what seems good to us.” It is then that troubles are surely just around the corner, Satan shows up, and pestilence can’t be far behind!
The Rev. Scott T. Holcombe
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For You Know Your Servant, Lord
Day 195
1 Chronicles 16:37‐18:17; Romans 2:1‐24; Psalm 10:16‐18; Proverbs 19:8‐9For You Know Your Servant, Lord
In today’s reading from Romans, we see God’s righteous judgment and the power He has given to us – to all of us as believers – in our ability to accept His will for our lives. Our acceptance affects the lives of those He has entrusted to us and our own lives, both here on earth and in the afterlife, as we strive toward salvation and eternal life.
As I was reviewing today’s readings, I was reminded of the cyclical nature of these exhortations, and how our scriptures are riddled with cycles of blessings and judgment. We find a similar exhortation by Moses to God’s people in Deuteronomy 4:9, “Only guard yourself and guard your soul carefully, lest you forget the things your eyes saw, and lest these things depart your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make them known to your children, and to your children’s children.”
Perhaps this could be relegated to the ancient past, were it not for the fact that this verse above is found inscribed in stone, at the Hall of Remembrance in the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. May we never forget this painful modern-day example of our cyclical and sinful humanity.
Today, God is once again and eternally calling us to lean into His righteous judgment, so that as part of His body, we may once-and-for-all break the cycle by living His will for our lives, and by making this known to our children and our children’s children.
Amen.
The Rev. Din Bissoondial
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NO EXCUSES!
Day 194
1 Chronicles 15:1‐16:36; Romans 1:18‐32; Psalm 10:1‐15; Proverbs 19:6‐7NO EXCUSES!
Where is God? Well, according to Romans 1, God is the Creator of all things and is in all things. Not only did He create, but He actually made it clear for all to see that He was the Creator. God’s qualities of eternal power and divine nature are made clear in His creation, and man is without excuse when it comes to believing in Him. There is a harsh reality: no one has an excuse for not believing in God! We are walking around in the amphitheater of God’s glory. So why do so many chose not to believe in Him?
Fortunately, Paul answers that question for us in the next verses. We have made an exchange in our lives for what we think a god should look like that is often the complete opposite of the eternal God. We make for ourselves idols that become god and glorify our sinful nature as opposed to glorifying God Himself. To this, God says three times in the passage that “he gave them over to their sinful desires.”
It never fails that in a tragedy people begin to ask the question, Where is God? I believe Romans tells us a lot about that question today. He is right where we have placed Him, outside of our lives. While God has an overwhelming desire for people to love Him, He also allows them to make choices that will honor or dishonor Him. In the case of Romans, they have dishonored, and He has given them over to their desires. Oh, how this reality hits home in today’s society. We have taken the images of gods and made them our god. “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them” (1:32).
I pray that this would break your heart today in the same way it breaks the heart of God. In the midst of our broken-heartedness, would we cry out to the God who can heal our nation and the people within?
God of all creation, break our hearts for what breaks Yours. Heal our nation and bring us back to a place where we desire righteousness over sin. Help us to love like You have loved us. In the name of Christ, AMEN.
The Rev. Wes Sharp
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Leave the Results to the Lord
Day 196 1 Chronicles 19:1‐21:30; Romans 2:25‐3:8; Psalm 11:1‐7; Proverbs 19:10‐12 Leave the Results to the Lord King David is seemingly on a roll! He has come against formidable foes and defeated them in rapid succession. He has defeated the Amorites, the Syrians, and even the Philistines with their giants! Through his military might, his…
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For You Know Your Servant, Lord
Day 195 1 Chronicles 16:37‐18:17; Romans 2:1‐24; Psalm 10:16‐18; Proverbs 19:8‐9 For You Know Your Servant, Lord In today’s reading from Romans, we see God’s righteous judgment and the power He has given to us – to all of us as believers – in our ability to accept His will for our lives. Our acceptance…
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NO EXCUSES!
Day 194 1 Chronicles 15:1‐16:36; Romans 1:18‐32; Psalm 10:1‐15; Proverbs 19:6‐7 NO EXCUSES! Where is God? Well, according to Romans 1, God is the Creator of all things and is in all things. Not only did He create, but He actually made it clear for all to see that He was the Creator. God’s qualities…
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Power of the Gospel for Salvation
Day 193 1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17; Romans 1:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 19:4-5 The Power of the Gospel for Salvation “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints…” The Roman church had, by the point of Paul’s letter to them, become something of a missionary outpost and hub. As the…
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Courage to Overcome Fear
Day 192 1 Chronicles 11:1-12:18; Acts 28:1-31; Psalm 9:1-12; Proverbs 19:1-3 Courage to Overcome Fear The reading from 1 Chronicles contains the anointing of David as king over Israel, the conquering of what would become the Holy City of Jerusalem, and the listing of the chiefs of David’s mighty men. These were men whose valor…
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The Sovereign Lord
Day 191 1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14; Acts 27:21-44; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 18:23-24 The Sovereign Lord Today’s psalm, one of my very favorite psalms, begins and ends with this wonderful verse celebrating the majesty of God: “O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Sandwiched between these exclamations of praise is a…