Position; December 6, 2021

Posted on December 8, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 75:6-7 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt a man.
But it is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.

We tend to pay lots of attention to who is popular, who is in power at the moment, forgetting that all such things are ephemeral. Much of society indeed seems to run on the principle of “It’s not what you know but who you know,” and people are forever chasing gain or advantage from this person or that person. We forget that in the final analysis it is God alone who can truly lift us up. Spatial factors, terms of size and distance and direction, are actually irrelevant when talking about God, since He is infinite and by definition the whole universe exists in Him. However, it is still meaningful from our perspective to talk about heaven, “God’s abode,” as being “above” us. Gravity isn’t an issue for Him, but it sure is for us! That’s why we use “above” and “below” in talking about status, value, influence, authority, and many other things. It has been said that in God’s kingdom, “The way up is down,” meaning that striving for advantage is no way to advance in fact. As James said, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10) James said a lot of really practical stuff! One thing we are sure to find when we get to heaven is that ranking will be nothing like how we see it on earth. People who were total unknowns in this life will have vast power and influence, and “movers and shakers” in this life are quite likely never to make it at all. The thirst for power and position is a deadly trap, just like the love of money. When we find we have these things, the only wise course is to seek God for how they are to be used, for His kingdom and His glory, and not hang onto them for themselves.

I’m as human as the next guy, but I’m thankful not to be a power hog. I grew up with somewhat out-sized influence in some circles, simply because I was a Caucasian kid in Japan, and my father was something of a “big cheese.” I’m used to people paying attention to me, and frankly, that strokes my ego. That’s risky! Next week I will be taking part in events where I will be very much the center of attention, and that’s scary. It’s good that it’s scary to me, because my concern is whether I will accurately obey and represent Christ in each of the activities. The “old me” would have just eaten it all up, feeling it was my due, but now I realize this is an opportunity for influence, to draw people to Christ or drive them away, and the last thing I want to do is drive people away from Christ. Reading straight through what I have prepared to this point, it took just under 10 minutes, when I am allotted 25 to 30 minutes to speak. I certainly don’t want to just rattle, though I have proved myself quite capable of that. I want to say what God wants to say through me, with each word accomplishing that for which He sends it. That calls for a lot of humility and obedience! However, I do know that He is more than capable of using even me, so I’ve got to get my eyes off of myself and onto Him, applying myself diligently but knowing that He will get the job done.

Father, thank You for all that You have done in me and through me. Thank You that You aren’t through with me yet. Help me not draw back from any assignment You have for me, but rather move forward in complete humility and trust, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pleasing God; December 5, 2021

Posted on December 8, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 69:30-31 I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.
This will please the Lord more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

I think the secret to David’s relationship with God was the fact that he learned to sing praise to God as a shepherd boy out on the hills. The sense of intimacy gained by that profoundly shaped him, even after he strayed so severely with Bathsheba. In those days the usual concept of “pleasing God,” or, the gods, was offering animal sacrifices. David discovered that Yahweh is personal and not far off, and loves a good song. It seems unlikely that David’s tunes were what we would call “musically sophisticated,” given the limitations of the lyre that was his instrument, but they were certainly heartfelt, and God delighted in them. David’s lyrics, as recorded in Psalms, show his heart, and that was the main thing. Even today we tend to default to systems and rituals in an effort to please God, when He is still most interested in our hearts. In the Upper Room before His crucifixion, Jesus talked about, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23) James, who came to know that his big brother Jesus was really the Messiah only after the resurrection, put it this way: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27) When we get caught up in religious systems we all too easily forget the One whom we say we worship. Sunday morning attendance can be a huge blessing and a powerful encouragement to living through the week in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, but by itself it’s no guarantee of pleasing God. Legalism isn’t His bag, but throwing everything out in an effort to escape legalism is a horrible trap as well. God wants an intimacy with us that can’t be understood without experiencing it to at least some degree, and far and away the easiest way to taste that intimacy is through praise and worship. As David said, that really pleases Him.

I honestly have no empathy with those who are genuinely unmusical – and I have met a few. I have some trouble relating to them. My musical heritage is of great value to me, as I know it is to my daughters as well. At the same time, I know that music itself is never to be a substitute for a genuine relationship with God, and for some people it becomes that. There have been very gifted musicians who never acknowledged the One who gave them that gift, and so never used it to praise Him. The Beatles immediately come to mind. The tools are never the issue; it’s always the heart that uses those tools. I am to keep my heart fixed on my Lord, using everything He has placed in my hands and heart as He desires, for His pleasure and glory and not for the sake of my ego. That applies to my gift for words as well, and not just music. My life is to be a praise to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the song translation You gave me as I was walking yesterday morning. Guide me in getting the music, and then the lyrics, into the computer so that it will be available to help others worship You. Thank You for the example of Keith Green, the original author and composer of that song. May I be no less sold out to You than he was, so that my example may draw others into intimacy with You as well, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fear; December 4, 2021

Posted on December 6, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalms 56:3-4 When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?

One thing that makes David’s Psalms so relatable is his honesty. He expresses aspirational things, certainly, but he doesn’t pretend he’s always at that level. Here he is making a statement of will, expressing a decision of his heart. He doesn’t say, “If I am afraid,” he says, “When I am afraid.” He was in plenty of situations where simple logic would dictate fear, because he was in mortal danger. I don’t think he took risks for the thrill of it, but plenty of people over the course of his life honestly and earnestly tried to kill him. That’s the background of this Psalm, as the introduction says explicitly. Here he acknowledges his very natural fear, but then he chooses trusting God over that fear. The devil tries to tell us we can’t do that, but he’s a liar as always. The past two years have taught us a major lesson in this area. The viral outbreak was real, but the fear generated by it, heavily encouraged by those with ulterior motives, was much worse. The absurdity of trumpeting, “Follow the science,” all the while ignoring the genuine science, would have been laughable if it hadn’t had such tragic effects. The thing that made people so vulnerable to the fear was a lack of perspective. Everyone born on this earth will die at some time, from any of an uncountable number of causes. This new virus just added one more potential cause to the list. What was and is angering is the way effective treatments were and are being put down or outright refused for strictly political reasons. Masks have been shown to be effectively meaningless in preventing the spread of this virus, besides having a very negative psychological effect on human interaction, yet they have been mandated in countless ways. And the “vaccines” that are still being so heavily promoted are now being shown not to limit the spread of the virus at all, besides having many potentially disastrous side effects. In America, the clearest evidence is that the best virus-related statistics in the whole nation are in Florida, which has had and continues to have the fewest restrictions. Fear has been the driving force behind all of this, twisted and manipulated by those with a thirst for power. We need to learn from David to choose trusting God over fear, submitting to God alone and so resisting the devil. (James 4:7)

I didn’t expect to jump up on my soapbox like that, but I am quite disgusted with the fear mongers. Hand sanitizers are logical, but the majority of the other junk isn’t. The suicide rate alone should have been sufficient reason to stop all the nonsense! I currently put on a mask going into stores, simply because I don’t want to offend needlessly, but have made no other changes to my lifestyle. We did cancel Sunday service for two weeks in the spring of last year, when there was very little real data available, and we started online streaming as an option, but that’s the total extent of the accommodations we made. We have been attacked for our position, but God has certainly been faithful. I know that in this world we will have trouble, just as Jesus said, (John 16:33) but I will choose to trust God whatever comes my way, knowing that my eternity is with Him.

Father, thank You for all that You are teaching those who have ears to hear. Help us share the the Gospel of life, of freedom in Christ, with all who will receive it, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Giving to God; December 3, 2021

Posted on December 6, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 50:14-15 “Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

For several verses before this, God is pointing out to His people that He doesn’t actually need anything from them. That’s a good reminder, because sometimes we get to the point of “God owes me for all I’ve given to Him.” God doesn’t owe us a thing, because anything we could possibly give Him, He created or enabled in the first place! At the same time, we have this verse, and it speaks much more of our response to God’s provision than it does of our “earning” anything. We need to give to God, not because of His need but because of our need to recognize and acknowledge our dependence on Him. When we recognize how gracious God is toward us, it is entirely appropriate, and helpful to us, to give Him something in response. It has become a truism, but we can’t possibly out-give God. Sadly, some people seem to have a “give to get” theology, and that too is a misunderstanding. Such an attitude tends to reduce God to a business transaction, and that is a loss all the way around. Our attitude is of the utmost importance. As Paul famously noted, “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) God doesn’t “need” anything, but He desires our hearts, and our response to the material things in our possession both demonstrates and affects our attitude toward Him. That’s what this passage is all about.

I was raised in a giving family, being taught to tithe from the point I was first given an allowance. That’s actually a very good illustration of this principle, because I certainly didn’t earn that allowance, and the amount I gave had no practical impact on the church we were attending. However, that lesson stayed with me, even though I got away from tithing at some point while my heart was wandering away from God. I honestly don’t remember when I stopped tithing, but I do know that it was during that period when we had a car repossessed by the bank. Failing to keep God first in my finances had a very bad effect on my finances as a whole. It was a few years after that, around the time our second daughter was born, that my wife and I both came to the conviction that we needed to tithe. As I have written repeatedly, God had very graciously drawn me back to Himself, showing me the state of my heart. Our finances were a wreck at that point, so much so that Medicaid paid for just about everything involved in our daughter’s birth, because we simply didn’t have the money. We wanted to tithe, but we never had a tenth left over at the end of the month. Finally we said we were going to give a tithe as soon as any money came in, and trust God with it all. From the point we did that, our finances took a decided uptick, and we started having a little bit left over! That’s been over 48 years ago now, and God has never let us down. There have certainly been times when we wanted more, but God has met every one of our genuine needs, and we are deeply grateful.

Father, thank You indeed for Your gracious provision. Help me be the steward You want me to be, using everything You place in my hands, material or otherwise, exactly as You desire, so that Your purposes for it all may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Depression; December 2, 2021

Posted on December 5, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 42:8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me–
a prayer to the God of my life.

Depression is a strange thing. Its origins can be complex, involving both physical factors and circumstantial ones. The Psalmist here doesn’t fully understand his own depression, because it seems to stem from physical ailment that causes those around him to say that God has abandoned him, even while within himself he knows that God’s love (the Japanese says grace) is still poured out on him. That’s why he repeatedly reminds himself to put his hope in God. (verses 5 and 11, as well as 43:5, which was probably part of the same Psalm originally) All of this points to the reality that we are pretty well constantly under attack from the enemy of our souls, the devil. He is always out to steal, kill, and destroy, (John 10:10) and his prime targets are our peace and joy. We need to be aware of that, and, as James said, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) Too often we make excuses for the devil, instead of resisting him! Submission to God needs to be the fundamental attitude of our life, from which everything else comes. On that foundation we can then call the devil the liar that he is, and choose to stand firmly in the flow of God’s love and grace over and through us. As Peter said, we’ve got to “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:8-9) Whatever we’re going through, someone else is going through the same or worse, but that doesn’t mean God’s love and grace have failed in the least. It is when we keep our eyes on Jesus and stay rooted in Him that we walk in the victory that He has provided for us. (John 16:33, Hebrews 12:2)

This is very timely because the attacks have picked up, as they always seem to at this time of year. Somewhat to my own surprise, my emotional mood went down yesterday when I got chilled doing work on our outdoor manger scene, and particularly with difficulties getting the timer set for the spotlight on that. Then this morning I woke up with a sinus headache. In spite of that, I woke up with the hymn, Morning has Broken, in my mind and heart. Year-end busyness and stress attack me every year, and I should be used to it by now! This is a time of multiplied opportunities to share the Gospel, and that is why the intensity of the battle picks up. I am to remember God’s love and grace at all times and keep my hope in Him, whatever seems to be going on around me, so that His rule and reign may be established as His will is done in, through, and by me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also that this too will pass. Help me remember that any troubles I might have are indeed “light and momentary,” (2 Corinthians 4:17) and rest, relax, and rejoice in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Political Persecution; December 1, 2021

Posted on December 5, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 35:18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
among throngs of people I will praise you.

This Psalm seems very contemporary, because it describes political persecution. The fact that David endured so much of it shows that human nature really hasn’t changed! That should hopefully be an example for righteous politicians today. Certainly no one is perfect, and since politicians are on display all the time, their faults are often very obvious. However, there are those who honestly seek the good of the people and the nation, and not just their own political power. Those are the ones who most often seem to come under attack! That said, David’s response here, picked up again at the last of the Psalm, needs to be the attitude of everyone who comes under attack, politician or not. It’s interesting that where the NIV says, “among throngs of people,” the Japanese says, “among strong people.” I certainly don’t have the Hebrew to say which is more accurate! In any case, the point is that David is committing himself to give God the glory for his deliverance, whatever form that deliverance might take. Someone whose heart is right before God isn’t going to be seeking glory for himself, but will acknowledge that all true power and purity reside in God.

I consider myself very fortunate never to have come under the sort of attack David was experiencing here, and I’m also very thankful not to have been called as a politician! That said, I have faced baseless accusations at times – and I’ve also been rightly corrected at times! I need to walk in humility and assurance, never thinking that I have all the answers or that I am perfect in any way, but also knowing that God has both gifted and taught me in various ways, and I am to be a good steward of all that He has provided. I realize that He has given me standing in various circles, academic, social, and religious, and I am to use that as an opportunity to thank and praise Him, particularly as an example to those who are watching me. In a couple of weeks I will be speaking to one of the biggest groups I have ever addressed, and I realize I am getting anxious about it, concerned as to whether I will be able to deliver what God wants me to say accurately. I need to remember that on my own, no I can’t, but that He can do it through me. It is a very unfamiliar feeling to be concerned about public speaking, because I generally do it very freely. This is probably a good thing, because it is the opposite of the pride that has hobbled me so much over the years. I’m back to needing to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, That doesn’t mean taking things for granted; my active cooperation is required. I am to be diligent and faithful, but at the same time remember that the results are entirely in His hands.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It doesn’t seem very related to the political persecution David experienced, but it’s what I needed to hear. Thank You for Your faithfulness to speak to me, whether it’s what I’m expecting or not. Help me indeed “speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long,” as David said in verse 28, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sorrow to Joy; November 30, 2021

Posted on December 3, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 30:4-5 Sing to the Lord, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.

This is a justly famous passage, and the last part of it is certainly the most famous part of this Psalm, but I can’t read the last two verses of the Psalm without singing them, at least in my mind! Those verses are actually an amplification of this part, because they both talk about how God takes us from sad times to joyful ones. That transition is very much part of the human experience, and is referred to many times in the Bible. Even in the Upper Room Discourse Jesus told his disciples, “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:22) Right after that He put a point on it and said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Sorrow is very much part of the human condition, but the good news is that it isn’t permanent, if we will put our trust in God. When bad times come the devil tries all he can to convince us that they are permanent, but he’s a liar as always. For those who have entrusted themselves to the grace of God in Christ, Paul’s words are spot on: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) Depression is real, and sometimes has chemical or other physical roots, but the answer is always, even then, to focus on God and entrust ourselves to Him.

Interestingly, it seems like the subject of depression has come up several times recently. I was reacting to various circumstances and feeling pretty stressed out (not unusual for me at this time of year) and God has had to remind me of some things He has had me say to others many times. God’s truth doesn’t do me much good if I always think it’s for the other guy! As I was saying to someone just yesterday, James 1:22 was written for me! We actually have a beautiful piece of framed needlework on our bedroom wall, quoting the last part of verse five, sent to us by a close friend of my wife. At the time we received it, I was in such a funk that I actually resented it! However, the devil’s lies are always exposed eventually, and it is God’s truth that His plans for us are good, to give us a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) Whatever comes my way, however devastating it might seem in the moment, I’ve got to remember God’s character, His grace and love, and rest, relax, and rejoice in Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You allow me to go through. Computer issues had me in a real turmoil yesterday morning, but the day still ended very well, and Your good plans for me are proceeding. Help me truly keep my focus on You, not being distracted by all the mess that gets thrown at me, so that the devil’s schemes may be defeated and Your rule and reign established, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hearing from God; November 29, 2021

Posted on December 2, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 28:6 Praise be to the Lord,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.

It’s interesting to be struck by a verse that I had not underlined before! What strikes me is the shift, from pleading to be heard in verse one to this complete assurance. The editors put a gap between verse four and verse five, and indeed it’s possible that David wrote the first half and then some time later wrote the second, after God had acted on his behalf. I think rather that verse five is what David heard in his heart the Lord say about his enemies, and that is what flipped his mood. That understanding gives me great peace! God does speak to our hearts, and the awareness that He has spoken to us changes everything. We actually have an innate hunger to hear from Him, our heavenly Father, but the devil does all he can to distract us from that. That’s why John wrote, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15) That is exactly what David experienced as he was writing this Psalm. That’s why we need to be tuned always to listen to God, and not to just keep “bombarding heaven’s gates,” as someone once put it.

I’ve written about it before, but I’ll never forget the first time God spoke to me so clearly that it might as well have been an audible voice. I happened to be driving, and as I often do, I was praying as I drove. I had a particular issue on my heart, and I was pleading with God to speak to me what His will was about it. When I paused for breath, I heard very clearly, “Well then, shut up.” I was totally shocked, but then I had to laugh at my own foolishness. I had been getting in the way of the answer to the very thing I was praying! I don’t remember the issue I was praying about, but I will never forget what God taught me about being quiet enough to listen to Him. The literary term for hearing from God is epiphany, and I have seen it tossed around with no reference to God at all. I think that’s very foolish, and very unfortunate. I need to give God the glory for what He speaks to me, not pretending that I “discerned” it by my “great intellect and understanding.” He did give me a high IQ, but that’s led me astray more times than I could count. I’ve got to be quiet and humble before Him, listening to Him and not interjecting my opinion. I am to be honest with Him, and with myself, about how I feel and what I would like, but He alone is to be Lord in my life. If God said it, that settles it, whether I believe it or want it, humanly speaking, or not.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do ask for discernment, because the devil throws his lies at me with great cunning. Help me indeed hear what You are saying to me, just as David often did, and not turn you off, so to speak, as David unfortunately also did. May I not only hear you, may I also do everything You tell me to, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Justice; November 28, 2021

Posted on December 2, 2021 by jgarrott

Psalm 7:9 O righteous God,
who searches minds and hearts,
bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure.

This is a prayer a lot of people pray these days, I think. The whole Psalm is a plea for justice, and brings to mind the recent case where a young man was legally hounded for having defended himself, but was finally declared not guilty of all charges. God does that for us too, when our hearts are stayed on Him. The world is a mess, as usual, and if we focus on an individual wrong, or even a collection of wrongs, it is the most natural thing in the world to become negative and depressed. We need to remember, as David did, that God indeed “searches minds and hearts.” He knows not only what people do, but why they do those things. That’s why we can trust His justice. That’s not at all to say that we aren’t to strive for justice on the human scale, but rather that we are to rest in the assurance that even those who seem to get away with evil don’t, in the final analysis. I’m reminded of a case in the American Southwest, where a man who had committed a particularly heinous murder escaped into the desert, only to be found dead from dehydration several days later. The lawman who found his body wrote on the report, “Remanded to a higher court.” We are to be instruments of righteousness and at times justice, but we must remember that we are all subject to the judgment of the Creator of the universe.

Like most people, I have a tendency to justify myself and my actions, and that can get dangerous. My pride and self-righteousness just about sank me totally at one point! As I deal with sinners all around me, I’ve got to remember that I too am a sinner, just as Paul did. (1 Timothy 1:15-16) The evil and injustice in the world can get me very stirred up at times, but I’ve got to remember that “Man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1:20) I’ve also got to remember that “For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’” (Hebrews 10:30) I am to stand up for righteousness and justice, but at the same time not think that it all depends on me. I couldn’t begin to carry that load! I’ve got to release each situation, whether it involves me directly or not, to the Lord, trusting Him to work His justice, mercy, and grace, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There’s certainly a lot of injustice on display in the world today! Thank You for telling me directly over 20 years ago that You’re not happy with a lot of what’s going on. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice, just as You told me to, so that I may be useful to You and not get in Your way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Man of God; November 27, 2021

Posted on November 29, 2021 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 12:24 And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.

It really struck me that here, as well as in verse 36, the descriptor for David is not as king, the man who unified the nation and established it as a secure regional power, but as “the man of God.” I can think of no higher honor. David was a deeply flawed individual, as are we all, but even after horrendous sin he repented and clung to God. He didn’t build a physical temple, but he prescribed and provided for worship, and it was for that that he was best remembered. His Psalms are justly loved and honored to this day, and they express both his humanity and his submission to God, because they are at times almost shockingly prophetic. The various events of his life, from his youth all the way to his old age, are certainly worth study and contemplation. We need to learn both how to emulate his good points and also how to avoid the traps that snared him so badly. His home life was a mess, as displayed in how his children turned out, but that was par for the course in those days. The Bible is unique in the literature of the day in that it records even its heroes as they were, “warts and all,” as Cromwell told the artist who was painting his portrait to do. David was certainly one of those heroes, and we must not let his negatives overshadow his remarkable positives.

As the son of a man who was greatly honored, even venerated, in some circles, I am very aware of what a mixed bag every human being is. I think it is very much to his credit that my father is best remembered much as David was: a man of God. His tombstone bears the inscription, “To do the will of Him who sent me.” He didn’t do it perfectly, as none of us do, but he did it with remarkable faithfulness. I can aspire to nothing higher. I am frequently reminded of my own failings. Just last night I went to bed not happy with myself, because I had failed to do several things that I felt were my responsibility. As a consequence, I woke up at 3:30 this morning, unable to sleep because of those things hanging over me. There’s no substitute for simply getting things done! Today and every day I am to be open and sensitive to my Lord, hearing what He has for me and following His schedule, not allowing the multitude of distractions deter me from full obedience, so that His will may be done for His glory.

Father, thank You for the various things I did get done yesterday, and that You will enable me to accomplish all I need to today. Help me discern Your priorities for each moment, not allowing the next thing to distract me from what needs to be done now. One one level that doesn’t seem related to David, but it is very much part of being a man of God, and that is what I desire to be, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment