September 9, 2010

September 9, 2010 2 Samuel 3

What a mess we make when we turn from seeking to exalt the glory of the Lord to defending our own honor. Abner wanted to turn Ishbosheth over to David because Ishbosheth had insulted him. His motivation was not for national unity. His motivation was to strike a blow against Ishbosheth because his honor had been sullied. David was willing to receive Abner’s subterfuge from Ishbosheth not just for the national unity, but also to clear his honor. He demanded from Ishbosheth his first wife, Ishbosheth’s sister, whom Saul had give in marriage to another man in order to dishonor David. David was clearing his honor. Joab was still carrying a grudge against Abner for killing Asahel. They all had a problem with personal honor.

How could the glory of the Lord have been seen in this situation? As we saw yesterday, if Abner had consulted the Lord first, he could have non-violently handed the kingdom over David. If, if, if. . . The problem was personal honor. The problem was that they were not pursuing to exalt the glory of the Lord. That is when His glory is hidden. O Lord, help me to never seek my honor above Your glory! You must increase and I must decrease! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

2 Corinthians 2

According to brainyquotes.com, Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing!" If we are speaking of the conflict between holiness and unholiness, righteousness and unrighteousness, love and hate, faithfulness and unfaithfulness, then he was right. The tragic thing is that I occasionally am unfaithful, I hate someone or act in an unholy or unrighteous manner. It would appear at those times that I have lost the battle. The Corinthian church had disciplined someone, possibly the man in 1 Cor. 5:1. Paul now urges the church to receive back the disciplined man. The man's open sin would have appeared to be a defeat. But Jesus always gathers His rebellious children back to Himself. Like a triumphant general leading His soldiers in a parade through His city, dragging His captive enemies behind, He ALWAYS leads us in triumph.

Don't get it wrong. We are the triumphant soldiers, even though we may have acted unrighteously. He liberates us. The captive procession is the unrighteous acts and attitudes from which He has liberated us. That's a good fragrance, the fragrance of triumph.

Last night I was reading The Practice of His Presence by Brother Lawrence, when a fragrant perfume wafted by. I don't know where the fragrance came from. But this verse came to mind. Lo and behold, this morning I am reading the verse. He is our victory, and it smells good! Those who don't know Him find it detestable. But we, who have been set free, find it ever fragrant. He is victorious, and that is a fragrant perfume. All our putrid, rotting, awful sin has been or will be removed from us. It has been replaced with the fragrance of His righteousness. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor John