Bahurim was not a friendly place for David and his men, but the Lord provided for his men there. At least there was one family that was willing to let Jonathan and Ahimaaz hide in their well. David retreats to Mahanaim. Interesting, it was here that Abner had retreated to anoint Ishbosheth king. The people on the East side of the Jordan saw a need for a strong united monarchy. After all, their land was the frontier. David seems to be in full retreat. However, there are two good things that happen. Hushai is able to refute the advice of Ahithophel buying more time for David to reorganize. And the Lord moves upon the hearts of those of means on the east side of the Jordan to meet David’s and his army’s needs. They are refreshed and restored. Now they are ready to regroup. In such a fashion the Lord has provided for them. Similarly, He meets our needs when we wait upon him. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PSALM 82
Jon Edwards was a North Carolina Senator with a glamour boy face who once ran for President/Vice-President. He billed himself has having come from humble origins and a champion of the people’s rights. He was the perfect Democratic candidate. He made his money as a trial lawyer, representing the ‘little man’ against corporate injustice. He may have been representing the ‘little man’, but he certainly wasn’t hurt by that representation. I’ve seen videos of his estate upon which he lived while running for President. The land alone was probably worth millions, not to mention the vast mansion built upon it. If he came from humble beginnings, then I would say that his career as a trial lawyer fed his coffers by tens of millions of dollars. Seems to me, his motivation was more than defending the ‘little man.” Seems to me, his motivation had something to do with filling his own pockets from the corporate coffers. Is that justice?
God’s glory is that He is just, and in as much as it is possible, He calls us to be the image of His justice. The leaders of a country are called to reflect His justice. The fatherless have no one to turn to as a role model. They have no one to teach them how to live. The poor have no one to defend them in court. As the old saying goes, “A man who serves as his own lawyer has a fool for a client.” The court appointed attorney was originally put into place because of teachings like this one from the Bible. Unfortunately, in practice the court appointed attorney often does a less than stellar job defending his/her client because it is a drain on his/her resources. People who are rich give a better reward for a job well done, or the possibility of taking money from the rich is a better reward.
God’s justice is dispensed despite the outcome. Ours should be the same. He seeks justice no matter what is received of us. Matthew Henry says this of the justice He expects us to dispense:
These are clients whom there is nothing to be got by, no pay for serving them, no interest by obliging them; yet these are those whom judges and magistrates must concern themselves for, whose comfort they must consult and whose cause they must espouse.
That is how God distributed His justice toward us. Justice was distributed upon the cross. Jesus paid our debt. The only pay He received by serving us was us. The only thing which Jesus received by obliging us was us. By the world’s standard of justice, that is a strange justice indeed. Yet it was the delight of the Father and the Son to do that for each other. What an awesome love! He calls us to do the same for others out of love for Him. Now that is glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
DANIEL 3
It had been a summer of fires for us. The incredible drought had produced conditions across the state which burned many square miles of land, not only for Oklahoma but also for Texas. My daughter-in-law’s mother owns a house down near Austin which is in that neighborhood where 500 houses were burned down. Her neighbors houses burned, but hers seems to be okay. It was a very trying experience. She was out of state at her daughter’s wedding reception when the fires began. It was difficult to hear the news reports of people dying while trapped in their houses while the house burned. Life is like that. Sometimes we feel trapped in the midst of a fiery furnace. How does one prepare for such events?
Daniel’s three friends were prepared. They had fixed in their heart, minds and spirits the glory of their Lord. With that fixation, they were ready weather anything including a fiery furnace. What makes three men willing to say to the king:
Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.There is only one reasonable reason that they could do that. It is that His glory is worth being thrown into a fiery furnace. What is it about that glory? It is that no matter what happens in the fire, whether we are saved, or we perish, He is with us. When Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace what did he see? He saw the pre-incarnate Messiah there in the midst of the fire with them. I am now 56 years old. I have had my share of fiery experiences. I can attest to one thing, “The greater the heat, the greater is His presence.” That is part of His glory! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
2 CORINTHIANS 13
The glory of Christ is seen in the paradox that He could be His most powerful when He was at His weakest point. He was crucified in weakness, but He rose by the power of God. His crucifixion, His weakest point, was the basis of the payment of the penalty of our sin. His resurrection broke the power of sin. We can't really live in Him until we learn that we are weak and need Him. He permits and engineers weaknesses in our lives to cause us to see our need to rely upon Him. When we see our need, then we are able to live with Him so that His power flows toward us. When His power flows toward us, His glory is increased because others see it operating in us. But it begins only when we recognize our weakness. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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