365 Reflections

Hey readers! My book is out! I believe it will give you the tools you need to get moving in the right direction. Don't let worry, fear, and comparison call the shots in your life,  Get a copy and get MOVING WITH GOD! One of my favorite commendations from Christ is found in Matthew 10:16. Jesus says to the disciples, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise (shrewd) as serpents and innocent as doves.” This is not a typical memory verse for most. It also failed to make it into any Sunday school lesson I can remember. For some reason, it’s often avoided. After all, Jesus is asking us to act in some ways and some times as serpents? Was not the serpent the source of our original temptation? But there’s wisdom in hearing Jesus on this point. You have to do more than simply “pray and trust God” with your life and your calling. You have to act. And when you act, please bring some measure of strategy and wisdom to the table.  Nehemiah does this wonderfu...

David makes an interesting calculation in his flight from Absalom. While he also waited on the Lord's kindness and grace for his return (see 2 Samuel 15:25-26), he didn't simply let things happen naturally. On his way out of the city, he meets his friend Hushai. 2 Samuel 15:32–33 (ESV) While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. Hushai is broken up about the events in Jerusalem. He's sad for the king and his friend. Notice what David asks him to do: 2 Samuel 15:34 (ESV) But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. Now Ahithophel posed the most trouble for David. Later the text informs us that Ahithophel's adv...

David's kingdom is at hand. His enemies are growing smaller and his following is growing larger. On top of this, defection from Saul's ranks is on the horizon. All things seem to be coming together for David. So it's really sad to see what happens early on in his reign at Hebron. For just when the Lord is about to bring His kingdom to fulness, David begins building the kingdom on his own terms with his own imaginations. 2 Samuel 3:2–5 (ESV)   And sons were born to David at Hebron : his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; 3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; 4 and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron. Now David is doing what ancient kings NORMALLY did in those days. Sons for a King in the ancient world were emblem...