with devotion: DAVID

Showing posts with label DAVID. Show all posts

Spiritual Disability

You have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.
You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.
You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.
You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.
You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.
You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us. [Psalm 44:9-14]

With all due respect to David ... he was a great, yet flawed, leader ... these are the words of a spiritually disabled person. One who wrongly sees the disability in their lives as something foisted upon them by God. These do not really understand that the sovereignty of God is in accord with the character of God.

Spiritual disability often occurs when we value the reasonings of our mind more than the those of our hearts. When we choose to troubleshoot our disability rather than trust in the Lord as we experience them. Sometimes the loud voice of our mind can deafen the quiet voice of our heart.

I do not want be spiritually disabled Lord. Open the eyes and ears of my heart that I might sense you today.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Strong Heart

You are the God of my strength [Psalm 43:2 NASB]

Interesting how David writes that the Lord is the God of "my" strength. Other translations render the word strength as stronghold, refuge or safe haven. The sense is that God has given each believer an inner place of strength, a stronghold, to run to in times when assaults come from every angle.

Jesus speaks of how the believer is clothed with power from on high when the Holy Spirit comes. It reminds me of how much power we each have at our disposal. Power to resist temptation. Power to influence our family and friends. Power to love as God loves, from a heart that is spiritually strong.

Thank you Lord for the gift of a strong heart.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Heart is a Spiritual Oasis

I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? [Psalm 42:2aNLT]

Imagine yourself lost in a desert storm. The wind ceases. Visibility returns. The sun shines brightly. You thirst and take a drink of water from your canteen. You walk. Water becomes scarce. Your canteen runs empty. You are lost. Empty. Thirsty. Then in the distance appears an oasis. Hope arises.

Such is the thirst a believer has as it longs for God to appear. Such is the imagery that David projects as he speaks of thirsting for God. The picture is of a person who has come to the end of living a thirsty life. A person who knows there it something that can satisfy their thirsty heart. Such a one was I.

Jesus tells us that in time of thirst we need look no further than our new heart. He says:

“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” [John 7:37-38 NLT]

The heart is like a well in an oasis. Spiritual waters, living waters, flow from it and quench our soul. The challenge is sometimes to find our heart in the middle of a desert storm. To endure the winds. Let the sand settle. Calm ourselves. Listen to the voice of our heart, the well that quenches our spiritual thirst.

Come Holy Spiirit. We thirst. We believe. Teach us to tap into the living waters of our heart.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Helping Heart

How blessed is he who considers the helpless; [Psalms 41:1a NASB]

There is an unbiblical cliché out there that indicates that God helps those who help themselves. As with most half truths, there is a part of it that rings true. One has to be open to new ideas. Humble enough to admit they are wrong. And willing to accept help from people and places that seem uncomfortable.

Even so, there is something that seems so wrong about that cliché. Something demeaning and condescending. The 'help themselves' phrase comes across as a cop out as it blames the one needing help and releases the criticizer from responsibility. In reality God only helps them who are helpless.

Helping the helpless embraces such a nobility of heart. It is often not logical. I can always think of reasons not to help. It may sometimes seem foolish. Yet there is something that cries out from out hearts that says yes to those needing "our" help. In truth God normally helps the helpless through us.

Open our eyes Lord that we may see those who need your help. Mobilize us to help the helpless.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Willing Heart

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. [Psalm 40:8 NRSV]

It is hard to think of the will of God and not remember the image of Jesus sweating drops of blood in the garden. So often the will of God goes against everything that we want and hope for. In the garden Jesus was confronted with an image of his death and prayed that he would not have to endure such pain. Yet as he prayed he offered up his will to the will of his Father. It is such an inspiring image of what it means to embrace God's will in our heart when our brain is screaming against it.

Asking for God's will to be done sometimes requires a strength of heart similar to that of Jesus in the garden. A surrender of my will to his at a very deep level. One month before my first wife passed away, after praying daily for her healing, I found myself praying and releasing my beautiful bride into the will of God. It was the hardest prayer that I had ever prayed. Maybe that is the way God's will often is. Maybe trust is only trust when it involves an acceptance of extremely difficult circumstances?

Help me Lord to listen to my willing heart. Even when it is really hard to do.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Flowing Heart

For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see. [Psalm 36:9 NLT]
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. [Proverbs 4:23 NIV]
The Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ [John 7:38 NLT]
What you say flows from what is in your heart. [Luke 6:45 NLT

These verses speak to me about the importance of keeping my heart strong. They encourage me to feed and nourish that deep part of me that I call my heart. They remind me of how often my head overrules my heart. They motivate me to keep my heart strong through spiritual exercises and disciplines.

In reality, for a believer, the battle for our lives is a battle of strength. The nature of the heart is no longer the issue. The heart is good. Yet the new heart must be given an atmosphere and environment where it can become stronger. The new heart must regularly be fed spiritual food and exercised.

Such a heart will find a way to flow. To speak. To exercise dominion over our minds and bodies. As the heart grows into maturity it will influence every part of us. Love will flow from it. Kindness, faith, hope, compassion, goodness and patience will bubble out of us. Good things happen when the heart flows.

Teach us how to strengthen our hearts Lord. We long to be like Jesus.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Heart given to God

Give yourself to the Lord; trust in him, and he will help you [Psalm 37:5 GNT]

In this psalm David tells us what it means to have a heart given to God. Consider these verses.

Trust in the Lord and do good [v3]

The essence of a trusting heart is a strong desire to do good

Seek your happiness in the Lord [v4]

We are most happy when we serve the Lord and the ones that he loves.

Trust in him, and he will help you [v5]

A heart that is surrendered is a heart that trusts God when we are not in control.

Be patient and wait for the Lord to act [v7]

A patient heart releases control and waits for God to act.

Don't give in to worry or anger [v8]

Worry and anger are reminders of our need to release control and give ourselves to God.

The humble will possess the land. [v11]

A heart given to God is humble. It bows to God at every turn.

Our prayer and our desire Lord is to daily give ourselves to you and to your purposes.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Steadfast Heart

How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? [Psalm 35:17 NLT]

Who has not thought something like this? We often have a visceral reaction to life when trials and struggles are prolonged. We suffer alone. We pray for relief that does not come. We ask for divine rescue and none comes to us. In such times our logical theology is tried and our image of God is tested.

Yet in such times a strength arises in our heart. A power emerges from deep within us and we lay hold of our steadfast heart. We reject our logical theological understandings. We continue to trust God with with all of our beautiful new heart. Faith transcends the pain and turns our suffering into hope.

Lord, in our heart we know that you are working even when our brain cannot understand.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Broken Heart

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. [Psalm 34:18 NIV]

Humiliation simply seems to be a part of our shared humanity. Life is filled with things that break us at a deep level. In some sense this kind of breaking and humbling are the pathways to salvation. A heart that is not broken is one that does not seek the Lord because it has no need of God.

When I think about this I remember that Jesus is the one who binds up the brokenhearted. He is the one who replaces a broken heart with a new heart. The new birth reminds us that, in the midst of brokenness and humiliation, God reveals himself to us as the healer and binder of broken hearts.

Open my eyes Lord to your closeness and your salvation.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Obedient Heart

The Lord watches over those who obey him, those who trust in his constant love. [Psalm 33:18 GNT]

The word obey often has a somewhat negative connotation. It sometimes takes on a meaning of doing something against our will. When a person obeys the speed limit on a highway it can be seen as resisting the urge to speed. One a serious note, I think society is built on the idea of obeying the law.

On a personal level, I have found that my ability to obey the Lord is often contingent on the strength of my heart and it's ability to speak louder than my flesh. When I am tempted, do I obey the dictates of my flesh or of my heart. Have I been doing things that nourish and strengthen my heart or my flesh?

I think that the obedient heart is a heart strengthened by spiritual food and exercise. Such a heart able to overcome the urges of the flesh. Such a heart is convinced of, and trusts in, the constant and faithful love of God. Such a transformed heart is able to transform the path of our journey and our future.

Help us to Lord to establish disciplines that will nourish, exercise and strengthen our hearts.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Singing Heart

Give thanks to the Lord with harps, sing to him with stringed instruments.
Sing a new song to him, play the harp with skill, and shout for joy! [Psalm 33:2-3 GNT]

There is something about music that transcends melodies and lyrics. Music ministers to me like nothing else. Secular and sacred songs have both brought me to tears. The music seems to bypass my head and go right to my my heart. I seem to be transported to deep places as I enter in to the music.

David intimately understood this phenomenon. He was summoned to play the harp whenever King Saul was troubled and tormented. In my own life I have found music to be a freeing influence in times of anxiety and trouble. Cares and worries seem to melt into oblivion as I enter into a song of thanksgiving.

I think that part of the phenomenon is the way that we declare his sovereignty over us when we sing to God in the midst of trouble. We seemingly release joy from our hearts as we, through song, acknowledge our trust in his providence. Joy comes as we sing a new song from our new neart.

Help us Lord to take time in our busy schedules to sing new songs of praise to you.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Blessed Heart

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. [Psalms 32:1-2 NIV]

There is a lot of misunderstanding around the idea of what it means to be blessed. We have all heard strange assertions about blessings coming in the form of new houses, cars and other big trinkets. Some speak about blessings in such a way that seems to indicate that they are earned by the receiver.

I love the way David speaks about how blessings have nothing to do with performance. There is really no blessed quid pro quo. A blessing, like forgiveness, is a free gift from heaven. A blessing is spiritual in nature and is often at odds with our physical reality. It is why Jesus could call persecution a blessing.

These sort of blessings are difficult to get our heads around because blessings are only understood with the heart. In truth, every other blessing begins when a person receives a new and blessed heart - when their transgressions are forgiven. Such a one has a blessed heart that has absolutely no deceit.

I am humbled by your forgiveness Lord. Thank you for the blessings of forgiveness and a new heart.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

Thankful for Who You Are

You are a righteous God ... You are my refuge and defense ... You are a faithful God ... You are my God. ... Praise the Lord! How wonderfully he showed his love for me. [Psalm 31:1,2,5,14,21 GNT]

In this season of Thanksgiving, I think that we sometimes forget to give thanks for who God is. I love how David speaks to the character of God in this psalm. There is an intimacy projected in each of these verses. It is as if David had personally experienced each of these divine qualities in his life.

Sometimes people confuse rightness with righteousness. When I consider what it means to be righteous I think about justice and mercy. The Prophet Micah teaches us that a humble walk with God requires us to act justly and love mercy. These two qualities seem to define what it means to be righteous.

The words refuge, defense and faithful speak deeply to me about prayer. I have often come to God in times of deep distress and found spiritual refuge in him. I have sensed him defending me against mental assaults. He has been so faithful to speak comforting and encouraging words to me when I most need it.

You are my God. I give you thanks for who you are and for how you show your love for me.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Thankful Heart

Remember what the Holy One has done, and give him thanks! [Psalm 30:4 GNT]

There is something healing about the giving of thanks. We acknowledge God's goodness when we give thanks to him in the midst of struggle and pain. We seemingly reach back to times of divine blessings when we remember what God has done in our lives. Such memories can be an anchor in the storm.

I can relate to times of pain when all I had was a memory of the goodness of God. There is something about a memory that can cause me to be thankful. When my parents passed on my memories of them caused me to be thankful for their lives. I think that it is helpful to give thanks to God in hard times.

The issue, I believe, is whether we follow the loud dictates of our head and ignore the small voice of our speaking heart. Our minds are somewhat rational and have difficulty giving thanks to God when it does not make sense to do it. Yet the heart has a different perspective because it has a better memory.

We remember what you have done in our lives Lord. And we give thanks.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Aligned Mind

Even when they engage their neighbors in pleasantness, they are scheming against them. [Psalm 28:3]

Can you resonate with what David writes here? Have you ever known a person to say one thing and do something different? Or have you been that person? I have. I can relate to listening more to my duplicitous mind than the still small voice of my heart. I have been embarrassed by such behaviors.

James, in his epistle, tells us that whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin. The new heart knows the right and honest thing to do. We are double minded when our heart and mind are not in sync. We have integrity when our mind is in alignment with our new heart.

Oprah Winfrey echoes James defining integrity as doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not. There is a consistency of heart and mind when integrity is present. And for the believer this means that their mind and their actions are aligned with their honest new heart.

Help us Lord to have lives and minds aligned with our hearts.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Courageous Heart

When the armies of the enemy surround me, I will not be afraid. When death calls for me in the midst of war, my soul is confident and unmoved. [Psalm 27:3 NLV]

We all have fears. We have all had times when we have been afraid. When unexpected things happen my mind often plays out worst case scenarios. It is so easy to capitulate to fearful thoughts. It is difficult to be brave when our brains exercises dominance in our lives because courage is not logical.

In reality fear is the product of our mind. Sometimes the fear is very rational. Bad things do happen. Fear can be helpful when it teaches us to stay away from things that will do us harm. Yet sometimes our minds cause us to embrace fear because we are not tuned in to that inner still small voice.

In times of battle it is best to listen to the courageous voice of our heart and not the bellowings of our head. In troubling times our heart can be an immovable anchor for every part of us. In times of strife our new heart is a place of peace. And when death knocks on our door the heart will answer with confident faith.

Lord help us to not be afraid. Teach us to listen to the courageous voice of our new heart.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Tested Heart

Test me and try me, O Lord. Test my mind and my heart. [Psalm 26:2 NLV]

Life is filled with trials that test us. Disappointment. Unemployment. Sickness. Hopelessness. Betrayal. Death. These try our faith like nothing else. These make little sense and sometimes cause us to doubt, with our minds, the goodness and love of God. These sometimes bring unbearable weights to our souls.

Yet in the midst of dark times a beautiful light sometimes emanates from deep within us. I remember one such time when I was taking my nightly walk. It was just a few weeks after my first wife died. It was a dark time. As I walked I became aware of how much God loved me. Darkness was becoming light.

The journey from darkness to light is one of testing. Will the darkness drive dark thoughts? Or will life's testings cause mental darkness to yield to the beautiful light of the heart? My thinking is that the stronger part of us will win out. Will we feed and strengthen or heart or allow dark thoughts to prevail?

Lord, please help the beautiful light of our new heart to prevail in dark times.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Satisfied Heart

Oh keep my soul, and deliver me. Let me not be disappointed, for I take refuge in you. [Psalm 25:20]

Have you ever prayed to be delivered then disappointed when your request was unanswered. Unanswered prayer is a universal experience. David seemed to understand the feeling. John the Baptist experienced it firsthand when Jesus refused to deliver him from the clutches of his jail keepers.

I suggest to you that the source of disappointment is our brain. The feeling emanates from our logical expectations. Our heads wrap themselves around rules and logic concerning prayer. We develop expectations when we pray. Our brains cause us to feel disappointed when answers do not come.

In contrast the experience of the new heart is satisfaction. When the heart prays it does so with a deep seated sense of contentment. The prayers of the heart are centered in trust. The heart is not disappointed when answers do not come. The new heart continues to trust God and not rely on the head.

Help me to not be disappointed Lord. Teach me to pray with my heart and not my head.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Surrendered Heart

O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! [Psalm 25:1-2 NLT]

What do you think of when you consider the word "surrender"? A battle fought and a white flag of defeat waving? In a carnal sense. In the mental realm. The word conveys a sense of defeat. It is a capitulation to an enemy that has waged war against you. There is absolutely no joy in this kind of surrender.

In contrast, on a spiritual level, there is no more of a glorious concept than that of surrendering your heart to Jesus. I think that the phrase, "I give my life to you" is one of the most beautiful phrases in the bible. When we surrender our hearts to God we are not doing so in defeat but as a gift of service.

To trust is to surrender. We can only trust God for what we have surrendered. If we retain control we are not trusting and have not surrendered anything. In a very real sense salvation is all about giving our life to the Lord each day. He is not really interesting in having our things. He wants us. Our lives. Our hearts.

O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God!

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

The Hopeful Heart

I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life;
and your house will be my home as long as I live. [Psalm 23:6 GNT]

The word "hope" is sometimes confused with the word "wish". When we say "I hope you get better" we are really conveying a heartfelt wish for a better tomorrow. In that context hope is tenuous and no more than a wishful thought. In contrast, hope is not wishful at all. It emanates from the heart not the head.

When David speaks about goodness, love and eternity he is writing about something that he knows. Hope that he has experienced not something that he wishes would come later on. The nature of hoping is knowing not wishing. In this sense we can only hope in what we know. In Who we know in our heart.

We can have hope for future goodness and love because of what and Who we know today. We can understand that God will be good to us tomorrow because he was good to us yesterday. This kind of hope is not rational because it is not based on what we know with our head but Who we know with our heart.

Help us to remember that we have hope today Lord. Attune our ears to listen to our hopeful heart.

... this devotion is part of a series about King David.

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