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Today: Proverbs 13:10-19; John 18:1-24; 1 Samuel 21, 22 & 23
Proverbs 13
“One who despises the word will do badly, but one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” Proverbs 13:13
One of my missions, and the main reason I am writing through the Bible this year, is to get people excited about reading the Bible. Most people have this impression that the Bible is boring and difficult to understand. Most people, even Christians, don’t seem to have the slightest desire to pick up a Bible.
That is such a tragedy.
So much of the Bible is actually quite exciting and interesting. But most importantly, it is God’s letter TO US. It is so much more than a book. The Bible reveals God, the creator of the universe, to US. It is full of His glory, power, and life.
Reading the Bible is life changing. And the more you delve into it, the more magical your life will become as your faith is strengthened. When you read through the Bible, the Holy Spirit will open up your soul to understand the mysteries of the universe.
GOD WROTE A LETTER TO US! Don’t you want to read it?!
John 18
“Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, came out into the open and said to them, ‘Whom are you seeking? They answered Him, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ He said to them, ‘I am He.'” John 18:4
There had been times when Jesus avoided conflict, when He left Jerusalem to stay in smaller towns close to the wilderness. There were other times when Jesus boldly confronted the religious leaders. And now, when it was time for His ultimate sacrifice, He willingly identified Himself. He willingly offered Himself to be arrested and taken.
There is no one size fits all way to follow Jesus. Life is complicated but God is intimately personal. He has an individual customized plan for each of us.
Sometimes we need to be quiet and avoid conflict. Other times we should boldly publicly confront wickedness. And other times we should offer ourselves to be abused by the enemy.
If we seek God hard, and commit to following God’s will over our own, we can learn to let the Holy Spirit guide us. Then we will be better able to discern the most appropriate responses for different situations in our lives.
1 Samuel 21-22
David’s adventures and various antics are so interesting to read. There were times when he fled from Saul, and other times when he was a fearless warrior.
In Samuel 21, he acted like an insane person, scribbled on the gate doors, and drooled on his beard. (v.21:13) David’s performance was so that Achish, the king of Gath would think he was crazy and send him away so that he could escape from Saul.
David hid in a cave in Adullam and gathered, as his private army, a band of miscreants, “everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented.” (v.22:2)
These were all such weird things to do. You won’t find them in any guidebook on how to follow God. But David was filled with the Spirit of the LORD — God was his guide. Truly following the direction of the Holy Spirit will sometimes lead us down unconventional paths!
