In Second Samuel 24 we see David making another big mistake. Unless you take the time to study your Bible, this one will really throw you for a loop: “Once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census” (Second Samuel 24:1, NLT).
Huh? God “caused David” to sin? Nope. Look at First Chronicles 21:1, which is another account of the same incident: “Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.” Put those two passages together and here’s what we learn: the Lord was displeased with Israel, but the “he” that “caused David to harm them by taking a census” wasn’t God – it was Satan. God allowed it, but He certainly didn’t author it.
David knew better than to call for the census. In those days it was considered rightful only for the owner of something to count it, whether that was people or animals or whatever. David didn’t own the people of Israel – God did; and it was God’s right alone to order a census. And He had not done so.
Joab, as usual, wasn’t afraid to speak the truth to David. So when David ordered him to handle the census-taking, “Joab replied to the king, ‘May the Lord your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?” (II Samuel 24:3).
“A hundred times as many people as there are now!” In a subtle way, Joab was letting David know that he was well aware of what prompted David to demand a census: pride. David wanted to see just how big a bunch of folks he had under his rule. Pride, one of the most popular tools of the devil.
Joab couldn’t talk David out of it, so the count was taken. “But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, Lord, for doing this foolish thing’” (II Samuel 24:10).
I’ve heard people jokingly say that it’s easier to go ahead and do something and then apologize later. When it comes to obeying or disobeying God, nothing is worth intentionally disobeying him. And nothing is exactly what your repentance is worth when you intentionally disobey him.
I mean, if you told your teenager he couldn’t take the car out but he did it anyway, apologizing after the fact would in no way convince you that he was sorry, would it? Why? Because you would know that his actions were intentional. And we all know that God’s a whole lot smarter than we are. No one has or ever will pull the wool over His eyes.
David, however, was truly guilt-ridden and knew he had messed up big-time. “The next morning the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. This was the message: ‘Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’ So Gad came to David and asked him, ‘Will you choose three years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me” (II Samuel 24:11-13).
Talk about your unpleasant options! Whatcha reckon David chose? What would you choose? The smartest choice is: don’t commit the sin in the first place. Tomorrow we’ll see how David responded.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Sunday, November 3, 2013
IT'S SUNDAY!
"Remember
the day of worship by observing it as a holy day"
(Exodus 20:8, God's Word). Holy, as in set apart, different from any other day.SUNDAY is a day of REST & of WORSHIP. I am more & more convicted about not shopping online or in stores on SUNDAY. We should use this day to reflect on the goodness of Jesus Christ, honor Him with true worship (not just church attendance) & spend time with friends & family, whether that's in person or online. I will post on all other days & I'll continue to post Bible passages on my Facebook page, blog & via Twitter each SUNDAY. Blessings to all of you.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
SATURDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Second Samuel 23 begins: “These are the last words of David” (verse 1a, NLT). While the next recorded verses aren’t the actual last words of David, they seem to be the last psalm he penned. David is approaching the end of his life and he wants to reinforce the fact that he attributes every one of his successes to his Faithful Master.
“David, the son of Jesse, speaks – David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel” (II Samuel 23:1b). David, a young shepherd boy from an insignificant family, “was raised up so high” and “anointed by the God of Jacob.” He was even blessed with the ability to put his words into verse to praise the Lord who had done so much for him.
Verses 8-17 add a list of David’s mightiest warriors, referred to as “the Three” (II Samuel 23:8b): Jashobeam, Eleazar and Shammah. Their dedication to David was so strong that, once when “David remarked longingly to his men, ‘Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem’ …the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David” (II Samuel 23:15-16a).
David was so touched by their love for him that “he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord” (II Samuel 23:16b). Knowing these men had risked their lives to fulfill the desire David had expressed for water from home overwhelmed him. No doubt David had merely commented aloud about Bethlehem’s good well water, never dreaming these three men would lay their lives on the line to bring it to him. He wasn’t worthy of their great sacrifice; only God was.
Verses 18-39 list the rest of David’s mighty men, 37 in total, including “the Three.” Abishai, the commander over all these men, is particularly noted for his courage. Abishai, this passage tells us, “once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle” (II Samuel 23:18b). And then there’s Benaiah. Among his brave deeds, “he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it” (II Samuel 23:20b).
Every single one of us will one day speak our “last words.” And after that, how will we be remembered? David, God’s chosen leader for Israel and the lineage through which the Messiah would come, was flawed. Imperfect. But forgiven. And that’s how he’s remembered. Why? Because his whole life is recorded for us to read.
Our own lives are being recorded, too. In heaven, yes; but also by those around us. I once attended the funeral of a woman who had always complained incessantly, frowned constantly and never spoken a kind word about another person. The preacher read the stark facts about her life: birth date, death date, age, surviving family members and those who’d preceded her in death. And then he read a passage of scripture.
What else could he have done? Lied? “We’re sure going to miss her.” Tell the truth? “She even left a written list of complaints behind in case she didn’t get to voice them all.” That preacher did all he could do with what he had to work with.
What sort of words do you speak each day? What will you be remembered for? Faithfulness? Courage? Compassion? Enthusiasm? Make sure you’re a positive witness for the One you claim as Savior.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“David, the son of Jesse, speaks – David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel” (II Samuel 23:1b). David, a young shepherd boy from an insignificant family, “was raised up so high” and “anointed by the God of Jacob.” He was even blessed with the ability to put his words into verse to praise the Lord who had done so much for him.
Verses 8-17 add a list of David’s mightiest warriors, referred to as “the Three” (II Samuel 23:8b): Jashobeam, Eleazar and Shammah. Their dedication to David was so strong that, once when “David remarked longingly to his men, ‘Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem’ …the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David” (II Samuel 23:15-16a).
David was so touched by their love for him that “he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord” (II Samuel 23:16b). Knowing these men had risked their lives to fulfill the desire David had expressed for water from home overwhelmed him. No doubt David had merely commented aloud about Bethlehem’s good well water, never dreaming these three men would lay their lives on the line to bring it to him. He wasn’t worthy of their great sacrifice; only God was.
Verses 18-39 list the rest of David’s mighty men, 37 in total, including “the Three.” Abishai, the commander over all these men, is particularly noted for his courage. Abishai, this passage tells us, “once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle” (II Samuel 23:18b). And then there’s Benaiah. Among his brave deeds, “he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it” (II Samuel 23:20b).
Every single one of us will one day speak our “last words.” And after that, how will we be remembered? David, God’s chosen leader for Israel and the lineage through which the Messiah would come, was flawed. Imperfect. But forgiven. And that’s how he’s remembered. Why? Because his whole life is recorded for us to read.
Our own lives are being recorded, too. In heaven, yes; but also by those around us. I once attended the funeral of a woman who had always complained incessantly, frowned constantly and never spoken a kind word about another person. The preacher read the stark facts about her life: birth date, death date, age, surviving family members and those who’d preceded her in death. And then he read a passage of scripture.
What else could he have done? Lied? “We’re sure going to miss her.” Tell the truth? “She even left a written list of complaints behind in case she didn’t get to voice them all.” That preacher did all he could do with what he had to work with.
What sort of words do you speak each day? What will you be remembered for? Faithfulness? Courage? Compassion? Enthusiasm? Make sure you’re a positive witness for the One you claim as Savior.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY!
$40 NEWBORN ROCK-A-BYE BABY MUSICAL FIGURINE - $16.95. Plays "Rock-A-Bye, Baby."
$45 HEART-SHAPED WINDOW MUSICAL JEWELRY BOX - $19.95; plays "La Vie En Rose."
$30 "HEY, DIDDLE, DIDDLE" MUSICAL JEWELRY BOX - $9.99. Plays "Hey, Diddle, Diddle."
Friday, November 1, 2013
FRIDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
“The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted! He is the God who pays back those who harm me; He brings down the nations under me and delivers me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; You save me from violent opponents. For this, O Lord, I will praise You among the nations; I will sing praises to Your Name. You give great victories to Your king; You show unfailing love to Your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever” (II Samuel 22:47-51, NLT).
“The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!” David wraps up his hymn of praise with a dancing-in-the-aisles celebration. When’s the last time you had yourself an absolute Holy Spirit-led hallelujah-thon? It might just be time for one. Whether you’re on the mountaintop or in the valley, He loves to hear you praise Him. And there’s no more heartfelt praise than that we give in the valley.
Did you realize that God actually indwells the praises of His people? Psalm 22:3 declares it: “But you are holy, O you that inhabit the praises of Israel” (AKJV). Want more Jesus? Praise Him more.
“He is the God who pays back those who harm me; He brings down the nations under me and delivers me from my enemies.” Note who’s doing the payback: God is. “We have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous” (I John 2:1b, NLT). We don’t need to seek revenge; we just need to sit back and watch our Heavenly Father work.
“You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; You save me from violent opponents.” Regardless of the trials we face, none of us will ever know this side of heaven the number of crises that never came near us because of the intervention of our Mighty Savior.
Even when the problem was of our own making, so many times our Loving Father bails us out of the hot water we put ourselves in. And He doesn’t desert us, as Psalm 73 attests: “I was so foolish and ignorant… Yet I still belong to you; You hold my right hand” (verses 22a, 23).
“For this, O Lord, I will praise You among the nations; I will sing praises to Your Name. You give great victories to Your king.” God gives “great victories” to all who belong to Him. Therefore, all who belong to Him should be praising Him “among the nations.” Who do we tell about the love of Jesus? We should be singing “praises to (His) Name,” not just at church, but everywhere. Do we? In the car? In the shower? In the kitchen? In the workshop? On the tennis court? Golf course? When you’re the ninth person in line at the WalMart checkout?
“You show unfailing love to Your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.” If you’ve been born again through faith in Jesus Christ, you have the anointing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You are of the lineage of David through Christ our Lord. And that, my friend, entitles you to the “unfailing love” of our Savior. Tell Him “Thank You” today, won’t you?
“Though He brings grief, He also shows compassion because of the greatness of His unfailing love” (Lamentations 3:32).
“With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home” (Exodus 15:13).
“Love never fails” (I Corinthians 13:8a, ISV).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!” David wraps up his hymn of praise with a dancing-in-the-aisles celebration. When’s the last time you had yourself an absolute Holy Spirit-led hallelujah-thon? It might just be time for one. Whether you’re on the mountaintop or in the valley, He loves to hear you praise Him. And there’s no more heartfelt praise than that we give in the valley.
Did you realize that God actually indwells the praises of His people? Psalm 22:3 declares it: “But you are holy, O you that inhabit the praises of Israel” (AKJV). Want more Jesus? Praise Him more.
“He is the God who pays back those who harm me; He brings down the nations under me and delivers me from my enemies.” Note who’s doing the payback: God is. “We have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous” (I John 2:1b, NLT). We don’t need to seek revenge; we just need to sit back and watch our Heavenly Father work.
“You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; You save me from violent opponents.” Regardless of the trials we face, none of us will ever know this side of heaven the number of crises that never came near us because of the intervention of our Mighty Savior.
Even when the problem was of our own making, so many times our Loving Father bails us out of the hot water we put ourselves in. And He doesn’t desert us, as Psalm 73 attests: “I was so foolish and ignorant… Yet I still belong to you; You hold my right hand” (verses 22a, 23).
“For this, O Lord, I will praise You among the nations; I will sing praises to Your Name. You give great victories to Your king.” God gives “great victories” to all who belong to Him. Therefore, all who belong to Him should be praising Him “among the nations.” Who do we tell about the love of Jesus? We should be singing “praises to (His) Name,” not just at church, but everywhere. Do we? In the car? In the shower? In the kitchen? In the workshop? On the tennis court? Golf course? When you’re the ninth person in line at the WalMart checkout?
“You show unfailing love to Your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.” If you’ve been born again through faith in Jesus Christ, you have the anointing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You are of the lineage of David through Christ our Lord. And that, my friend, entitles you to the “unfailing love” of our Savior. Tell Him “Thank You” today, won’t you?
“Though He brings grief, He also shows compassion because of the greatness of His unfailing love” (Lamentations 3:32).
“With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home” (Exodus 15:13).
“Love never fails” (I Corinthians 13:8a, ISV).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY!
$35 PRAYING ANGEL MUSICAL WATER GLOBE - $14.95; plays "The First Noel." 5.5" high.
$40 "I LOVE YOU, MOM" GLASS MUSIC BOX - $14.95; plays "La Vie En Rose."
$45 "VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR" APPLE/CATERPILLAR MUSICAL BANK - $19.95; plays "Wind-Up Lullaby."
Thursday, October 31, 2013
THURSDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
“You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping” (II Samuel 22:35a, NLT).
How does this passage line up with Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:13-14? “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it” (HCSB).
Honey, when you’re standing on the Rock of Ages, you’re safe. Secure. You may feel like you’re on a banana peel-covered tightrope, but you can’t always trust your feelings. In Jesus your eternal destiny is as secure as the Rock you’re standing on.
This, my friends, leads us to the topic of narrowing. For years now a friend and I have discussed this. What am I talking about? As we grow in faith and in our walk with Christ, our focus narrows; therefore, our interests narrow. That big house or car or boat doesn’t seem important any more. That expensive jewelry or furniture or club membership no longer makes us go “Wow!” The closer we get to the image of Christ, the more we cast aside all these things.
You’ve heard the derogatory expression “narrow-minded.” When it comes to the Christian life, we could use a lot more narrowing and a whole lot less narrow-mindedness. While we are to maintain a consistent commitment to Christ, we aren’t to do so at the expense of shutting ourselves away from the lost. And we aren’t to stand in condemnation of them, either.
What are we to do? Show them Jesus. I read a comment on Facebook this morning about the number of professing Christians illegally taking welfare and other government handouts. All I can say is, the operative word there is “professing.” Let’s face it: we all know a lot of “professing” Christians who have cheated on their spouses; stolen from their churches; taken advantage of the poor; and on and on it goes.
Only a true believer’s focus becomes more and more Christ alone; and when that happens, he experiences narrowing. And in that process, we no longer see the gate as “narrow.” Why? We’re looking ahead, not behind.
Another thing about being inside that “narrow gate:” it gives us an entirely different perspective. A microbe in a drop of water doesn’t see his world as narrow – it sees it as a veritable ocean. Likewise, when we are inside the “narrow gate” of faith in Christ, we see the endless possibilities and, yes, challenges, on the road inside the “gate.”
Folks, He’s worth it all. How much of your life can you honestly say is devoted to Jesus Christ? Whatever percentage you answered with, that’s the depth of your commitment.
“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep” (Jesus speaking, John 10:7b).
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31, NLT).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
How does this passage line up with Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:13-14? “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it” (HCSB).
Honey, when you’re standing on the Rock of Ages, you’re safe. Secure. You may feel like you’re on a banana peel-covered tightrope, but you can’t always trust your feelings. In Jesus your eternal destiny is as secure as the Rock you’re standing on.
This, my friends, leads us to the topic of narrowing. For years now a friend and I have discussed this. What am I talking about? As we grow in faith and in our walk with Christ, our focus narrows; therefore, our interests narrow. That big house or car or boat doesn’t seem important any more. That expensive jewelry or furniture or club membership no longer makes us go “Wow!” The closer we get to the image of Christ, the more we cast aside all these things.
You’ve heard the derogatory expression “narrow-minded.” When it comes to the Christian life, we could use a lot more narrowing and a whole lot less narrow-mindedness. While we are to maintain a consistent commitment to Christ, we aren’t to do so at the expense of shutting ourselves away from the lost. And we aren’t to stand in condemnation of them, either.
What are we to do? Show them Jesus. I read a comment on Facebook this morning about the number of professing Christians illegally taking welfare and other government handouts. All I can say is, the operative word there is “professing.” Let’s face it: we all know a lot of “professing” Christians who have cheated on their spouses; stolen from their churches; taken advantage of the poor; and on and on it goes.
Only a true believer’s focus becomes more and more Christ alone; and when that happens, he experiences narrowing. And in that process, we no longer see the gate as “narrow.” Why? We’re looking ahead, not behind.
Another thing about being inside that “narrow gate:” it gives us an entirely different perspective. A microbe in a drop of water doesn’t see his world as narrow – it sees it as a veritable ocean. Likewise, when we are inside the “narrow gate” of faith in Christ, we see the endless possibilities and, yes, challenges, on the road inside the “gate.”
Folks, He’s worth it all. How much of your life can you honestly say is devoted to Jesus Christ? Whatever percentage you answered with, that’s the depth of your commitment.
“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep” (Jesus speaking, John 10:7b).
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31, NLT).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
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