Authority

1 Samuel 26:17, Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, David my son?" David replied, "Yes it is, my lord the king."

I don’t know of anyone who has more disrespected than David was disrespected by King Saul. (I saw this because these days it is very popular to disrespect your leadership: President, managers, Senators…) King Saul was hunting David day and night. David had already spared his life once (Saul had promised to cut off the pursuit) and now Saul was hunting him again.

After all this, not only would David not kill him, he wouldn’t even disrespect him, referring to Saul as “my lord the king.”

David saw the king’s title and position came from God. David knew he wasn’t going to change that. David had amazing and total faith in God to the point that he said, “if it was the Lord who incited you against me, then may he accept [my sparing your life as] an offering.”

David knew no matter the circumstances God could be trusted and could do no wrong even if it was God HIMSELF who was causing Saul to hunt him.

I’m sure David did not like being hunted but he knew God was the one who was in control and whatever He chose was best. He didn’t need to dishonor a wicked king when that would actually dishonor the authority God had set up. I certainly would be very tempted to at least talk a little smack. (which David DID do, but only to the kings guard and not the king; See verse 16)

This is the example for me. Last month my Senator voted for something that complete drove me nuts, so I wrote her a letter. I told her what I thought but never disrespected her position. I’m certain because of this she will send me a box of candy. Well, more to the point, everything I do is before the Lord and I desire to honor Him first.

never complain again

www.lifewithoutlimbs.org

Greatness

I am not a great man but there is something about greatness that draws me. I suspect I would know it when I see it. No doubt Jesus was great. But does He want me to be great? I think he does, but not in the same sense as this world might define “greatness”. A sports star might be “great” but if he uses steroids, cheats on his wife and beats his kids he loses his title in my eyes – just as an example.

My working definition of Greatness as I believe God would define it: “The highest level of excellence that you can personally achieve in all areas of your life at all times.” This must be stated with one caveat: no one could be “great” at everything possible in their lives, the Olympic athlete will not also be a concert pianist but these are not what I am talking about. God has not called me to be a Concert Pianist but to the things He HAS called me to, I can be great IN them.

And who is better enabled to do just that than a Christian? My eternal questions have all been answered: God has already said I am significant in HIS eyes, He has already told me that HE is my very great reward in this life and in the life to come. God has promised to watch over me and be my rear guard. He will neither slumber nor sleep. He also promised me I will have trouble but he has overcome the world.

I read something this week that stirred me and challenged me on my view of my own excellence and greatness. In the movie “300” the Spartans are in incredible shape. There are many opinions about how these men got to be this big and some of them are discussed on this link below. This is the gym that got them that way in a matter of 16 weeks in some cases. Their outlook on excellence is portable into many areas of life. There are some photos as well and the change can be seen in their eyes.

http://www.gymjones.com/knowledge.php?id=36

Careful what you ask for

1 Samuel 7:5, “Now give us a king, to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
1 Samues 7:7. [God said], “it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”

I used to think the Israelites were so stupid. Why did they constantly reject God? Why did they always do the wrong thing? Then I realized I WAS the Israelites. Almost every time I look at them now, all I see is me. To me, they are a mirror of the human heart.

I can’t count how many times I have looked to the world around me to give me some “standard” of how to measure or conduct myself. “How does the world invest it’s money and it’s time?”, “How does that person define themselves?”, “How should I define myself?”, “What has value?”, “How valuable is that person?”, “What does it mean to contribute?” This is all exactly same as the above verses.

The Israelites were so busy trying to be like the people around them, they were rejecting the God who loved them and saved them. They wanted to look like the other nations because they were a little “weird” having no king. God WANTED them to look different so that HE could get the credit. God WANTED the rest of the world to look at and marvel at Israel – a nation who’s KING is GOD not whose king ACTS like he’s God.

From now on the question should be, “God, what do you think about this?” May God’s be the first opinion I look to.

God Style Freedom

Galations 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

What a great design and love is shown here. I am set free from sin for the express purpose of … being free! God’s love wants me to have spiritual freedom because that freedom is the best thing I could enjoy. I was made for it. This freedom was obtained for a heavy price – freedom always costs something. Freedom also comes with it certain obligations, in this case God wants me to live by the Spirit or I will not remain in this freedom.

A historical example: after the Civil Warm, may emancipated slaves still lived as slaves, the knew of nothing else they could do. They were FREE but they did not live that way.

I don’t want to live my live as a slave to this life.

I am warned not to use my freedom to indulge my flesh (all my wants, desires and feelings) but to always be listening for what God wants me to do, have a soft heart and DO IT.

Everyone is a slave to something, it’s just a question of who their master is.

sweet

I just heard an add for this on Christian Radio

"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment," (Hebrews 9:27)

www.notreligion.com