What a Choice~David Miller

Devotions ChopChop

Fresh. Relevant. Daily. Short Inspirational Devotions.

July 16, 2009

What a Choice

They answered the king, "As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and exposed before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord 's chosen one." So the king said, "I will give them to you."

The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul. But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah's daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed and exposed them on a hill before the LORD. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning. 2 Samuel 21:5-9

David had inquired of the Lord when there had been a famine in the land for three years. The Lord revealed that "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death." So David went to the Gibeonites to ask them how he could make amends with them. They responded that "let seven of Saul's male descendants be given to us to be killed and exposed before the LORD." So David went and chose seven and handed them over to the Gibeonites, skipping over a few he knew personally.

A man I knew was working for the United Nations in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was still in power. Word on the street came that he and his family had to be out of town the next day. They could choose one Iraqi family - and only one - to go with them. The remaining Iraqi UN workers would remain and would most certainly be killed for associating themselves with the United Nations. Think of that! One family, all other co-workers and their families would meet their deaths! Needless to say, this husband and wife had to undergo some serious counseling when they returned home.

There are Believers in many countries who must make these choices regularly, the choices that you and I will never have to make. And those who have persecuted Christians have no feelings for your children, your wife, your husband, your friends, your fellow Believers. Satan has guided these people into believing that persecuting Christians is a way to squelch the movement!

Pray for that persecuted pastor who must make impossible decisions knife or a gun at his throat. Pray for the Believer who will lose a limb because he has not nor will not deny Christ to his captors.

Pray that you might have compassion in this area and get involved. The Bible describes these believers as people for whom "the world was not worthy of them." Pray for them like you've never prayed before.

Voice of the Martyrs

Sin's Harvest~Bob Caldwell

Sin's Harvest 4:6 The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her! Jeremiah gives us several examples that graphically contrast the lives of those in Jerusalem before and after the Babylonian invasion. This list of contrasts shows how blind we can be to the true state of our lives. Everything that appeared to be good in Jerusalem had been the result of God's past gracious blessings upon them. And while still living off God's former blessings, they were, in fact, building up wrath for themselves that would soon fall. Their sins were ready to catch up with them. This has been an experience for many of us. Past obedience to the Lord and His resulting blessing can extend beyond what is really due us. This has caused many of us to live in false comfort. We interpret this delay of judgment as meaning God really does not care. We think we will not reap what we have sown. It is this delusion that had caused the people in Jerusalem to completely disregard Jeremiah's warnings. Nothing too drastic had fallen upon them yet in the midst of their sinful disregard for God's will. Their corruption, oppression, idolatry, and immorality seemed to draw no real consequences down on them. The truth is just the opposite. God is much more longsuffering than any of us realize. It is not His desire that any perish (2 Peter 3:9). God's patient longsuffering is not given to sanction our sin. His longsuffering is to give us every possible opportunity to repent. But if we will not, the day of reckoning will come. Those who felt they were worth their weight in gold will become as gravel thrown on the street or broken, discarded clay pots (v. 1-2). Those who ate from tables covered in every delicacy will not be able to find even bread (v. 3-5). Those who were expressions of beautiful, physical perfection will become unrecognizable skeletons (v. 7-8). Those whose compassion had moved them to help the weak and vulnerable will be so hungry that they will cook and eat their own children (v. 10). The honored false prophets and priests who taught the people what validated their sins will become as defiled dogs in the streets (v. 13-15). Those who despise the warnings of God during His gracious longsuffering will experience all that is warned beyond measure. Let us beware.
Lamentations 4:1-22 The Degradation of Zion 1 How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered At the head of every street. 2 The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter! 3 Even the jackals present their breasts To nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is cruel, Like ostriches in the wilderness. 4 The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth for thirst; The young children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. 5 Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those who were brought up in scarlet Embrace ash heaps. 6 The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her! 7 Her Nazirites were brighter than snow And whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, Like sapphire in their appearance. 8 Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood. 9 Those slain by the sword are better off Than those who die of hunger; For these pine away, Stricken for lack of the fruits of the field. 10 The hands of the compassionate women Have cooked their own children; They became food for them In the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11 The LORD has fulfilled His fury, He has poured out His fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, And it has devoured its foundations. 12 The kings of the earth, And all inhabitants of the world, Would not have believed That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem— 13 Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in her midst The blood of the just. 14 They wandered blind in the streets; They have defiled themselves with blood, So that no one would touch their garments. 15 They cried out to them, "Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!" When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, "They shall no longer dwell here." 16 The face of the LORD scattered them; He no longer regards them. The peopledo not respect the priests Nor show favor to the elders. 17 Still our eyes failed us, Watching vainly for our help; In our watching we watched For a nation that could not save us. 18 They tracked our steps So that we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near; Our days were over, For our end had come. 19 Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the heavens. They pursued us on the mountains And lay in wait for us in the wilderness. 20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, Was caught in their pits, Of whom we said, "Under his shadow We shall live among the nations." 21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, You who dwell in the land of Uz! The cup shall also pass over to you And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked. 22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into captivity. He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will uncover your sins!
Lamentations 4:1-22 v. 1 gold has become dim…The stones of the sanctuary are scattered – Gold is often a metaphor for God's chosen people and precious stones are often a metaphor for God's Word. (See Song of Songs 5:11-12, 14-15, and Zechariah 9:16 for similar imagery.) v. 5 those who ate delicacies – A delicacy is very fine, rare, or expensive food and was enjoyed by the royal leaders of Israel. The common person could not afford to eat delicacies in their diet. those who were brought up in scarlet – This is also an allusion to royalty. The dye used for these garments were expensive and they were reserved for ceremonial garments of only the highest ranking leaders in the land. v. 6 is greater then the punishment of the sin of Sodom – Sodom was destroyed in a second sparing the people from lengthy suffering. Israel, however, was subjected to a lengthy siege by the Babylonians where sickness, starvation and dehydration also became their enemies. v. 17 For a nation that could not save us – Prior to Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians, Israel made alliances with several nations, including Egypt and Edom. However, none of these nations defended Jerusalem when it fell to Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. v. 21 daughter of Edom – A personification of Edom. The Edomites were allies of Israel, but gave their support to Babylon when it was clear that Jerusalem was going to fall (Ps. 137:7).
The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her! –Lamentations 4:6 We know, Lord, when we are living under Your blessings of the past without fully giving ourselves over to You. We ask forgiveness today for living that way. We seek to know Your Word and Your ways so that we can be assured that we are not taking advantage of Your patience and longsuffering. The payment will be due eventually, Lord. We thank You for allowing Jesus to pay for those of us who accept and love Him. We pray for those who believe that You do not exist or You do not care because You have not yet judged those who do evil in this world.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study For me personally, this group of kindred Spirit women were God's hands and feet to me and my family, after the tragic and sudden loss of my brother, last fall. We are so blessed to have the fellowship of the body of Christ, to gird one another up, to encourage one another, to pray corporately together, lay hands upon a sister who is hurting or struggling, and just truly be blessed with healthy female friendships. Prayer Points That the Lord would continue to reign in our hearts and our study time richly. That the Lord brings new women to the Wednesday morning Bible Study.

Shine Through~Mark Balmer

Shine Through

Posted:

Based on “Shine for God” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 7/4-5/09,

Message # 2487; Daily Devotional #4 - “Shine Through”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): I had the privilege this weekend to hear the testimony of a young man who was able to go on a mission trip to China. Hearing how God had worked out the circumstances and visa problems was cool. It is always good to remember that if God wants you somewhere, He already has the details figured out. The thing that stood out the most to me was when Leo started talking about his time in the underground Church. This is where I saw his personal relationship with God shine through. He did not know he was going to teach or say anything official, yet had something prepared, just in case he had the chance.

However, when the opportunity came to speak, he didn’t use his prepared message. Instead, he talked about the section of Scripture he had read the day before during his quiet time. It was during that time that God spoke to Him and gave him the words to say that would have an impact on the Church there. To hear how God spoke to him through the reading of the Word and spending time with God was amazing. Then God used that time to affect the lives of others. It was clear evidence of how a personal relationship with the Lord works. In a way, you could see Leo's face shine.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Spending time with the Lord affected the lives of those around Leo. It was evidenced by God's working through him. When we spend time with the Lord it is not just for ourselves. When Moses went up on the mountain it wasn’t just for himself. Yes, he did ask for God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18). But that was not the only reason. God wanted to write His Words to the people on the new tablets, and Moses was the man for the job (Exodus 34). It was personal, but God had a much greater impact in mind than just for Moses. When Moses went to speak to God he did not go up on the mountain and say, “God, I have this plan worked out for how You should affect the lives of the Israelites. Would You bless it for me?” He went up on the mountain to hear from the Lord and then pass on what he heard. He told the Israelites what God told him, and that is how God guided the nation. One man in the hands of God can have an enormous impact.

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): God has chosen to use people just like you and me to impact the world. Are we perfect? No. Will we mess up? Yes. Is God's grace sufficient? Yes. But how can you and I have any effect of the world around us? By spending time with God (Philippians 1:6). In and of ourselves we do not have much to offer. Yet with God the potential is unlimited (Philippians 4:13). If you don’t think God can do great things through you, then there is a problem with your faith. Spending time with God, in His Word (the Bible) and listening to what He is telling us, gives Him the opportunity to shine through and affect the lives of those He places in our path. I love the opportunities God gives me. I look forward to the chance to pass along what He has spoken to me. Those words are not just good advice. They are the truth right from God. As He reveals Himself to us, He shines through us. The more time you spend listening and obeying God, the more evident His working will be in your life.

Cultivating (Additional Reading): Psalm 119:25-40; 2 Corinthians 3:12

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Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673

All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.