Good morning Everyone. Prayers going out for our group.
2nd Samuel chapter 4.
Once again someone tries to impress David at the expense of someone's death. And once again David responds by killing the men who killed the other person… The king of Israel. We're constantly trying to impress other people. Why? And for whose Glory? So I look good? Or so God looks good?
1. If I try and do something good for God's glory the motives will be clean and pure.
2. The moment I try to do something good for my glory is the moment I lose motivation to love others completely, or treat others fairly, or try and help others look good.
For example:
1. A gang member kills his enemy for prestige in his own gang.
2. An employee speaks ill of another employee to his boss in hopes of gaining favor with the boss.
3. An unpopular kid is treated with disrespect or bullied or rejected by an individual so he or she can hopefully be accepted by a popular group.
All such actions have an earthly reward but also spiritual consequences.
1. Earthly reward may be prestigious popularity but such actions have a heavenly response from God. Just as David response was not very favorable so may Gods response not be favorable in our eyesight.
2. We all need a healthy fear of the Lord so as to help keep us on the right path with Jesus and with our fellow man or woman.
Let us all watch our motives with every decision or action we make.
When would people learn that David was not impressed by someone killing anyone who may have been considered his enemy? He didn’t ask anyone or want them to take out whoever they thought was a threat to him. The only reward that they received from David was death!
I’m reminded of four Scriptures today.
Galatians 6:7-8.
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Matthew 26:52.
Then Jesus said to him (Peter), “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
Zechariah 4:6
Then he (an angel) said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
2 Corinthians 10:4
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
Fear paralyzed Ish-bosheth after Abner’s death. Fear can paralyze us but faith and trust in God can overcome our fear (Hebrews 13:6).
David was not a perfect man but he definitely had a passion for God. We see in Scripture how often he turned to God first and asked His will, followed His instructions, and then gave God the glory. At the beginning of David’s reign, he models the absolute necessity of prayer. Here’s something for all of us to think about … is prayer your steering wheel or is it your spare tire?