DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TIMES OF DELAY

 TIMES OF DELAY
II Samuel 2:8-11
 
"But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim; and he made him king...over all Israel .... Only the house of Judah followed David. And the time David was king over the house of Judah was seven years and six months."
 
Seven and a half years can be a long time waiting for the fulfillment of what you believe is God's plan. David had been anointed by Samuel at a young age. After all the years of running from Saul, perhaps David thought that now he would be made king over Israel. Instead, Saul's son is made king, and there began a long war between Israel and Judah (3:1). Things don't often happen according to my timetable. Those times of delay can be filled with struggle, but they are times of testing to see if I really trust the Lord. God works things out in His time if I will be patient.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Delays can be a test of my commitment to God's timetable.
 
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Have a patient day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
II Samuel 2:4-6
 
"Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, 'The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.' So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, 'You are blessed of the LORD, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, Saul, and have buried him. And now may the LORD show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing.' "
 
Jabesh Gilead was on the east side of the Jordan River, where the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had settled when Israel came to the Promised Land (see Numbers 32). Beth Shan was on the west side of the Jordan, but map-wise, it appears that Jabesh Gilead was the closest town. After Saul was nailed to the wall in Beth Shan by the Philistines (I Samuel 31:10), the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead retrieved his body and buried it. This meant going out of their way in the face of danger.  The motivation was not for reward, but because it was the right thing to do. Random acts of kindness are not done for praise or reward, but because they are the right thing to do. Reward may come later, because what goes around comes around, but that is not the reason to be kind.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Acts of kindness are not done for reward, but because they are the right thing to do.
 
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Have a "kindness" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SEEKING GUIDANCE

 SEEKING GUIDANCE
II Samuel 2:1-3
 
"It happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, 'Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?' And the LORD said to him, 'Go up.' David said, 'Where shall I go up?' And He said, 'To Hebron.' So David went up from there...And David brought up with him the men who were with him, every man to his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron."
 
David sought the LORD for guidance, and he was very specific in his inquiry, asking not just "shall I" but also "where." It is so easy to fall into the routine of life of doing my own thing, depending on my own reasoning without asking God for His guidance. Lord, I want and need your leading: not just "should I," but also "where" and "how."
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The prayer for guidance should be specific.
 
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Have an inquiring day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SINGING

 SINGING
II Samuel 1:17-18
 
Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, and he told them to teach the children of Judah The Song Of The Bow; indeed it is written in the Book of Jashur."
 
David sang in good times and bad times.  I can't imagine what life would be like without singing. It is such a powerful way to express sorrow and joy, lament and praise, national pride, love and love denied, and especially praise and love for God. No wonder the Bible has so many exhortations to "sing unto the Lord" (I Chronicles 16:23; Psalms 9:11, 30:4; 95:1; 96:1-2; 98:1, 5; 147:7; 149:1; Isaiah 12:5; 42:10; Jeremiah 20:13), and no wonder that the Book of Psalms is the largest in the Scriptures. So, let your heart "sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19; 3:16).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Singing is a powerful way to express the deep emotions of the heart.
 
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Have a singing day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RESPECT FOR GOD'S ANOINTED

 RESPECT FOR GOD'S ANOINTED
II Samuel 1:13-16
 
"Then David said to the young man who told him [that he had killed King Saul], 'Where are you from?' And he answered, 'I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.' So David said, 'How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?' Then David called one of the young men and said, 'Go near, and execute him!' And he struck him so that he died. So David said to him, 'Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, "I have killed the LORD's anointed." ' "
 
David had a huge respect for authority. He understood that it was God who had appointed and anointed Saul to be king. Perhaps his mind went back to the times when he himself had opportunity to kill King Saul, but he would not, saying, "I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD's anointed" (I Samuel 24:6; 26:23). It is a dangerous thing to attack those whom God has placed in positions of authority. I need to let God take care of them in His time.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: To attack a God-anointed leader is to bring judgment on my own head.
 
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Have a respectful day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A TIME FOR SADNESS

 A TIME FOR SADNESS
II Samuel 1:11-12
 
"Therefore [when he learned of Saul's death] David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword."
 
David was a Ziklag when he received word that Saul was dead, along with Jonathan. No longer would David be pursued like a criminal and exiled from his country and people. The normal human response would be happiness. But David did not exult and rejoice at the news of Saul's death. Instead, he mourned and wept. Even though Saul had forsaken God, he was still God's anointed king. When God's anointed servants fall (like preachers sometimes do), it should be a time of sadness. When people receive the just reward for sin, it should not make me rejoice, but to mourn. Oh, to have a tender heart like David.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When God's anointed fall, it should cause mourning and weeping, not rejoicing.
 
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Have a tender-hearted day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MEN OF VALOR

 MEN OF VALOR
II Samuel 31:11-12
 
"Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose and traveled all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and buried them there."
 
What distinguishes a valiant man? Valor is defined as "strength of mind or spirit that enables a man to encounter danger with firmness; personal bravery." A valiant person is willing to sacrifice his own comfort and safety in order to do what is right. Saul may have been a lousy king, but he did not deserve such ignominious treatment. These valiant men put their own selves at risk in order to give Saul and his sons a proper burial. It takes strength of character to be a valiant person. I want to be a valiant follower of the Lord Jesus and be willing to put my own comfort, my reputation, and my very life at risk to do what is right.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Valor calls for strength of mind and spirit to do what is right.
 
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Have a valiant day. Love you.