Day 121
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Welcome to Day 121 of our Life Journal!
Click here for today’s reading: 1 Chronicles 14, 15; Psalm 132; Matthew 18 (2012 Daily Bible Reading Plan)
Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?
S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
S cripture
In yesterday’s reading… 2 Samuel 6, “When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
In today’s reading in 1 Chronicles 15, “As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.”
Again, in yesterday’s reading… 2 Samuel 6:3 “They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart…” 6 “Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.”
In today’s reading in 1 Chronicles 15, “And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD.
Matthew 18, the greatest in the kingdom is a child… parable of the lost sheep, the principle of going to someone who has sinned against you and the parable of the unmerciful servant.
v 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.”
O bservation
I’m glad to see David moved the Ark properly this time! Tough lesson to learn. I am wondering how he figured it out… Obviously Uzzah dying on the spot might have raised the question, but somehow, they determined that the Ark needed to be moved according to the Law of Moses, as God had established.
Could write chapters on Matthew 18 about forgiveness…
A pplication
Sometimes we learn the hard way. Transporting the Ark on a new cart seemed like a good idea at the time…
And I wonder how the Philistines moved it around… we know the Ark wreaked havoc on the Philistines and their gods… they only kept it seven months before returning it to the Israelites.
Did you notice that Saul never inquired of Lord by means of the Ark? (1 Chronicles 13:3) Interesting…
P rayer
Lord, apart from you I’m toast. We all would be. None of us would stand a chance… Thank you for sending your Son to make a way… I’m so, so thankful!
Vineyard Life Journal 
Scott,
Thank you for your faithfulness to keep doing the Life Journal entries even when you’re in CA, where it isn’t even 6:30 a.m. yet.
Joyanna
I keep going to the back of the bible to get to Chronicles. I hope that my brain figures out some day that 1st and 2nd Chronithians do not exist. =)
As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army. (1 Chronicles 14:15 NIV)
This jumped out at me, that they could actually hear the sound of marching footsteps in the tops of the trees. Is this sound from warring angels going ahead of them in battle, or just a breeze letting them know the time was right? I am convinced that it was angelic.
To apply this to my life, I suppose the important thing is not what made the sound, but knowing what they were supposed to wait for and then waiting. I image they were getting itchy trigger fingers as the Philistine army approached, but the bottom line is once again obedience. I continue to neglect inquiring of the Lord about things.
Speaking of obedience…
The parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18. We are instructed once again to forgive, not just once, but many many many many (Yes, I used to do this writing essays in school too) many times. I think that is the trick about forgiveness. It isn’t forgiving someone, but forgiving them again, and again, and again… Sometimes we see something or run into someone who hurt us very badly making the feelings of hurt, abandonment, anger, etc. well up inside of us. I think Jesus hammers home the importance of forgiveness because He knows how hard it is. Carrying forgiveness is spiritually equivalent to consuming toxic waste. It eats us from the inside out. How can we not forgive as we have been forgiven?
Lord, show me where I am carrying forgiveness or other toxic waste and help me to let it go. I am not sure why I don’t turn to you for answers more. I pray for the wisdom to know when to do this and the resolve to do it.
God, I am learning how to walk with you. I am learning how to pray without ceasing. I am learning how to speak what You say about me. I must set my mind ahead of time so that when temptation comes, I know exactly what to do. Lord, today, I believe something good is going to happen to me. I pray you will wake me up with a chance to commune with you and be a blessing to others. I call it a privalage.
I found it interesting that the Philistines “went out” in full force in search of david (1chron.14:8) when David heard this he went to meet them. 10)David, of course asked God first! 16) David dis as God told him. I loved it cause rather then wait for them to hunt him, David went in confidence. Mat 18:10-14 such great assurances that no matter how far we are or think we are from Him, He’s there looking for us. We’re never out of reach. He don’t give up on us. Father, thank you that your love never gives up o