Psalm 8 - Worship Forever?

I think one of the unspoken conundrums of the Christian world is that we will worship God for all eternity in heaven yet most believers can't handle a worship service lasting longer than an hour. There is a disconnect there. The conundrum is not found in the fact that we will do it, or whether or not we love to worship, but it’s found in our inability to truly fathom the mental desire or even question our physical capacity to do it forever.

Many of us love to worship. Personally, it’s my love language to God. We may even be able to worship for a few hours at a time. I’ve been to a Passion OneDay event that lasted (ironically) three days, but even that was a series of worship sets followed by intermissions, eating, and sleeping. Falling seriously short of eternity.

Psalm 8 gives us some perspective on how this will be a reality. First, we have to recognize that the common theme of David’s Psalms is to Glorify God. We always see him putting God in his place.

“O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.” – Psalm 8:1

In Psalm 8, we see that after David puts God and His Glory in His high place, even above the heavens, he then puts man in his place as well. Below the heavens.

"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly and crowned him with glory and honor.” – Psalm 8:4-5

Verse 4 certainly places authority in our hands over the earth, and is an undeserved assignment, but it also reminds us that we are not only under God’s care, but also His authority. If we were to connect the dots, we’d also see that there is a whole level of worshipers in heaven who are between us, and the placement of the Glory of God, which is “above the heavens” (vs.1).

So how does this explain worshiping for eternity? While we have seen God’s grace through the person of Jesus and God is truly with us in Spirit, we have yet to see His full Glory completely absent of our sin and earthly flesh (selfishness, insecurity, ego, agenda, wounds, etc...). When we finally do, there will be only one response. I think Matthew Henry does a great job of describing this:

“How bright this glory shines even in this lower world! He is ours, for he made us, protects us, and takes special care of us. The birth, life, preaching, miracles, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus are known through the world. No name is so universal, no power and influence so generally felt, as those of the Savior of mankind. But how much brighter it shines in the upper world! We, on this earth, only hear God's excellent name, and praise that; the angels and blessed spirits above, see his glory, and praise that; yet he is exalted far above even their blessing and praise. Sometimes the grace of God appears wonderfully in young children. Sometimes the power of God brings to pass great things in his church, by very weak and unlikely instruments, that the excellency of the power might the more evidently appear to be of God, and not of man. This he does, because of his enemies, that he may put them to silence. (Ps 8:3-9)”

One day, we will see and comprehend. I want to resist the attitude of believers that we are simply “surviving” this world and waiting for the afterlife. There is much to do AND live for today. But this day will be amazing. When we see clearly for the first time, we will worship like never before.

Psalm 7 - Motive

The best leadership book I’ve read in five years is “Leadership and Self Deception” by The Arbinger Institute. While it’s title is very revealing, hidden inside are self exploring scenarios that ring amazingly true and give surprising insight to areas we are often blind too. It’s amazing how much we fail to look inward for hidden deficiencies when evaluating leadership, whether it’s in our church or secular organization.

Why is that? Is it fear or pride? Are we really that ignorant or in denial? Or is it that we really just don’t want to know or deal with our private issues that spawn from personal insecurities, perspectives, wounds, inabilities and/or nurture? In leadership, there’s a huge difference between those who want to know and those who don’t. One thing worse than being ignorant, is to be ignorant of our ignorance. It’s revealed in whether or not we lead (or even live) in honesty and confidence, or insecurity and fear. It’s no different in our faith journey.

A scripture that is often misused is found in Proverbs 16. Verse 3 says, “commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” This verse is commonly used in a “name it and claim it” kind of a way. If we don’t really know what to do, then just ask God to bless it and He will (or at least we hope that He will).

This is not the point of this scripture. Instead, this scripture is a great measuring stick of motive. If we cannot truly commit or dedicate a decision in full disclosure to our God, then it’s a great indicator that something is wrong. Vs. 2 says that, “All man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” And vs. 4 closes the thought by stating, “The Lord works out everything for his own ends…”

David is using this same logic in measuring motive in Psalm 7.

“O LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands - if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe - then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust.” - Psalm 7:3-5

David is being heart level honest before God. Are we? Not that often. When was the last time we said, “God if my motive is not completely pure here… then just burn me up right now, let me get what I deserve.”

It’s critical that in order to be honest with God, we must search our own hearts and be honest with ourselves. Who are we really fooling? It’s not God. It’s only our selves and others around us.

When we live and lead in ignorance, we hurt those around us, in leadership we hurt our staff and those involved with our organization. In faith, the circle of hurt is closer and bigger than we know. We hurt our spouses, our children, our friends, our coworkers… and ourselves.

Father, I can’t pray like David. Instead, I have to ask today that I don’t get what I deserve. I do pray that you search my heart and show me the ways that I choose self over you, but I ask for your continued Grace and Mercy. Thank you for your plan of redemption. Thank you for reconciling us through Your Son. Thank you for your patience. Amen.

Psalm 3 - Selah

“Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah. But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah.” – Psalm 3:2-4

This is the first of over 70 verses that use the word Selah in the Old Testament. The overwhelming majority is found in the Psalms. It’s a common use in the suspension of music, a pause by definition. But the root of this word means to “hang” or to weigh. To not just pause… but to pause for reason. To take it in. To soak up what was said. To not take it lightly, instead to fully absorb it’s value or significance.

This day I pray we can each “take it in”. To find a moment to pause and soak it up. Or as one of the Psalms says in just 31 more chapters, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.” – Psalm 34:8

Psalm 2 - OT Gospel

The Pslams are most often songs of celebration and proclamation. Psalm 2 is most certainly a celebration of the coming Gospel. What an amazing prophetic word of the coming Christ. This week we celebrate Christmas. This is the birth of the King and the one spoken of in Psalm 2.

"I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." vs.6

Those in power were certainly threatened by this coming King. We know the story of Herod taking the lives of new born baby boys in hopes of taking the life of Jesus and Pilate conspiring years later as well.

“The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.” vs.2

What an amazing reminder of God’s greatness and protection. Not only did He know, but He knew. He always has and always will. How ridiculous for us to remember it any other way.

“The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” vs.4

Every effort of those who rise up against the Lord is in worthless. Even our own plans which stand in opposition of him. I’m reminded today that His plans cannot be thwarted. He will do what He sets out to do. His promises are true. He is able. We can have confidence in this as a child of God. So the rhetorical question is asked…

“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?” vs.1

And the hope we share with the Psalmist…

“I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” vs.7

As John Wesley put it, “There is nothing in this psalm which is not applicable to Christ, but some things which are not all applicable to David.” There are threats denounced against the adversaries of Christ's kingdom, promises made to Christ, and finally counsel given to all:

“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” vs.8

“Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.” vs.11

“Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” vs.12

2 Sam 23 – Simply Refreshing

Every time I’m wore out from my “professional” faith I can find too many elements of “me” in my work. It’s so amazing how difficult it is to truly deny our selves when we feel we have to perform. It’s so hard to keep our insecurities or personal desires out of the equation. The amount of effort and emotional energy we can put into making things seem perfect is amazing. Especially around Christmas time. Every pastor (even more so their associate pastors) I know is stressed or wore out already and we’ve still got over a week to go. I feel the pressure… then felt the peace come over me when we landed on the theme for this year at Austin New Church: “simple christmas”. Whew. Wouldn’t that be nice? I could literally feel my blood pressure dropping in our staff meeting.

I was speaking recently to a pastor friend about how many hours he puts into a sermon, it was a huge amount of time. Then I began to think about mine. The tragedy is not in how much time we spend on sermon prep (little or much) the tragedy is in how little time we spend on the actual text or truth (God stuff) in relationship to our own illustrations and transitions (Me stuff). While I know those are key elements of clear communication, those are also the things that stress me out. Those are the things that keep me up on Saturday night and take my focus off my family all weekend. It’s evidenced by how much better I feel when I land a good opening illustration.

Even as I write this, I want to defend how important those things are. Why? Because they are important, significant, and maybe even critical. However, my point is that if we could somehow really strip away our intentions, we’d still find too much of “me” in those parts. I want to be a great communicator, not a good one. I want to share something in a way that no one’s ever thought of before. I want to “wow” those looking for faith or something new. The list goes on and on. Meanwhile Paul said he just preached “Christ and Christ crucified” and the Lord says that it’s not by might or power but by His “Spirit”.

The reason I say this is because I’m finding a new groove in life. I’m not fully there yet, probably never will be, but I’m finding peace in the simple. I have much less desire now to please others (other than God) and it’s chilling me out. More than that, it’s helping me really dig into and keep me focused on finding out what’s important on each leg of the journey.

The crux? When I do this, my work, my faith, my life is refreshed and not a drain. It doesn’t feel like a task, it feels like a journey. My energy is up. I feel renewed, encouraged, and excited. I’m encouraged and refreshed. David talks about this in 2 Samuel 23 in regards to leadership.

“The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: 'When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.” – 2 Samuel 23:3-4

Not only will this be a fruit for those we lead, if we lead in righteousness and in the fear of God, but also a fruit we will receive if we follow God with the same heart.

“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” – Proverbs 11:25

Even those of us under an authority, when we live by His righteousness and follow in the fear of the Lord, we will refresh those we serve.

“Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.”- Proverbs 25:13

And we refresh each other in biblical community…

“In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.” – 2 Corinthians 7:14

So it’s an indicator. Refreshment comes from God. When there is an absence, there is a reason. Today, I look for those reasons… and I rest in His promises. If David can find it in battle, if Paul can find it in chains, surely we can find it in our plush context of western suburbia.

“… turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Acts 3:19

“Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” – Philemon 1:7

“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge.” Psalm 73: 28a

2 Sam 22 – Life Cycles

Something I’m beginning to surrender to is the reality of the ebb and flow of life. Sounds a little weird to say, but there are certainly rhythms to be found. They seem to cycle. And they have both up beats and down beats.

I think we set ourselves up for failure when we expect every moment to be a high time. We do the same when we assume God has nothing to do with the downs. We learn in this flux. Whether in trial or victory, we are being shaped.

This is especially true in our sin or even our righteousness. In His justice, God deals with us accordingly.

David gives us some insight to this in chapter 22. We know he’s had down times in life. Many were a result to sin. The whole "Bathsheba-gate" thing almost took him under. There were times God seemed absent, yet he still finds a season in life where he has the confidence to write,

“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.” – 2 Samuel 22:21-25

I don’t know if this is a better reflection of David’s ability to forget what he’s repented for or him just lavishing in a sweet season with the Lord (I would imagine a bit of both), but either way he acknowledges the appropriateness of God and is finding peace in this moment.

What a great lesson to learn.

2 Sam 21 - Lesson Learned

"During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the LORD. The LORD said, "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death." - 2 Samuel 21:1

What do you do with the Gibeonites? They seemed like a fairly insignificant people, but also seemed to be in the middle of everything, for Joshua, for Saul, and now for David. Because of their location… Israel could not avoid them. There are many lessons that we can learn from Israel’s interaction with the Gibeonites:


(1) Negligence is no better than abuse: David made the connection between Saul’s abuse and his own neglect to do anything about it, and the removal of God’s hand of favor.

"The whole people suffered for Saul's sin; either because they approved it, or at least bewailed it not; neither did what they could to hinder it; whereby they became accessory." – Author Unknown

(2) Inquiring of God is not an option: Joshua’s men did not inquire of God in deciding what to do with the Gideonites, neither did Saul (as evidenced by his attempt to annihilate them) but David did. It made all the difference in the world.

“The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them... – Joshua 9:14-15

“… so David sought the face of the LORD. The LORD said, "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house..." – 2 Samuel 21:1

(3) An oath before God is an oath before God.

(4) Misguided zeal (Such as Saul’s) can quickly become sin and bring much calamity.

(5) The wages of sin is truly death (Rom. 6:23).

(6) God is just: The “injustice” that we may feel for the men who were given over can give us much perspective on how immensely Graceful the cross was. God cannot turn his back on the penalty of sin. While many are hard to understand under the New Covenant, the Old Covenant stories shed immense light on the necessity of the cross in respect to justice.

a. The method of death was important because it fulfilled the promise of Deuteronomy 21:23: “He who is hanged is accursed of God”. These descendants of Saul bore the curse Saul deserved and so delivered Israel from the guilt of their sin against the Gibeonites.

b. This promise from Deuteronomy explains why Jesus died the way He did. Galatians 3: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us: for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree".

There are many leadership principles that can be learned from this chapter. Most of them come with the hope (and probably agenda) of maintaining God’s hand on our life and our journey. They are very practical and true. But there is more to this story than a list on how to keep God’s favor.

Let’s make it a bit more personal: What do WE do with the Gideonites? From the moment they approached Joshua, to the time they were abused by Saul, to the season they were neglected by David… they were neighbors to the Israelites. Good or bad, and often overlooked, they were there.

And what Joshua, Saul, and David did with or to them mattered to God.

Just like the Gibeonites, there are many people, types of people, and groups of people that are in our “personal space”. Many that, if we’re not careful, can be easily overlooked and considered insignificant to our key pursuits in life. Maybe they are the homeless on the corner, the single mom down the street, the abused wife or neglected kid at the shelter, or the widow next door. Maybe they are our employer or employees. Maybe they are that girl we see every day that hands us a coffee at Starbucks. Maybe the cop who just wrote us a ticket. Maybe they are the “trainee” at HEB, who somehow got stuck working the express lane (while we were running late). Whoever they are, they are all around us.

And they are real people with emotions, struggles, fears, hopes, dreams, and needs.

Today I was thinking about Joshua’s original oath to the Gibeonites in Joshua 9 (Which Saul broke, and now David is reconciling for). While most of us have not made an oath directly with such people groups as was done in biblical times, we certainly have done the same when we step into a covenant with Christ to live as His disciples. By receiving His Grace, we are agreeing to His ways. This includes loving others… no matter the cost. It includes taking the focus off our selves. It includes fighting against injustice and fighting for the oppressed. Paul urged the Church at Ephesus, “to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Or as Jesus put it, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Or as my wife puts it, “Be nice.”

When we wonder where the famine came from, whether it be emotional, spiritual, or physical, maybe we should inquire of God like David did, and see what oath we have broken.

2 Sam 20 - The Next Admin

"Joab was over Israel's entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; Adoniram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; and Ira the Jairite was David's priest." - 1 Samuel 20:23-26

In his own words, a friend of mine said he "chased a rabbit down the trail" last Friday on chapter 20. I'm glad he did. Here's what he wrote:

"I wanted to understand the choices David made in rebuilding his administration. The greatness of David leadership was not built upon him alone; he kept trying to bring together an effective team. Here is what I found:

Benaiah means built up by the Lord was a very courageous and loyal officer of King David and then David's son and successor King Solomon. David put him in charge of the Kerethites and Pelethites who were a bit like a mercenary team made up of quasi-enemies of the state that had become loyal to David. These people were around at several important moments to assist David (Absalom’s revolt, ascension of Solomon…). These people were a Praetorian Guard for David. He later replaced Joab after Solomon had Joab executed and he also killed Adonijah.

Adoniram whose name means: My Lord Is Exalted was a prince, able administrator, and the son of Abda. Adoniram served as overseer of those conscripted for forced labor during the reigns of David, Solomon, and Rehoboam, playing an important part in Solomon's many building projects.

Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the historian, the chronicler, and the rememberer. Sheva a secretary or administrator. Zadok and Abiathar were priests - Although Zadok, which means righteous, was of the line of Eleazar, he held the position of High Priest, at first, jointly or alternately, with Abiathar. That changed due to the political choices that were made by the priests themselves; Zadok remained loyal to David and Solomon, while Abiathar supported Solomon's rival.

Ira the Jairite now becomes the personal counselor to the king, a position previously held by the sons of David, but that did not work out so well. He is the king's chaplain. Joab – now leads the entire army.

David now has someone in position to counterbalance the power that Joab has amassed; he has someone in charge of labor, administration, and record keeping and ministering to the people. Finally he also has a confidant. As David matures, he realizes he cannot do it all alone and he is being more judicious in his selection of people (as opposed to picking Amasa to lead the army)."

Sounds like a great "Board of Directors".

It's interesting how a fear of failure (or failing again) manifests itself in two different ways (1) wanting to do it right no matter what, which humbles us and makes us desire to put the right people around us and letting go or (2) wanting to do it right, wo we lock down and try to control everything. Maybe the difference is in seeing how the initial failure was ultimately ours and about our inabilities or choices and not others. It all starts from the top, and as they say... it all rolls downhill from there.

The greatness of David leadership was not built upon him alone, it's interesting however, that the failures of leadership are most always from doing things alone.

2 Sam 19 - Sin Matrix

You’d almost have to have a degree in psychology to fully understand what’s going on in chapter 19. You’d certainly have to know the story well as to how David and his men found themselves in this situation. Needless to say, Absalom was now dead, and while David knew it had to happen it was completely wrecking him emotionally. And it was killing him as a leader.

“Joab was told, "The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom." And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, "The king is grieving for his son." The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle. The king covered his face and cried aloud, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!"” – 2 Samuel 19:1-3

These men cared so deeply for their King that although they were simply obeying orders in going to war, they could not consider it victory. Scripture says that they were like those who were ashamed.

I’m trying to understand David’s grief. The guilt must have been immense. What an awfully tangled mess he created in his sin. David and all those close to him were suffering the consequences. Because of his personal sin he had to flee and drag all his men and their families with him out of Israel. Because of his personal sin his very own son was pursuing him and wanted to kill him. Because of his personal sin thousands died at war including his son. And because of his personal sin he could not publicly grieve for his dead son or he would lose the only things he had left.

David was grieving much more than just the death of a loved one. He knew this whole journey was his fault, and he was frozen as a leader. Good thing Joab stepped in.

“Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, "Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the LORD that if you don't go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now." 2 Samuel 19:5-7

Most of us have something that consumes and ultimately distracts us. We should take a moment to consider what it is personally or emotionally that is keeping us from what we need to be doing (and HOW we should be doing it). What sin or shortfall, what inadequacy or insecurity, what concern or fear, what wound or tragedy do we have that impacts how we are living, how we are leading, and how we love God and others. I think that is a good question to ask.

Most of us don’t have the ability to just decide not to care about something, especially something big. We can’t undo our reality. But what we can do is pray and move forward. And there is a big difference between moving forward and moving on (the what v.s. how). We can choose to do what we know we should do. Do what is right even before we want to. Do what is noble even when we don’t feel we have the strength. Do what is needed even if we still wonder if the sacrifice is worth it. If we wait until conditions are perfect, we may never move. If we wait until we want to, we may never want to. All we really need to know is what we should do. Action in doing what is right is a great healer. It’s when we stay frozen in our emotion that we continue to spiral downward. And bring others with us.

Action in itself can be a form of worship. When we step out of neutral, for the sake of the King, we are laying ourselves at the feet of the King. We are giving a tangible offering of our selves, and our emotions, and replacing them with trust in doing what is right in His eyes.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into PRACTICE. And the God of PEACE will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9

2 Sam 18 - Timing is Everything

There is a time for everything. Although we may have a desire to be a part of every adventure, we may feel a responsibility to always lead from the front, a need to personally invest in every battle with those who are going through adversity, or a desire to “fix” everything we see out of line… we simply cannot do everything ourselves. And it's not always best if we're the one's to do it.

There is a time for everything.

“But the men said, "You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city."

The king answered, "I will do whatever seems best to you." 
- 2 Samuel 18:3-4

This is in stark contrast to the problem with David in 2 Samuel 11. Then, David stayed back when he should have gone. He was neglecting his role in leadership. And we know the landslide that followed that act of negligence.

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.” – 2 Samuel 11:1

In chapter 18, it is best for David to stay back. This time, to go, would be neglecting his role in leadership. There is a time for everything. How do we know when it’s time? I think the answer (or part of it) may lie in David’s response in verse 4. He says, “I will do whatever seems best to you.”

This not only reflects a willingness to do what’s best for others, but also comes with a certain level of humility and a posture willing to receive counsel. This seems to be a pattern with David at this phase in his journey. Maybe that is the exact attitude we need to have in order to know God’s timing and to trust that it really doesn’t all depend on us, or our abilities.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.” –Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

2 Sam 17 - Receiving Counsel

Who do you allow to speak into your life? Why? What is it that they bring to the table? Who’s interest do they have in mind? Do you listen because of what they’ve accomplished or because you see them as a man or woman who has evidences of the Spirit in their daily life? Since much of faith is a paradox, is their advice in line with that reality or does it often “go with the flow” of what works?

As a Christian leader, these are the questions that are flooding my mind. In choosing those whom we seek advice, here are some additional questions to help us filter through personal agendas (ours and theirs):

1. Do we think more highly of their accomplishments than their sensitivity to the Spirit?

2. Do we find ourselves wanting to be around them or be like them in a prideful way?

3. Do they invest without us initiating or are we constantly chasing their advice?

4. Do they offer more answers than they ask questions?

5. Do they make us a better leader or a better believer?

It’s interesting to me that the ones who were sought out for counsel in biblical times were always men set aside and called out by God. They were either prophets or priests. Rarely were they the guys who had the ultimate positional authority or who had climbed the ladder of success themselves. Instead they were those who simply dedicated all of who they were to the Lord.

We typically only allow the successful to speak into our lives, those with the greatest track record, those with the most books published, or those with the most money in the bank. While experience should certainly be a part of the counsel equation, we know that God measures success differently than we naturally do. Since it’s so hard for us to seek counsel based on those differences, we have to be intentional about seeking it in those forms.

In the prior chapter (ch.16), we see clearly why Athithophel was a great counselor to both David and Absalom. He gave great counsel because he inquired of God.

"Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's advice.” – 2 Samuel 16:23

Yet after Absalom inquired of him in the beginning of chapter 17, he sought the advice of another.

“Hushai replied to Absalom, "The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time.” – 2 Samuel 17:7

It’s interesting to me how quickly Absalom (and his men) discredited the advice of Ahithophel and followed Hushai. Verse 14 let’s us know why… God was up to something.

“Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel." For the LORD had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.” – 2 Samuel 17:14

Did they hear what they wanted to hear?

God knows our hearts and minds. He knows our fears and inner most thoughts, He knew that Hushai throwing a wrench into his counsel would “Frustrate” Absalom’s leadership. The question is, since Athithophel had such a strong reputation with both Absalom and David, why did Absalom feel he needed to get advice from Hushai? I think its possible Absalom was looking for a way out. Apparently, so were the rest of the men of Israel. Maybe this was a classic case of leadership and “self-deception”, maybe he didn’t hear the answer he wanted to hear, so he kept asking, and he asked someone else.

Our hearts and minds are tricky. We can always find someone to tell us what we want to hear. As leaders, we have to take a strong look at our selves and those we allow to speak into our lives. While we must use wisdom in choosing them based on their own character and experiences, we should also be sure we don’t simply surround ourselves with those who already act like us, think like us, do things the way we do them, and have anything to gain or protect from the advice they give except a desire to see God’s will in our lives. Many of us need to “expand” our circle. We need to increase our exposure. We have to ask ourselves and allow others to ask us tough questions we might not normally ask ourselves (and be ready to hear the answers). That’s a tough thing to do, but in the end, everyone will benefit.

Oh, and when you find yourself asking counsel from someone new, ask yourself “why”. That’s a red flag. Why are my typical counselors not good enough in this situation? Do I not want to hear what I know they’ll say? Why am I seeking this new person out? Do I know they will tell me what I want to hear? Or can I trust they will tell me the truth? The warning signs are everywhere.

Being honest with our selves is the hardest part.

2 Sam 16 - Throwing Stones

When I was a teenager growing up in western Colorado, we used to spend our summer days on the Colorado River. Most of the time we’d tie inner-tubes together with rope and float for miles to a downstream destination where we had dropped a friends jeep or truck earlier in the day. It was always a place strategically picked out for a day of swimming, jumping from bridges, and listening to loud music with the fella’s.

Along the way we would often find ourselves stopping, rummaging around, and quite often it ended in someone eventually picking up a rock and throwing it “near” another person. The initial act was typically intended to simply splash the other person, but it always escalated. Many times into full on, long distance, rock fight. We were never serious, always laughing, and we never really tried to hit each other (although an accidental hit on a leg or arm was quite often the only way the ridiculous testosterone driven activity would ever end). Luckily, no one ever got hit in the head. We were simply idiots. We had no idea what we were really risking. And there was simply no intentionality behind our senseless pitching of the stones.

Projecting a rock at someone was a very significant act in Biblical times. We see them come with words (cursing) and accusation in the New Testament. But they are based on Old Testament law and the judgment that would follow certain sins. It usually ended in death. Obviously we don’t see an official “stoning” taking place in 2 Samuel, not even close, but the symbolism is there through the cursing and throwing of stones by Shemei.

“Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head." 2 Samuel 16:9

David is in an interesting position here. While his men are ready to fight to the death in defending his honor, instead he replies with a new attitude reflecting a new perspective.

“But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?' " 2 Samuel 16:10

The King of yesteryear would have cut Shemei’s head off himself. But David recognizes that he is experiencing the fruit of his sin. And he is hopeful that how he reacts to even this ridiculous moment might somehow create an opportunity to be reconciled with God.

“David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today." 2 Samuel 16:11-12

Whether David was right or not and whether or not Shemei was acting from a word from the Lord to “throw stones”, David’s heart was leaning in the right direction. For the first time we see a warriors heart denied. David recognizes that the hand of God is distant from him, he sees the fruit, and he is willing to not only deny himself but also search for anything that might represent the movement of God.

The place of searching is a good place to be.

2 Sam 15 - Identity & Loyalty

Two different topics from this chapter were drilled into today by a couple of my friends. Both whom are smarter than I am. The moment their words hit my inbox I knew I would share them on my blog. The first is on the topic of identity, the second is on loyalty. Here they are:

"But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot." (2 Sam 15:30)

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:12)

1000 years before Jesus describes the signs of the end times while speaking from the Mount of Olives (The Olivet Discourse), David finds himself fleeing to the Mount of Olives to avoid a costly and destructive battle with his son. Does David believe he is seeing the beginning of the end?

I think not. He left 10 of his concubines in the city to mind the palace (what’s up with the 10 concubines?) and made some shrewd decisions about placing trusted advisors around Absalom to keep an eye on him. I think David was truly giving this over to God and was more concerned about not destroying the city or splitting the kingdom, rather than preserving his pride and dignity as king. David saw his most important role as a child of God, a steward of the nation, not the king. This drove his decision on how to respond to Absalom’s threat.

What element of our lives do we hold most tightly to? I would say it is probably our identity. Who we believe we are, or want others to believe we are, is something we fight for (“what did you call me?”), it’s something we work for (“I was just promoted, now I am assistant to the traveling secretary”), and it is something that heavily influences what we think we can become (“You’ll never be any good at this…”).

Our personal identity is so powerful, so controlling, it is the primary thing we must surrender to Christ. Yielding our bank accounts, our time, our service are all good things to release to him. But, an intimate relationship with Him is predicated on surrendering our identity. We can’t accept the power He pours into our lives until we realize who we are in Him. Until we accept and embrace our position as sons of God, we will never be able to live with the freedom and confidence and peace he has promised. As long as we let our identities be determined by what we have and what we do, rather than who we are, we will struggle with pride, struggle with trying to “earn” our position, and miss out on the peace Christ offers. “What we have” and “What we do” are things that can be taken from us via theft, carelessness, job losses, or retirement. “Who we are” is something no one can take from us, unless we give it to them. When we surrender “who we are” to Christ, He replaces our limited concept and beliefs with an eternal identity as a child of God. Something that can never be destroyed or taken away. So, the tough question I have to ask myself today is, “Who am I?” If I asked my wife, my daughter, my friends, or colleagues the same question, what would they say? When other people see me, what is my identity to them? Is my life and my actions focused on being who they want or expect me to be, or who Christ wants me to be?

The second is on loyalty:

V21 But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be."

The power of a friend. The power of one person who believes in you. The power you have when you tell a person you genuinely believe in them – more than tell them, when you show them. Ittai’s loyalty was a gift to David. Ittai was new in a relationship with David, yet he publicly chose to support him, he did it when David was dejected and he did it full well knowing that his fate was now tied to David.

Mark 2:3-5 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Who are you tearing the roof open for today? Who are you publicly choosing when no one else supports them? Who are you connecting your fate to and by doing that showing personal commitment? God never leaves our side and that fact allows us to walk with confidence. Add the loyalty of one person during dark moments, one person who believes and believes publicly and the soul is regenerated. Faith + the loyalty of at least one person can recharge the spirit.

Loyalty is a godly trait – be judicious with it, but have it in you and you will bring God to someone when they most need Him. Four of the most powerful words we have in us are "I believe in you".

Loyalty is typically something we want from others, who wouldn't? Often, when there is failure, it's because we fail to offer it. This is a dangerous place for leaders and/or those in a position of authority. It's easy to fail to offer loyalty with those we consider subordinates even when we feel it. There's a difference between feeling it and offering it. I love the connection with the Mark 2 story because the fruit of loyalty was offered, not just received. It wasn't just an idea on paper with a promise, it was action that went beyond.

2 Sam 14 - Wise Communication

Gary Chapman has made a killing with his book, “The Five Love Languages”. Not just because it comes with an inherent marketing genius, but also because it’s claims are true. Speaking how you want to speak does not ensure clear communication, identifying and speaking the way others need to be spoken too does. We must learn to speak the language of our hearers.

This is exactly what Joab did in finding a mediator for Absalom. He found a woman of wisdom, and she spoke the language of David.

“So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don't use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead. Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab put the words in her mouth.” 2 Samuel 14:2-3

At first it seems manipulative… and there was much risk… but the heart and intention was so pure, it ruled out. Ultimately, it was the right thing to do.

I can’t help but think about the church today. For years we have spoken our own language and expected outsiders to just “get it”, or else. Act a certain way, dress a certain way, even talk a certain way, “oh, brother, great to see you… oh yes, amen brother… doth things goeth well with you?”

Isn’t it funny how we are tempted to instantly pretend we're someone else the moment we hit the doors of a church building or get in the presence of someone who we know is more “Spiritual” than us? The R.E.M. song "Shiny Happy People" always comes to mind. We feel the pressure to act like we've got it all together, no problems or concerns. If it impacts and changes how we act, just imagine how odd and uncomfortable that feels to a non-believer seeking truth. No wonder the greatest accusation of a skeptic of faith is hypocrisy and/or a lack of authenticity.

We have to learn to speak the language of our hearers. And be brave enough to be ourselves. Jesus did that intuitively. It’s not a language of compromise. Therefore we have to discern the line of compromise. It’s not a language of law and behaving, it’s a language of love and belonging. It’s the heart of contextualizing the Gospel. Missionaries have been doing it overseas for years. It’s biblical and effective. We should do it here too.

2 Sam 13 - Moral Influence

There were many signs that David was beginning to lose his moral authority and influence in the past few chapters. It’s recognized in the actions of his military subordinates in the prior chapter, and now in chapter 13 we see the fruit of it infesting his own children. And it’s simply awful.

“When King David heard all this, he was furious. Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.” 2 Samuel 13:21-22

David knew of all that was going on, and he did nothing except get angry. In fact, we have no record of what happened for the next two years.

We underestimate the power of moral authority. It impacts everyone around us that we lead, are responsible for, or care about (and many that we may not). How others perceive us goes far beyond what we think of ourselves. What is gained over years can simply be lost in a moment of neglect, selfishness, or poor choices.

If we remember, the same thing happened to Samuel himself in 1 Samuel 8. I went back to read my journal from that day. It was on Moral Authority… Here’s a part of that entry:

“Simply put…” said Andy Stanley, “…moral authority is maintained when your creed matches your deed”. Individually this is both simple and profound but also true. Culturally and corporately it is as well.

Moral authority has everything to do with how people view whether or not we do what we say is important to us. Because if we don’t, we lose respect (credibility), and when we lose respect, we lose our ability to influence (lead).

As a church leader, this is an important thing to understand. Andy exposed the fact that we do not have an official authority over anyone. We may think we do, and many times we operate as if we do, but we really don’t. If we lose the respect of our members, they just leave. If we lose the respect of our staff, they can do the same. They may last for a while, but eventually we lose our influence and ability to lead them.

Most unchurched or de-churched people aren’t reading our church purpose statements, values, and doctrinal statements to see how we’re different one from another (Other Christians who treat the church like a buffet line at Luby’s do, but not the unchurched). They somehow just know that Christians are supposed to love others and not judge others. To them, that’s our true “creed”, it’s ironic that our reputation in the secular world is the exact opposite. Ed Stetzer wrote recently in “Lost and Found” that a massive majority of unchurched and de-churched claim hypocrisy and judgment as their number #1 and #2 reason they stay away from the church. That’s a problem. We’ve lost our moral authority in the eyes of many. To them, we’ve lost their respect. The result, we’ve lost our influence with many. Our cultural reality is that this is how the “church” sits with the majority of the unchurched in America.

Today I'm reading in 1 Samuel 8. In it we clearly see that the sons of Samuel had lost the respect of the people as well as their moral authority. Inevitability their moral influence was compromised. Their deed did not match their creed. Verse 3 says, “…his (Samuel’s) sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.”

They had lost their Influence… their credibility… and their power. And so the people called out for a different kind of leader. They called out for a King.

But in our nature to make everything about us, let’s not lose our perspective. God reminds us that this condition is not fully conditional. This loss of influence was directly impacted by the degrees of separation of the nation of Israel from their God. Not just the lack of influence of Samuel’s sons. They were already one click away from falling… and the loss of the Judge’s moral authority was the tipping point. This is evidenced through verses 7-8, “And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.”

Israel was big, and as they say, “the bigger they are the harder they fall”. Even a small ripple can have a massive impact. As Leonard Sweet put it, “Big trees fall over in a storm; the little and mid-sized trees are best equipped to stand and sway in the storm”

I don’t think they knew why they felt they were in a vulnerable position, they just knew that the leader and process they had, they no longer had confidence in.

We are in a similar position in the American church today and most certainly in our post-modern culture. Our personal gods are numerous. Money, position, pride, success, the list goes on and on. And moral authority is often questioned. I would venture to say most feel we are one “click” away as well. And in these moments of felt crisis and uncertainty, the world needs to see the church rise in their influence. We don’t rise by our words and creeds alone, we rise through God’s truth and our actions… it’s HIS creed and our deed.

When we think about making an impact on the unchurched world, we should shape our efforts from this posture. That's our hope at Austin New Church. That it would shape our starting point. When we don’t, we’ll see that our target is really other believers or the churched, not the lost, unchurched, or dechurched. When we look at those who are skeptics of faith, we should acknowledge their true starting point and meet them there. That’s what Jesus did. He went to Samaria. He went to the Sheep Gate Pool. He went to the temple to address the Pharisee’s. He went to the wedding party. He went to the Tax Collectors house. And His creed matched His deed.

2 Sam 12 - You're the Man

I can’t read this story without thinking about the Veggie-tale episode where the King is told a story about a guy who had all the “rubber duckies” a man could possible need or want, yet he still stole another man’s most cherished “rubber ducky”. The accusation was made. And when asked who it was, Nathan said to David in verse 7, “You are the man!”

Not quite the same story, not quite the same impact. But I think that is what it’s come to. We become so hardened by our own sin, that we lose perspective on how damaging it is to our walk. Yes, in Christ our sin is forgiven. But left unchecked, damages our relationships because it damages us. It impacts our relationship with God and our ability to worship, hear, and follow Him. It impacts our relationship with others and our ability and willingness to place them in front of our selves. It impacts our actions as determined by our priorities and personal pursuits.

So I guess today, for the first time, I’m reading this story and instead of thinking about how jacked up David became, instead of thinking about the tangled web and taking shots at it from the outside, I turn towards myself. I guess it just builds on yesterday’s reading, but I’m prayerfully seeking were I need to confess and change. Many areas instantly come to mind.

But how do we make that confession and change a reality instead of just a fleeting thought? How do we take it beyond the “I’m sorry I took your rubber ducky”?

This morning I met with the men from our Missional Community Group. We are reading and discussing Tim Keller’s book “The Reason for God”. We landed on the discussion of how we really find and advance through the answers to the questions and the struggles we have (and counsel others with their own questions). One of the guys said, “It all depends on the attitude of your heart, whether or not you really want to find the answer”.

He’s right.

Often we can see all our problems clearly. We can identify and know exactly what our issues are. And as we seek God’s answers… if we REALLY want to know them, we’ll see them. If we really don’t, we probably won’t experience relief from the issues (or even experience insight). Can God show us? Yes. But does He have to? No. Why would He? If we don’t really want to know the answer and/or we aren’t willing to make the change, we may never see it. If God doesn’t withhold the answers and the way, we certainly are experts on withholding it from ourselves… reasoning it away and making excuses.

So a simple question emerges for today: Do we really want to be changed?

God, change our hearts and minds, in spite of our hearts and minds. Today I pray for continued and radical transformation. Give me the desire where I lack the desire, the discipline where I lack discipline, and the wisdom where I lack wisdom. Amen.

2 Sam 11 - Turning Points

Here's a lesson in human nature and leadership. Just as we can learn from any moment in history, we can certainly all learn from David’s poor choices in chapter 11. David was a man typically on task, he always seemed to consider where and what he should be doing in light of God’s desire, until now.

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her.” – Samuel 11:1-3

This crossroad sprung up primarily because of one act of sloth: Idleness. Scripture clearly states that it was a season when Kings, which he was, went to war. But not David. For whatever reason, he stayed. David was not doing what he should be doing. Neglecting his responsibility, his oath, his calling.

David was a warrior. With that in mind, I can imagine a bored King. Walking around on the roof, probably thinking about the war, thinking about his life, then boom… there’s Bathsheba. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And he did the wrong thing. It’s a downward spiral that could have been avoided. David had multiple opportunities to “do the right thing”. But each step of the way, he kept pressing into what was wrong. I wonder if it had something to do with the fact that most of his advisors (let’s call them accountability partners) were at war.

Scripture says he told “Someone” to go get her. Later it describes him as the “man” he told. No name, no relationship, just another guy… so when he spoke truth to David, he blew him off.

So lesson #2, don’t disconnect from those who speak truth to you. Keep them close. And listen. I bet you if it was Jonathan who spoke those words of warning, David would have stopped. He probably would have never called for her, or even mentioned it to him. But that wasn’t the case. David was alone. He was idle. He chose poorly. And the result? Verse 27 let’s us know:

“But the thing David had done displeased the LORD.”

So the questions are: Where should we be that we're not? Where are we that we shouldn’t be? What are we doing that we shouldn’t be doing? What is our pursuit that is not God’s pursuit? What steals our affections from the things that are God’s? And the big one: What warnings are we neglecting as we inch closer to the cliff?

Father, none of us are beyond falling. Your word is clear on that. We deceive ourselves. We chase our selfish desires. We justify our actions. Each of those things are about US and not YOU. Keep our focus on Your Kingdom. Keep our relationships authentic, raw, vulnerable, accountable and responsive. And deliver us from evil… even our own evil. Amen.