Psalm 72 – Taking Lead

We all have a following. It may be as simple as an individual child, an employee, a friend, or someone we’re mentoring. It may be as vast as a company, a team, an organization, or even a church. While the scope in which we lead may vary greatly, we’re constantly in a position of influence.

Leadership has become quite an endeared term to us, and honestly, rightfully so in many cases. However, when we allow the idea of leadership to surpass the significance of what or whom we are leading, and what we represent, we run the risk of losing what makes it special.

David understood this. When praying for his son, and future king, he prayed knowing the benefit of yielding his leadership completely to the path of the one who “spoke and it was”. Here’s what he prayed for and the appropriate response that comes with it.

“Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.” – Psalm 72:1-2

A look into the Hebrew shows that this request was for God to offer a divine level of discretion (justice) and that He would grant him the ability to lead with His righteousness. The word righteousness is the Hebrew word “tsdaqah” which can be applied in a number of ways, each of which are amazingly appropriate: That he would lead with rightness (abstractly), rectitude (subjectively), justice (objectively), virtue (morally), or prosperity (figuratively).

It was a given that if granted, Solomon would then lead with a “straight course”, not veering to the right or left, and offer justice to the “afflicted” (humble, lowly, needy, poor). What a great example to us all, as a praying parent, a dependent leader, and as a developing child (His child).

“This psalm belongs to Solomon in part, but to Christ more fully and clearly. Solomon was both the king and the king's son, and his pious father desired that the wisdom of God might be in him, that his reign might be a remembrance of the kingdom of the Messiah. It is the prayer of a father for his child; a dying blessing. The best we can ask of God for our children is, that God would give them wisdom and grace to know and to do their duty.” – Matthew Henry

Psalm 52 - Huge Accusations

My kids are liars. Well, at least that’s what they say about each other. If you were to ask the accused, they would say they were actually “just kidding”. I digress. To call someone a liar is an amazingly strong accusation. We don’t let our kids get away with it (even when it’s true) instead we teach them to say, “I’m not sure you’re telling the truth” as a healthy alternative.

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

Your tongue plots destruction; 

it is like a sharpened razor, 

you who practice deceit.

You love evil rather than good, 

falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah

You love every harmful word, 

O you deceitful tongue!

Psalm 52:1-4

Plotting destruction, speaking deceit, and liking it: These aren’t small accusations in the eyes of God. To make them, you better be sure. And if it’s true, we better beware, especially if there is any part of us that enjoys it (See verse 4). David understood that. He knew both sides of that fence. His strategy? Chase after the heart of God and ask Him to search through his.

Our problem is that we are people of extremes. And we fool ourselves. We don’t understand that there are soft and secret words that can be just as harmful and deceitful as the loud and proud (vs.4). We don’t consider it evil when we stretch the truth or make assumptions about others, yet scripture tells us that any speaking falsehood is evil (vs.3). We think each word stands on its own although scriptures shows how each word builds on it self and can become even an unintentional plot of damage (vs.2). And we don’t even see how when we do this, even in private, we are a disgrace in the eyes of God (vs.1).

David understood what was at stake. Psalm 52 reminds us in verse 5.

“Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.” – Psalm 52:5

Wow, that’s serious. There are three things that stand out to me in this list of consequences: The first seems to be a personal consequence, whatever that may look like, the second of provision or position, and the third possibly the consequence of a full or vibrant life.

These things are significant. As believers, how we view others is significant. How we view ourselves impacts how we view others regardless of who they actually are. And it’s a big deal to God. So big that David has confidence that God won’t put up with it.

We need to invest more time into thinking how we treat one another.

Father, the hidden sins are the hardest for us. The irony is that they’re the most obvious to others. We easily fool ourselves. We indict ourselves only on what we think others see or know. And we begin to believe it ourselves. I’m reminded today that you know everything. And we could be indicted on every account. So we come back to Grace, the very thing that Christ came to give. Thank you for that act of benevolence. Amen.

Psalm 45 – Sustainability

I had a great conversation yesterday with Dave Ferguson, Pastor of Community Christian Church in Chicago. It’s a large church with 10 campuses. Dave’s an awesome guy and has a heart for church planting. Since Austin New Church has officially entered the journey of helping plant churches (not just be a church plant ourselves), we were talking about the sustainability of some of the modern church planting movements. And he asked me the question, “What do you mean by sustainable?”

Great question. Initially I thought, well, sustainable is when a church can survive on it’s own without outside support. But then my mind flooded with all the things that should be sustainable that are much more important than even financial feasibility. Is our vision sustainable? Are our values sustainable? Our hope is to create a reproducible model, but while it may reproduce, will it sustain? Do our goals have an inherent reality of sustainability? Are our intentional relationships based on a sustainable foundation or do they end after an event is over? The list continues.

The reality is, the only things that are sustainable are the things of God. And today’s scripture struck a chord with me. Psalm 45 is a wedding song. It’s laced with the imagery of Christ as the coming groom and the church as His bride. As the psalmist begins his description of the groom he writes,

“You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever. Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds.” - Psalm 45:2-4

Christ, and all He represents, is eternal. Verse four tells us that it is in truth, humility, and righteousness that He rides forth victoriously and that in his right hand He displays awesome deeds. Verse two says that His anointing mark is grace. It is in His grace that all things sustain. It is in His grace that we find eternity. It is in His grace that we will find purpose beyond our plans.

I’ve had an interesting day already. After leaving an early morning meeting with a group of men from my neighborhood, I sensed the urge to pull over into the parking lot of a traditional Baptist church that I know has seen some recent ups and downs. I sat in their courtyard for a while and just prayed for them. During that time, God convicted me that while I knew all the church planters in the area, I didn’t even know the name of the Pastor who led that church.

As I sat there reading Psalm 45, a wedding song for the Bride of Christ, He reminded me that His purposes are far greater and more sustainable than my plans could ever be. He reminded me that whatever I do as a leader, it needed to include sustainability for HIS church, and never be about “my” church.

It doesn’t take much to make the jump and apply these truths to our personal lives as well. Whether it’s in our family or our career (hopefully both) there are sustainable pursuits and those that are fleeting. Somewhere in there we’ll find contributing factors to the difference between what our reputations are and what our legacy becomes.

Father, your Son taught us to pray for your Kingdom to come and your will to be done. May we see your Kingdom break through in our churches, our lives, our families, and in our priorities. We know this will happen when we submit our will to yours. Give us the desire, the wisdom, the hope, the courage, and the will that it will take. Amen.

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” - Psalm 51:12


“Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.” - Psalm 119:116


“Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me.” - Psalm 119:175

“The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.” - Psalm 147:6


“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” -Isaiah 46:4


“The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.” -Isaiah 50:4


Esther 10 – Hero

Chapter ten caught me off guard today. At first with how short it was. Then second in how inappropriate it seemed that the closing chapter doesn’t even mention the true hero of the story – Esther. But then I thought, wow, who was the one who offered wisdom and great counsel to Esther? Who was the one who raised her as his own child? And who was the one who stood against Haman knowing the inherent harm that would come with it? It was Mordecai. There was more than one hero in this story.

“Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.” – Esther 10:3

This book was not named Mordecai. Yet his effort and faithfulness was not only noticed, it was credited. We like getting credit. Our nature is to desire our name to be on the title line. Especially when we do something notable. Yet that rarely happens. There is always someone doing more, a seemingly greater task, a more noteworthy effort, and on a larger scale. That can easily become discouraging. But I’m reminded today that while some of the greatest things we do, we may do in secret and may remain unnoticed, that there is a King far greater than Xerxes who is most certainly taking note.

Our greatest battle may be to realign our pursuits to please only the King. Not ourselves. Not our contemporaries. Not our adversaries. But God alone. And trust that all else will fall in line. We don't have the ability to do this on our own. It is only possible through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Just one more reason to abide in Christ.

God, give us this passion. Amen

Esther 9 – Influence

This is quite a remarkable story of influence. Influence is defined as being, “The capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.” Esther, had influence. And at the right time, with the right words, in the right way, she used her influence. The result? She was given more favor and even more influence:

“The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa… Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted." – Esther 9:12

Each of us has influence, some more than others, but none-the-less, we all influence someone. Whether it’s a sibling, spouse, or child, eyes are watching us. That seems obvious to most. What I find as ironic is that the more authority we have, the less we may understand the impact of our influence on others.

In the definition of influence, we see it as being the power to be a compelling force on the obvious: the actions and behaviors, but also the not so obvious: opinions, belief, etc…

We can easily… how should I put it… “Drink the cool aid”. What I mean by that is that we are easily swayed on our opinions by those we look up to. Not just our actions, our literal opinions. That can be dangerous. Especially when they are human, just like us, and are not always right. Many white-collar crimes are committed because of the lacking moral compass and influence of those in charge. Much racism, biasness, and bigotry is passed on from generation to generation, even among “God-fearing” Christians.

So if someone is always listening and following our lead, we should be careful in choosing our words. We should take note of how much we throw our opinion around as if it is fact. When we want others to believe in us and follow us, we can often make generalizations that are damaging and come with limited perspective. We easily forget how we impact not only the actions, but also the opinion of those we influence.

Here is an example: My kid’s elementary school did a mock election around the recent presidential election. In order for them to learn from it, there was much discussion on the issues. My kids don’t know how I voted, but we discussed at length what was great about both candidates. Sydney (my 8 year old) really grabbed on to the fact that Obama could possibly be the first African-American president. Just the idea of that, shortly after learning all about Martin Luther King, captivated her. She also liked the idea that Obama seemed to talk often about helping the poor.

There were days she would come home from school crying. Literally crying because other kids were picking on her for her political beliefs. Seriously? Listen, my 8 year old doesn’t quite have the capacity to understand fully the politics that go into a presidency, yet when another kid is yelling out the window of the bus, “Get off my bus, I hate you, you like Obama!” something is wrong. Listen, kids will be kids. I know that, but for a kid that age to have such aggression towards someone on the other side of a political issue, influence has turned into brainwashing. This gives us just a glimpse to how much influence we really have.

So whether we’re a parent struggling to lead, a CEO of a major company, manager of a carwash, or find our selves as a Pastor of a church, how do we make sure our motives, our actions, and our ways are right? Well, for today’s purposes, and if we were to just look at the example of Esther, We would see at least three major concepts that we… honestly… often neglect:

o She came on behalf of others not herself. (always)
o She waited on God’s timing. (always)
o She listened to Godly counsel. (always)
o She was humble even in success. (always)

Translated: More of God and others, and less of us. It’s a simple thought, but profoundly indicting. As a leader, especially a church leader, I hope and pray that this is always my posture. But I know it won’t be. I’m constantly amazed by how much my flesh can get in the way (you’d think it’d be easier). So I pray I can see when it’s not, confess it, repent, and grow from it.

God, as we lead, whoever we lead, help us to lead in your ways. Help us to love you and love others with all we’ve got. Help us to see the benefit of that posture. Help us to see through our own selfish ambition and biasness to see only your truth. Help us to pass it along as we lead. And help us to identify when it is and when it’s not there when we follow. Give us courage and wisdom when it’s not. Make us better leaders, followers, parents, husbands and wives. Make us better people, God. Make us better Christ-followers. Amen.

Esther 3 – Awful Action

Sometimes we don’t see the awfulness of our own ways. Such was the case with King Xerxes’ decree to kill all the Jews. Even if Haman was on the up-and-up it was an awful thing to do just at the word of another.

“Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and little children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.” – Esther 3:13-14

It’s hard for me to even comprehend the making of such a decree. While certainly it was another time, a barbaric one for sure, my mind simply cannot absorb such destruction. But it can absorb a lesson or two.

When our actions involve our authority over other people, it’s almost impossible for us to understand the impact it may have on that person. We can easily move on with our regular lives thinking all is well. The old saying “Out of sight. Out of mind.” certainly can ring true, at least for us. All the while leaving others more devastated than we ever imagined.

Not too long ago I went through a season of conviction in areas of my neglect of others. Mostly related to my leadership deficiencies and how I handled tough decisions with those under my authority. I'm not proud of it, but what I realized is that I failed to carry the burden that was due in understanding the gravity of the situation for the other person. And while the “what” may have been right, the “how” often fell short. The reality is that not dealing with the “messiness” of leadership is easier, especially when the “what” seems right. When we can justify our end actions we can easily reason away any means.

So I made some phone calls and had some conversations to try and make right what I felt I had done wrong. And here’s what I found: the wound of neglect was far greater than I imagined. And the apologies came with great victory… for both of us.

So the lessons for me are these:

• Whenever we see something in scripture that seems so terrible that we can’t relate with it, look deeper into the root of that action, and see if there’s something we can relate to.

• While to us the end (the what) might seem justified, make sure the means (the how) is justified as well. “Way” is God’s expertise.

• Just because we’ve moved on, doesn’t mean we’ve moved forward.

• It’s never too late to try and turn a “done wrong” into a “done right”. It might not be received, but an honest attempt is a Christ-like effort.

Psalm 25 – Fear of Failure

There is a big difference between fear of failure and fear of the Lord. The problem is, most of us don’t see the difference in ourselves. Especially when we’re pursuing success. Yet, it simply changes everything.

“Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.” – Psalm 25:12

The significance of this statement is the promise of instruction for those who fear God, not who fear failure (or even the lack of success) itself. Instead, it’s a promise for those who know and trust the power and ways of God, who fear being out of His will, who fear losing His favor or leading. These come with two different starting points. It comes with two different motives and two different trajectories that will lead us in two different directions. These differences determine our journey.

The problem might be in how we evaluate success in the first place. Our nature is to allow the ends to determine our means. Do we really measure success the way God measures success? That’s a deep rooted and loaded question. There are many layers that have to be peeled away in order to find the truth. And probably only God knows where we stand.

I was having this exact discussion this week with a friend when he said “I’d rather fail than succeed if it meant I had to do it with my own strength rather than God’s leading.”

Sadly enough, I used to perceive a statement like that to be lazy or an obvious excuse for a recent or impending failure. And it may be for some. But for others, it’s really a powerful statement of faith. And I’ve found that when they mean it, they really mean it. (They also seem to be the guys who have peace in their lives…hmmmmmm) According to Psalm 25, if we believe and live by this fear of God, “like an archer shoots an arrow”, He truly will instruct us on our journey.

And any success will be His success. Anything else, will not be credited as success (nor righteousness). Do we believe that? I wonder how offensive it is to God when we claim to be men and women of faith yet fail to live and lead anything close to this way.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24

Nehemiah 13 – Ownership

It’s never really sunk in for me the significance that after the wall was finished, Nehemiah left Jerusalem to regain his post with King Artaxerxes. I knew he left, but hadn’t realized that he left without expectation to return and be in charge. That would be hard. To work so hard, oversee such a massive project, then leave it. Much less to leave it and hear of it’s fading back into the dark.

Our nature is to invest of ourselves in something and automatically feel like that effort gives us right of ownership. This is a real problem for those of us in Christian leadership. But Nehemiah knew that the wall project was not about, nor was it for him, it was about and for God.

“Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.” – Nehemiah 13:14

His leaving does not lesson his significance or the importance of his leadership role. Nehemiah still had a responsibility to speak into the path the people had taken. And he called out on God to protect his leadership investment.

We cannot control others. We can speak truth to them. We can set the example. But we cannot determine their steps. What we can do is ask God to bless our efforts based on our faithfulness. If our hearts are in the right place, if we look at God’s work as God’s work and not ours, Nehemiah shows us that this is a fair request.

Four times Nehemiah requests that God remembers his faithfulness. And in his final statement he asks God to not only remember, but to “remember him with favor.”

The amazing thing about our God is that not only does He allow us to ask him to remember our faithfulness, in the same prayer, He gives us the right to ask him to remember our trespasses no more. That’s humbling. Thank you Lord.

Nehemiah 7 - Succession

Here's a leadership thought from a friend of mine on Nehemiah 7.

"I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do." Nehemiah 7:2

Nehemiah was not in this for political or personal fame and glory. He could have stayed on and I am sure that the people would have elected him their ruler. However, the task was done and it was time to move on.

Leaving a job you have poured your heart and soul into is difficult. Yet, we always should spend time in our current role planning to leave. We need to know at any moment the person (s) that will take over, whether they are ready and what they have left to learn to be effective. We have to rest knowing the next person will do it a different way and if the succession is successful, people will forget the original leader and in fact find faults with the way we lead as change occurs.

Nehemiah gives us two great models of people to pick; Getting it Done and Doing it Right. He picks his bother who set the entire chain of events in motion – Nehemiah 1:2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. And he selects a man with integrity and the fear of God within him.

Then when it is time the leader should bless the team and leave as we will see in Nehemiah 8.

Nehemiah 4 – Rally Point

In 1998 I went through the Primary Leadership and Development Course (PLDC) at the NCO Academy. It’s a two-week course required for all Non-Commissioned Officers. While the first week of leadership training was primarily academic, the second was held “in the field”, and consisted of a number of mission type scenarios. That week was one of the first opportunities we had to put into practice some of the critical elements we learned at Basic Combat Training.

It was there that I first realized the value of a “rally point”. When on a mission, if a platoon gets separated, their goal is to reassemble at a designated point along the way. It’s a critical part of the default game plan. There’s no personal “Rambo” mission that anyone goes on. There are no decisions to be made in a moment of isolation, fear, or desperation. You simply do whatever you have to do to get to the rally point. And from that place together, you’ll act. It’s amazing how comforting it is to know that if everything goes crazy, you know exactly what to do and where to go.

“Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!" – Nehemiah 4:19-20

This has so many applications in life. Whether it’s about focus, mission, or recovery, it’s always about doing so together and in a certain way (“Way” is God’s expertise by the way). It’s about (1) the power of community in mission and recovery, (2) the responsibility of the leader to make sure everyone knows the “standard operating procedures” and rally points, (3) the responsibility of the individual to get to that place of refuge when they hear the trumpet sound, and (4) the role of the informed to help the uninformed, confused, or possibly wounded.

Much can be done from this place. So the question is, what’s your trumpet sound and where’s your rally point?

“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.” – Isaiah 11:10

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:25

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” – 2 Samuel 2:31

Psalm 12 - Success

I had a great conversation with two contemporaries (and friends) today; one is a church planter here in Austin, the other the founder of a non-profit focusing on the fight to help end local poverty. Our conversation somehow made it to a discussion about how as believers we should measure success, and how when measured properly, is often accompanied with a peace that might not typically make sense.

While obviously, we should measure success by the standards in which we think God measures success, our nature is to measure it by the things that typically bring us honor in the minds of our contemporaries. Wanting to be honored among men is an amazingly powerful temptation and thus shape a majority of our lives. Made me think how important it is that we choose wisely those we allow to influence our pursuits. It also made this final thought from Psalm 12 come alive for me today:

“The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.” – Psalm 12:8

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.

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 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 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 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.