When we see someone hurting, we should be a friend who uplifts them.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Friend, are you in the wilderness, knowing not which way to turn or walk? Are you in a season where there is a trail of tears behind you. It may be that you are there because of your own doing and choices you have made. Very possible. Will you have faith enough to say with David, “whatever comes, I will trust the Lord. I desire and long for his favor, but I will submit to his discipline as well, for whatever comes my way as His child, it is ultimately good.” And on that trail, when prayers are made as you walk up the mountain, you can trust that God’s answer is already walking up the other side to meet you. You may not be walking through a trail of tears of your own this morning. But what we have seen in these events are people who are willing to walk with David in his grief. Ittai, Zadock, Abiathar, and now Hushai. Friends who stick closer than a brother. Friends who are willing to lay down their lives, their time. Friends who are willing to walk the dusty trail, so that it won’t be a trail of loneliness. Are you that friend today? Are you willing to hold up the weak arms of another, and help straighten the collapsing knees? Or will you sit on the sidelines as the caravan of hurt passes by?

Sometimes we expect a supernatural answer to prayer, but God works in routine providence.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   God’s Providence—-Read the text 15:32-37 You have to see this picture in your mind. We are told in 2 Samuel 15:30 that while David was traveling to the top of the Mount of Olive, he was told of Ahithophel. And while traveling to the top, he prayed that guttural prayer “please turnt he counsels of Ahithophel into foolishness”. And then we read in verse 32, “While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, a man by the name of Hushai showed up! Hushai was sharing in the distress of David, robe torn, dirt on his head as symbols of being in mourning. And here is the answer to David’s prayer from verse 31. Notice that David says, “…you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.” This is absolutely God’s providence on display for all of us to see and take hope in. While David was taking one strained step after another, trying to make it to the summit, carrying his broken heart, tears in his eyes and this prayer on his lips, while all of that was going on and David reaches the summit, the designated place of worship, Hushai is pushing through the crowd to get to David. My friends, see in this passage, that when you think all is lost, when confusion has set in, don’t ever forget that God is moving in the crowds, God hears your prayers, and He has already put the answer to your prayers in motion. This is the providence of God. Now, the answer to the prayer, especially for us, may be difficult to discern, because I think we are always thinking in terms of the unexpected, supernatural, when many times, the answer to the prayer is in the routine providences of God. We just have to have the spiritual insight and discernment to recognize what is going on.

Even as we make plans and follow God, we can be stricken with grief.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   In 2 Samuel 15:24-29 David sends Abiathar and Zadok back into Jerusalem, not in resignation, but in a strategic move. David is setting up spies in the camp of Absalom. But then we read that David is still in grief. This still hurts. He is still broken over His sin, perhaps, with Bathsheba and Uriah. He is hurting because his own son is causing chaos within David’s kingdom. He is hurting. And in the midst of that pain, he receives the news that Ahithophel has betrayed him. We already knew that from last week, but now, David finds out. One more blow to the soul. One more person betraying him. We can hear David’s hurt in Psalm 41—“Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” He writes in Psalm 55 “my companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.” David knows heartache and pain. And then, with a faint breath and exhausted soul, David prays, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” And this is where the Trail of Tears meets the Providence of God.

While we are yielded and submissive to God’s will, that does not mean we should be passive.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   How do you submit to God’s plan in the midst of suffering? But how do we do that? I think a large part of the answer is believing what God has promised. God had said that he had forgiven David. God had promised to extend David’s lineage forever. And it seems that David was resting in those promises. In fact, we see David resting in those promises in Psalm 3. “You are a shield about me; you are my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried to the LORD and he answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept! I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me.” God has made promises to us. That Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are enough to satisfy the wrath of God against us; it is enough to pay off our debt of sin; it is enough to secure our righteousness and eternity forever. His ascension back to heaven came with the promise of the sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell us, to comfort us, to embolden us, to be our wisdom, our strength, our hope, our life. So we rest in those promises, which leads us to being yielded to God’s will. If the Spirit of God is indwelling us for those purposes, then do you not think that the Holy Spirit will be yielded to His Father’s will? But yieldedness and submission does not mean passiveness in our lives. Resting in the promises of God does not mean retiring from the work of God. Resting in the promises of God is oftentimes full of action.

Christians should know how God has gifted us so we can use those gifts to our best ability.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!

God is able to shape the things we deal with, even the attacks of evil, for good.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   In the midst of tidal waves of pain, when you are under the heavy hand of God’s discipline, when sorrows like sea billows roll, you can and should still submit to His plans for you.“ But Clif, WHY should I do that? HOW do I do that?” Why? We should submit to the will of God in the midst of pain, be it miracle to come or martyrdom ahead, because our LORD, the risen Christ, has conquered the believer’s sin, has paid the ultimate price, and has won forgiveness for His people. And everything, absolutely everything after that is for the believer’s good. God says that HE works all things for our good, to those who are called according to His purpose. All Things, includes all things. All things covers cancer and crashes, hurts and heartbreaks, times of discipline, times of drought, times of abundance. All things for good! The eternity is set for the believer. The rest of life is spent being shaped and carved into the image of Christ. Sometimes that shaping comes in the form of soft realignment of your desires. Sometimes that shaping is the cold edge of a knife cutting away at you, and at times it may seem senseless. Sometimes it is evil itself pounding on you, and yet God is able to shape the blows that come upon us by other’s sinfulness and use it to His glory and our good. That is why we should submit to God’s will, even in the midst of pain, or confusion.

Regardless of our circumstances, we should submit ourselves to God’s will and plan.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   King David in the first stanza in Psalm 3 gave expression to the great crisis we find him in in 2 Samuel 15. His enemies have risen up against him. “O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me? Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him’” (vv. 1-2). I am not sure we understand how life-shaking a statement like that is, which is coming from thousands of people—“God will not save you!” I have had just one person say to me that I preach a false gospel, and it unnerves you! It keeps you up at night. It upsets you. It makes you question everything. And that was just one person. I can’t imagine what it might do to me if thousands of men are saying that about me. Men I know. Men I have led. Men who were my friends. And now men who say, “God has abandoned him. God will not deliver him. God will not save him.” This is the atmosphere of David’s life at this time. And it is this aspect that makes the passage before us so inspiring…helpful…encouraging…challenging. We catch up with David in 2 Samuel 15: 24, having passed over the Kidron brook, headed toward the wilderness. It wouldn’t be the first time the people of God had been in the wilderness. The wilderness represents times of trial and testing. It is the place of discipline. The wilderness is not pleasant. Nothing comes easy in the wilderness. Survival is day by day. And many of you HAVE BEEN there? Many of you ARE there? OR will SOON be there. Wilderness experiences in our day do not usually include traipsing around the desert all alone with the wild animals. I suppose it could include that, but that is not the normal wilderness. Today’s wilderness experience could be lonesomeness brought on by your sin, relational burdens, physical hardships, emotional struggles, financial uncertainties, spiritual letdowns. And those burdens press hard upon you. Your flesh cries out for some type of relief, and yet we are often times forced to wait…wait…wait upon God. So David is heading out to the wilderness, and he notices that two priests, Zadock and Abiathar, and the Levites had come to the edge of the city with the ark of the covenant. They were expressing their loyalty to David. David had always been loyal to the priests of Israel, and now they wanted to show their loyalty back to him by bringing the ark of God to be with David. It was a visual symbol for all of Israel to see and understand that, in fact, God had not abandoned David. God was on David’s side. These men wanted to honor David, encourage David. Show their support of David. And this is what is so special about David’s words in this scene. He will not use the ark like it was used by Hophni and Phineas, as a token, as a good luck charm. As Dale Ralph Davis wrote, “David is not so much interested in Yahweh’s furniture, as much as he is in Yahweh’s favor.” Appearances will not suffice, only grace or discipline. David submits himself to God’s will and plan, come what may. If it be His grace and favor to bring him back to Jerusalem as the king over Israel, so be it and bless him for it. If it be more discipline or death, so be it and bless him for it.

Everyone needs friends who will believe in them and support them.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Over the next few chapters we will read of David’s encounters with individuals, as he flees away from Jerusalem, and then as he returns to Jerusalem, and it seems that the author is highlighting the faith of David through these encounters with individuals. The first encounter involves this man named Ittai, who was not a Jew, but rather from Gath, a Philistine. He was in that company of men who had seen the bravery, the boldness, the wisdom of David that we read about towards the end of 1 Samuel, and decides to join David’s forces because he believes in David. So as the household of David is marching past, David sees Ittai, and suggests that he turn around and join forces with Absalom. It may be that David questions the loyalty of Ittai, a philistine. Or it may be that David is testing the loyalty of Ittai. Or even, it may be that David is being gracious to Ittai, telling him that he doesn’t need to get mixed up, so soon, in David’s affairs. And in response, we hear this Ruth-like answer “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, where my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” Ittai, with all his men, and all his children and his men’s children, has pledged his life to David! Why do we have this little episode? I can’t help but think that we are to see that sometimes our greatest encouragement comes from unexpected people. Absalom, the King’s son, has rebelled against him. Ahithophel, the great counselor of David, has abandoned him. Many men of Israel have been led astray by Absalom. But Ittai, a foreigner, has pledged his life to King David. I can’t imagine what this might have done to bolster David’s faith. We all need friends who believe in us, don’t we? And sometimes the most loyal of friends come at the most unexpected time, and do not look like we might have imagined.

God does for us, to us, and in us what we cannot do for ourselves.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3 Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” 4 Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” It seems that every man that Absalom met in 2 Samuel 15-2-6 way was always innocent, always in the right. Funny how that was the case, huh? If a person was traveling through for other reasons, and they recognized Absalom as the king’s son and wanted to honor Absalom in some way, Absalom would first grab the man’s hand with a hearty handshake and pull him in close and kiss him. Today this might come in the form of a big bear hug and lap on the back. “No need for the formalities, my man! I am just good ole Abs!” You see what is happening here don’t you? These are political moves. This is the equivalent of a presidential candidate taking off his coat, loosening his tie, rolling up his sleeves so that he appears to be in touch and relatable with the working man. This is the equivalent of that great line by President Bill Clinton, “I feel your pain.” And as such, the text says that Absalom “stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” We can read that phrase in such a way that we misunderstand it. When we hear that phrase, we may associate with it some type of affection or endearment, i.e. when a guy sweeps a girl off of her feet. We think of it as a type of metaphor. But the phrase is meant to be understood a little bit more literally.The text means that Absalom duped the men of Israel. When it says that he stole their hearts, it means that he was a thief and he deceived them. And we see that not only did Absalom steal away the hearts of the men of Israel, but he also stole away one of David’s most trusted advisors—Ahithophel. The passage ends with “And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.” What are we to make of all this? Well, in one sense, we knew this was coming. God said, “I will raise up evil against you out of your own house.” This is the fall out upon David for his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah that God promised. “I will raise up evil.” So in one sense, it is the discipline of God. But in another sense, this is evil. Absalom is rebelling against God’s king and kingdom. Absalom’s attitude and his acts are wicked. He has no regard for God at all, or God’s anointed King, or God’s people. This can be a tough knot to untangle, can’t it? It can be a mystery to us. Did God cause Absalom to be this way in order to fulfill his word against David? How could you hold Absalom ultimately responsible in this situation if God had said, “I will raise up evil against you, David.” Absalom was acting in accordance with his nature. His nature was sinful, and his sinful nature pulled him along the path of rebellion. There was not a moment when Absalom said, “God is forcing me to do something I don’t want to do!” No, these were the free choices of a man with a sinful nature. And it happened accordingly to God’s ordaining wisdom and power. But that brings up another question, doesn’t it? Who can possibly be saved if man’s nature is broken and bent towards sinfulness? If the desires are always twisted and sick, how could we ever have righteous desires in receiving Jesus and following Jesus? Well, we cannot. And this is what makes this gospel message so incredible. God does for us and to us and in us what we cannot do for ourselves, and He does it in a way that is does no violence to our wills. He opens our eyes to see the reality and awfulness of our sin. He opens our hearts to see the sacrifice of Jesus on the believer’s behalf as a gift of grace. He gives us a new heart so that we can respond in repentance and faith to His call to be saved and redeemed by Jesus.

Churches should seek to provide creative outlets for the use of those God has gifted with creativity.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!

Jesus is a leader who is not only wise, but also loving and compassionate.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   As we think about David, and even as we glance into the future at Solomon, we are left longing for someone who can fight our battles, like David does, but also someone who can rule with wisdom like Solomon did from time to time. And we are left in our angst until Jesus comes along, who claims a devotion, and authority and power greater than David had, and says that wisdom greater than Solomon’s was present in Jesus Himself. Those are all words and big talk, but does he really deliver, and not just every now and then, but always? Yes, Jesus does that very thing! In facing temptation, He overcomes, proving His absolute devotion to God and His word. In taking on death, He proves his power and authority by coming back from the dead. In teaching, he proves his wisdom as greater than Solomon’s. So much so that Paul says that it is in Christ that all the treasures of wisdom are stored. Friends, what we are learning in this text is that we all need and desire a leader, a King. And we can search the world high and low and find some good men who have some good qualities, but they, like David, will fail. They will grow tired. They will get worn down. They will give in to temptation. They will indulge their own fleshly appetites at times. They will give way to passivity and worldly wisdom, which brings with, sometimes sudden destruction, but inevitably an erosion of what is true and good and beautiful. You can’t be that king. You can’t be that king for yourself; you can’t be that king for your family; you can’t be that king for this church. We need a greater One, a better One, a perfect One, a wise One, a devoted One! And you know what is great about this ONE. He restored the relationship between you and Himself, but not because He was tricked or coerced. Restoration is brought to us because of His LOVE for his people. HE grants full restoration. He doesn’t bring you close just to keep you away from him. He doesn’t bring you close to Him just to keep you at arm’s length. He fully restores, brings you into his own house, as it were. Come to Him Today! Trust Him Today! He is the Only One who can save you, who can lead you in righteousness, who can restore you, who can heal you! He is the only one who can take a stony, vengeful, angry Absalom heart and melt it down and give you a new heart, new life. There will be no cold, distant embrace and kiss of formality. There will be a party, a celebration, the running of a Father to embrace his long lost son. So come to Him today! His heart has not stopped going out for you. He is calling you, commanding you to repent and come to his throne like a beggar.

We often focus too much on appearance rather than spiritual health.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   You may wonder why we are given 2 Samuel 14: 25-27. What do we care about Absalom’s hair? Well, we should care, not so much about his hair, but in how Absalom is described. So before us we have a description of physical appearance, of which we have already been warned that God looks on the heart. Only those untrained in godliness would follow someone for being handsome and be seduced by him. By following this type of leader, they blind themselves to the Lord’s ways and will. But don’t be arrogant about this in condemning the people. We would have fallen for his great looks and put-together family. The text tells us that there was no blemish in his appearance, but remember, appearance is just that. Our concern shouldn’t be an unblemished appearance, but a clean heart. And what we read is that he is handsome—a man with no blemish. His hair was the envy of men and women because it was so lush and thick and flowing. And so in love with himself that the text tells us that he weighed his own hair. Who does that? Surely there is some type of cultural explanation here? Well, the cultural explanation is that in that time period, the biblical reasons for cutting of the hair and making a fuss about it was to end a nazarite vow or to enter a stage of ceremonial cleanness. So, once again, we have before us a man who is handsome, but has no Biblical sense about him. And this plays out for us in the rest of the chapter. He proves himself rash, conniving. And the only relationship with David is one of formality. BODY IMAGE ISSUES VERSUS GODLINESS ISSUES Americans spend billions of dollars in the beauty industry, men and women. And it is no longer the beauty industry, but now also the body altering/modification industry. Enhance this, tuck this, shape this, lose this, add this, color this, shrink this, enlarge this. Think about what we are teaching our young people with all of this. We are teaching them that they are not adequate how God has made them. Think about what are teaching the young men to look for in a wife, and what we are teaching the young women what they must be and look like in order to be a “catch.” It’s as if we are chasing and clamoring for this very description that is given of Absalom; it’s as if this is our greatest goal, our greatest pursuit, that when they write our story they would say—“From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him.” Derek Thomas tells about the story he read in Reader’s Digest about the farmer who put out an ad for a wife. “Seeking a wife. Age 35. Must have tractor. Send picture of tractor.” Completely different standard, right. That’s not bad advice for young men and women. “Seeking a spouse. Must have bible. Send pic of Bible.” Let me see if it is used, worn, or do the pages still stick together between those minor prophets. There is a difference between appearance and health, and we focus way too much time on appearance. Well, what we are witnessing is the unraveling of a family, and as a result, the nation is left vulnerable and divided.

Leaders must surround themselves with followers who will speak the truth.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Here in 2 Samuel 14, David is duped by a well-dramatized woman. We are told that Joab employed a “wise” woman from Tekoa. This word “wise” is the same word used in chapter 13 to describe Jonadab as “crafty.” And it is not hard to see that Joab is employing the same cunning as did Nathan when Nathan confronted David’s sin against Bathsheba, Uriah, and Israel, which invites us to compare these two confrontations. When Nathan confronts David, Nathan is sent by God, and the goal is repentance and forgiveness. But when this actress weaves her tale in front of David, she is sent by Joab, who has put words in her mouth in order to change the course of things. What is left unsaid are the intentions and motivations of Joab. Nathan tells a story that so enrages David that he thinks it is real. The woman pretends to tell a true story that David eventually sniffs out as the ploy of Joab. Nathan’s story paralleled David’s offense. But the woman’s story did not parallel David’s current situation. It is obvious she is trying to make a comparison, but in her story, it is not murder but rather manslaughter that is the offense. And probably most telling, in Nathan’s confrontation, David’s conscience is pricked and set against his feelings. But in the woman’s story, it is the appeal to David’s feelings as a father that are set against his conscience being captive to God’s word. In Nathan’s story, Nathan uses bold truth to confront David saying, “You have despised the word of the LORD,”, but in the scene before us today, the woman uses flattery, saying two different times, “You are like an angel of God to discern good and evil, and you have the wisdom to know all things that are on the earth.” Proverbs 29:5 “A man who flatters his neighbor sets a net for his feet.” No one is speaking truth to David in these days, and David is not inquiring of the Lord. Nine times we read of David inquiring of the Lord in 1-2 Samuel. But he hasn’t done so anywhere in these episodes that we are aware of, and he won’t do it again until chapter 21. No one is around David at this point, at least from our vantage point, who is willing to confront David’s passiveness and adherence to the worldly craftiness and flattery that is around him. No one is near him to point out his missteps. As a leader, you must surround yourself with people who will speak truth to you, and do so, not only for your sake, but for the sake of those whom you are leading. Men, husbands, fathers, with whom are you surrounding yourselves? Are they speaking biblical truth to you? Are you speaking biblical truth to them? Or are the words you are bouncing back and forth to one another simply the latest jargon of the day—“It is what it is.” Ladies, wives, moms, do you lead with the sword of the Spirit readily accessible on your tongue, or is your counsel filled with, “In my experience,” or “What I think is..” Im not sure anyone needs to care about what you think or what your experience is. What they need is God’s guidance and wisdom, and how that has played out in your life, what happens when you wander from it, and what happens when you adhere to it.

A recap of the chapters of 2 Samuel Clif has discussed so far.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   We are in the middle of our study through the book known as Samuel, and we find ourselves in 2 Samuel 14 this morning. For somewhat of a broad overview, the whole story of Samuel begins in the time of the judges, when everyone did what was right in their own eyes, and there was no king in Israel, no true national leader to protect the people or point them to the living God. The priestly system was mostly corrupt and the worship was less than stellar. God brings to the nation of Israel the man Samuel who restores the word of God to a better place among the people. They listen to him, but they also see that his time was limited, and since they didn’t trust his sons too much, they begged him that they could have a king like the other nations had. This request made Samuel very angry and very disappointed. God had been leading quite well, why in the world would they not trust him further. But God instructs Samuel to allow them to choose for themselves a king. And they choose Saul, a man who was muy guapo. In fact, the text tells us in 1 Samuel 9 that there was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he, AND he stood head and shoulders above the people. But it didn’t take long to figure out that good looks and height do not a king make. Saul was not the right type of king. He would not listen to God, but instead acted according to his own ways. As such, God promised that he would rip the kingdom, in due time, from Saul. While that was going on, we watched the rise of another young man, who wasn’t tall or carrying an impressive king resume. The young man was a shepherd, but he loved the Lord and was quick to respond to the Lord’s leading. And it would be this young boy, young David, who would eventually become the King over Israel. And 1 Samuel is the account of this fall of Saul and rise of David. So 2 Samuel begins with David’s taking over the throne of all of Israel, gaining the trust and acclaim of the people. And when the dust settle on David’s military battles, David decides that he wants to honor God by building God a permanent temple, a forever resting place. But God would have none of it, and instead, God promises to build David an everlasting dynasty, house, lineage, kingdom. And this is what is known as the Davidic Covenant. So David is riding the wave of the promise of an eternal kingdom. How could things go wrong at this point? God has poured out blessing upon blessing on David. Who in their right mind would name the sermon series over these events, “When Misery Meets Mercy”? THere is no misery to be found. That is until we reach 2 Samuel 11, the infamous account of David and Bathsheba. Misery knocked on the heart of David, disguised as entitlement. David’s adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Bathsheba’s husband set us on the course of events that we find ourselves encountered with today in the text. Since the affair with David and Bathsheba, Bathsheba had given birth to a boy, and Nathan the prophet confronted David, with the result of David confessing and repenting of his sin, being forgiven, but having to deal with the consequences of his sin, and that being losing that baby boy, and also the ongoing turmoil that will ravage his family. Chapter 13 begins with Absalom and his sister and half-brother. It is important to note that the chapter begins with Absalom, even though he plays a minor role in the events of chapter 13. It begins with Absalom because even though he is a minor player in chapter 13, he is a major player in chapters 13-18. So Absalom’s step brother, Amnon, has fallen in love with Absalom’s full sister, Tamar. Or rather, Amnon is being driven mad by lust, by wanting someone who shows no interest in him. This leads Amnon to rape and then hate Tamar, leaving her destitute. Once Absalom hears about this, he goes to Tamar and hides her away, leaving no way for Amnon to repent and restore the relationship, and leaving no room for King David to require recompense from Amnon. Instead, Absalom seethes and strategizes, waiting for the perfect opportunity to take vengeance into his own hands. Two years after the events of Amnon and Tamar, Absalom plans a party, invites Amnon, with whom he has never let on that he is boiling with hatred towards him, and then commands his servants to murder Amnon. As a result, Absalom goes on the run, and hides away at his grandfather’s (his mother’s father) house.

Clif and Johnny discuss pieces of music that inspired Johnny.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!

Having Jesus as the center and focus of our destination makes the journey worth it.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~ The incarnation of Jesus, coming into the world, is what made the journey worth it for the wise men. Can you imagine? After all that travel, the restless nights hoping the star would still be there the next day to guide them; the uncertainty of what is going to happen to them once they entered Jerusalem, the star finally stops and hovers over a humble home. As they enter the room their eyes land on a bushy haired boy, who doesn’t look any different than any other boy they have seen. But they do know he is different. He is the king of the Jews. They approach him with gifts in hand. Hugs given to Mary. Handshakes and slight bow to Joseph. And as they bring the wooden door to a close behind them and walk slowly towards their camels, tears stroll down their faces. They look up into the night sky, and whisper a prayer of praise to God—“Thank you. The journey was worth it.” Having Jesus at the center and focus and destination of your journey makes the journey that you are on, no matter how difficult, it makes the journey worth it.

Jesus invites the poor and needy to come to Him, so there is room for everyone.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all people.” Luke 2:10 This baby is the good news of great joy for the shepherds. The shepherds were no one’s top choice for anything, except to be exiled into the fields. They were not being invited over to anyone’s home for dinner. And yet, God chose to break through the night into their reality, and deliver a message that was FOR THEM! Good news FOR THEM. The message they were used to receiving were likely messages of rejection. But on that night, radiant angels beaming with the very glory of God, invited them into the earthly throne room to see THE Savior, The Messiah, The Lord. And when they carefully traversed their way into the city, to the inn, to the stable, they were welcomed by Joseph and Mary to gaze upon the One who is the Savior, for despised and rejected men like them. And we must, we must remember that in order to have this Savior, we must recognize that we are the poor and needy, we are the outcast, who has been invited into His Kingdom. And unless we come in that manner, humbled that the highest prize of heaven would reach down into our dark and pitiful lives, then we will not see Him as Savior and Lord, and we will not follow in the steps of the shepherds, returning to our lives glorifying and praising God for all that has been told to us. Knowing that Jesus invites in the poor and needy assures us that there is always an invitation for us, and when we come, we realize that in Christ we have all the wealth we need.

When we are saved, we become the light of the world.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~ Bearing this baby, born king of the Jews, was worth every slanderous word hurled at Mary. “Vow-breaker” “Unfaithful” “How could you do that to Joseph?” “Jezebel” There is no telling what all Mary had to endure. We know that for a while she escaped to Elizabeth’s home. But we also know that at some point she came back home because we are told she travelled with Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. On top of the normal trials and struggles of being pregnant with child, did she question God’s plan? Did she ask for a way out? Did she think she was going crazy? Think of all the questions running through her mind! Should a stronger woman be doing this? A wiser one? An older one? Mary reminds us that bearing suffering, whether it be physical, relational, mental, because of your relationship to Jesus, is a burden worth carrying, for the sake of Jesus, and the eternal reward of His presence. Luke tells us that after the shepherds told her all that had happened to him, that Mary treasured those words, pondering them in her heart. Those words mean that while everyone else was talking about what the shepherds had told them and marveling over them, Mary was doing something different. She was preserving those words, keeping them from fading away, treasuring them. But also “pondering” them. It means she was putting the words together, letting those words from the shepherds talk to one another. In other words, she was putting the pieces together. “Oh I remember now, the prophet told us that messiah would be born in the Bethlehem, the City of David. That is why the census really took place. He is going to be a savior for all people. That is why the prophet told us the messiah would be a light for the Gentiles.” And on and on, she thought and pondered. And she realized, perhaps, that she was the fulfillment of the virgin prophecy in Isaiah 7. Yes, bearing the burden of suffering, for the sake of Jesus, would be, IS still, worth it. And so we light the Christ Candle. The LIGHT of his life is our light. His life is our destination. Being present with Him forever is worth the journey. HE invites people like you and me to Himself to be saved, to be rescued, to be redeemed, to be brought into His fellowship. And He alone makes every heartache, every tear that falls, worth it. How can I say all that? I can say it with confidence because we know that in the gazing upon the baby, each of these groups of people (Wise men, shepherds, Mary) saw much more than just a cozy baby with heart-warming smile. They knew him to be the Savior. They may not have known in that moment, but time would reveal to us that the way Jesus shows Himself to be the savior of all different types of people, the way God can bring peace to those with whom he is pleased, is by what Jesus does with His life. God the Son who came to earth in the flesh would go to the cross to shoulder God the Father’s fury. Fury that is for shepherds who deserve to be cast out. Fury for young girls who have been rebels against God’s word instead of servants; fury for men who went the opposite that creation points them towards. Fury for people like m, and like you. Jesus, in his pure flesh, became the substitute sacrifice for all these types of people. You see, the manger is just the beginning of his humility. The cross is the ultimate banner of His humility. That dark Bethlehem night was visited with a ray of light in the birth of Jesus. But in His resurrection, the light of His life burst forth against all darkness, declaring a loud and thunderous victory over the darkness of sin and death. It is not just the recognition of these realities that brings salvation. It is the simplicity of humble faith in these realities that brings salvation from hell, redemption and restoration to God, and wholeness to your life. And we also must understand that when we are saved, we become light of the world. Salvation is a free gift of grace, but it doesn’t come without consequence. Salvation changes a person, completely, and continually. We are to spread the LIGHT, spread the message, because He is the Hope of a lost world. HE is the LIGHT in a dark world. There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

The birth of Jesus provided hope that things could change.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Advent is good for us because people are bad. The bright light of Christmas is glorious because hearts are lost in darkness. The prophet Isaiah would make this plain when he spoke the Lord’s judgment against Israel. The Lord brought a judgment as dark as the Hebrew people’s hearts, a darkness as gloomy as the night sky. The Lord provided them with peace, but they chose chaos. He brought them rivers of joy, but they chose rebellion. But when all hope appeared to be dashed, Isaiah brought a glimmer of hope, a ray of light. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shone.” For this light they waited…and waited. And so we light this candle this evening. It is the candle of Hope. And just like the Israelites waited for the Light to dawn, we too wait for this Light to return in full glory and splendor. It was their hope that once this light dawned, that everything would change, and the eyes of their hearts would be opened to see the Immanuel.

Absalom let his anger fester for two years while he plotted revenge on Amnon.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   In verse 28, the plot that has been cooking in Absalom’s mind comes out. He tells his servants, “When Amnon gets a little tipsy, kill him. He will never see it coming. And boys, don’t worry about a thing. I have commanded you to do this. I am taking responsibility. Be courageous and obey me.” Absalom’s speech makes it seem like his servants were a little hesitant. And we can certainly understand why. After all, Amnon is King David’s oldest son, the presumed heir to throne. To raise your hand against him would bring upon you a certain death sentence. So Absalom has to talk them into this. He has to assure them that he is the one taking full responsibility for this. And then we read verse 29—“So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom commanded. This whole scene gives us some more insight into the very first phrase we read in verse 23, doesn’t it. It wasn’t just two full years after the events of Amnon and Tamar. It was two full years of Amnon thinking he had gotten away with something. It was two full years of Absalom not letting on his anger and hatred of Amnon. It was two full years of a controlled hatred seething and growing. It was two full years of plotting and scheming on Absalom’s part.

Sometimes there are long periods of silence between sin and consequence.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   So then we come to our passage for study this morning, and it begins this way: “After two full years…” That is our setting of the scene for the next events about to transpire. It may not seem like much information, but let it sink in. There is something being communicated in that statement. The author doesn’t want us to think that the next events took place just a few days later. It was “two FULL years.” Two years after Amnon listened to Jonadab’s wicked, crafty scheme. Two years after David foolishly sent Tamar to Amnon’s house. Two years after Amnon lied in wait, feigning sickness. Two years after Tamar tended to Amnon. Two years after Amnon laid hold of Tamar’s arm and jerked her to his side. Two years after Tamar pleaded with him to stop. Two years after Tamar was kicked out of Amnon’s house like a piece of trash. Two years after Tamar ran away weeping and wailing Two years after Absalom took her in and told her to be quiet. But it wasn’t just two years after these events. It was two full years of Jonadab taking mental notes of the family dynamics. This is the setting as it is given to us. The Conflict, vss. 23-27 And then we are introduced to the conflict of this story. The time has come for a little sheep-shearing on Absalom’s farm and it is taking place near Ephraim, about 15 miles away from the capitol city of Jerusalem. So Absalom goes to his father, King David, wanting to make this a family affair. But we quickly discover that Absalom is really only interested in having Amnon there. After King David protests and says that it would be too costly for Absalom to host all the family, Absalom presses David to send Amnon. King David doesn’t really know why Amnon’s attendance is so important to this sheep-shearing party, but he finally concedes. But us readers, we have pick up on something, don’t we? We see the tension. Absalom has not been exactly friendly to Amnon, not overly harsh, but not exactly buddy-buddy either. We know something is cooking.

Christians can use music to recognize God’s beauty and share it with others.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!

When it seems God is silent, that is when He is shouting the loudest.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   SIAS: When it seems like God is silent, that is when He is shouting the loudest. What does any of that have to do with what we are studying in 2 Samuel? Let’s take a look. We are in chapter 13, and it is a most devastating chapter. It begins with David’s oldest son, Amnon, letting his lust run out of control to where he violates his own half sister, Tamar. And afterwards, being so full of his own lust, he completely his lust turns to hatred of Tamar, and he casts her out in such a way as to make everyone else think that he is the victim and she is the culprit, leaving her to live in shame. At the end of the story we read that Tamar’s brother takes her in, provides for her, and tells her to stay silent about the issue, causing her to live a desolate life in Absalom’s house. The story ends by saying that King David heard about all of this and it angered him, and that Absalom refused to speak to Amnon, his half-brother, neither good nor evil, letting Amnon believe that Absalom didn’t know about the events, or didn’t care about them.

When God remains silent in the face of sin, we should take notice.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Ronan Keiting wrote a song, made popular by Keith Whitley who sang it, called, “When You Say Nothing At All.” “It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart Without saying a word, you can light up the dark Try as I may, I can never explain What I hear when you don't say a thing The smile on your face lets me know that you need me There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall” That really is a beautiful song in a lot of ways. And I think that we could all identify with that. Actions speak louder than words, right? And we could say that God’s glory and goodness and power and holiness is communicated that way. In fact, that is what God himself tells us. Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God…there is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their measuring line goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” That means that all the earth hears the declaration of the stars and the moon and the galaxies. That is pretty loud, wouldn’t you say. But the truth of it is not just one-way. In other words, a person’s silence doesn’t always communicate love and tenderness and care. Sometimes silence communicates other feelings and emotions, like anger or wrath. When my wife gets silent, I know something is up. I know something needs to be addressed. Her silence is deafening. And God actually tells us this in His word as well—Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.” And the unrighteous have chosen to turn down the volume of God’s voice, and turn up the volume of their own truth, to which, it says in Romans 1 over and over again, “God gave them up…” In other words, He allowed them to keep their fingers in their ears, and dance to the music that was rattling around in their own head. He remained silent in one sense, allowing them to live in the consequences. But what we will learn is that in the silence, God is actually shouting. Come back in the days ahead to understand fully what I mean.

Clif and Johnny discuss Johnny’s music and inspiration.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!

God holds out an offer for forgiveness and reconciliation even to the most wicked.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   What is going on here? Why are we being fed this story? Remember, these are the ripple effects of David’s sin. And as we read, we throw up our hands…again…and say, Adam failed, Abraham failed, Jacob failed, Moses failed, Saul failed. And now David, the man after God’s own heart, is the next domino to fall. The kingdom of God, the people of God are not safe under the David’s rule, not even the King’s daughter is safe. Her own father chooses to remain passive, he takes no action against his oldest son. Perhaps he thinks he has no business doing so, since he himself committed adultery. Whatever the case, he fails. But there is a promise given in God’s word that the Lord’s anointed one would “bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the brokenhearted, comfort all who mourn, give a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit. Everlasting joy instead of shame.” And as we have already seen, God is faithful to His word. Jesus comes and bears our guilt, and shame, brings to us new life, free of shame. He holds out the offer of wholeness to a shattered heart, joy instead of sorrow, praise instead of distress. He holds out that promise to those as broken as Tamar, that sin will be paid for, either by His cross, or each man will bear himself the penalty and guilt of his own sin. Are you a Tamar this morning? You have felt the sting and destruction of abuse? You feel like your life has nothing more to offer? You feel like you are the outcast, been thrown out like trash? Know this—He gives beauty for ashes. He restores life. He can make your heart whole, because he offers not to clean up your life, but to give you new life in His eternal kingdom, where there will be no sin or humiliation or shame. And as much as we may not like it now, he holds out that offer to people as wicked as Amnon. For grace is greater than all our sin.

We should respond with indignation and action to sin, not by sweeping it under the rug.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   In those days the daughters of the king would wear certain garb designating them as unmarried, as virgins. And now that that status has been robbed of Tamar, she tears her clothes, signifying that virginity is no longer the case, and also signifying her state of grief. She puts ash on her head, and leaves the chambers of Amnon with her hands on her head, a symbol that incredible trouble has come upon her, and she is weeping, wailing as she leaves. She can no longer be offered a royal wedding. Her life has been upended. Her brother Absalom comes along, figures out what is going on, and asks her to keep silent about it, because, most likely, he is hatching a plan himself to kill Amnon so he can have the throne. He does what he can for her, giving her a home and protection. But the rest of her days are lived out in desolation, the joy in her life gone. And this is made only worse by the inactivity of her father. Angry he was, but did nothing about it. How do you respond to the unrighteousness around you? Do you attempt to silence it? Ignore it? Sweep it under the rug? Pretend it’s no big deal? As a man are you a source of refuge, justice, care, compassion, nobility for those who have had justice denied them?

When we give in to sin, we deafen our ears to God’s calls for repentance.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Upon Tamar’s pleading with Amnon not to do this vile act of abandoning his sister and leaving her destitute, we once again read, “But he, (Amnon,) would not listen to her.” And in further action, by calling in his servant and demanding that Tamar be kicked out and the door be bolted, Amnon was actually blaming Tamar for the incident. Some of you are deaf this morning, and will not listen to the calls laid upon you to repent of your sin. You blame everyone else for your sin. You hate everyone else for the guilt you know is yours. This is the main point of this passage—when you buy the lie of sin, when you give in, over and over to the deceitfulness of sin, you very well may be sacrificing the ability to hear the voice of God. You refuse to hear the voice of righteousness.

The church has the responsibility to protect its women and treat them with respect.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   After Amnon’s act of violation, the text tells us that he began to hate Tamar. Listen to the repetition in verse 15—“Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her.” How much did he hate her? He sought to blame her for the whole affair. He called in a servant and demanded that he kick Tamar out and lock the door so that she could not enter again. He was trying to arrange the scenario so that it looked like she was the guilty one of the reprehensible conduct, where in reality she had only acted in innocence and love. He calls upon his servant and literally says, “Put this out of my presence.” He has full blown objectified Tamar. She is no longer a woman, no longer a human. Just a piece of flesh for his own personal use to be disposed of. Tamar knew this was what he was attempting to do, and she pleads with him, “If you go through with this, this would be a greater pain against me than what you just did. You cannot do this!” Not a man, one, in this passage so far, has had one bit of care. We will see later that David is angered, but he does nothing. The man who was once skillful and a warrior, is turning into the shadow of the man he once was. He sends his daughter into the wolf's den, and does nothing to slay the wolf and protect the sheep. “There is so much, unseen or brushed under the rug when it comes to mistreating women. The world wants to say that they handle it, but then they abuse and objectify women in the worst of ways. There are so many hurting women who do not know where to turn for truth and healing because they have been overlooked, or sin against them has refused to be handled. Just another reason why men, especially men of the church, should understand the vulnerability of women and the role God has called them to. They need protectors. Defenders, from this type of nonsense.” (Kristi Johnson)

When artists create a work, they are attempting to evoke a response or feeling.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!