The Door of our Ears 

Mark 4:23-24 “If any man have ears to hear,  let him hear.

                       And He said unto them,   Take heed what ye hear.   With what measure ye mete (give out),  it shall be meted unto you;   And unto you that hear  shall more be given.”

Has the door of our ears been opened?  Do we take heed to what we hear?

Let’s be honest.  We hear a lot that,  as my Mother used to say,  goes in one ear and out the other. 

We hear it.  We could probably repeat it,  if we had to.  But it makes no difference in our attitude.   Because they are just words…just noice that may or may not sound good to us.

Hearing ears come from the Lord.  He will give them to us,  if we want to hear Him.

Proverbs 20:12 “The hearing ear,  and the seeing eye,  the Lord hath made even both of them.”

These are ears which take in what is spoken, and apply them to “me”,  because we know the words come from God. 

Jesus goes on to describe the words which are “heard”, as seed:

Mark 4:26-29 “And He said,   So is the kingdom of God,  as if a man should cast seed into the ground;  

                          And should sleep,  and rise night and day,  and the seed should spring and grow up,  he knoweth not how.

                          For the earth bringeth forth of herself;  first the blade,  then the ear,  after that the full corn in the ear.

                           But when the fruit is brought forth,  immediately he putteth in the sickle,  because the harvest is come.”

Now these words have been planted,  through the open door of the ears,  into the heart.

This is a wonderful thing.  Because I have known people who remembered what they were taught as children in Sunday School,  about Jesus Christ,  and been born again;   or used those scriptures in the situations of life they were in now.

You see, it is the door of our ears being opened that let’s in the Word of God.  Once planted in the heart (it may take time),  it brings forth fruit unto eternal life.

How do we “open the door of our ears”?  We will to believe that His word,  is God speaking to me.

It makes a huge difference when we know the Lord wants to speak to me,  now, today….for today.

We “open” our ears, often for jokes, and songs, and other sounds (not that there is anything wrong with friends and family talking…I wish there was more of it.)

But we should be as willing to hear God speaking to us,  as to hear everyone else.

Mark 4:33 “And with many such parables spake He the word unto them,  as they were able to hear it.”

“As they were able to hear it.”      Multitudes came to hear Him (Mark. 4:1),  but did they really “hear” what He was saying?

Did they understand that He was presenting Himself and God’s word to them,  so that they would believe on Him, and have true life?

Not many;  but some came, did hear,  and followed Him.   

He always had those who left all and followed Him.

To those, He gives light (knowledge of what to do, and how);  and He gives grace (the unmerited favor of power or ability to do).

And that is why today,  He is still speaking His Word to all who will hear.

“If any man have ears to hear,  let him hear.”

Paul’s Conversion, and a Certain Disciple

(Conversion, here, means to spiritually change the direction of your life, by placing yourself on the foundation of Christ Jesus.)

To begin this, we must understand that Saul was a “up and coming” Pharisee. 

He was going to be somebody in the Jewish Religion!  

He was zealous concerning the Law;  “a Hebrew of the Hebrews”. (Philippians 3:5)

But things began to “change”, when he heard, and saw a follower of Jesus Christ, die a martyr’s death.   

For the man, Stephen,  asked God to forgive them; and Saul knew that this is how a true follower of God would act. (Saul was there as a representative of the Council who judged him. Acts 7:54-58)

But this “change” was not toward the Light he had seen,  but sent him fighting against it.  

Vicious was his attack on all, of this Way.

Acts 26:9-11 “I verily thought with myself,  that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

                        Which thing I also did in Jerusalem:  and many of the saints did I shut up in prison,  having received authority from the chief priests;  and when they were put to death,  I gave my voice against them. 

                         And I punished them in every synagogue,  and compelled them to blaspheme;  and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.”

And why was he “exceedingly mad against them”?   Because, as we shall see, God was pricking his heart; and telling him that “this Way” was the right way.  That Jesus Christ was indeed the Son of God.

But he refused to listen, or to bow to God’s Way.   Instead he would fight against it.   

By destroying Christ’s followers;  he would destroy this Way. (So he thought)

Acts 9:1-2 “And Saul yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,  went unto the high priest.

                    And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues,  that if he found any of this way,  whither they be men or women,  he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.”

So he is going to take his hatred of this Way to other cities; to Damascus.  He gathers men to come as escorts for the prisoners he will bring back.

Everything is proceeding according to his plan.

But he has a surprise in store;  for this is not according to God’s plan.

Acts 9:3 “And as he journeyed,  he came near Damascus:  and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.”

Almost to his journeys end, close to Damascus;   God shines a light down upon him that he can not ignore!

Acts 9:4-6 “And he fell to the earth,  and heard a voice saying unto him,  Saul, Saul,  Why persecutest thou Me?

                    And he said,  Who art thou Lord?   And the Lord said,  I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:  it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  

                     And he trembling and astonished said,  Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?   And the Lord said unto him,  Arise,  and go into the city,  and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

Here, Saul falls to the ground.   The Light is blinding, and he can not stand against it.  

He falls (finally in the right position before Jesus Christ),  and then he is spoken to:  Why are you persecuting Me, Saul?

(Notice that Jesus always identifies Himself with His people:  Their persecution is His, as well.)

Saul is quite shocked!    He thought he was just fighting against people;  Who was he fighting against?

The Lord Jesus Christ then tells him,  “It is I, you are trying to destroy.   And I am here to tell you,  you can not.    

I have been pricking your heart with the truth of Who I am for some time.  

You just keep kicking against it.  

Stop fighting My Way.   Stop fighting the Light I have given you.”

Saul, having heard Christ Jesus for himself,  gives himself over to Him:   “What would You have me to do?”

Yielding simple allegiance, and seeking to obey;  Saul gives up his life into the hands of Jesus Christ.

“I am Yours,  what do you want me to do?  Go on, or go back, or what?”

The Lord then calls him on to Damascus,  not as persecutor of His people,  but as brother to those of this Way.   

The rest would be “told” him,  when he got there.

Acts 9:8 “And Saul arose from the earth;  and when his eyes were opened,  he saw no man:  but they lead him by the hand,  and brought him into Damascus.”

Refusing to see the Light God first gave him,  Saul is now blinded for a time, by the Light he could not refuse to see.  They lead him to Damascus.

Saul is now fasting,  waiting to hear from the Lord the instruction he was promised.

And now to the “certain disciple”:

Acts 9:10-12 “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus,  named Ananias;  and to him said the Lord in a vision;  Ananias,  and he said,  Behold,  I am here, Lord.

                        And the Lord said unto him,  Arise,  and go into the street which is called Straight,  and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus:  for,  behold, he prayeth, 

                        And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in,  and putting his hand on him,  that he might receive his sight.”

Ananias spoke up; he did not say he would not go, for he had called Jesus, Lord.  (He is not Lord to you if you will not do what He says.)

But he prays a prayer that we all would be well to imitate, when we are afraid about doing God’s Will:

Ananias told God what he had heard about Saul,  the evil he had done in Jerusalem, and that he had come to do the same here in Damascus.  

In other words,  Ananias told God his fear, and ask what to do about it.

Now God knew this,  but as Ananias prayed this information to the Lord, peace came upon his heart.   A peace that passeth understanding.

Ananias was then ready to hear what Jesus said to him:  “Go”

Acts 9:15-16 “But the Lord said unto him,  Go thy way:  for he is a chosen vessel unto me,  to bear my name before the Gentiles,  and kings,  and the children of Israel:

                        For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

And so Ananias, went; doing exactly what Jesus had commanded him to do for Saul.  

Praying for him to receive his sight, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. (And because he went and prayed for Saul;  every reward Saul (His name was later changed to Paul) will receive from the Lord,  Ananias will receive a part, too.)

And what did Saul do?

Acts 9:19-20,22 “…Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at  Damascus.

And straightway preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

And Saul increased the more in strength,  and confounded the Jews which were at Damascus,  proving that this is very Christ.”

Acts 26:19-20 “Whereupon,  O king Agrippa,  I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision:  

                           But showed first unto them of Damascus,  and at Jerusalem,  and throughout all the coast of Judea,  and then to the Gentiles,  that they should repent and turn to God,  and do works meet for repentance.”

Saul continued on,  doing the Will of Christ Jesus, his Lord, through many afflictions, and persecutions of his own; till,  at the last he could say:

2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight,  I have finished my course,  I have kept the faith:”

Conversion meant for Saul that he spiritually changed the direction of his life by placing himself on the foundation of Jesus Christ, his Lord.

Have you been converted to Christ?

Have you seen God’s Provision for You?

A little background is needed:

The king of Syria warred against the king of Israel.  He would set up camp in places where the king of Israel would pass through.   In this way he thought to destroy him and take over Israel.

But God had a prophet in Israel, called Elisha.  He sent to the king of Israel a warning, many times, about such ambushes.

This frustrated the king of Syria, and at first he thought he was being betrayed by someone in his own court.

But a knowledgeable man in the king’s court told him:

2 Kings 6:12 “And one of his servants said,  None, my lord, O king:  but Elisha,  the prophet that is in Israel,  telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.”

So the king of Syria, a mighty warrior, with a mighty army; sought to lay hands on this man:  Elisha,  God’s prophet.

2 Kings 6:13-14 “And he said,   Go and spy where he is,  that I may send and fetch him.     And it was told him saying,   Behold, he is at Dothan.

                             Therefore sent he thither horses and chariots,  and a great host:  and they came by night,  and encompassed the city about.”

Now Elisha was just one man (though he had a servant with him);  so sending this large company to get him, seemed like over-kill.

But it was not just meant to take Elisha,  but also to scare him.   To put him in awe of the might and power of the king of Syria.

Fear comes when we feel that we can not deal with a situation,  ourselves. 

Or can not get the right help from others, and there is nothing we can do about what is going on. 

Then we become afraid.   

But surrounded by this great and mighty army,  Elisha was not  afraid (although his servant was terrified).

2 Kings 6:15 “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early,  and gone forth,  behold,  a host compassed  the city both with horses and chariots.  And his servant said unto him,  Alas,  my master!  How shall we do?”

The servant saw that they were surrounded;  this surely was something to be afraid of! 

Are not we often the same way?

But Elisha saw nothing to be afraid of;  for he saw the provision of God for them.

2 Kings 6:16 “And he (Elisha) answered,  Fear not:  for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”

They say:  Seeing is believing.    

For Elisha,  he already “saw” by faith that the Syrian army that was around the city,    was surrounded themselves,  by God’s army….His provision for them.

The Syrian army was in more trouble then they were!

But the servant of Elisha needed a little more “sight”.   He needed to get his eyes off the enemy, and onto the Lord’s army.

2 Kings 6:17   “Elisha prayed,  and said,  Lord I pray thee,  open his eyes,  that he may see.  And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man,  and he saw: and,  behold,  the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”

With that much help around them, they could have walked right through the army,  or had them destroyed.  (That is the way I would have thought about it.)

But God’s ways of dealing with people are different than ours.

God’s help “came down”.

2 Kings 6:18-19 “And when they came down to him,  Elisha prayed unto the Lord,  and said,   Smite this people, I pray thee,  with blindness.   

And He smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

                              And Elisha said unto them,  This is not the way,  neither is this the city,  follow me,  and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek.    But he led them to Samaria.”

Elisha, instead, prayed that the army of the Syrians would have a blindness.  A blindness to where they were.

Then he led them to the city of Samaria, where Israel’s king and army had them completely surrounded.  

2 Kings 6:20-21 “And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said,  Lord, opens the eyes of these men, that they may see.   

And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw;  and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

                             And the king of Israel said unto Elisha,  when he saw them,  My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?”

Elisha told him, no.  He told the king to feed them, and send them back to their king.  

2 Kings 6:22-23. “And he answered,   Thou shalt not smite them:  wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive  with thy sword and with thy bow?   Set bread and water before them,  that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

                                 …So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.“

This saved Israel;  for a while.

God’s provision for us is not always horses and chariots of fire.  

Most of the time, He provides natural ways of deliverance. 

But however He gives us His provision,  we need to “see” it, and use it.

Elisha prayed, and sight was given to his servant.

We need to pray and ask God to give us sight,  to see what He is, and will provide.

Are you in trouble?  In distress?  Or just afraid?

Look to Jesus, and seek His provision for you.  

Whether simple, natural help is sent.   Or heavenly help is sent.   He will be found of all those who seek Him.

His answers are there.  

The Fountain of Life 

Psalms 36:9 “For with Thee is the fountain of life.  In Thy light shall we see light.”

Have you drunk from the fountain of life?

If you have, then that living force ought to be within you a river of living water, springing up within you…giving grace and peace.

John 7:38-39 “He that believeth on Me,  as the scripture hath said,  out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

                           (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they which believe on Him should receive:…”

And when you get water flowing, what does it do?   

It keeps flowing, following a path of least resistance.

It will flow downhill and if it meets a rock in it’s path?   It just flows around it.

This is the way of Living water.

But what if there is a dam of some sort?

Then it builds up behind it, until it flows over it!

Living water can not be stagnant.  It will find a way over, under, or around….and sometimes through any obstacle it meets with.

But you say,  “I have drunk of this Living water,  but it seems to be flowing more slowly than before….I fear it will stop altogether.

I am not sure what has hindered my spiritual life:  my prayers seem harder, the joy I felt is gone, and my peace is shaken.  I do not know what is wrong.”

If this is your experience:  consider when you drank of this Living water last.

We usually find what we lost,  where we lost it.   

So with relationships….when was the last time you had fellowship with the Lord?

Are you neglecting His Word?

Ephesians 5:25-27 “….as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it;

                               That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,  that He might present it to Himself a glorious church,  not having spot,  or wrinkle,  or any such thing;  but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

What hinders the Holy Spirit within you?  

Have you been satisfied with something other than the Lord’s guidance?

Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns,  broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

Do you seem further away from Him?

Has your assurance and confidence in the Lord wavered?

Hebrews 10:22-23 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

                            Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;  (for He is faithful that promised;)”

Have we been true to the Lord Jesus, or has doubt come in?

Unbelief slows the progress of this Living water, by demanding that God “prove” Himself to us.

Hebrews 3:19 “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Matthew 13:54-58 “And when He was come unto his own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?  Is not this the carpenter’s son?…

                            And they were offended in Him…..

                           And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

[If you read it, they acknowledge all His mighty works, but because of who He was to them:  “the carpenter’s son”;  they refused to open their hearts to faith,  and missed the blessing He wanted them to have.]

I have asked all these questions, because sometimes it takes a question to jog our affection and thoughts toward the right direction. (How many times the Lord has spoken through devotions or a message to me this way!)

If we are missing the blessing of the “water” of the Holy Spirit, then we must seek His light to see where we stopped receiving it.  

Where we quenched the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) 

Perhaps where we stopped giving thanks. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Let us look at the second part of the beginning verse:

“In Thy light shall we see light.”

As we come to the light of Christ through His Word, and let Him show us where we have erred or turned aside;  then we have light in ourselves.

Ephesians 5:13-14 “But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:  for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

                                Wherefore he saith,  Awaketh thou that sleepest,  and arise from the dead,  and Christ shall give thee light.”

John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them,  saying,  I am the light of the world:  he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness,  but shall have the light of light of life.”

Go to the Light of the Lord, and let that light shine within you.   You want the Lord’s Will,  and He will show it to you…..for you.

John 3:21 “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light,  that his deeds may be made manifest,  that they are wrought in God.”

One of the last call’s in the Bible, is to all who will:

Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say,  Come.   And let him that heareth say,  Come.   And let him that is athirst come.   And whosoever will,  let him take the water of life freely.”

For with the Lord is the fountain of life, springing up into eternal life…that condition of life, now and for eternity…in you.

And in Lord’s Light…we will “see”,  discern the Lord’s Will, and get the power from the Holy Spirit to do it.

Empty your Hands

What is that in thine hand?

Have you ever considered what hinders you from doing the work the Lord wants you to do? 

Are you hanging on to something that you need to let go of?

Or are you hanging on to “the rod” ,  which will never be used for God,  till you give it to God?

Exodus 4:2 “And the Lord said unto him,  What is that in thine hand?  And he said,  A rod.”

Moses had been a prince of Egypt,  a defender of his brethren,  a fugitive, and a shepherd.  

But now he was called of God to go and bring out the Israelites from slavery, to take them to the promised land of Canaan.

But how was he going to do this?

The Lord first called him,  then showed him one of the means he was to use, to do the work….his shepherd’s rod.

Of course, this rod was not the only means,  Moses used to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt.

But it was in his hand at the time God called him. 

Exodus 4:3-5 “And he said,  Cast it on the ground.  And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent;  and Moses fled from before it.

                         And the Lord said unto Moses,  Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail.  And he put forth his hand, and caught it,  and it became a rod in his hand:

                          That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,  hath appeared into thee.”

God chose to sanctify the rod for His work:  so it was given to Moses for a means of deliverance for the children of Israel.

I remember how often, as a child, a older person would tell me to “empty my hands, so you can pick up that other thing.”

Here, the Lord is telling Moses that it is time to let go of the life he had in Midian, and to do the next work….His work of deliverance.

Now we can not fill our hands with God’s work, if we will not empty them of other things.

Exodus 4:21 “And the Lord said unto Moses,  When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh,  which I have put in thine hand:  but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.”

“Which I have put in thine hand.”  

Only the things God puts in our hands are for His work.

Sometimes they are for a specific work and then to be laid aside.    Sometimes they are for our whole life work.

The means are all at God’s disposal,  not ours.

Our job is to empty our hands, and fill them with what He puts there.

One of the means we are always to use is His Word.   It is always right at hand, and it is for our instruction in righteousness.

2 Timothy 3:16-17. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Another means we are to use is grace.   Grace is the unmerited favor of power.  

(We think of grace as a New Testament word…but it was first used when God chose Noah to save those who would believe God from the flood to come.  Genesis 6:8)

Zechariah 4:7 “Who art thou,  O great mountain?  Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain:  and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof which shoutings,  crying,   Grace, Grace unto it.”

(Whatever “mountains” of difficulties are before us;  it is God’s grace that can overcome against them.)

Power for what we need in this circumstance.  Given by God at the time we need it, as we ask for it. (Hebrews 4:16).  Grace can be strength,  courage,  words,  and /or  whatever we need at the time.

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace  abound toward you;  that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things,  may abound to every good work:”

Faith is another means we have.  Faith is given to us at new birth; and increased as we follow after Christ in believing obedience.    It is to be used:  (“I believe, help my unbelief”. Mark 9:23-24).

The means for God’s Work, are God’s.   

Our job is to empty our hands, and fill them with what He puts there.

The Creator/creature Relationship. 

Psalm 139:1-3 “O Lord, Thou hast searched me,  and known me.    Thou knowest my downsittings,  and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.

                            Thou compassest my path and my lying down,  and art acquainted with all my ways.”

Here, the All Powerful and All Seeing God is seen,  in a personal sense.

You know me:  how I am, how I act, what I think, and the way I like to go.

You know me when I have my fits against Your Providence.    You see when I rebel, and seek my ways.   You see my imaginations.

Psalm 139:5 “Thou hast beset me behind and before,  and laid Thine hand upon me.”

The psalmist sees that God has “hedged him in”, so that he knows he is bare before a Holy God!   

That all his plans, and schemes are all known to God.

And in what way do we react to this revelation of God, to our soul?

As we often do, the psalmist runs…just as hard and fast as he can.   But….he finds he can not outrun God.

Psalm 139:7, 11 “Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit?  Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?

                          If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.”

Psalm 139:10 “Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.”

He ran, but he found…as we often have,  that we can not run from God.   We can not escape the Holy Spirit’s conviction,  or the fact that God is everywhere.

All circumstances are made by God;  we can try a “climate change”, but God can make every climate as “hot” or as “cold”, as where we were before.

[A climate change is where you find yourself in trouble.  You “know” that if circumstances were different, you would not have trouble.  If you worked with different people, had a better house, had better neighbors, etc.   But when you move, you find that the circumstances are different….but you are the same;  so the results are the same.]

The right hand of God is the hand of power.   The psalmist here acknowledges that God rules, even in the midst of His enemies:  He draws to Himself, or pokes, or prods, and moves….till we are willing.

Psalm 110:2-3 “The Lord shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion:  rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies.

                            Thy people will be willing in the day of Thy power,…”

When we begin to will, to yield as creature before the Creator,  we can see ourselves as formed according to His plan.

Psalm 139:13, 16-17 “For Thou hast possessed my reins (our internal moral compass);  Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

                             Thine eyes did see my substance,  yet being unperfect;  and in Thy book all my members were written,  which in continuance were fashioned,  when as yet there was none of them.

                              How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me,  O God!  How great is the sum of them!”

You have possessed;  or they are Yours by Your creation,  and make them Yours by redemption.

We are a masterwork:  one thing formed upon another, each in it’s place.  

His eyes were upon us then.

His plan and power was there for me….that plan and power I have been fighting against.

How precious are Your thoughts of me!  “O God!” or as in the Hebrew,  “O Master”.

Here is where we begin to bow before God, the Creator;  as God, our Lord and Master.

I am finally awakened to Your Purpose:  and here, I join with You to fulfill the purpose You have for me.

For now we know the way of Victory:  It is in seeking to the Lord’s Way.

For as He sought me for my good,  so He will continue to do so.

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me,  O God,  and know my heart:  try me,  and know my thoughts:  

                        And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

(This “lead” suggests all that God does:  bestow, govern, guide.)

To the psalmist (and it can be to us) Creator God has become the One help and Refuge of his soul:  for he sees Him as He is…..and not as he feared He was.

Distressed and Alone

I am going to speak of a time in David’s life that was extremely hard for him.   

It was not that he had not been by himself before, keeping his father’s sheep.  

David was one, in a family of eleven brothers.

After fighting Goliath, he was the darling of the whole nation.  

He had the king’s son as his best friend, and married Saul’s daughter; both who were sympathetic to him, but refused his company when he ran….for in the time I am speaking of,  he was running from Saul the king. 

He was on his own.   He could not go home, for fear of putting them in danger, no friends were with him, at this time.  He was alone.

An outcast,  by no fault of his own;   but because Saul was jealous

I want to explain that when we have gotten into this place: we are not in our right mind…no I do not mean crazy…I mean that the depressed state of our minds gives us ideas, which are often injurious to ourselves and sometimes to others.

He first thinks to get something to defend himself (often our first thought). So he goes to get a sword…Goliath’s sword.  

1 Samuel 21:9 “And the priest said,  The sword of Goliath the Philistine,  whom thou slewest  in the valley of Elah,  behold,  it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod:  it thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here.

And David said,  There is none like that;  give it me.”

It was held in the Tabernacle, and in getting it,  he caused the priests to get in trouble with Saul; and to be killed. (1 Samuel 21:7, 22:11-23)

1 Samuel 21:10 “And David arose,  and fled that day for fear of Saul,  and went to Achish the king of Gath.”

Then David “thinks”to go down to the Philistines!  

David had killed their champion,  and now he wants to hide out there?!  Is that right?!

Thankfully, he hears them talking about him, and realizes his danger….

1 Samuel 21:13 “And he changed his behavior before them,  and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate,  and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.”

That tricks them, and he gets away.   How gracious our God is!

1 Samuel 22:1 “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam:…”

Psalm 142:1-3 “I cried unto the Lord with my voice;  with my voice unto the Lord did I make supplication.

                            I poured out my complaint before Him;  I showed before Him my trouble.

                            When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,  then Thou knewest my path.  In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.”

David ran to a cave he knew…and hid.

Like David, we often aggravate our trouble by talking to ourselves about it.  Trying to figure out a solution…and with ourselves as our councilor,  we can lead ourselves astray.

But when David gets to the cave;  he “cries”….the emphasis on the voice twice suggests this was out loud in the cave…but this time, to the Lord.

Psalms 142:4 “I looked on my right hand, and behold,  but there was no man that would know me:  refuge failed me;  know man cared for my soul.”

Jonathan, his best friend,  encouraged him….but refused to join in his trouble. (1 Samuel 20:42)

His wife, helped him escape a murder-plot against him,  but refused to join him;  and ended up blaming David, to escape her being in trouble.(1 Samuel 19:17)

(There was a time in my life, when I was surrounded by family;  I was working, so I got up every morning,  went to bed every night.  But…I was “distressed and  alone”.

I was saved…a Christian.  But I had allowed a grievance to come between me and the Lord.

This was not the usual feeling….no,  it was hard to keep going.  I felt an emptiness I could not explain.  I was alone in a way I had never felt before.

Yes, the Lord got me out of it….but in this time no one was my companion,  no one understood.

It is hard, even now, to explain the emptiness I felt.  The Lord had not left me,  yet His sensible presence I had felt since I was born again,  was not there.

The days seemed, at the same time, to be exceedingly long; and yet to be here and gone.

I was helped out of it, by the Lord sending His Word to me, through a message preached.  It was on the disciples in the storm in the Sea of Galilee.  The words were, “Jesus had not said, “Go out in the middle of the lake and drown.

No, He had said,  “Let us cross over.”  

Wow!  It was like the clouds had dispersed, and the sun came out.  I saw….both my self-pity,  and the Lord’s mercy.  And I knew He would not let me “drown”, but was calling me to “cross over” this.    

What a wonderful Lord we have.)

Psalms 142:5 “I cried unto Thee, O Lord;  I said,  Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

                        Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble,  by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

A sword is a good thing;  and friends are valuable….but David saw (and we, too, should see this) that God was his need, and his supply.

Psalm 142:7 “Bring my soul out of prison,  that I may praise Thy name:…”

By the end of his psalm (and how long he prayed or stayed alone, it does not say) he was encouraged by the Lord.  

David stops asking…and expresses his confidence in the Lord’s goodness toward him.

Psalm 142:7 “…the righteous shall compass me about;  for Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.”

Abundant grace was what he was asking for; and what he got.

1 Samuel 22:1-2 “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam:  and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it,  they went down thither to him.

                              And everyone that was in distress,  and everyone that was in debt,  and everyone that was discontented,  gathered themselves unto him;  and he became a captain over them:  and there were with him about four hundred men.”

There were a few years ahead where he was an outcast;  but God would bring him to the throne of Israel, as He had anointed him to be.

God is the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)

John 14:16-18 “And I will pray the Father,  and He will give you another Comforter,  that He may abide with you forever.

                           Even the Spirit of Truth;  Whom the world cannot receive,  because it receiveth Him not, neither knoweth Him:  but ye know Him;  for He dwelleth with you,  and shall be in you.

                           I will not leave you comfortless:  I will come unto you.”

Paul wrote of a time:

2 Corinthians 7:5-6 “For, when we were come into Macedonia,  our flesh had no rest,  but we were troubled on every side;  without were fightings,  within were fears.

                             Nevertheless God that comforteth those that are cast down,  comforteth us by the coming of Titus;”

Comfort means “to call near”, to give solace: joy instead of loneliness, and peace instead of distress.

This He wants, and will give to all of us.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 “Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself,  and God, even our Father,  which hath loved us,  and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 

                                 Comfort your hearts,  and stablish you in every good word and work.”

The Heart’s longing after the Lord, Himself 

Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the Lord,  that will I seek after,  that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,  and behold the beauty of the Lord,  and to inquire in His temple.”

David was called the man after God’s heart, for his love to Him.  Despite David’s many failures,  some terrible,  David always returned to God.

Notice the action of this verse:   

“One thing have I desired of the Lord”;  this is of the heart.  He wanted it so much that he asked the Lord for it.

But he did not just ask.   He said, “I will seek after.”

He put his actions with his heart, and did everything he could to “dwell” with God.

That is what it means by “I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life”.     He did not want to lose his fellowship with God.  Or the joy of His presence with him.

Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

We praise God for the mercies we receive,  the grace given.

But how much do we love Him?

Love is willed.   Emotions come and go.

But love will last,  or will not.   If you “give up” on love,  you are willing to end it.

If you will to;  you may keep loving.

David said, he would keep loving and seeking after the Lord;  for the Lord was beautiful in all His glorious character:

The Lord is merciful,  for He had heard David’s prayer, when he was under a sky as a shepherd, or fighting the Lord’s battles,  or in the palace. 

(The Lord hears our prayers, too.)

The Lord is powerful, for the Lord strengthened David against a bear, a lion, Goliath, king Saul, and the many enemies he came against.

(The Lord strengthens us by the many graces He gives us, in all our circumstances.)

The Lord is present, always.  In help, and in correction.  The Lord did not forsake David when he sinned;  but brought him back in love.

(He has promised that He will never leave us.  Hebrews 13:5)

We can deny ourselves and do our duty, as Christians, because we know we have to.

Or for a benefit;  perhaps the Lord will answer my prayer and give me what I want,   if I do what He wants.

But love to God, sees things differently.

The Lord always blesses obedience.  But He loves to be sought after;  and gives double blessings to those whose obedience is in love.

“I will seek after” is the loving heart’s response to the Lord, Himself.

Psalm 63:8 “My soul followeth hard after Thee:  Thy right hand upholdeth me.”

With the Lord, there is always an answer to our love.  

He will show more of Himself to all those who want to have it.

I will follow Thee,  but….

Luke 9:61 “And another also said,   Lord, I will follow Thee;  but let me first go and bid them farewell which are at home at my house.”

How many times has this happened to us?  The Lord has spoken to us through His Word, a Message,  or our devotions….and we say, “yes, that’s what I need to do.  Thank you, Lord, for showing me this.”

We mean to see to this thing,  but first we have to do this,  or that,  or something….and before you know it;  the Word has been laid aside or buried.

There is always something else first.   Something that must be done before we can follow the Lord, into the next experience.

The story line here is interesting, because Jesus is calling men to discipleship.

(discipleship means to come under the discipline of someone or some philosophy.  It means to follow it and be molded by it.   Of course for us Christians, this someone is Christ Jesus.  We come and follow Him; letting Him mold us.)

Luke 9:57-58 “And it came to pass,  that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto Him,  Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.

                      And Jesus said unto him,   Foxes have holes,  and birds of the air have nests,  but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head.”

Jesus is setting forth very clearly that if they followed Him, there would be hardship. Was He worth it?

He also set forth that discipleship means full surrender to Him.

There can be no conditions:  not even going home to say goodbye.

He must be first.  Any consideration that places Him in second place,  is wrong.

Luke 9:59-60 “And He said to another,  Follow Me.   But he said,  Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 

                          Jesus said unto him,  Let the dead bury their dead:  but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.”

It was not a funeral, this young man was asking to see to;  but as a son, he was asking to be excused from following Jesus until his father was dead, and buried.

To a Jew, this would be a hard saying.   Honor Me…you have called Me Lord…above your father.

Which is more important?  

That you go and do what others can do for your father?

Or that, by the preaching of My kingdom, true life would be given to the people you would preach to?

“But go thou and preach the kingdom of God.”    If you read into the next chapter:

Luke 10:1 “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also,  and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come.”

Jesus was about to expand His ministry into every city in Judea and Galilee.   He wanted disciples that would preach the kingdom of God to them….to prepare them for His Word to these people and places…when He would come there.

He called this man to be part of this work…would he?

Luke 9:61-62 “And another also said,  I will follow Thee;  but let me first go and bid them farewell,  which are at home at my house.

                         And Jesus said unto him,   No man having put his hand to the plow,  and looking back,  is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Again,  any condition or reservation to obey Jesus’ call to follow Him…or which places Jesus second in our lives, is wrong.

And must be dealt with, before we can go on with Him.

(We think,  “Before I answer You, Lord, I must study more,  or I must be more spiritual.”

“No”, Jesus says,   “Just follow Me, and I will tell you what to do, and give you the grace to do.”

Sometimes our reservation is:  “If You will let me do this, or have this;  I will do what You require.”

“No conditions;  just follow Me”, is what He says.)

This “looking back” isn’t the wave of goodbye;  but the longing look to be back where we were.

If you read further into the next chapter, it tells, when the seventy which followed Jesus into the work, returned:

Luke 10:17 “And the seventy returned again with joy,  saying,  Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name.”

Pretty exciting….

But Jesus points them to the real value of following Him:

Luke 10:20 “Notwithstanding,  in this rejoice not,  that the spirits are subject unto you;  but rather rejoice,  because your names are written in heaven.”

How practical our God is!  

We get caught up into so many “things”.   But He cuts right through them, and gives us the meaning of true life.

He cautions all who will come after Him that there will be difficulties.  he never sugar-coats anything.

1 Peter 4:13-14 “But rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed,  ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

                            If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you:  on there part He is evil spoken of,  but on your part He is glorified.”

He calls those who will come, to tell of His Word and kingdom.

(1 Thessalonians 2:12) “That ye would walk worth of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory.”  “Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season…” (2 Timothy 4:2)

He tells all who would “look back”, that He will not take second place. 

Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith:  but if any man draw back,  my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

2 Timothy 1:7-8 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear,  but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

                             Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,  nor of me his prisoner:  but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.”

The Lord has everything we need to walk the way He will lead us.  He is still calling disciples to follow Him.

Will we follow Him?

Will we follow Him, now?

Isaiah 35:8 “And a highway shall be there,  and a way,  and it shall be called The way of holiness;  the unclean shall not pass over it;  but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.” (Page)

Could this be any plainer?  “The wayfaring men”…those just passing by, not thinking of staying;  

“though fools”…if they are not instructed in God, or His Word…..yet, they shall not err therein…because this way is clearly seen.

The Lord makes His gospel the same way.  Plain enough, so that those who want to know His Way,  can.

And He sends His preachers and teachers to awaken, to His way.

Luke 3:4-6 “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,  saying,   The voice of one crying in the wilderness,  Prepare ye the way of the Lord,  make His paths straight.

                       Every valley shall be filled,  and every mountain and hill shall be brought low,  and the crooked shall be made straight,  and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

                       And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

This was John the Baptist’s ministry….to make a way for the Lord Jesus.  To prepare the hearts of the people, so they could hear what Jesus was saying.

You see when the Holy Spirit comes within the heart of every believer, He begins to put our lives in order.   His due order.  That is “make His paths straight”.

He begins with light.  All things are manifested in the light, so the Holy Spirit begins by enlightening us, to what we are in ourselves….and what we have in Christ. (Ephesians 1:17-19 “…the eyes of your understanding being enlightened;  that ye may know…”)

Then He begins to mold and shape us:  here is where the highway begins…for when a regular highway is built…it is built up out of the fields and waterways,  so that it is easily seen.    So it can be taken to the destination.

The Holy Spirit fills in the low places in our lives: 

Are we lonely?  Are we depressed?

Are we overcome with the cares of our lives?  

Do we blame God?

These are “low” thoughts of God,  and the Holy Spirit comes, and deals with the reasons for them, within us….giving peace and guidance in their place.

Psalm 40:2-3 “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit,  out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a Rock, and established my goings.

                           And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:  many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord”

Hebrews 10:22-23 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,  and our bodies washed with pure water.

                                    Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised;”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;  and lean unto thy own understanding.

                              In all thy ways acknowledge Him,  and He shall direct thy paths.”

The Holy Spirit shows us “every mountain and hill” to  be “brought low.”

These are the high places of pride.   

These can be mountain-like for some;  or hill-like in others.  But we all have pride, for it is a sin we inherited from Adam. 

(Remember Eve was tempted to sin so they could “ be like God”.  [Genesis 3:5-7]

One of the sins which Adam got when he rebelled against God, was pride.

He immediately tried to “cloth” himself.  Shame for being naked, caused him to rebel even more, and look for that which would cover him before God.

This is pride, for pride is presumption….thinking we can do for ourselves, without God.  He couldn’t, so he tried to hide, instead.]

God refuses the proud:

Luke 1:51-52 “He hath showed strength with His arm;  He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

                          He hath put down the mighty from their seats,  and exalted them of low degree.”

James 4:6 “But He giveth more grace.  Wherefore HE saith,  God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

But God is near those who know they need Him, and come to Him:

Isaiah 57:15 “For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,  Whose name is Holy,   I dwell in the high and holy place,  with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,  to revive the spirit of the humble,  and to revive of the heart of the contrite ones.”

The “crooked ways” shall be straightened out:

Titus 3:1-2, 8 “But put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.  

                          To speak evil of no man, be no brawlers but gentle,  showing all meekness unto all men.

                           This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.  These things are good and profitable to all men.”

And the “rough ways” shall be made smooth:  

2 Timothy 1:6-7 “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance,  that thou stir up the gift of God,  which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

                               For God hath not given us the spirit of fear,  but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith,  lay hold on eternal life,  whereunto thou art called,  and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

I believe that every Christian,  like John the Baptist is called to “Prepare the way for the Lord”.    

Not in the wilderness of Judea;  but in there own lives,  in their own set of circumstances; that others may see clearly “the Way” to Christ Jesus. 

[Whether to be saved or to be restored to Christ]

Isaiah 35:8 “And a highway shall be there,  and a way,  and it shall be called The way of holiness;  the unclean shall not pass over it;  but it shall be for those:  the wayfaring man,  though fools,  shall not err therein.”

We are to manifest the highway we have taken,  and as much as we can,  lead others to Christ Jesus our Lord, too.