2 Samuel 16-4.14.22
Scripture
2 Samuel 16:5-13
Shimei Curses David
5 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimeih son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. 6 He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. 7 As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! 8 The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!”
9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.”
10 But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’ ”
11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”
13 So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt.
Observation
David is being cursed by Shimei because his family has been killed by David. David tells his men to not harm him. He says that if the Lord told him to curse him then leave him to curse him. David thinks that maybe God will see that he’s being wronged and that He will bless him.
Understanding
I love the way David responds. He could totally let his men handle this guy who’s not just hurling insults, but rocks as well. David trusts God so much that he leaves it in God’s hands. There are so many times that we try to fix things ourselves. We are worried about what others think about us that we forget that God is so much greater. He can and will work things out when we give it to Him. I love how David goes as far as to say that maybe God will even bless me for being wronged. It would be so hard for me to let that slide. I’d wanna do something about it. Or I’d wanna justify my actions. This is why I love David so much. He continually puts things back in God’s hands.
Life Application
Lord, I pray that I may be a man after your own heart. May I put my trust fully in your hands. May I let you fight my battles.
-Justin Eaves
Galatians 1-4.13.22
Scripture
Galatians 1: 23-24
23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they praised God because of me.
Observation-What does it say?
Paul speaks about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and who he used to be before God encountered him. Verse 13 says he “intensely” persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. In this chapter, Paul is speaking about both Jesus’ testimony and his own testimony. As a result, people praised God because of Paul!
Understanding-What does it mean?
A testimony is powerful!
Testimonies cannot be manufactured because it’s personal and authentic to us. It also doesn’t take a special skill or degree to share the Gospel or our testimony. As a result of Paul’s testimony, people praised God because a transformation like his could only happen by the power and grace of God.
Life Application
Share Jesus’s story and our testimony!
The Gospel message (aka Good News) is the story of our separation from a Holy and Just God because of our sin; why Jesus had to come and die to take the penalty (someone had to pay the price) and His resurrection that defeated death so that we could defeat sin, death and the grave too! Christ is the bridge between us and a Holy and Just God. Because of Jesus, we are able to have a personal relationship with God.
Our testimony is basically 3 parts: our story of who we used to be before Christ; our moment of salvation (when we accepted Jesus’ invitation from the heart) and who we became after-our transformed life.
Let our church help you with this! This Sunday (Easter) is the perfect opportunity for people to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and for them to also hear personal testimonies through baptisms.
Who is the Lord highlighting for us to invite this Sunday?
-Michelle Gaddi
2 Corinthians 13:5-4.12.22
Scripture
II Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Observation-What does it say?
Paul was concerned for the church in Corinth. He wrote to let them know that he was coming and would be dealing with some areas of sin. He urged them to examine themselves and make corrections on their own before he got there so he could lead through encouragement rather than discipline.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Is it time for a checkup?
Are you good about going for an annual, routine physical checkup? My last appointment was scheduled for March 2020 .... and as you can probably guess, that didn’t happen! Every couple of months I think, “I really should schedule an appointment.” There are a couple of reasons I haven’t done it yet: 1) It takes time, and 2) I’m avoiding the results (and lectures). I know I haven’t been making the healthiest food and exercise choices for a while. I keep thinking that if I get back on track before I go in, I will get better results.
The purpose of going for a yearly physical is to catch problems early, before they grow into big problems. We need to take the time for spiritual self-reflection for the same reason. To continue the analogy:
Physical checkup
-Family history/predisposition to certain disease
-Put it off until I make healthier choices
-What changes/disciplines will need to be made?
Spiritual checkup
-Predisposition toward certain sins
-Put off work God is calling me to until I’m “qualified”
-What changes/disciplines will need to be made?
Life Application
How long has it been since you had a spiritual checkup? In multiple places in the Bible, believers are urged to examine themselves/their hearts/their faith. How can we examine our faith? Here are some suggestions from the ESV Study Reformation Bible:
Such evidence would include trust in Christ (Heb. 3:6), obedience to God (Matt. 7:21), growth in holiness (Heb. 12:14; 1 John 3:3), the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23), love for other Christians (1 John 3:14), positive influence on others (Matt. 5:16), adhering to the apostolic teaching (1 John 4:2), and the testimony of the Holy Spirit within them (Rom. 8:15, 16).
I have identified that I need to spend more time in prayer. It’s not my go-to response and I know myself well enough to know that in order to make a change, I need to make a plan and set boundaries in place.
How about you - is it time for a checkup?
-Debbie Dunn