Title: Dueling Scriptures / Topic: Understanding the Bible

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21; Psalm 30; 1 Thessalonians 2

Scripture: 2 Samuel 24:1, 9, 24 vs. 1 Chronicles 21:1, 5, 25
2 Samuel 24
1 Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."...
9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand...
24 ...So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.

1 Chronicles 21
1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel...
5 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.
25 So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site.

Observation: This really bothers me. Why do the two accounts of the same events not agree? Below I will detail the three glaring discrepancies between the two versions in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21:
#1 Samuel says that the Lord incited David to take a census while Chronicles says that it was Satan. That's a serious discrepancy that I don't understand.
#2 Samuel lists the results of the census as 800,000 in Israel and 500,00 in Judah but Chronicles reports 630,000 (1,100,000 minus 470,000) in Israel and 470,000 in Judah.
#3 The Samuel passage sets the price David paid to Araunah at 50 shekels of silver while Chronicles lists it at 600 shekels of gold! Now that's a significant difference.

Application: There are things like this in the Bible that I come across from time to time. Like this one, I don't understand many of them. It makes no sense to me that these two accounts should differ as they do. But there are some strategies I use to deal with it that I would like to suggest to you.
First, I acknowledge that my knowledge and understanding is imperfect and so I admit that the problem may be with me. Maybe I'm just not looking at it right.
Second, I note that the differences are pretty much always insignificant. The story is substantively the same in both accounts. So that reinforces the truth of the word.
And third, I remember how much of the word I do understand and how it blesses me, changes me, helps me, comforts me, instructs me, and so forth. So I confess that I believe the Bible to be God's Holy Word even though I don't always fully understand every little bit of it.
Oh (and lastly), I ask God to enlighten my mind and inspire my heart so I may better understand what I read. Let's do that now.

Prayer: Lord, enlighten our minds and inspire our hearts to better understand Your word. And help us to apply what we read to our lives every day. May we put it into practice and see it bear good fruit that will bless us and enable us to bless others.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: WWMD (What Would Mike Do?) / Topic: Modeling

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 21-23; 1 Thessalonians 1

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-8
5 ...You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia — your faith in God has become known everywhere.

Observation: I love this! Paul, writing to the church in Thessalonica, is reminding them of the model that he provided for them by his own lifestyle. He and his companions demonstrated a quality of life that the Thessalonian believers imitated.

Note the progression in verses 6 through 8. First, they imitate Paul and his companions. Next, through that process, they imitate "the Lord" (vs. 6). Then, they "became a model" to other believers in the surrounding area. (vs. 7) Last, the strength of their faithful example became widely known. (vs. 8)

Application: Imitation is good. If we want people to imitate Jesus (as in WWJD -- What Would Jesus Do?), then we have to imitate Him ourselves and live an exemplary life. The people who follow me will first ask WWMD (What Would Mike Do?) before they are ready to ask WWJD. People will see what I do and they will do that, whether for good or not. They will follow us, whether we represent Jesus (good), or something else (bad). If we pray, they will pray. If we gossip, they will gossip. If we are negative, they will be negative. If we rejoice in trials, they will rejoice in trials. You get the idea. And whatever we model to them, they will model it to others. I want to be strong for Christ so that others will see and imitate that. If our modeling is totally Christlike and strong, the effect can be very powerful and contagious as we see in the example in today's reading.

Prayer: Lord, may we be excellent role models of Jesus' character and conduct. I pray that You would give us expanded opportunities to develop disciples through strong and persuasive modeling. I ask that You would make our lives strong transmitters of Your will and ways.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Misplaced Love / Topic: Confusion

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 19-20; Psalm 55; Matthew 28

Scripture: 2 Samuel 19:6 "You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead."

Observation: David is sternly rebuked by Joab. These word have a bite to them that is harsh. And Joab was right. David's wailing lament over Absalom was a slap in the face to those who bravely stayed loyal to David in fighting Absalom. Without their sacrifice, David could not have survived. Yet he carries on with loud grieving over Absalom's death, making his loyal followers feel as if they have done something wrong. That day, David stole the joy from his victorious troops.

Application: Leadership means putting the good of the group ahead of just about everything else. A leader has to steel himself to act and react in such a way that a positive and beneficial signal is given to those who follow. It is not OK to just follow your own emotional responses -- there must be a calculated and intentional response that reflects and advances the established values of the group. A leader who routinely indulges his emotions by acting on them will do harm to those he leads and to the cause he supports.

Prayer: Lord, we want to walk by faith, not sight. And we want to act on intention, not emotion. May we think before we react and allow the fruits of self-control and love harness our responses to model Your character and ways.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Two Monuments / Topic: Legacy

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 18; Psalm 56; Matthew 27

Scripture: 2 Samuel 18:9, 14-15, 17-18
9 Now Absalom happened to meet David's men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom's head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going...
14 ...[Joab] took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom's heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. 15 And ten of Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him...
17 They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him...
18 During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King's Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, "I have no son to carry on the memory of my name." He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day.

Observation: Such a tragedy and what a sad, sad story. The treachery of Absalom, the son, against David, the father, is one of the great tragedies of the Bible. It is ironic that Absalom is snared by his hair, one of the things that he took great pride in. Read the verse here. Joab's men see him hanging from a tree by his prized locks and his fate is sealed. He is put to death by Joab and his men as he hangs.

What I find particularly poignant is the contrast of monuments. The first monument mentioned is the "large heap of rocks" that are piled on top of Absalom's dead body which had been thrown into a large pit in the forest. The location of this heap was chosen by Absalom's enemies with no great thought. They found a nearby pit and dumped his body there, piling rocks on it. It was an ignoble burial with no tribute -- no honor.

The second monument is the monument that Absalom had made for himself, selecting just the right spot in the "King's Valley." He had erected it as "as a monument to himself, for he thought, 'I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.'" It is so sad that Absalom created this monument as a memorial to himself even as he lived. He was like a walking dead man. He could have trusted in God, but he did not. He treacherously took matters into his own hands and while his personal monument stood, it was only a sad tribute to self-promotion. Meanwhile his decaying corpse lies buried in a pit in the forest somewhere.

Application: Trust in the Lord. Self promotion is a shallow and fruitless pursuit. (Absalom is the poster child of self-promotion.) Monuments that I erect for myself will only prove to be reminders to others of what not to do. Building my life through trusting in the Lord is an investment in eternal assets which will stand the test of time and the stress of life.

Prayer: Lord, I want You to be and build whatever monuments mark my life. May I conduct my life in such a way as to be used of You to make a positive difference in this world. May my legacy be You and the wonderful things You have done through me.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Broken Promises / Topic: Human Foibles

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 17; Psalm 71; Matthew 26

Scripture: Matthew 26:69-75
69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.
70 But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."
72 He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!"
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away."
74 Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Observation: This is one of the most famous betrayals in all of history. What is amazing to me is that Peter has apparently completely forgotten the promise he made to Jesus just hours earlier. He had strenuously insisted that no matter what, he would never deny Jesus! And here he is, willfully doing exactly what he said he would never do and making a fool of himself in the process. When the rooster crows, his memory is jogged and the full realization painfully dawns on him.

Application: We all make promises that we intend to keep but that we end up not keeping. We make them with others, with ourselves, and we make them with God. It is simply part of the human condition that we can have a clear and firm mental and moral conviction and yet lose it. I don't know how or why that is, but I know it is true.

I experience it in my own life. For example, I have a weakness for cookies. I love dunking them in milk. But I can easily eat too many and when I have done that, I don't feel so good. So I tell myself, "I will not do that again." But later, I do it again. Why? Because the cookies taste good and they call my name. :-) Now eating too many cookies is not a terrible moral failure, but the point is that there is this human weakness that results in broken promises.

I have some suggestions to help:
• First, get out of the habit of making promises. The Bible tells us "do not swear — not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your 'Yes' be yes, and your 'No,' no, or you will be condemned." In other words, don't make big sweeping promises like: "I swear I will post my blog every day by 7 a.m."
• The second thing that will help is to have accountability to help us keep the commitments we make. Having a close brother or sister that knows what we're doing and not doing will help us to make realistic commitments and keep them.
• The third answer is to simply remember our human foibles and stay humble, seeking God's help because we know that on our own we will fail.

Prayer: So Lord, we ask for Your help to keep us true to the words that we say and the commitments we make. And may we be wise and careful with our words. Give us the understanding to only commit ourselves under Your direction. Help us to be people of Your word and people who keep our word.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: The Determinant / Topic: Character

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 15-16; Psalm 32; Matthew 25

Scripture: Matthew 25-14-18
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

Observation: Three servants are given opportunity. Each one determines the course that his opportunity will take. The outcome or result for each servant depends entirely on the choices each of the servants makes. The choices are determined by each individual based primarily on their character. Two servants had good character and made good choices -- one servant had bad character and made poor choices. The wisdom of their choice was directly proportional to the quality of their character. Their success (or lack thereof) was directly proportional to the wisdom of their choices.

Application: Each of us is given opportunities by God. As in the parable, the level of opportunity varies from person to person. While there are various influences which affect our lives for good and bad, the primary factor in determining success or failure is the wisdom of the choices we make. And our character is the thing that will propel the wisdom of our choice.

Bottom line: We have been given the responsibility to conduct our lives in such a way that produces the best results for God. While there are a variety of influences in the molding of character, making good choices in our friends and mentors is often the primary determinant in what our character becomes. Therefore, choosing good and godly companions and mentors is paramount. That choice is more than a mere preference, it can literally be the verdict on the outcome of our life. Choose carefully and choose wisely.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be people with excellence of character who take the opportunities that You bless us with and maximize them. We seek to receive Your blessings and multiply them so we can bless others and build your kingdom. Help us to reflect who You are so we can achieve great results commensurate with Your greatness.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: No Small Sin / Topic: Hypocrisy

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 13-14; Matthew 24

Scripture: Matthew 24:48-51
48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Observation: Verse 51 caught my eye. The punishment for the wicked and abusive servant is in two parts: first, the master will "cut him to pieces," and second, he will "assign him a place with the hypocrites." This is a little puzzling to me since the guy is already in pieces -- does it matter where you get sent after that?!?

OK, besides my offbeat sense of humor, what else does this passage have to offer. Well it is extremely interesting to me that the place of punishment that has "weeping and gnashing of teeth" is called "a place with the hypocrites." We tend to think that hypocrisy is no big deal -- I mean we all know that the church is full of it, right? But here the place assigned to the hypocrite, that is the person who says one thing but does something else, is a place of significant punishment and separation from God.

Application: We get it wrong when we think of big sins and little sins. We used to say,

"I don't smoke, drink or chew,
and I don't go with the girls who do!"

And we thought that because of that we were holy. Yeah right! But we could have a little hypocrisy and think that it was no big deal. God says otherwise. We really do need to practice what we preach or we better prepare ourselves for a shock when we stand before God because our future accommodations will not be what we were hoping for.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live in integrity and truth. May we walk out the things we confess. May our lives line up consistently with what we say we believe. And show us where that is not happening in our lives so we can repent and make it right. We want to be in Your presence when it is our time to pass into eternity.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.