A poem posted at my other blog Step Ahead is inspired by the post with the same title at this link. This day with God, keep going even when you think it is over. If trouble comes your way, keep the faith and seek Christ diligently. Maintain hope and you will find that difficulties will vanish because the love of God through Christ will give you the strength to step ahead.
Take inspiration from this thought today about the strength you have to step ahead. Celebrate with the song My Victory – Passion (Feat. Crowder) because like the song says, the death of Jesus is hell’s defeat. The cross meant to kill, is your victory.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. –Romans 5:3
The lesson learned in “Making Things Happen” is that there is a need be persistent in creating plans and maybe even go to extreme measures to get things going. Success is obtainable for the person that is persistent and keeps on asking for help until attainment.
This day with God, let us seek wisdom from the Word, counsel from the Holy Spirit, and the courage to reunite people with the King. Take inspiration from today’s song I Refuse by Josh Wilson. Refuse not to move and make things better for yourself and those around you.
Joab was a nephew of David and had been a helper for David. He was a commander in the army and someone David depended on for advice. Joab knew that David missed his son named Absalom who had been banished from Jerusalem to a place called Geshur to the north so as explained in 2 Samuel 14, Joab initiates a plan.
The plan was to convince David to unify the broken relationship with his son Absalom. Joab convinces a woman to act like a widow who had two sons that got in a fight, and one killed the other. Remember, this is what had happened to David with his son named Absalom killing his other son named Amnon.
Once the woman told David her story, it made David think of his own situation and that perhaps he had done wrong. The story helped to convince David to bring his own son named Absalom back to Jerusalem. David eventually found out that it was Joab who had put the woman up to telling the story so he talked to Joab.
Joab was thankful for David’s change of mind and brought Absalom home but David still would not see Absalom face to face. Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing David but then insisted that Joab talk to David about a face to face meeting. After Joab would not respond, Joab had his field of barley set on fire (v. 30). This got Joab’s attention so Joab went to David and David agreed to reunite with Absalom.
Throughout this passage, we see the lesson of what it takes to make things happen. In the plan of Joab and also the attention getter that Absalom used, we learn that there is a need to be persistent in creating new plans and maybe even go to extreme measures to get things going. Success is obtainable for the person that is persistent and keeps on asking for help until attainment.
This day, we seek wisdom from the Word. The wise counsel from the Holy Spirit, and the help from the plan given to us in making things happen. Help us to reunite more and more people to King Jesus. Amen.
My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend – Job 16:20-21
Brought out in “Our True Friend” is that it can be good to seek advice from friends, but you need to continue to ask questions and seek answers; especially from your true friend Jesus who has sent the Holy Spirit to help in making good decisions and taking the right path.
Reinforce this thought today with the song God Who Listens (ft. Thomas Rhett – Chris Tomlin). The Lord is a friend that stands above the others. He hears your needs and walks along the path with you to make sure they are met
The enemy is constantly plotting to get us off track so we need help along the way to stay on the path. This New Year, we can trust God because He has a plan for us that gets us out of our circumstances with our true friend Jesus.
Noted in the previous passage was that David had been a bad influence on others as a father and leader. We know about the adulterous relationship of David with Bathsheba. Then to cover up this wrong doing, he had her husband set up to be killed while off at war. For punishment, God had promised calamity upon his household
Reading in 2 Samuel 13, we see that judgment is fulfilled as calamity is brought to David’s household. It all starts when the son of David named Amnon was in love with his half-sister named Tamar. He consoles with a friend or adviser.
It can be good to seek advice from friends but we need to continue to ask questions and seek answers; especially from our true friend Jesus who provides the Holy Spirit to counsel each of us in making decisions and taking the right path.
Unfortunately as noted in today’s passage, Amnon gets some wrong advice from Jonadab. They develop a scheme to get Tamar alone into Amnon’s bedroom. Amnon puts himself into a similar situation as David did with Bathsheba years ago. Now David’s own son named Amnon sets up a scenario for himself that results in sinful acts that begin to domino out of control.
We continue reading that Amnon’s scheme to get Tamar alone in his bedroom didn’t go as planned. Tamar rejected the advances Amnon makes on her and Amnon ends up raping Tamar. This event is just one of many that fulfills the promised calamity upon David’s household.
Tamar was disgraced and her brother named Absalom found out what had happened. Absalom hated Ammon for what he did and eventually David found out too. A couple of years went by but Absalom continued to carry his anger inside. Finally, he devises a scheme to get Amnon alone by hiding his true intentions. While meeting in the countryside with the sheepshearers on what seemed to be business, Absalom orders his men to kill Amnon.
With You Lord, there is no division, conflict, and calamity. With Jesus our True friend, there is confidence because all we have to do is follow and the amazing will be done. We seek Your advice today as we face the things of this world that want us to get off track. Help us stay on track by following Your Way. The Way that leads to peace and paradise. Amen.
This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey 