A poem posted at my other blog Step Ahead is inspired by the post with the same title at this link. When Jesus was crucified, it was a common occurrence in that society but there was something different about that Friday as pointed out in the post “Light Shines Brightest in the Dark”. God wanted those who witnessed the event to know that something of great significance occurred.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice at three in the afternoon and some thought that He was calling Elijah and Elijah would take Him down from the cross. We know now that Jesus breathed His last shortly after but as the song Rattle by Elevation Worship points out, the disappointment they felt on Friday turned into great excitement on Sunday when they found out the tomb was empty!
But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. – Hebrews 8:6
In the old covenant, there was the Law. As brought out in the post “The Help of Friends”, the Spirit of God was in the arc of God. Today, we have a new covenant with Jesus as mediator.
Be inspired today by the song What A Friend We Have In Jesus by The Oak Ridge Boys. Jesus knows our every weakness so take them to Him in prayer. A faithful friend who gives us the opportunity to a future beyond what could be imagined!
We are placed many times throughout life into difficult circumstances. Through it all, keep in mind that the God of the universe created over 100 billion galaxies with each galaxy having billions of stars but His greatest creation and who He loves the most are His people. The enemy is constantly plotting to get us off track but we can trust God to overrule our circumstances and friends can help along the way.
Such is the case as we read our passage today in 2 Samuel 7 as David shares with a friend named Nathan who was a prophet. David shares with Nathan about his thoughts of building a house for the ark of God. Later that night, the Lord came to Nathan in a vision telling Nathan to explain to David that He had been with David from the very beginning. From the time David had been tending sheep as a shepherd to becoming ruler over Israel (v. 8).
God wants David to remember that He had been with David through it all to set things up for his success. God was the one who gave David his great victories and cut off his enemies (v. 9). God promises rest from his enemies and that through David’s offspring, a kingdom would endure forever (16).
So Nathan the prophet told David that God wanted him to build the house for the arc of God. The response from David is to pray about this news. Prayer gives us a chance to have an open exchange with God who believes in us and is interested in our future. Let us see ourselves as God sees us; someone worth so much that He sent His son to die on the cross for all.
This day with You Lord, we understand more now about friendships. That Nathan was a friend to David but most of all, that You Lord are our friend. What a friend we have and the Spirit lives in us so there is no longer the need for a temple because we are Your temple. Thank you Lord for this new covenant that is superior to the old. Amen.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. –Psalm 111:10
Within “Celebrate the Victory” is the account of Uzzah showing disrespect to God by touching the arc. This served as a warning to others that there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. By following the right way, we can gain small wins that will lead to the ultimate victory.
Jesus provides the Way and the Light shines bright along the path. Let us celebrate the victory that Jesus brings with the song The Way by Jeremy Camp.
Baylor 30 Texas 10 – Last game at Floyd Casey Stadium
Have you ever noticed how enthusiastic the crowd is at a sporting event? Some people paint their face or dress up in weird outfits. The picture was taken after a Baylor beat Texas in the final regular season football game in 2013. It was a freezing day but the fans stayed in the cold until the final play because they wanted to celebrate the victory. When we celebrate before the Lord, we should be even more enthusiastic because the Lord is leading us to the victory of all victories.
Reading today in 2 Samuel 6, the ark of God was being transported to Jerusalem or the city of David. Uzzah was in front to help guide the oxen but as they came to an uneven place along the path, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the arc. No one was allowed to touch the arc so Uzzah was killed on the spot because the Lord’s anger burned against him (v. 7).
Uzzah had shown disrespect to God by touching the ark and his life served as a warning to others that there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Let us be mindful of the mistakes of others as warnings in our own live so we learn the lessons needed to live a long and happy life.
The ark was taken to a new location because David was afraid. After some time, the person who took care of the ark was blessed so this gave David the courage to then transport the arc to the city of David hoping for the same blessings. They would take their time as they took a few steps ahead and then would offer sacrifices. They were extremely careful and took their time but step by step finally got the ark of the Lord to the city of David.
Much like in a parade, David expressed his zeal along the route by leaping and dancing as the arc was transported (v. 15). On the other hand, the daughter of Saul named Michal had been watching the parade from her window and objected to David’s zeal because she thought it was excessive and undignified. We note that David’s celebration was acceptable before the Lord but Michal had no children to the day of her death (v. 23).
This day with You Lord, we gain experience each day knowing there is a right way and a wrong way to live out our life. Help us today to take in the lessons from Your Word. To learn from our experiences and the experiences of others. Help us to listen to the Holy Spirit guiding our steps so that when we get to where You are leading, we can celebrate the victory in Jesus name … amen.
This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey 