Then one day they came through a town and the townspeople were dancing and singing. A lady sang that Saul killed thousands, but David kills ten thousands. This took Saul to the wrong side of the tracks. He suddenly knew that David was getting very strong. He knew he would have to watch out.

I think in his mind, he was not afraid of David as the absence of God’s presence in his own life. We can all look at Saul and think, man this dude is cracked. You can tell God is with him. You know the drill. What are you thinking? But in hindsight it is easy to make this determination. I mean over 2000 years pass by and we can look at these years passing here and make the bold determination. But I bet if we were to look into our own lives we would be able to see Saul in us. We would see where we sabotage those around us, those we love, because of our own blinders.

Know this, that you may be a Saul today. But you also may be a David.

Though this may seem like he did just that. If you look at the story, you will see that God was with David when he met Goliath. He says specifically that God will deliver his head to me. Something interesting about the story that I never picked up on before was this. The author spends a tremendous amount of time getting the stage set for the challenge. He goes into great detail how well Goliath was clad, he had massive armor, his sword, his sheer size was easily twice the size of David. He gives a description how David was presented with some pretty awesome new tools as well. But David declined. He said why would I use tools that I am not familiar with, I will just use a couple stones and a little sling I have on me. The amount of time that the author spends on setting up the dual ends in an anticlimactic way. He slings a stone, kills Goliath, and cuts off his head with the man’s own sword. That’s it. That is serious business, but I do not think that was the point.

God was in control and He was to be glorified that day.

Let’s go back to David when he was headed to his brothers. He always had his sling on his person. He was prepared. He did not go empty handed. Though God would give him the victory and he trusted God intrinsically, he was still prepared. This is my focus for today. Just because God is with us, does not give us a pass to be less prepared for the task at hand. It still takes courage. It still takes what no other normal man would consider a fair fight. I must ask this question: What are you doing today that is a God-sized fight? What are you doing today that is so big that without utter dependency on God, you would fail?

This is the essence of our faith. What if you were required to do something like this? Are you prepared to call on the name of God and command victory? Are you prepared? Now we may think that it was David’s skill with a sling that helped him in this fight. But if you were to ask David, I bet he would have a different answer. I bet he would tell you that His God, who controls everything was the sole reason for his victory. I really believe he was prepared physically and his abilities were great, but his intimacy with God was far greater. He was ready in another way.

If we really believe that God is who He claims to be, why do we live like we do?

Have you ever taken a step back in your life and just reflect? It is always a common practice at the beginning of the year for everyone. Most people will do this and make some over-arching decree in an attempt to remedy the situation, so they will not face the issue next year. The new year’s resolution is normally a good idea. The intentions are typically good and it starts off good. But I would say that almost 100% of the resolutions are never kept. Why is this?

I have given it some thought. It is just an opinion, but I think it has something to do with our fears. The easily identified fruit on the end of the vine came from a complex root system, was fed by outside nutrients, came up through a massive trunk, through tons of branches, through scores of leaves, and ultimately produced itself for your observation. So one sees the belly fat and says, “I need to lose some weight this year. So it was easy to recognize the fat, but what is not so easy to see is your current emotional state, the level of stress, the turmoil of circumstances in your life, the changes in your job, your family relationships, and things like this. Is it possible that simply trying to change behavioristics is a shallow attempt to make deeper life changes?

I have always had problems with New Year’s resolutions because it seems that all the sudden everyone on the planet is not content with the way their life is going and they want to make a change. It just seems kind of silly. It is really setting you up for failure because it is being produced by outside stimuli (or can be), and really doesn’t line up with the way you really think of yourself.

You live the way you do because it lines up with the way you view the world and it really is you. You can try to cast blame on people, places and things, but the reason you live this way is because you want to and in some ways have to live this way.

If you want to make a change in your life, think for a minute, why are you considering this change? Are you seriously willing to challenge the way you view your world? Are you ready to make a core change? This is really the issue. Resolutions fail because 1) people do not really understand how deep of a change they are taking on, and 2) they really like who they are and the way they view the world and really do not want to change.

So how does this apply to the title? Actually we have been talking about it already. Many people are making decisions with the way the live. They are not making a conscious decision to be fat. It is a byproduct of a series of life choices that produce the well insulated body. In a resolution, we may be attempting to remedy the past, or make changes that will benefit us in the future, but we really need to be concerned with today. I am making this change because it reflects who I am today. I am making conscious decisions today because I am pleased with who I am and the way I am living today.

Here is an example. Tom goes on a diet on Jan 1 to lose 40 pounds. He is not happy with his weight and wants to trim down. He is on a track to lose weight for what he will look like in the future. He is willing to sacrifice today for the sake of tomorrow. This attempt may work, but he also may abandon the journey because it is not consistent with the way Tom feels about the present. You see the present if fighting with the possibility of the future. But this possibility has very little experience. It is really brand new on the job compared to this well seasoned present that has a lot of experience and bearing on the subject.

David basically says why would I run to the hills when I know the character of God? When the arrows are pointed at me, why would I hide when I know who is in control. This connection to the reality of His character brings tremendous comfort, once you learn to trust Him.

I can honestly say, when I was young in my faith, I doubted my relationship with God. I did not understand. I could not comprehend His character. I saw so many bad things in the world. I just figured God showed up when He wanted to. But later, I see His hand all the time. I have grown in my faith to truly trust Him.

This is especially true when I am surrounded by my own mistakes and by others who make poor choices. I can see the consequences of my own actions and also the actions of others. Then we beg for God to intervene and are confused when we are not rescued in a manner consistent with our own ideas and timing.

Look at the last part of the chapter:

⁷ God’s business is putting things right;
he loves getting the lines straight,
Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall,
we can look him straight in the eye.

This also shows David understanding of God’s place in our lives. It is easy to just say that we believe that God is in control. But how does this work in your life today? How does it work when the rubber hits the road? I can honestly say that when I chose to give up control of my life, I had nothing to hide. I could face God without fear. I could seek His face with anticipation instead of fear.

Let’s look at a practical example of authority in our lives that we all can identify with, a police officer. In my youth, I was not a model citizen. I would speed, drink and drive, and who knows what else happened back then. Every time I would get behind the wheel, my eyes would spend as much time looking int he rear view mirror as on the road. I spent so much time trying to avoid getting into trouble. Once I turned 21, my life was miraculously changed. I turned my life over to God and gave up control. The behavioral change had some other benefits as well. I suddenly found myself looking in the rearview mirror for other reasons. I would actually wave at police officers. If a police officer was behind me, I did not fear because I was not doing anything wrong. This understanding of the authority of a police officer did not change. It was always the same. But I changed.

I hope you can identify with this idea. Once we give up control, once we understand who ultimately has control, the world starts making sense.

Sure, we can look at it and say, these stories in the Bible are interesting. Look there are these people who believe one thing and these other people who believe something else. However, does this story have relevance today?

But is it to you? How does your life differ at all if you were to believe as a Jew or as a Christian? What is the difference anyway?

I think this is interesting because if our actions are no different then may not really be a Jew or a Christian at all. It is very telling to take a snapshot of a single day of your life. What do you do? What do you accomplish? Who do you talk to? What is the fruit that you see produced from your involvement?

We all have something deep inside that we believe in. We actually really believe it. And spoken or not, we live in accordance with this belief. The question is, what belief is that?

Most may say, I am Christian and I live that way. This is an intentional statement, but does it truly line up with this core belief?

Let’s look at Paul for a moment:

¹³For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵But when God, who set me apart from birth^[a] and called me by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, ¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

Paul was changed from the inside out. What he truly believed, he did. He believed that the Jewish tradition was correct, so he persecuted the Church. Then God changed him, and he changed truly. He did not even associate with the old way of life any longer. This complete change is what I looking for in my life. I hope you see the difference in yours.

So now, why does Paul really care anyway. He is changed, so why is he writing letters and starting churches and discipling people anyway?

The difference is simple. You see what Paul’s life looked like before he followed the ways of Jesus Christ, and after. The fruit of his life says it all.

The proof is in the pudding, as they say.

If we look at Luke 16, we see three different things going on there. A crooked manager (vs 1-9), how God sees behind appearances (vs 10-18), and the story of the rich man and Lazarus. After reading the chapter, my mind just started pondering my own heart as it relates to trust. The reading has a lot to do with trust and honesty.

Lets look at verses 10-13,

If you’re honest in small things,
you’ll be honest in big things;
If you’re a crook in small things,
you’ll be a crook in big things.
If you’re not honest in small jobs,
who will put you in charge of the store?
No worker can serve two bosses:
He’ll either hate the first and love the second
Or adore the first and despise the second.
You can’t serve both God and the Bank.

In the question, if one is a thief, he/she will think on an item they would like to steal, and enjoy. And hope that nobody would ever discover their trickery. But there is so much more going on. The fact is, if this desire resides in someone, it will find another opportunity to strike again, and again, and again. It will infect every area of ones life. And in the end, will most likely overtake them. The same is true for any hidden sin that you can imagine, it keep growing and growing until it gives birth to action.

Take some time today, get alone for a moment, and ponder this question, “Am I trustworthy?”

You also notice the picture above, this is interesting because it isn’t just about you and your life and your hidden sin. It is about community. You have a responsibility to the whole, to be trustworthy. Give it some thought, there is nothing hidden, all must be seen, all will be seen. One may as well find freedom now and live the rest of their life with joy and peace, instead of regret and fear. We see indication of this in the verses above that point to two different masters but you ma only serve one. The question is, which is it? When we join together as a group of people who can be trusted with little and can be trusted with a lot, then you see other things happening as well. The entire world lights up, the gloom fades away, the smile gets bigger, and life is hopeful, bright, and invigorating.

My pastor once said something that stuck with me, the only thing holding you back is the power of unconfessed sin. I like it. Anyway, kick these ideas around a bit. Leave a comment.

When I thought about it, I was struck by something a little different. I want to focus on the son who stayed with his father and did not venture off. So many times, I see those in the church in this way. We tend to look on others with distain and think, “How in the world can those people live like that?, or I cannot believe they call themselves Christians and continue to behave that way.” Many years ago I was in that camp. I too was judgmental toward others who were making decisions that I did not deem righteous or within the religious structure that I endorsed. It was a shunning type of behavioral modification, where by exclusion, the subject may come to their senses and return with humility. And only then would we consider whether or not the change was genuine.

I see Christ looking for the lost sheep. He truly loves this lost sheep. Metaphorically he searches tirelessly for this lost sheep. Once found, the sheep is the focus of His attention. The key here is that Christ loves the lost sheep. He also loves the sheep who is in the herd and wanders off. Who are we to change the model and act differently than Christ Himself toward the lost sheep?

The point that I would like to make is that the son who is there with his father is also lost in other ways. Of course the story should focus on the lost sheep and how important that lost sheep is to God. If I were the son at home with my father and my brother came home after going out and having a great time partying and blowing money, I may tend to think it isn’t fair. The wayward son is being rewarded for bad behavior and he is getting away with something. I like the comparison of the son at home to Christians who have not really ever drifted from God and have remained with the flock. It is this judgmental approach that I think is very interesting.

Perhaps you see someone who constantly tears down others in public. They have little regard for the other person’s feelings and try only to elevate themselves by putting other people down. Is this person a wayward sheep? Perhaps you know someone who has poor eating habits, and may be overweight, are they a wayward sheep? How about the one who judges another and talks to others about it, are they wayward?

I realize this is pretty far out, but I think the son at home is perhaps just as lost as the other son, if not he would have received his brother as his father did. In addition, it is often thought that the one who is “geting away with living wild” is lucky somehow. This is also a crazy thought. It is only with Christ minded thinking that we gain understanding as to the heart of God.

Try this, when you see another behaving badly, pray that the Lord will open your eyes to see them through His eyes. Develop a true love for that person. Once you gain a heavenly perspective, you will be amazed at how the other person will respond to your involvement in their life. If the son at home were to have a Christ centered mind, he would be very pleased to see his brother again, I believe.

^5-6 The believer replied, “Every promise of God proves true;
he protects everyone who runs to him for help.
So don’t second-guess him;
he might take you to task and show up your lies.”

^7-9 And then he prayed, “God, I’m asking for two things
before I die; don’t refuse me—
Banish lies from my lips
and liars from my presence.
Give me enough food to live on,
neither too much nor too little.
If I’m too full, I might get independent,
saying, ‘God? Who needs him?’
If I’m poor, I might steal
and dishonor the name of my God.”

I really like this reply, especially the last part. I have always struggled with a desire to have a lot. I strive to have things, but not too much. There is something that holds me back. I would like to think it is God, but it may be some flawed thinking. I may subconsciously be afraid of what I may do if I had a lot and sabotage the effort before it makes me rich.

I do believe that it is an important lesson, to know about yourself, if you have too little, you may steal. If you have too much, you may think you no longer need God.

How do we come to a place where we depend on Him regardless of our circumstances, good or bad? I have done some soul searching lately and have come to a place of understanding.

Faith=Trust

It says in scripture that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. In other words, if you get into the Word, you will have faith. By saying get into the Word, I mean, we are not merely reading the Word. We are living out what it says. Therefore trust in Him by getting to know Him through the scriptures.

I find I learn more about His character. The God I know now is the same God I have known all along, He is the same, but my understanding of Him has changed, and done so significantly.

In the end, if we trust Him, truly trust Him, we will not stray. We will not steal and if we have plenty, we will not  forget Him. Conversely, If we are not in the Word, we do not have faith (trust), we will steal and we will forget about God.

In your life today, do you have somewhere in your life that is unmanageable? Do you try to change over and over again, and still end up in the same place?

I believe if we struggle with the same thing over and over again, we are not giving the area to God truly. We need to trust Him. Get into the Word today, be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

I read the entire chapter, as I normally do, and wait to see if anything jumps out at me as a nugget I should ponder. This may not be the best approach, but it is where I am at the moment.

Verse 19 jumped out to me today:

19 Work your garden—you’ll end up with plenty of food; play and party—you’ll end up with an empty plate.

At first, I saw this as a simple message of the importance of keeping your hands at work. I still think this is the bulk of the message, but something else hit me. Everyone has a garden, even if they do not have a job, they have a garden. I see the garden as life itself. You must apply yourself everyday in every facet of your life, and for it you will see the fruit of your labor. However, if you choose to just play and party, you will have nothing. In fact, it says you will have an empty plate. Empty is such a terrifying word to me. You will be without.

We can all look in our lives and determine if we see emptiness. The fruit on the end of the vine is proof of what is going on in each of our lives. Do you have plenty? Or are you bankrupt in certain areas of your life? Ask Him to show you how and get back to work.