July 15, 2010 When Kings Go Out To Battle

What jumped out at me today was a phrase I'd noticed before, but never thought to wonder about: in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle.(1 Chronicles 20:1).  I wondered what the spiritual significance of this was, and I asked the Lord about it.  I was expecting to read about David's affair with Bathsheba, since the same phrase was used in that story.  I looked it up: it is 2 Samuel 11:1, but this was a different account of David.  In both accounts, it says that Joab went out against Ammon and besieged Rabbah, but that David stayed in Jerusalem in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle.  Whether both accounts are the same period of time, I do not know.  It is not in the boundaries of this devotional that I do external research.  I will leave this mystery for later, and you can go study it for yourself if you wish.

One thing is clear, there are seasons when we should be battling the enemy, and if we're not, then we'll surely end up devastated.  Going from historical ignorance here, but not spiritual ignorance, I'd say it is quite possible that this was one particular time period in David's life.  It seems, from the way he took and wore the defeated king's crown instead of dedicating the gold to the Lord-- as he had always done before-- that he was falling into pride.  When we're prosperous and feel powerful and undefeatable, luxury and a feeling of complacency certainly have a way of leading us away from humility and hard work and into pride and laziness.  "Let other people do it; this is my due."

In our reading, although there is great time-compression in this chronicle, it is revealing to see what happened over the census David decided to do.  Pride again seems to be the open door here for the sinful choice he made.  "Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel." 1 Chroncles 21:1  The consequences for this were devastating, and God's judgment brought David to a place of humility again.  Pride and not fearing the Lord go hand in hand.  Pride is iniquity of the spirit, and it was Satan's downfall, remember-- he is particularly attuned to it and empowered by it.

In our individual lives, pride opens the door for the devil to steal, kill and destroy.  Resisting the devil requires submitting to God, and that requires humility.  (James 4:7) Humility is one of the best of our weapons of warfare.  In a nation's life, pride in the hearts of those in leadership (government) opens the door for satanic attack, and also God's judgment-- which falls on the people the government was supposed to bless and protect.  Rather than lash out in anger, it is wise for the people in a nation to humble themselves and pray for their leadership.  I've been convicted many times of not doing this seriously enough.  What I read in the Word today gives me strong incentive.

I still want more revelation about the time kings go out to battle.  It was in the spring.  To me that says it's the time when things that have already been planted and established are beginning to bud (spiritual or natural, and it's a different time for everyone).  That means that another harvest is on its way, and each harvest should be greater than the last (for a natural example-- a harvest from an apple orchard).  Satan wants to keep us and our life efforts from bearing any fruit;  if there's something established in our life that he hasn't been able to destoy, he's going to want to keep the harvest from happening:  "nip it in the bud."  Every spring, it's the same.  The bully wants to create a famine for us if he can.  If we're proud and lazy-- or simply don't have a clue --  we'll lose the fruit of our labors.  This was to be our provision, our offering to the Lord, and a blessing to the poor. 

You know spring is a reality, therefore you need to understand the season and go out to battle.  The person who has the initiative can take the high ground, or choose the most strategic battlefront.  Why wait for the devil to barge in and take what's yours (by the blessing of God and the work of your hands)?  You know he's just going to keep doing the same thing until he realizes it's futile.  So don't be proud, lazy or stupid!  Pick up your Sword and go out against him. 

January 26, 2010

Today's readings really spoke to me of God's compassion. Powerfully! In the face of how the world is slandering God (e.g., the movie Legion), I think we'd better get to know Him a whole lot better! Hold on to your faith!

Why did Jesus say "You faithless and perverse generation?" when the disciples couldn't cast out a demon that was tomenting a boy? He said they couldn't cast it out because their faith wasn't even as big as a mustard seed. Matthew 17:17, 20. Why was their faith so small?

I saw something today I hadn't seen before. I think they had all forgotten that God was all about deliverance. They forgot He was compassionate. They had forgotten their nation's deliverance in the past. They weren't on the same page with God.

In Exodus 3:7-8, God said to Moses: "I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey."

God came down then, and then He came down in Jesus. Why? Compassion.

Jesus was teaching Peter that they were under religious oppression, and that as long as they were, He would provide--e.g., the tax. But Jesus did more than just alleviate the temporary suffering. His mission was to set everyone free from the oppression. He released people from spiritual bondage, from Satanic oppression. "The children are free," He said. Fact. vs 26 We can't be free on the outside if we're not free on the inside.

Psalm 22 is such a moving prophetic expression of the sufferings of Christ on the cross, so that we could be free. He entered in to our oppressions and bore them Himself. "In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them." vs. 4 David knew and trusted in God's deliverance, and so did Jesus.

The Proverbs 5 section reminds us that sometimes the oppression we suffer is because we were disobedient. But that doesn't mean God won't deliver us, it just means we need to repent first.

If we're lacking in faith to trust God for deliverance from oppression, or unable to help others get free, we need to meditate on the Scriptures once again and rediscover God's heart of compassion and His track-record of deliverance. He hasn't changed.

God will again "come down" to set His children free from what is working up to be the most horrendous, tyrannical oppression ever to be seen on earth. Jesus Christ WILL come again and do away with the oppressions of evil forever. Have faith in God!
 
Let's not be a "faithless and perverse generation."

January 11, 2010

I saw a difference between those whom the Lord prospers or makes wealthy, and those who try to make themselves that way by ungodly means. God blessed Isaac by giving him a hundred-fold return, and he became very wealthy. Genesis 26:12-13 The Philistines envied him and wanted him to go away. These same people had stopped up the wells his father had dug. They feared these men's power.

The Psalms portion describes the greedy wicked who oppress the poor and helpless in order to gain wealth for themselves. God is not ignoring this. "Indeed you note trouble and grief, that you may take it into your hands; the helpless commit themselves to you; you have been the helper of the orphan." Ps 10:14  God responds to people's cries for help. He also responds to intercession. Ps. 10:12,15

Many people who are poor and who feel helpless, whether they have been oppressed or not, often want to take down the rich who they see as the oppressor, rather than turning to the Lord. They cannot discern the difference between oppressors and people blessed of the Lord. I believe the Lord will make the distinction clearer and clearer in these times. Helping the poor will certainly be one of the marks of God's Kingdom blessing.

Although your enemies may try to project on you the motivations and methods that they themselves walk in, and may try to "stop up your wells" of creativity and the flow of Spirit life and power because of jealousy or competition, don't give in to the pressure! Humility is agreeing with the Lord, not quitting because people misunderstand.

You might be interested in contemplating how today's passage about Jesus ties into this!