Solitary Place

Thinking back to my post on the 16th and the topic of taming the tongue from James 3 and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Mark 7), David continually writes about the battle for the mind and brining the tongue into submission.  Psalm 17:3 (NKJV) "You have tested my heart; you have visited me in the night; you have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." In Job he makes a covenant with his eyes never to look upon a woman with lust, King David purposes that his mouth not transgress the good law of God by keeping away from the paths of the unrighteous, there is an intentionality one must have to guard the tongue. Beginning in a place of humility we guard our tongues against evil by the transforming work of the Jesus through the ongoing sanctification of the Holy Spirit paired with a heart of praise and thanksgiving unto the LORD. Constantly despite his trials and circumstances David laments properly: presents the di...

In I Samuel 25, David has a second opportunity to spare or take King Saul's life. King Saul and his army of 3,000 men were seeking out David in the wilderness of Ziph, camping overnight God struck them with a deep sleep allowing David and his servant Abishai to enter the camp unnoticed. David could have ended the feud by spearing King Saul through, but he stood righteously and faithfully with the LORD choosing to honor the anointing of Samuel.  I Samuel 25:9 (NKJV) "...for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless? The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LROD's anointed... May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness; for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD's anointed." Saul the Benjamite, though bent on evil through his rebellion and stubbornness, was the anointed king of Israel. Anointing is a way of consecrating or settin...

Taming the tongue is a task no man can accomplish apart from God. The apostle James discusses this in part describing the tongue a "restless evil, full of deadly poison" because we stumble in many ways and unable in our own self-strength or ambition to keep our tongue or body from fault. Being filled with the Holy Spirit and choosing to walk each day in surrender and sanctification before the LORD the fruit of this is a quiet lifestyle and one marked by humility. This is echoed by David in Psalm 141 when he cries out to the LORD saying,  Psalm 141:3-4 (NKJV) "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicket works with men who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies." This is a verbatim prayer worth reciting, because scripture is inspired by God and His words faithfully preserved by men, then there is no better way to pray in accordance with the will of God than to ...

A hallmark of Christian life is waiting. I have understood waiting as active - not a passive inactive passage of time, this is modeled in how the 11 disciples obeyed Jesus in the days leading up to Pentecost in the book of Acts. In fact for Christians waiting is anything but sitting around aimlessly or lazily, there was purpose in the waiting because the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was greatly anticipated and the passage of time was marked by constant prayer .  Acts 1:14 (NIV) "They all joined together constantly in prayer." What are you doing during the waiting? How easy is is for the believer to forget the purpose of the waiting, lose hope and begin to focus on self  in pride operating in fear instead of trust and faith in the waiting. Faith builds in the waiting when we are fully surrendered and submitted to the LORD's will, way and timing.  Psalm 27:14 (NKJV) "Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!...

David is often called a man after God's own heart, this means that David possesses and behaved in a manner consistent with God's character, there is no better demonstration of this than in I Samuel 24. At this point in David's life as king of Israel, king Saul is still on the throne but has been ruthlessly pursuing David seeking to kill him. Saul just finished disarming a Philistine attack and is now re-focused on finding and eliminating the threat to his throne - David son of Jesse. Relieving himself in a cave on the Rocks of the Wild Goats in the wilderness of En Gedi, David has an opportunity to slay Saul but instead cuts a piece off of his robe. Following and calling to Saul at the opening of the cave David pleads his case and demonstrates his blameless character: I Samuel 24:11 (NKJV) "Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, a...

David is filled with the Spirit of God upon being anointed king of Israel by Samuel before slaying Goliath. A recurring description of king David in these early days with Saul still on the throne is how David behaved wisely, we see this in I Samuel 18:5, 14 and 30. This is important because it demonstrates the core Proverbs principle: Proverbs 1:7 (NIV) "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Knowledge comes from the LORD, and wisdom is applied knowledge, since David is filled with the Spirit of God he was full of knowledge. The reason there was so much conflict between king Saul and David is because David was filled with the Spirit of God which had departed from Saul leaving upon him a distressing spirit which made him prone to anger, impulsivity, jealousy and ultimately a reinforcement of his rebellion and stubbornness. Filled with the Spirit of God despite his circumstances David's behavior is notable, imagine a y...