“So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance.” – 1 Chronicles 10:13

King Saul is an interesting little dead-end path along Israel’s journey to being a kingdom. The first king of Israel, Saul is the perfect illustration of what happens when God removes His restraining hand of grace to give sinful people exactly what we ask for. Israel rejected God’s kingship over them and demanded a king like all the neighboring countries. So, God literally gave them a king just like those of their neighbors. Tall, good looking, good at fighting, eager to grab more and more power and wealth for himself and his family. Oppressive. Mentally unstable. Paranoid. Disobedient to God’s Law. Spiritually bankrupt. Willing to dabble in demonic spiritual powers rather than submit to God. Just like neighboring kings!

Saul wasn’t intended to start a long-term dynasty. Genesis 49 makes it clear that the kings of Israel would come from the tribe of Judah, not Benjamin, where Saul came from. Saul was an object lesson to Israel. A reminder of the importance of seeking God’s will rather than demanding that their will be done. A temporary punishment who helped Israel understand the difference between their ideas and God’s. Between a man with a human-centered heart and a man after God’s heart.

And yet, it took decades for all this to sort out and for King David to gain the throne of Israel. Decades! Sometimes, God will discipline His people by giving us exactly what we ask for, then require us to live with that for an extended period of time. Getting what we demand from God can be one of the hardest things to endure! So, if you find yourself distant from God in a place of unrepentant sin, be careful what you demand from God. He just might give it to you! Rather than chase the disordered desires of a sinful heart, simply #FollowJesus

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night”
– Psalm 92:1-2

The heading on this psalm says it’s for the sabbath, but there’s nothing about these verses that should be limited to just one day per week! It is good to give thanks to the Lord for every blessing, large and small, every day! It is good to sing praise to the name of the Lord every day. And throughout the day. God is worthy of it all!

Many believers set aside a “quiet time” at some point each day for prayer, Bible reading, and meditation. That’s excellent and important. However, these verses remind us of the value of “praying without ceasing” as the Apostle Paul commanded. Making time to remember and praise God throughout the day. Dwelling on and proclaiming God’s steadfast, loyal, faithful love in the mornings and His faithfulness in the evenings. Praising God for guarding your sleep and waking you up each morning and thanking Him for walking with you throughout each day.

Recognizing and celebrating the active presence of God in your life is a powerful habit. It completely changes your outlook on life to know, with every fiber of your being, that you aren’t alone as you face the challenges and hazards of each day. To remember that God was with you as you battled yesterday’s obstacles. To remind yourself that He will be with you today. And to assure yourself that He will be with you tomorrow, unless He brings you to be with Him. #FollowJesus

“I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” – Luke 18:8

Jesus’ conclusion to the parable of the persistent widow may seem a bit cryptic. In truth, His question is quite straightforward. Having taught the importance of persistence in prayer for God’s will and justice to be done, day after day, week after week, year after year, Jesus asks whether any of His followers will really persevere? With our short attention spans and hearts that are easily distracted and deceived, will there be any true, patient, prayerful, Christ-like followers of Jesus when He returns?

Jesus promised He would bring His perfect justice in His perfect timing when He returns in power and glory. That should be enough for us. The Bible is emphatic about this. Nonetheless, will followers of Jesus hold firmly to faithful prayer in the face of prolonged injustice and persecution. Will we live, love, and pray in the way of Jesus until that glorious day when He returns?

This isn’t an abstract question! In our own culture, we see many claiming to be Christians, yet arguing that the teachings of Jesus aren’t adequate. They claim that Christians need to be forceful and violent. They reject ideas like turning the other cheek, praying for enemies, and loving them as foolish, antiquated, or “woke”. Some loud voices in modern American Christianity actively advocate for anti-Christian ideas, including an impatience with prayer for God’s justice to be done and an urgency to deliver human justice now by force.

When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith in earth? Real faith like He taught rather than human faith dressed up with the name of Jesus? It’s a critical question for these perilous times! #FollowJesus

“Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” – Psalm 49:20

Yes we are! We can certainly think very highly of ourselves. We can be thoroughly pleased with our accomplishments and attainments. We can delight in fortunes, kingdoms, and empires that we build through our efforts and ingenuity. And yet, apart from saving knowledge of the Lord, we’re no different than a proud animal, the master of its own domain, living large until it dies. We, too, will pass away. When we do, all that we’ve gathered or built will fall into the hands of another. Most likely, it will quickly crumble, fall, or fade away.

We are too easily impressed by the handful of years we have on earth and too little impressed by the infinity of years stretching beyond this life. If we understood eternity properly and how it compares to our few decades on this earth, we’d completely change our priorities. The Kingdom we’d focus on building would be Christ’s, not ours. The following we’d seek to gather would be an abundance of brothers and sisters in Christ who will enjoy eternity with us. The treasure we would desire to amass would be treasure in heaven rather than earth. We would fully devote ourselves to things that will truly last forever.

So, where do your priorities lie? The world in front of you today or the eternity in front of you forever? #FollowJesus

“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.” – Luke 15:21-22

In His famous parable, Jesus contrasts how we imagine God’s forgiveness and how His forgiveness actually works. We’re like that prodigal son. Once we reach the end of ourselves and recognize our vile and destructive rebellion against God’s will, we reluctantly turn to God. In doing so, we focus on our failure. We dwell on our guilt and shame. We reason about what we deserve and we try to negotiate reasonable terms given our unreasonable behavior.

But God isn’t like that at all! He’s like the father in this parable. When we turn to Him in repentance and faith in Jesus, God is overjoyed, not guarded. He isn’t focused on negotiation or recrimination. He’s focused on full restoration. He’s focused on lavish celebration. He’s focus on showering us with love. At that time, the robe, ring, and shoes were all symbols of the restoration of the family relationship. The prodigal’s father delightedly welcomed his son back into the family, embracing him, and holding nothing back from him, despite his past rebellion and contempt toward him. He simply loved his son who had returned at last.

That’s what God offers everyone through faith in Jesus Christ. Every sin completely forgiven. The relationship each person was made to enjoy with their Creator restored in peace, joy, and love. Adoption in the divine family. No recrimination and no condemnation because Jesus already dealt with all that on the cross. Only a welcome and celebration that will never end. #FollowJesus