God answers prayer! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 23:26-28,

"Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, 'Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.' Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines."

Saul pursued David to kill him. While Saul was in pursuit, David prayed the Lord would deliver him from Saul's hand. David shared his prayer with us in Psalm 54:1-3, "Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me— people without regard for God."

As we read in 1 Samuel 23:26-28, the Lord saved him by bringing the Philistines against Israel, such that Saul had to break off his pursuit of David.

We read in James 5:16, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." David was a great man of faith and among those recognized as such in Hebrews 11. Each believer today is likewise righteous as David was, Romans 5:19.

What is your prayer today? How has the Lord answered your prayers?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God does not keep troubles from us - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 22:1-3,

"David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there... From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, 'Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?'"

Here we read of David being on the run. He was chosen by God to replace Saul as king over Israel and Saul sought to kill him. I note that David made his moves in order to avoid capture by Saul and had to approach where he stayed and what he did relative to the danger he was in.

However, I read that David was a man after God's own heart. David was loved by the Lord and chose him to lead his people. As Paul said in his sermon at Pisidian Antioch, "God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" Acts 13:22.

I have to ask the question, if God loved David so, why didn't he just deliver David from all of his troubles? At times you hear it said in the church today that God loves us and wants to bless us. He doesn't want us to be sick or poor or have troubles. And, then, the prayers follow, asking God to take our troubles from us, as we assume he doesn't want us to encounter trouble in our lives.

I think we have much to learn from the Scriptures. Paul reminds us, "Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." Romans 15:4. We are taught much about God in the Old Testament, a body of sacred literature that is often neglected to the loss of those who neglect it. It turns out David's experiences included the troubles this life has to offer and then some. We also read of God's involvement in David's life, but within, as opposed to "instead of" the troubles David faced. What we learn from the life of David is substantiated in the New Testament. God has no intention of keeping troubles from us. He equips us for troubles, he provides resources for us in our troubles, he makes himself available to us during our times of troubles... but he does not keep troubles from us.

Here is a passage to consider: "'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.' Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:5-11.

The assumption the Lord will keep troubles from us because he loves us is faulty thinking. Out of his love for us he allows us to struggle in the troubles that come our way so that we might be brought to spiritual maturity. As Jesus said in Revelation 3:19, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent."

Troubles are God's tools to grow us.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

How to become holy (a saint) - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 21:5b,

"The men's bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy."

This was David's response to Ahimelek the priest when David sought food as he was on the run from King Saul. In asking for bread from the priest, he was told the only bread available was the consecrated bread set out in the tabernacle. Before Ahimelek gave David the day-old consecrated bread, he wanted to be sure David's men were not "ceremonially unclean" by having had sex.

While David said they had not "defiled" themselves with women, he went on to say that the men's bodies in his command were "holy", (not ceremonially unclean), even if the mission they might be on was not holy.

The account brings to my mind the question, what exactly is it that makes one holy? Not just the body, but the whole person? What does it mean to be holy anyway?

Merriam-Webster defines "holy" as "connected to a god or a religion", "religious and morally good", "having a divine quality" among other definitions. From a biblical perspective, we might define holy as having a right standing with God, set apart for his purposes.

How do we become holy? The writer of Hebrews tells us, "we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:10. When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith we are made holy because of the sacrifice Jesus made on that miserable cross. He paid the penalty for our sins and when we place our faith and trust in him we are imbued with righteousness: made holy.

"Saint" means "holy one". The Roman Catholic church can do all their investigations into the life of one of their members and research how many miracles they performed and vote all they want. People cannot make anyone holy, including the Roman Catholic church or any other church. Only God does that and he does it through the cross of Jesus Christ.

All believers are saints. If you disagree, you will have to take it up with the writer of Hebrews. You will have to take it up with Paul as well. He told his Ephesian readers that God decided before the creation of the world that believers would be "holy and blameless in his sight." Ephesians 1:4.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The Jonathan dilemma - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 20:34,

"Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father's shameful treatment of David."

Look at these two proverbs, "A wise son heeds his father's instruction..." Proverbs 13:1a; and "Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old." Proverbs 32:22. Also, the fifth of the ten commandments, "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12.

Here we see Jonathan between a rock and a hard place. He was King Saul's son, and given the verses above, one might think he should have followed his father's wishes, his commands. Yet, Jonathan loved David as himself and found himself in the position of either honoring his father or providing safe haven for his friend David. Both could not be done as Saul purposed to take David's life, and Jonathan had to make his choice. A part of that choice included that Jonathan knew the Lord had decided to take the throne from his father Saul and give it to David, 1 Samuel 23:17.

As we read 1 Samuel, we might think Jonathan's allegiance to David was a no-brainer... however, view it from Jonathan's situation and from within the context of that situation. To provide safe haven for David, Jonathan would have to treat his father's desires and directions with contempt (well, at least subordinate them). Jonathan made his choice, and most of us would agree it was the right choice. Even though the Scriptures taught that a son is to honor his father, obey his parents, even when an adult, God's agenda took priority (and certainly Jonathan's love for David fostered his decision in a big way.)

We at times find ourselves in Jonathan's shoes. We might be told one thing in the Scriptures, and yet an alternative that appears to bear God's aggressive agenda presents itself. What to do?

While it is readily apparent that there are those who look for some "loop-hole" in the Scriptures to avoid some God-given responsibility and approach the Scriptures the way a lawyer might approach civil and criminal law (as in, can I divorce my wife? What do the Scriptures allow me to do?) There are others who legitimately encounter events that require a sifting of what it is God has said, and struggle to find what God would have them do. I'm thinking here of situations where, say, ungodly parents tell their teenager to curb their participation and interest in church, youth group, Bible study, etc.

These can often be difficult to wrestle with. I'm certain there are some good guidelines to follow when we find ourselves conflicted with differing directions in our efforts to live our lives for God. Seek godly counsel, insure we really understand what the Scriptures might be saying on more than one side of an issue, having a firm grasp on what the Lord's agenda is, his priories, etc. are all important.

God pursues his agenda (the building of his kingdom, his family) aggressively in the milieu of real life. As such, we surely need to know our God well, his Scriptures he has provided us, and learn to seek godly counsel when we are faced with a Jonathan dilemma.

We may pray along with Paul, "We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9-12.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The "secret" to David's many successes.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 19:5b,

"The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad."

We are all familiar with the story of David and Goliath. The small young David killed the combat-hardened and tactically equipped giant Goliath - with his sling.

Yet here we see Jonathon attributing the killing of Goliath to the Lord himself, "The Lord won a great victory..."

David was a man of faith, and as such he accomplished some amazing things. While David did those things, we cannot fail to recognize God's hand in them. The things people do out of their faith reflect the Lord of their faith. Earlier in the verse Jonathan observed, "He [David] took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine." The taking his life in his own hands was his placing his faith and trust in the Lord's hands, that the Lord would bring the victory.

Here is David's confidence in the Lord that he shared with King Saul when he set himself to fight Goliath, "The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." 1 Samuel 17:37. I am reminded of Proverbs 21:31, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord."

Whatever it is we are challenged with in life, we need to recognize that we have an awesome provider, protector, refuge and Savior in our Lord, one who can bring victory over those things we face. As we step out in faith and take on those challenges, we need to recognize the Lord, and of course, acknowledge him as we succeed in those challenges.

I suspect David would rather not be recognized as an expert marksman with his sling nearly as much as that he placed his faith and trust in the Lord who had brought him the many victories in life, whether over "the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear" or his many other struggles with Saul and others.

David, not a perfect man, was a man for us to emulate in his wonderful faith in the Lord. And, as great as that faith was, it is the Lord himself that brought his victories.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Self love- an a priori proposition to love others? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 18:1,

"After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself."

Some of the most ignorant of sermons I used to hear from time to time in years past would begin with the misguided proposition that unless we love our own selves, we cannot adequately love God or others. Therefore, we must learn to love ourselves first!

Reread 1 Samuel 18:1 again. Note that in order to help us understand the level of love Jonathan had for David, the Scriptures use the measure of self-love as a comparison to denote how deep this love was.

Loving oneself in the Scriptures is a given. We are told the problem with our sinful natures is that we love ourselves too much! We seek those things that gratify, that satisfy. Why? Because we love ourselves so much we often seek to please ourselves more than loving God and others. It has impact on the many ways we express our sinful nature.

It is self love that might cause us to find ourselves in the cross-hairs of passages such as Romans 2:8, "But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." Rejecting truth and following evil is part and parcel of "self-seeking", the very expression of self love.

Self love is the natural disposition of lost and fallen mankind. We only have to be born to find ourselves engrossed in our selves. Lets be honest here. In Galatians 5 we read that selfish ambition comes from our sinful nature, however, self-control is a gift we receive from the Holy Spirit as he does his work in our lives. Self control begins with a denying of that which our self-love wants to pursue.

When the church adopts the concepts provided from pop-culture and pop-psychology we find ourselves adrift, lost in the concepts this world is all to happy to send our way. Suicide, depression and the like can often (but not always) be rooted in the self-absorption that is brought by self love.

Lets look to the Scriptures for truth. Lets get over ourselves and begin to subordinate our natural self-love for love of God and love of one another. I never found a verse that exhorted us to love ourselves (if you have found one, please let me know). On the contrary, I find verses that look more like, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-13. This is something we can only do when we begin to deny ourselves, loose our self-absorption, and start focusing love on others.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

On misunderstanding - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 17:28,

"When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, 'Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.'"

This exchange took place when David brought supplies to his brothers and their commander as Israel fought the Philistines. David arrived to see the Philistine from Gath, Goliath, threaten the Israeli army. It appears that David was astonished to see Goliath bully Israel's troops and hearing there was a reward for the man that would kill Goliath, he asked his brothers and others about it.

Although David was only carrying out his father's wishes and it is evident that the Lord had arranged the whole matter, Eliab, David's brother completely misunderstood what David was about and why he was asking about the reward. Eliab ridiculed him, supposing he had come just to watch the battle. In his anger Eliab completely misunderstood David.

I am reminded of all the times I have misread events and things people have said around me - only later to discover that misinterpretation. I think it happens frequently as an expression of the sinful nature that dwells within. Often folks are predisposed to anger, hostility, jealousy and the like. As such, others are often mistaken for the worse. The shy and withdrawn are assumed to be arrogant and aloof. Altruistic efforts are seen as exploitative with hidden motives, even parents who attempt to train their children to be careful in a hostile world are often viewed as mean and over-controlling by their children. You get the drift.

Left to ourselves, it is a wonder that we are not continually at each others throats. Although this is not the case, nevertheless, it appears to me that misunderstandings are frequent. Because of this I am so grateful to the Lord for the things he provides us as we mature spiritually. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Where folks have matured spiritually, the opportunity for misunderstanding one another recedes greatly. How wonderful the gifts of spiritual maturity the Lord provides! 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

How well do you really know the Lord? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 16:14,

"Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil [or, "harmful"] spirit from the Lord tormented him."

Saul had earned the Lord's ire by rejecting him in the decisions he made as king of Israel. In the various accounts of Saul, we find him responding to events, not by faith in the Lord, but by the fear a lack of faith in the Lord generated within him.

Can the Lord - would the Lord - send anyone a harmful spirit? In King Saul's experience he did. It was bad enough that Saul and his attendants sought relief for Saul by hiring a musician to play for the king whenever this harmful spirit plagued him: David.

At the end of the chapter we read, "Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him." Verse 23. This spirit plagued Saul for quite some time.

I suspect many of us might assume the Lord would never do such a thing, but that is not true. The Lord has his own agenda and chooses to do things his way. I believe we have here an example of something many might find new and disquieting - as it challenges an understanding  we may have of the Lord, an understanding brought about, not so much by reading God's revelation of himself, but by simple assumption in the ways and acts of the Lord.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

War: a tool in the Lord's toolbox? - Ruminating in the word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 15:2-3,

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"

The Lord instructed Israel to go make war and totally destroy the Amalekites in a great genocide. Maybe we should look at that again: The Lord told Samuel to go tell King Saul of the Israelites to take his army and go attack the Amalekites, who were not threatening Israel at the time, and destroy them. The last we heard of the Amalekites threatening Israel was back in the day of Gideon in Judges 7 (unless I have missed something... which I do on occasion). The reason for this military incursion was the treatment of the Israelites by the Amalekites when "they came up from Egypt".

Why did the Lord instigate a war? Why did he instigate a genocide? Why didn't he just destroy the Amalekites as he did Sodom and Gomorrah or some other way directly without instigating combat, a military fight, a war between nations?

I recall, shortly after President George W. Bush invaded Iraq, that many denominations and Christian organizations felt compelled to draft their own statements on what constituted a "just war". The concept of a "just war" seemed to be in vogue at the time and I recall the one posted by the Southern Baptist Convention and others. None of the statements would have sanctioned what the Lord had King Saul do.

And, yet, by very definition, when the Lord asks us to do anything, whatever it may be will always be "just". It will always be appropriate. It will always be holy. It will always be righteous.

For all those among the anti-war crowd that fashion themselves as believers, for those within denominations that consider themselves as religious conscientious objectors as Christians toward any war  I suggest a closer reading of the Scriptures. It seems we all too often think we know about God, we assume what he is like -- and we haven't done our due diligence in studying what it is God has revealed of himself to us.

I am certainly not suggesting that all war is good or that the Lord would sanction any particular war. What I am saying is that if the Lord commanded his people to go to war, then we cannot say that war, in and of itself is wrong, or that it is a last resort, or anything of the kind. War among nations is simply another tool in the Lord's toolbox as he pursues his agenda. 

Let's read our Bibles and equip ourselves with truth and divest ourselves of what we think the Scriptures say. It has certainly been a challenge for me over the years. I am constantly admonished by the Scriptures!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 14:6,

"Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."

These words, spoken by Jonathon, referred to his trust in God, that if it be God's desire to save, nothing could prevent it. Jonathon was speaking in terms of military victory, but it brings to my mind another kind of "saving".

All mankind, each and every one of us, is condemned to spend eternity under God's judgment, in what the Scriptures liken to a "fiery lake of burning sulfur", Revelation 21:8. The cause for this judgment from God is that each and every one of us is born a sinner as we are all the offspring of a sinful and rebellious race of people. Additionally, whether we accept it or not, each and every one of us have sinned. "There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23.

But, surely, not the little children! Listen to David's words, "Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be." Psalm 58:3-5. Here is his son, Solomon's words, "Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright?"

We are all sinful, and as our God is just and fair, we are assured he will do right by those who have been denied a wonderful opportunity he has provides us to be saved by him. (Think the aborted, those born with severe cerebral palsy and the like.)

However, for the rest of us, God has made a way. A way to be saved from his own judgment of us for our sinful condition. In his unfathomable love for us he has made a way that provides us entry into his family with a standing of holiness and righteousness in his presence. In his love he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to die on that miserable cross to pay the penalty for our sins that we not have to spend an eternity in that fiery lake of burning sulfur. His voluntary death on our behalf is credited to our account in the courtroom of God for our sins and our sinful condition. However, although that payment is good for all the sins of all mankind for all time, that deposit of payment for our sins is only made if we embrace Jesus Christ in faith. He leaves the choice to us. Some of us have appropriated his forgiveness while others have rejected it.

It is God's desire, and nothing can hinder him from saving!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

What faith does not look like - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 13:5-8,

"The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand
chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the
sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth
Aven. When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and
that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets,
among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed
the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and
all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days,
the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's
men began to scatter."

Here is what faith does not look like. Tested faith requires
circumstances that are impossible, faced in an unshakable trust in
what God can and will do. Saul and his army looked at the overwhelming
strength and equipment of their foes, hid in caves, ran away and
quaked in fear. This is what faith is not.

How is faith manifested in our lives today? God tells us that he will
work all things for good for those who love him, Romans 8:28. This
does not mean that believers will not face the fearful. In fact, we
are told we will. However, being fully convinced that God will work
all things for our good both proves, and expresses our faith. God has
made his promise to us and he has the power and the will to fulfill
all of his promises.

Whether we face our own death, or the death of a loved one, whether we
face financial ruin, the loss of a job or we are incapacitated in one
way or another, whether we struggle in our concerns for wayward
children or spouses, no matter what it is we feel challenged with in
life, we manifest and prove our faith by facing these things in the
confidence of God's power to work these things for our good.

Expecting God to keep these challenges from us is both misguided and
presuming upon God. In fact, he is often the one responsible for
bringing challenges and difficulties our way, for our own good, one
way or another. "Those whom I [Jesus Christ] love I rebuke and
discipline." Revelation 3:19a. "No discipline seems pleasant at the
time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of
righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11.

As we face those difficult challenges in life, we need to take heart,
face them with the courage in knowing our God is faithful, and trust
in his promise to us.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just
respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Sinning by not doing something? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 12:23a,

"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you."

Samuel was the last judge, or leader, God appointed for Israel prior to having a human king placed over them. Of the responsibilities Samuel had, praying for the people was one of them, and here he makes clear it would have been sinful to not pray for them.

Here a sin is not doing something, as opposed to doing something God declares is sinful. We refer to these kinds of sins as "sins of omission." Failing to do something God expects us to do is sinful.

I am reminded that followers of Jesus Christ have responsibilities as well, and it turns out that if we fail to pray for others, it is sinful. Our role in the world, as believers, is one of being a priest. Each and every believer in Jesus Christ has been appointed by God to be a priest, "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4. In speaking to believers, he goes on to say, "you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." Verses 9-10.

The primary responsibility of a priest is to represent the people to God, One such way is to pray for one another. as we are told in Ephesians 6:18, "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

Just as it would have been a sin for Samuel to fail to pray for the Israelites, so, I am convinced, it would be a sin for us to fail to pray for one another. "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them." James 4:17.

When was the last time you prayed for one another?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Aggresive use of force among nations - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 11:1-2,

"Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, 'Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.' But Nahash the Ammonite replied, 'I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.'

What a tight spot to be in! The Ammonites attacked the Jews in Jabesh Gilead with the intent of destroying it and killing all its people. Unable to withstand the attack, the men of that city sought to save their lives by surrendering to Nahash. Seeing an opportunity to bring disgrace on all of Israel, Nahash's terms were to put out the right eye of all the Jews in that town. I'll make you look it up to see how this turns our for the folks of Jabesh Gilead.

Israel had a long history with the Ammonites. The Ammonites were descendants from the incestuous pregnancy of Lot's younger daughter with Lot, Genesis 19:38. Years later after Lord freed the Israelites from Egypt to take them into Palestine, he told the Jews he was not going to give any of the Ammonites' land to them, Deuteronomy 2:19. However, Moses gave "half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer...." to the Jewish tribe of Gad, Joshua 13:25. As we read on in the history of Israel, we find the Israelites and the Ammonites at war with one another at various times, and, at times, at the instigation of God, see Judges 10:6-10.

What I note this morning is the conflict among nations. Here is an account of international conflict that took place over three millenia ago. As I keep abreast of today's news, I see nothing has changed. And, given mankind's sinful nature and God's agenda in drawing us to himself, conflict among nations will always be a reality in this age.

I can't help but think of the naivete of the anti-war movements we have seen over the years. In abject ignorance today, we have folks who fail to understand that this world is controlled by the aggressive use of force, whether instigated by God or sinful man.

Perhaps there are lessons here we can learn from the Israelites... after all, God has provided a history for us in his word to learn from. "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us..." Romans 15:4.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Are we God's marionettes? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 10:6-7,

"The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you [Saul], and you will prophesy with them [a procession of prophets]; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you."

As Samuel anointed Saul as Israel's first human king he told him of some of the events that would attend his coronation. One of them would be the amazing thing that the Lord's Spirit would "come powerfully" upon him.

Later, in verses 9-10 we read, "As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying."

God changed Saul's heart! The "Spirit of God came powerfully upon him"! This, to me is an amazing thing. Just how did the Holy Spirit come upon Saul? Was it such that now Saul was something of a marionette, without the free will to make his own choices? Or, did Saul retain his own volition to pursue what he thought best?

The answer lies in Samuel's words, "do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you." God's Spirit would now be upon Saul, and with the empowerment and abilities this provided Saul, Saul was nonetheless to make his decisions and order his life just as Samuel directed.

What we find is that although Saul had benefit of the Holy Spirit now residing within him, and even gifting him with the ability to prophecy, Saul was not a man who personally placed his faith and trust in God. We see this time and again in the accounts of Saul where he ordered his life, not on the basis of faith in God, but on the basis of the circumstances he found himself in. Saul was a man who allowed his life to be dictated by his circumstances. This would lead to God replacing Saul with David to lead the nation. "'You [King Saul] have done a foolish thing,' Samuel said. 'You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command.'" 1 Samuel 13:13-14.

Perhaps this helps us a bit in understanding of both the inviolability our Creator, in his transcendent sovereignty, has established in regard to our own free wills he himself has given us, as well as how having the Holy Spirit coming upon us effects that inviolability. I can't think of a better example in all of Scripture that illustrates for us the juxtaposition of God's sovereignty in our lives and the free will he has bequeathed to us.

Although God may bring things into our lives to effect his purposes, a careful reading of the Scriptures reveals he has never intended us to be his marionettes.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Need access to God? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 9:9,

"Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, 'Come, let us go to the seer,' because the prophet of today used to be called a seer."

Among the things this verse points to, such as the realization that 1 and 2 Samuel were written, or at least compiled, some time after Samuel's day (at least long enough later such that some of the words in the culture had changed) is the point that if anyone wanted to inquire of God, an intermediary had to be used. A person had to bring an inquiry to God through someone appointed for the task. If you lost your donkeys and wanted God's help, you had to go to the "seer".

I am reminded that we live in a wonderful age when we can approach our God directly without the need for a third person as a mediator. We don't have to find a priest, a pastor, a prophet, or anyone else. Believers have direct access to God! Each and every one of us! No need to be concerned that we come up with a "gift" for some go-between in order to approach God as Saul had to be, "Saul said to his servant, 'If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?'" Verse 7.

This access to our Creator God has been provided us through Jesus Christ. Those who have rejected Jesus Christ don't have it, while those who have embraced Jesus Christ have direct access! We are told that Jesus Christ has provided us this opportunity by making believers acceptible (holy!) when we place our faith and trust in him, "For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10: 14. "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19-22.

Listen to the writer of Hebrews, "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16. Also, "There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people... Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands..." 1 Timothy 2:5-8.

When it comes to access to God, we don't need a pope! When it comes to access to God, we don't need a priest! When it comes to access to God, we don't need a pastor! When it comes to access to God, we don't need an elder! When it comes to access to God, we don't need a seer or a prophet! We don't need the TV evangelists, we don't need theologians, when it comes to access to God we don't need all those authors of the popular Christian books...

All we need is Jesus Christ!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Samuel's and Eli's boys: convenant children? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 8:1-3,

"When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel's leaders. The
name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah,
and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not follow his ways.
They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and
perverted justice."

In his article, "The Covenant of God and the Children of Believers",
professor David J. Engelsma proclaimed that the children of all who
share in the covenant of God are automatically inducted into the fold
of those with good standing in that covenant. If the parents got
saved, the children are automatically saved - without reference to the
need for personal choice, personal faith on the part of the children.
If that be so, one wonders where all the Christians are in Europe
today from the bygone Christian era of that continent - if each
succeeding generation is saved by the covenant relationship enjoyed by
the previous one. Simple math brings the concept into question, let
alone the dearth of Scriptural support for such theological nonsense.

Apparently Engelsma missed the account of Samuel's boys. So too Eli's
sons. It is always fascinating to me to read theologians who logically
argue themselves into nothing the Scriptures have to say. Oh, the
covenant child thing is only for the "new covenant"? Better let Paul
know about that. He was filled with joy over Timothy, not because he
was the son of Eunice (and therefore a partaker in the covenant), but
because Paul had been "persuaded" that the faith that Eunice had, had
now been evidenced in Timothy's life, 2 Timothy 1:5.

In any event, Samuel's boys were no Samuel. Samuel was reared by the
high priest Eli, who himself had boys that were just as worthless.
Samuel was God's man, God's selection to be Israel's last judge and
Israel's king-maker. I note that it was Samuel's move to appoint his
worthless sons as his successor.

This appointment by Samuel of his sons to lead Israel was the impetus
for the nation to demand a king to rule over Israel. Rather than
suffering leaders those who "turned aside after dishonest gain and
accepted bribes and perverted justice" (something our fellow
countrymen know of all too much today), they demanded Samuel appoint a
king for Israel before his death, "So all the elders of Israel
gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, 'You
are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to
lead us, such as all the other nations have.'" 1 Samuel 8:4-5.

To be sure, the Israelites made this request because they had rejected
God, "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you
[Samuel] they have rejected, but they have rejected me [the Lord] as
their king." 8:7. However, look at the foolishness these worthless
sons of Samuel added to the national turmoil that sin wreaked on
Israel.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just
respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Turning to the Lord results in abandoning some things - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 7:3,

"If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."

As Samuel told the Israelites that their repentance, their turning back to God, needed to be accompanied by personal choices that reflected that returning to the Lord, I am reminded that our claims of embracing the Lord need to be accompanied by choices we make as well.

A claim to turn to the Lord is a hollow one if not attended with choices that reflect that claim. Just as the Israelites that claimed to be returning to the Lord needed to express that claim by turning from other objects of worship, so we must insure that our claims of embracing the Lord are expressed by turning from those things that are anathema to God as we turn to him. We can hardly make the claim of a turn unless a change in direction is taken.

This is the very meaning of repentance. Turning from one course to another. If we claim "Jesus as Lord" then those things in our lives that do not reflect his lordship in our lives must go. 

I am reminded of Peter's quotation of Psalm 34, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 1 Peter 3:10-12.

It is not as though we are saved by turning from whatever sin or evil may have been a part of our lives prior to embracing the Lord. However, we can't make the claim we have turned to him if that turning didn't result in a turning from those things that kept us from him in the first place.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Whenever God slew them, they would seek him - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 6:3-4,

"'If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it back to him without a gift; by all means send a guilt offering to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand has not been lifted from you.' The Philistines asked, 'What guilt offering should we send to him?'"

Here the leaders of the godless Philistines sought advice on how to please the God of the Israelites. Compare their concerns with the outlook of the priests that served God at the altar in Israel, "Eli's sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord." 1 Samuel 2:12. Eli was the high priest in Israel and his sons, those who were to follow him and were already serving at the altar "were scoundrels." As we read the accounts of Israel's history, we are not surprised.

What brought about the difference in outlook between the godless idolatrous priests of the Philistines (reverence for God) and that of  the priests of Israel (contempt for the things of God)? Without question it was the judgment God had brought upon the Philistines. After having captured the ark of God, where ever the ark rested among the Philistines, disaster from God fell upon them.

"The Lord's hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors. When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, 'The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.'" 5:6-7.

"But after they had moved it, the Lord's hand was against that city [Gath], throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, 'They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.' So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, 'Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.' For death had filled the city with panic; God's hand was very heavy on it. Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven." 5:9-12.

It wasn't/isn't just Israel and Philistia, it is all mankind. All wander from the Lord and hold his ways in contempt. Just look at our nation today. The Lord's response, when he chooses to turn a nation around or get their attention, is to bring them difficulty, hardship and at times devastation. Exactly how he dealt with the Philistines and Israel.

When we pray, and ask God for a great movement in our land, to turn the national focus on him and bring revival, do not expect lilies and tulips to start sprouting. Do not expect some mysterious "pixie-dust" to be sprinkled by the Holy Spirit... expect the things we read of in God's dealings with the nations we have recorded for us in the Scriptures.

The Lord has no problem at all in getting our attention and manipulating our national outlook. But he does things his way. He knows us and he knows how to get things done. I am reminded of Psalm 78:32-35, "In spite of all this, they [the Israelites] kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror. Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer."

This is the way of our Lord with sinful mankind.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com