FORGIVING OUR GRIEF-GIVERS -- Part 3 of 3

Based on 1 Samuel 24.

David faced Saul the way he faced Goliath – by facing God more so.  When the soldiers in the cave urged David to kill Saul, look who occupied David’s thoughts:  “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord” (I Samuel 24:6).

When David called out to Saul from the mouth of the cave, “David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down” (24:8).  Then he reiterated his conviction:  “I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed” (24:10).

In the second scene, during the nighttime campsite attack, David maintained his belief:  “Who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” (26:9).

In these two scenes I count six times when David called Saul “the Lord’s anointed.”  Can you think of another term David might have used?  Buzzkill and epoxy brain come to my mind.  But not to David’s.  He saw, not Saul the enemy, but Saul the anointed.  He refused to see his grief-giver as anything less than a child of God.  David didn’t applaud Saul’s behavior; he just acknowledged Saul’s proprietor – God.  David filtered his view of Saul through the grid of heaven.  The king still belonged to God, and that gave David hope.

-- Max Lucado in “Facing Your Giants”

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DEVELOPING CONVICTIONS

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.”  (1 Peter 1:24-25a NIV)

Reading the Bible can be compared to flying over a city in an airplane or helicopter. We see the general layout of the city: major buildings, rivers, parks, and other landmarks. We miss much of the detail…

Whereas reading can give us an overview, Bible study opens up the details of a passage and how it relates to the whole teaching of Scripture. We compared reading as an aerial view of a city. Bible study is like driving through the city, learning street names and locating the supermarket, bank, and post office. We learn to be “at home” in the city -- we know our way around. Bible study puts the teachings of Scripture together for us so that we get a clear picture of specific truths. Bible study develops convictions…

Bible reading and Bible study each play a distinctive role in sharpening and deepening our Christian lives and ministries. 

-- From “Growing Strong in God’s Family: A Course in Personal Discipleship to Strengthen Your Walk with God”

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ASSURANCE AND CONVICTION

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  (Hebrews 11:1 NRSV)

Nothing is more difficult, when we see our faith derided by the whole world, than to direct our speech to God only, and to rest satisfied with this testimony which our conscience gives us, THAT HE IS OUR GOD.  And certainly it is an undoubted proof of genuine faith, when, however sore the assaults by which we are shaken, we hold fast this as a fixed principle, that we are constantly under the protection of God, and can say to Him freely, THOU ART MY GOD.

-- John Calvin

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PRE-DECISIONS

“Each person should do as he has decided in his heart...”  (2 Corinthians 9:7a)

The most important decisions you make are pre-decisions.  Pre-decisions are the decisions you make before you have to make the decision.  And they help you make the right decision when you have to make a tough decision.  If you don’t make pre-decisions, you’ll end up making lots of bad decisions because you’ll cave in to your circumstances instead of sticking to your convictions.

-- Mark Batterson in “PRIMAL: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity”


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YOUR GOOD DEEDS

"Your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."  (Matthew 6:4b)

God is the note-taking heavenly observer.  He knows about the time you bit your tongue when you could have contributed to a rumor.  He takes notice every time you greet a stranger or visit a person in the hospital or prison.  Every secret act of character, conviction, and courage has been observed in living color by our omniscient God.

You always have an audience.  In every activity and in every conversation God is present, and He says, "I saw it.  Carry on!  Do it again.  I am going to reward you.  I am going to repay you.  You have not been working in vain."

Obviously your good deeds won't make God love you more (His love for you is operating at "full strength" already), but it's good to know He celebrates your good deeds -- even when they go unnoticed by others.

-- Bill Hybels in The God You're Looking For

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THE COMPASSION OF THE CROSS

"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death -- even death on a cross!"  (Philippians 2:1-8 NIV)

Rick Warren has observed, "Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate." Jesus didn't. He demonstrated that on the cross.


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