Down an Unfamiliar Road

HAPLESS BUT NOT HOPELESS –

As David slowly ambled on the road over the Mount of Olives, while leaving Jerusalem during Absalom’s rebellion, his heart was already aching with misery and discouragement. He left the city reluctantly, but knew he had to get out before Absalom got there with his band of rebels. After Absalom arrived in Jerusalem and discovered his father was gone, he took off after him, chasing him to the banks of the Jordan River. On the other side David found a city of refuge about 10 miles further east along the Jabbok River in Gilead named Mahanaim. This is where Jacob has his vision of angels going up and down the ladder to heaven, and where he wrestled with an angel. Here David would also wrestle with disappointment and shame, proving to be one of the most humiliating times in David’s life, but he wasn’t about to let it become a hopeless situation.

“O One True God, if You are listening please respond to my plea. I’m calling out to you far from home, and I admit I’m getting scared. You’ve got to find me a hideaway higher up than where I am so I can’t be captured. You’ve always helped me cope before, and given me the assurance I need to stand firm. Oh, if only I could find a place of worship and run to the altar; to be surrounded by Your presence. You know the vows I’ve made to You, and You are known for granting the requests of those who worship You for who You are. Don’t let this be the end for me; let me carry on serving You for years to come. I always want to be under the anointing of my One True God; I can make it if I know You love me and will give me victory. So when I get my life back in order, I will never stop praising You for who You are, as I continue serving You day after day.” Psalm 61:1-8

Reflection: William Cowper was a great English poet, but was known for being physically and emotionally unfit to pursue any profession. Although he won admission to the bar, he never practiced law. After a severe battle with depression he retired to the British countryside in a village named Olney. It was there he met John Newton, the writer of “Amazing Grace.” Life did not get any easier for Cowper as he battled periods of deep depression and more than once considered suicide. Yet his faith in God brought him through time and time again. This inspired him to write a poem titled, “Light Shining out of Darkness,” which contains these inspiration words often quoted today as scripture: “God moves in a mysterious way; His wonders to perform.” There’s little doubt that David experienced God moving in a mysterious way to accomplish His will for David’s life. But David refused to let that discourage him to the point that he gave up and surrendered. While he fervently dealt with his immediate problems with one hand, he held tightly onto God with the other. Like Cowper, David was inspired to write a poem in order to give comfort to others. So let every believer be reminded that what they say during times of trial and tribulation may become the words that inspire those who follow them to remain steadfast and firm in their faith. This is possible when you remember that the God you serve is also steadfast, firm and committed to carrying out His will and purpose for your life. So no matter how frail we are as humans, it never diminishes the greatness of our God.

LEARNING THINGS THE HARD WAY –

Sometimes David allowed his emotions get ahead of his thinking. When Nahash, king of Ammon, died David wanted to pay his respects to the man who once gave him refuge from King Saul. But David apparently ignored the fact that year’s earlier Nahash threatened to gouge out one eye of every Israeli man in Jabesh Gilead unless they willingly served him as slaves. So David’s sympathy for this tyrant offended the people of Jabesh and caused a rift throughout Israel. It also caused him great humiliation, when the son of Nahash took the envoys he sent to convey his condolences, shaved off halve their beards, cut off half their clothes and sent them back in disgrace.

“O One True God, You have rebuked us as a nation; it’s like we are being torn apart. We realize now You didn’t like the way things were done; so please let us be friends again. Our society has suffered a moral earthquake; ripping us to pieces. Please do something to bring us back together again before everything caves in on us. You permitted things to fall apart so You could teach us a lesson; and what You allowed to happen plunged our country into confusion. Still, those who love and respect You have a banner to rally around in the name of truth. So for those You love, use Your power and Your influence to bring them back their freedom; let that be Your answer to my prayer.” Psalm 60:1-5

Reflection: Aesop, the great Greek story teller, once told about a mule being led by his master down a mountain trail to the village below. From the road high above the town the mule spotted his stall at the foot of the mountain, and figured the quickest way to get there was by going over the side of the cliff. When he started to leap over, his master caught him by the tail and tried to pull him back to safety. But the stubborn mule was determined to get there his way and kept straining hard against his master’s efforts. Finally in desperation the master said, “Okay, you wild beast, do it your way” as he let go of the tail. The mule jumped and tumbled head over heels down the mountain side. It doesn’t take a genius to see the moral of this story, and it may be the source for our famous English saying: “Stubborn as a mule.” But believe it or not, this incident is repeated day after day by those who will not listen to reason or friendly advice because they’ve made up their minds to do things out of emotion rather than wisdom, and ignore the common sense of those who’ve been through the same circumstances. That’s what happened to David in his case with Nahash king of Ammon. But God chose to let him learn a lesson the hard way without abandoning him. God knows how we acquire knowledge that we respect and follow, and in spite of the bumps and bruise we get, He also knows it will make us wiser and more open to advice the next time. So the next time your stubbornness causes you to fall flat on your face, get up, thank the Lord for the lesson, and continue on your way determined to listen the next time.

DON’T BE A CRY BABY –

David was on the mountain top of popularity. This young lad from Bethlehem had just brought down a menacing Philistine giant named Goliath, causing all Israel to rejoice. King Saul invited him to come live in the royal confines at Gibeah. He became best friends with Saul’s son Jonathan. He was adored by all as a hero. But when Saul heard the crowds singing and cheering David as a champion, he became jealous and began plotting David’s demise. The sudden change was a shock to David, so he went to God for an answer and guidance on how to cope with this unexpected change in his life.

“O my One True God, I can’t survive without You; You’ve got to protect me from those attacking me. These evil people are out for blood and I need You to defend me. I didn’t offend or harm these people, so I can’t see why they attack me without warning, and for no reason in order to ruin my life. They came up with this idea on their own; I didn’t do anything to provoke it. You’ve got to do something quick; I need for You to get involved. That’s why O LORD Eternal, O One True God of Heaven’s Armies, yes, the One True God of true believers, I’m leaving it up to You to hold them accountable; don’t let them get by with this when they pretend to be innocent. They remind me of stray dogs who roam around the city at night snarling and foaming at the mouth as cutting words drip from their lips because they don’t think anyone is paying attention to them. As for You, O LORD Eternal, their actions make You shake Your head because You have no time for such nonsense. And because You are my Champion I’ll just wait for You to intervene; yes, my One True God is my only need for protection. For as my faithful One True God, You won’t let me down; in fact, You will make it possible for me to have the last laugh at my opponents. As for me, I will begin each day singing about Your power and love; how You came to my aid in times of trouble. And because You are my Champion I will sing about You; I will sing about my One True God who was there when I needed Him; yes, my One True God who never fails.” Psalm 59:1-10, 16-17

Reflection: A young pastor was chatting before service with one of the members in his new church in an effort to get better acquainted. Suddenly the man lowered his voice and in a let-me-tell-you-something-you-really-ought-to-know tone, and trying not to be too obvious he whispered discreetly into the pastor’s ear, “You see that member over there? He had too much to drink one day, drove his tractor through my fence, into my garden, and destroyed all my vegetables that were almost ready for harvesting! You need to watch out for him.” Later that week the pastor paid a visit to that “terrible farmer,” to find out what really happened. It turns out that the event mentioned took place over twelve years ago! But to hear the other man tell it you would think it took place just last week. The farmer who drove the tractor explained how he admitted his fault and apologized over and over to his neighbor, but to no avail. His neighbor didn’t want to give up the grudge he used over and over. Finally he just quit trying to reconcile with him. How many of us have had a similar experience. Perhaps we too have taken someone aside and told them to be careful with that man; or don’t trust that woman. Whatever the reason, our selfish intent is to point that other person out so they can be somehow kept in check and not attain too high a standing. Unfortunately, when people do this sort of thing they are saying more about themselves than the other person? In his prayer David was not trying to make King Saul look bad, just to get back at him. He was simply being open and honest with God about his feelings for being picked on for no reason. But in the end, he trusted His God to deal with King Saul; all David wanted was for God to give him the strength and grace he needed to put it all aside so he could get on with the mission the LORD had given to him. He knew if he didn’t get this out of the way, it would become a stumbling block. This can serve as an example for all of us in similar situations.

Proverbs 12:25-26 “The desire of the lazy man is what kills him, for his hands will not work. He is filled with desire all day long.” The venerable Jewish rabbi Moses Maimonides commented on this by saying, “It is because he neglects to seek the thing which might satisfy his desire, he does nothing but desire, and hopes to obtain a thing without using the means to reach it.” How many people have you met who want so much, but show no interest in obtaining any of it through hard work, commitment or patience? How many students want straight A’s, but cannot bring themselves to study? How many preachers want to be the very best expositors of the Word, but take no time to search the Scriptures? How many believers want to be used more by God, but find little time to train and prepare? The list goes on and on. So the next time you see something you want or need, or hear something you’d like to know more about just remember, chances are you’ll never get it or learn it unless you are willing to seek it with all your heart and energy. The rest of Solomon’s proverb ends like this, but the man who is right with God gives all he can.” – Dr. Robert R Seyda

WHAT’S IN A NAME – In 1852 an English Confectioner named Sam German was working for the Baker’s Chocolate Company, located in Lower Mills Village on the Neponset River between Dorchester and Milton, Massachusetts. He was experimenting with various blends of chocolate and came up with an interesting mix. The Baker Company execs were so impressed that they begin to produce and sell this chocolate bar, and in honor of it’s inventor named it “German’s Sweet Chocolate Bar.” It took over one hundred years before the first published recipe for what we now know as German’s Chocolate Cake showed up in a Dallas newspaper in 1957, and came from a Texas homemaker named Mrs. Marie Baca. But it became so popular that soon a cake mix was being produced and sold for German’s Chocolate Cake. It wasn’t long before in recipes and packaging the apostrophe was dropped from German’s, and it simply became “German Chocolate Cake.” Ask anyone today and they will tell you that German Chocolate Cake had its origin in Germany. But that could not be further from the truth. The same seems to be what has happened to the original spiritual formula once called the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was developed by none other than a Jewish prophet known as Jesus of Nazareth who ministered in the country of Israel over 2000 years ago. But over time the name Jesus Christ was dropped from the title and it simply became known as “The Gospel.” Even today there are certain ingredients missing in the recipe such as: virgin birth, Son of God, the Way, Truth and Life, sacrifice for sins, blood that cleanses from sin, and resurrection from death. As a matter of fact, many people sitting in pews think the recipe for the gospel was invented in England or the United States. In the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul left no doubt as to where the gospel he preached came from, “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (1:8). So it is important that we know the true identity of author of the gospel we preach and hear.

WHAT’S IN A NAME – In 1852 an English Confectioner named Sam German was working for the Baker’s Chocolate Company, located in Lower Mills Village on the Neponset River between Dorchester and Milton, Massachusetts. He was experimenting with various blends of chocolate and came up with an interesting mix. The Baker Company execs were so impressed that they begin to produce and sell this chocolate bar, and in honor of it’s inventor named it “German’s Sweet Chocolate Bar.” It took over one hundred years before the first published recipe for what we now know as German’s Chocolate Cake recipe showed up in a Dallas newspaper in 1957 and came from a Texas homemaker named Mrs. Marie Baca. But it became so popular, that soon a cake mix was being produced and sold for German’s Chocolate Cake. It wasn’t long before in recipes and packaging the apostrophe was dropped from German’s, and it simply became “German Chocolate Cake.” Ask anyone today and they will tell you that German Chocolate Cake had its origin in Germany. But that could not be further from the truth. The same seems to be what has happened to the original spiritual formula once called the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was developed by none other than a Jewish prophet known as Jesus of Nazareth who ministered in the country of Israel over 2000 years ago. But over time the name Jesus Christ was dropped from the title and it simply became known as “The Gospel.” Even today there are certain ingredients missing in the recipe such as: virgin birth, Son of God, the Way, Truth and Life, sacrifice for sins, blood that cleanses from sin, and His resurrection from death. As a matter of fact, many people sitting in pews think the receipt for the gospel was invented in England or the United States. In the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul left no doubt as to where the gospel he preached came from, “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (1:8). So it is important that we know the true identity of the gospel we preach and hear.

BEWARE THE FOG OF WORDS –

As David moved from camp to camp and cave to cave he began depending on locals and others who showed support for his cause. In so doing he let his guard down on occasions. While hiding in the hills of Hakilah among the Ziphites, whom he thought were his friends, little did he know that they had sent a messenger to King Saul to reveal his location. No wonder he was shocked and alarmed when 3000 troops sent by King Saul suddenly arrived to capture him. This betrayal left him hurt and somewhat bitter. But he knew it wasn’t his God who betrayed him, and his heavenly Father would never let him down. It certainly shook his trust in others, but it only strengthened his trust in the One who called and anointed him.

“Do politicians really mean what they say? Are judges truly without bias? No! Some knowingly consent to injustice, thereby promoting lawlessness throughout the land. Such evil-minded people are born that way; they are dishonest from the day they came out of the womb. Their words are like the venom of a poisonous snake; they act like vipers that pretend as though they don’t hear the sound of the snake-charmer’s flute no matter how skilled he may be in casting a spell. O One True God, take away their ability to hurt people with their words; O LORD Eternal, render them as harmless as a young toothless lion; let their influence be like water that quickly evaporates; and when they aim their sharp words of criticism, let those words become unintelligible. And may any effect they’ve had dissipate like the trail of a snail, and be dead on arrival like a fetus in miscarriage that never sees the light of day. Pull them out by the roots before they have a chance to grow any bigger so they can be blown away like a bramble bush by a whirlwind. Then those who live right will smile when such people get what’s coming to them, by putting them in their place. This will cause everyone to say, ‘It does pay to live right! There is such a thing as divine justice after all!’” Psalm 58:1-11

Reflection: On a foggy Friday morning, July 4, 1952, a young woman named Florence Chadwick waded into the cold waters off Catalina Island intending to swim the channel to the California coast. Earlier she became the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. Now the water was numbing and the fog so thick she could barely see the boats that accompanied her. She swam for more than 15 hours before finally asking to be taken out of the water. Her trainer tried to encourage her to keep going since they were getting close to land. But all Florence saw was the fog, and the water seemed to get colder and colder. After she got into the boat, she found out that she was only one more mile to go before she reached the shore. Too often many believers follow Florence’s example and give up on God’s destiny for their lives. Not because they are afraid, but because of the fog caused by peer pressure and the cold water of discouragement tire them out. When they don’t see any end to the discomfort these things cause, and with the uncertainty of success they let themselves begin to believe it’s impossible. David found himself in such a predicament, but refused to give up and allow his confusion to take control. He trusted the fact that God sent him out with a goal in mind and promised to go with him until he reached the finish line. The choice is ours, either believe God’s promise and be encouraged by His presence, or let our environment dictate our choices.

SENSING THE PRESSURE –

Even though he experienced many hardships during the time he fled from King Saul and his squad of assassins, these incidents proved to be some of the most inspirational opportunities for David to write his best heartfelt psalms. One such occasion occurred after David left Goliath’s home town of Gath and hid out in a cave near Adullam so his brothers could visit him in secret. We can only imagine how David must have felt sitting in such a dark and lonely place while trying to figure out why God was putting him through this type torment after anointing him as the next king of Israel. But he knew he could only reach the finish line if he kept going.

“O One True God, show me Your love. I need Your protection now; shelter me with Your presence until this storm passes by. That’s why I’m calling out to my One True God Most High; to the One True God who is always there when I need Him. I’m sure He will reach down from above and get me out of this situation brought on by those out to finish me off. There’s no doubt that my One True God will stand by me and prove that I am who He wants me to be. I feel like I’ve ended up in the midst of hungry lions; whose spears and arrows are like their teeth, and their tongue is like a deadly dagger. That’s why I need some help, O One True God. So from high up in the heavens give a sign for everyone to see. They tried to trick me so they could catch me, which really caused me a lot of anxiety, but they ended up only tricking themselves. So in my heart I’m determined to make it all the way, O One True God; yes, I’m determined to keep going so I can sing and worship You in songs of victory. So let’s get with it! Yes, let’s get our instruments so we can start out each morning with praise! I want to let Your praises ring so loud all can hear. For Your love reaches to the sky, and Your faithfulness beyond the clouds. O One True God, let people see the One I serve; yes, let the whole world see how fabulous You really are.” Psalm 57:1-11

Reflection: In September 1938, a man living on Long Island, NY, finally satisfied a longing ambition by purchasing a very expensive barometer to hang in his great room. When the instrument arrived on Tuesday the 20^th, he became very upset because the needle was apparently stuck on the sector marked “HURRICANE.” After shaking the barometer vigorously several times, he was unable to move the needle, so he sat down and wrote a scorching letter of criticism to the store from which the instrument came. Early the following rainy morning on Wednesday, September 21, 1938 he mailed the letter on the way to his office in New York. He fumed all day at work over waiting so long only to be disappointed. But later that evening after a lonely ride home on the train, he was even more devastated when he reached Long Island. Not only did he find his barometer was missing, but so was his house. Yes, the barometer was right after all! A hurricane did hit at 3:30 PM that afternoon just as the instrument predicted. In the same manner David kept checking the spiritual barometer God placed in his heart. Even though his fellow fighters felt he was all wrong, David trusted God’s instrument to guide his actions instead of misreading the elements of the situation he was in; or take the advice of those who didn’t know how he really felt and what he was actually going through. No wonder the New Testament tells believers to trust the barometer of the Spirit by walking in faith, not by sight. So why not trust the indicator God has placed in your heart, and let it become your guide to interpreting what kind of situation you might be facing and how God wants you to prepare for it, and how He plans to get you through.

JUST IN TIME –

David experienced a lot of turmoil in his flight from King Saul, but nothing compared to the time when he was informed by his best friend Jonathan, Saul’s son, that because he missed the New Moon Festival, King Saul was livid and threatened to punish him for it. Little did David know that Saul’s real anger was due to the fact by missing this festival it took away another chance for him to kill David. After hearing this, David borrowed Goliath’s old sword from the priest at Nob, and headed straight toward an 800 foot high mesa, known today as the Gaza Strip, right into Goliath’s home town of Gath, just to get away from Saul’s clutches. If he ever needed God’s protection and guidance, it was now.

“O One True God, please help me endure. There’s one man who doesn’t like me and wants to get rid of me, and it’s causing me so much stress. O Most High God, his men keep hunting for me day after day, trying to end my life; and there are a lot of them pursuing me. You know I always come to You when I’m afraid because I absolutely trust You. O One True God, I admire Your Word, and depend on every promise You’ve made; that’s why I’ll press on and do not worry about what these weaklings are trying to do to me. Every day it becomes more and more stressful because they are only out to make my life miserable. They have even devised a plan to ambush me by keeping track of every move I make so they can accomplish their task of taking my life. Let my constant escaping be their reward for such evil intentions, O One True God; then maybe they will become so upset they will call this whole thing off. You also keep track of where I’ve been and where I’m going; You’ve caught my tears in Your flask, in fact You have everything written down in Your ledger. So today as I call out to You, let my opponents turn around and leave; that way I’ll know that my One True God is on my side; yes, this One True God whose word I admire; the LORD Eternal whose word I cherish; the word that I trust without question; so I’m not going to worry about what humans are trying to do to me. I will continue paying my tithes and offerings to the One True God. After all, He’s the one who has saved me from dying and kept me from losing faith, that’s why I will continue walking side by side with my One True God; being happy that I’m alive.” Psalm 56:1-13

Reflection: As the sun begin setting on an isolated stretch of Florida beach, an old man with a curved back, bushy eyebrows, and bony cheek features, hobbled down to the shore carrying a bucket. He walked out on the pier to welcome a flock of seagulls that suddenly filled the sky. He took shrimp out of his bucket and threw them up into the air, on the dock, and all around him. Some seagulls landed at his feet, some on his shoulders, even one landed on his hat, joyfully eating the shrimp. However, long after all the shrimp ran out his feathered friends still lingered around until he left. That man was Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, the famous flying ace in WWII whose B-17 Flying Fortress went down in the Pacific Ocean around 2:30 PM, on Monday, October 19, 1942. Rickenbacker and his crew of eight drifted on two rafts for 24 days. They ran out of rations after 8 days. They fought hunger, thirst, the sun, and sharks. Yet, they never failed to have their devotions and prayer time every day. One day after devotions Rickenbacker leaned back and put his hat over his eyes to get some sleep. He felt something land on his hat and knew instantly it was a seagull. They were hundreds of miles out to sea and he wondered where the bird came from. He quickly grabbed it and with thanksgiving he and the crew ate the raw flesh. They used the intestines as bait to catch fish for food, until rescued on Friday, November 13^th, 1942. After returning to the States, Captain Rickenbacker showed his gratitude to that sacrificial bird by going out every week with a bucket of shrimp as his way of saying, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” In 1947 a six lane thoroughfare connecting Miami with Key Biscayne was built and named “Rickenbacker Causeway.” Sadly, few who drive over it today know the story behind its namesake. David found himself adrift in dangerous territory, but God miraculously delivered him, in a place where there were no altars or houses of worship dedicated to the God of Israel. That’s why after he returned to his home he wanted to show his gratitude by bringing God his tithes and offerings, and let everyone know that it was God, and God alone who delivered him; all because he trusted God’s Word without a single shred of doubt.

GIVE IT UP –

After Absalom killed his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar, Absalom fled to avoid possible repercussions from his father King David. After years of communicating that he wanted to reconcile, Absalom finally returned to Jerusalem. But he and his father didn’t speak to each other for two years. Finally David felt Absalom had suffered enough and gave him his freedom to come and go; little did David know that during this time his best friend Ahithophel had joined Absalom in plotted a rebellion against him. The whole thing would blow up in David’s face and put him through one of the most trying times of his life.

“O One True God, You’ve got to listen to me; I need to know that You hear me so I can get an answer from You. I’m sick and tired of the way those who call for my defeat are cheering each other on. It’s causing me more stress than I can handle, especially when I see how enthused they are about making me miserable. My heart is racing out of control and the thought of dying just numbs my mind. I’m shaking all over because I’m terrified of what will happen. If I could fly off like a bird to a hideaway somewhere, I’d go right now. At least I could have some peace of mind, having gotten out of this horrible situation. If it was someone I didn’t know who hated me so much, I could handle that; or if it was someone I just couldn’t stand, I’d stay out of their way. But it’s my best friend, my confidant, my trusted supporter; the one I confided in and worshiped with. So I’ve decided to put it all in Your hands O LORD Eternal, I know You can help me keep going. Because You will never let those who live for You lose hope.” Psalm 55:1-8, 12-14, 22

Reflection: Rev. Charles A. Tindley, the son of slaves owned by southern plantation landlords, taught himself to read and write by age seventeen. He worked as a janitor at the Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia while attending night school. It wasn’t long before he became pastor of that same church. By the time he died in 1933, over 12,500 members attended services there each week. Because of his struggles, he was inspired to write a song entitled, “I’ll Overcome Someday.” The civil rights movement in the U.S. chose that song early on as its anthem and it became known as, “We Shall Overcome.” During his pastorate, one of his members who was a chronic worrier stopped by one day to see him, and after listening to what the parishioner told him, Rev. Tindley told the man, “If I were you, I’d put all my troubles in a sack, take ‘em to the Lord and leave ‘em there.” Perhaps it was this Psalm of David that influenced Pastor Tindley to say that, and later on inspired him to write another song that became one of the church’s most famous hymns: “Leave it there, leave it there, take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.” Don’t be like some believers and fall in love with your burdens; this makes them hard to give up; makes you want to hold on to them no matter what because they bring you pity and sympathy. Rather, treat them like trinkets, not like treasures. Sometimes God takes our troubles and strife and transforms them into real jewels for our crown of righteousness. But He can only do that if we take them to Him, and leave them in His care.