Author: pjimgallagher

Shelter

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Psalm 57:1
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.”

No matter where we live, we are faced with the storms of life. Growing up in California, I was constantly reminded of the great earthquake that was looming on the horizon. We were told that because of the fault lines, one day California would fall into the sea. Upon moving to Florida, the new fear was the hurricane. A few years back, a particularly large hurricane had developed in the warm waters of the South Atlantic. The atmospheric conditions were such to allow this storm to grow larger and larger as it traveled north. All of the models had it making landfall just outside of my home town. Having never experienced a hurricane before, I was glued to the Weather Channel for information. A hurricane this large had never been tracked before; it was larger than the state of Texas, and had wind speeds over 140 mph. People up and down the coast of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina were heading west for safety. One news station reported that hotels, as far as Kentucky were filling up, as people searched for a safe place in the storm. I felt stuck. I did not know where to go. In a last-minute decision, we drove across the state and stayed with friends, figuring though we might not be avoiding the storm, at least we would have the comfort of going through it together. Fortunately, the storm moved north, missing Florida all together, and reducing in size drastically as it met cooler waters. I came to the realization,  no matter where we live, we are faced with the storms of life, and must determine where we will run for safety.

David, facing the calamities of a wicked king seeking to destroy his life, fled to the Caves of Adullum. However, it was not the security of this hidden cave that comforted him. Instead, he writes, “And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge.” True peace will only come when we make the Lord our hiding place. Scripture is filled with invitations to come to Him, no matter what storms we are facing, and find safety, rest, peace and even guidance.

“. . . casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”  Psalm 55:22

Will you make the shadow of His wings your hiding place today?

Pastor Jim

Psalm 57

This Psalm is entitled “Prayer for Safety”

  1. Verse 2, “I will cry out to God Most High. To God who performs all things for me.” God performing all things for you, do you understand what David means? Verse 3 puts this in perspective. How can this change your perspective?
  2. Verse 5 & 11 should not only be read but be put into practice in our lives. What in your life need to be replaced by God being exalted?

 

Wisdom

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1 Kings 4:30
“Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.”

Solomon was known for his great wisdom. We are told his understanding of psychology, botany and biology surpassed the great teachers of his day. We find people from all over the Middle East would travel to hear him speak, and when they left, they declared that the rumors of his intellect did not do justice to how brilliant he really was. The most remarkable thing about his abilities is where they came from. As we read his Biblical biography, we find these gifts were God-given and purchased through prayer.

The early years of Solomon’s life gave no evidence of a truly gifted young man. His father doubted his ability, and when he was told by God to pass the kingdom to Solomon, he all but refused. It was not until his hand was forced by the threat of civil war, that he gave the crown to his young son. David declared, “My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced…” (1 Chronicles 29:1). His father’s cabinet saw nothing remarkable in Solomon, and when Adonijah attempted to take the throne, many of David’s counselors joined him, rather than Solomon. Even Solomon, himself, doubted his abilities and prayed,

1 Kings 3:7-8  “Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.”

It seems clear, Solomon was a man of average abilities who was being called to a task way beyond himself. The beauty of Solomon’s story is that God would provide what was lacking in his life. We read, upon realizing his inability, Solomon began to seek the Lord, and in a time of praise and petition, he encounter the promises of God. Solomon heard God promise to provide him with the wisdom he needed to carry out the call.

This is always the method of God. He will call us to areas of ministry that are beyond our capacities, but as we seek Him, He promises to provide all that we need. Scripture, history, and our modern world, all attest that God will provide all that is necessary for us to accomplish that to which He has called us. Our fame may never reach that of Solomon’s, but we can be sure, the promises of God will never fail, and we can serve in whatever capacity He has called us.

Pastor Jim

 

Divided Heart 

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1 Kings 3:3
“And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.”

Throughout his life Solomon showed evidence of his love for the Lord. He wrote three thousand proverbs to instruct young men how to walk pleasing to the Lord. Although only a few remain, we are told he also wrote over one thousand songs. Because of the influence of his father, it is safe to say, most of these would have been songs of worship. Solomon also spent the early years of his reign building the Temple, so Israel would have a permanent structure in which to worship he Lord. All of this attests to the statement that, “Solomon loved The Lord.” The problem arises when we continue reading the verse and find, along with his love, he had what the text calls “an exception.” Solomon loved The Lord except…”

For Solomon, this exception was a divided heart. He loved God, but he also loved women, and married hundreds of them. Many of these women were foreigners, and in order to please them, he erected altars or even temples to their false gods. This double devotion led Solomon further and further away from the Lord, and sowed seeds that would ultimate cause the collapse of the nation. His life proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the truth of the Jesus’ words:

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other…”

It is important that we carefully examine our lives to determine whether we are dividing our devotion between the Lord and the things of the world. James reminds us, love for the things that God opposes, puts us at enmity with God (James 4:4). Instead of having Him on our side, helping us to become the person He designed us to be, we find ourselves constantly fighting against Him, in order to do things that He forbids.

The danger is, these exceptions will become the rule. What started out as a little compromise, became the defining element of  Solomon’s life.

Pastor Jim

 

Strong Hands

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Psalm 54:1
“Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength.”

This Psalm is a prayer set to music. In It, David is crying out to God to deliver him from those who are seeking to end his life. The title of the Psalm gives us insight into the situation he is facing.

‘A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, ‘Is David not hiding with us?’”

Because of the jealous rage of King Saul, David was forced to live in hiding. The Wilderness of Ziph provided a perfect hiding place for David and his men. The many caves made it difficult for anyone to pinpoint their whereabouts. That is, until the Ziphites, or inhabitants of that area alerted Saul to David’s location. When news reached David that King Saul knew where he was hiding, and that he was coming with an army to kill him, David’s reaction was to pray. He set his face toward heaven, sought God’s assistance and was delivered from his enemy. We discover in 1 Samuel 23 that God moved the Philistine army in order to deliver David. God is like that; since He is the King of kings, the universe is at His disposal. He will even move nations to deliver His people. When David prayed, God delivered.

Our reaction in times of difficulty, danger, fear or uncertainty, is not always faith-filled prayer. Instead, we are often filled with worry, fear and unbelief. Too many times, when we should be following the example of David and looking up, we find ourselves in a panic, perhaps even crippled with anxiety. How was it that in such grave danger, David was able to look to the Lord with confident prayer? Again, 1 Samuel 23 gives us the insight. Just prior to the Ziphites selling David out to Saul, we read,

1 Samuel 23:16-17 “Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, ‘Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.’”

The conditions of life had greatly weakened David, until his friend came and strengthened his hands. Notice, David’s hands were strengthened when Jonathan simply shared the promises of the Word of God. This was not a pep talk, or a motivational speech. Jonathan was quoting to David what God had already promised, “You shall be king.” In our times of difficulty, faith-filled prayer is the answer. However, this kind of prayer stems from remembering the great and precious promises of God. Allow your faith to be built up for the challenges ahead, by reminding yourself of His wonderful promises.

Pastor Jim

Psalm 54

  1. Read 1 Samuel 26 for background on the writing of this Psalm.
  2. David had the opportunity to destroy his enemy; did he?
  3. Within this psalm what is David’s attitude concerning those who are his enemies?
  4. Have you ever had opportunity to take vengeance, or to wrongfully take matters in to your own hand?  If you are currently struggling with this pray that God will help you to trust the situation and those who are involved into His hands.
  5. Note verse 4.  Compare this with John 14:16-18.  Is this a real help?

 

Man Up 

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1 Kings 2:2-3
“I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.”

Israel is facing some very serious challenges. Their beloved king has grown old and is on the eve of his death, and the nation is divided between two drastically different successors. Surrounded by enemies and struggling with an array of internal conflicts, Solomon is chosen to take the throne and lead the nation. With what amounts to his final words, we read of a charge given by King David to his teenage son,

“I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man…

Today, there seems to be great confusion regarding what it means to be a man. An iconic figure from a few years ago was the Marlboro Man; a cowboy with a cigarette. More recently, we have been introduced to the most interesting man in the world; an aged playboy who consumes alcohol. We have movies like Fight Club, or the Fast and Furious series that portray manhood as living a fast paced life, not worrying about the consequences, and social media taught us a new term – YOLO – meaning you only live once. David had none of these things in mind when he charged Solomon to be a man. Instead, he defined true manhood when he said,

“Keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.”

A real man is one who looks to the word of God and lives by its principles. A real man is one who will not let culture shape him, but will be transformed by the Scriptures, into the image of Christ. It was Pilate, who looking at the beaten Christ declared, “Behold the Man.” And it is Christ who is the true image of manhood.

Like David, I believe that what our world needs is young people who will step up and act like men. Young men who will not be swayed by culture, but will seek to influence it, by taking heed to the Word of God and live accordingly.

Pastor Jim

 

One Man Army

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1 Kings 1:36-37
“Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, ‘Amen! May the Lord God of my lord the king say so too. As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.’”

As David’s final days drew near, a dark and ominous cloud hung over the nation of Israel. Following in the footsteps of his brother Absalom, Adonijah exalted himself in an attempt to usurp the nation’s throne. He convinced the princes of Israel, as well as the army, to join his rebellion. However, the palace guard, prophets and the mighty men remained loyal to David and young prince Solomon. The nation of Israel found itself once again on the brink of a civil war that would cost the lives of thousands.

In the midst of all this chaos, we are re-introduced to Benaiah. We met him earlier in the story line, and found him to be one of David’s mighty men. We read in 2 Samuel that He “killed two lion-like heroes of Moab, a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day and an Egyptian, a spectacular man” with his own spear. Benaiah was well known in his day for his acts of valor, but the greatest battle he ever fought was in a totally different realm.

As the armies of Israel joined forces to attack the king, Benaiah stood before the Lord and interceded for his nation.“May the Lord God of my lord the king say so too. As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”

This short prayer may be what saved the kingdom from a brutal civil clash.

It is important to remember the value of prayer. Instead of being quick to grab the sword, or enter the physical battle, we need to be instant in prayer. We must remember that the real battles will be won on our knees, as we intercede on behalf of others. One man’s plea, can rescue a nation.

Pastor Jim

 

Book Of Tears 

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Psalm 56:8
“You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?”

David refers to God’s book. This is not a reference to the Word of God; for he tells us that the content of this book is David’s tears. He is not the only writer to refer to a book that God possesses. The Apostle John wrote,

“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:27

The Old Testament prophet Malachi also refers to this book,

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.” Malachi 3:16

These writers are speaking of a book whose author is God, and the subject is the saints. It is a book that contains the names of all who have trusted in Christ for salvation. As a result, they have become citizens of heaven, and children of God. It is of the utmost importance that your name be found on this scroll.

John further explained its importance,

“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15

Whether it is the same book, or another one that David is referring to, we cannot know. In addition to our names being listed, David makes clear that our difficulties are recorded as well. He states that our tears are saved in His book. In poetic fashion, Jesus illustrated God’s love for us when He stated,

“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10:30

There is nothing we face that God does not know about. He watches closely the affairs of our lives. He does not watch as an uninvolved observer. Instead, He allows and even uses, the struggles we face to draw us nearer to Himself, and produce His character in our lives. A good friend of mine used the term “Father-Filtered”, to describe how God allows the trials we face. In the midst of these trials, God is carefully watching; providing His sustaining grace and even writing down our sorrows. I have to believe they are recorded, as they have to do with future rewards.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12

Malachi’s reference to this book is in the context of our communication about God with one another. He states that when the saints talk about God, heaven is listening and recording the conversation. Think about the majesty of that. When you are facing a trial and call a friend who counsels you with the Word, Heaven watches and writes it down. When you share a praise report or a verse that especially touched your heart, God Himself writes it down in a book. Perhaps, the greatest thing we can share is the simple truth of the Gospel with our family, friends and neighbors. This passage has always made me wonder how large my book is. I don’t want to get to heaven and find that mine is the size of a bulletin or Bible tract. Let’s be sure to communicate the things of God so that our book is more like a set of books or a full library.

Pastor Jim

Psalm 56

  1. What is David’s response to fear?
  2. Is fear starting to take rule over your life? Lay it before Jesus and do what David says. Verses 3-4.
  3. Where are your tears?
  4. Dwell on verse 13 for a moment… God really does love you!

 

 

Consequences

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2 Samuel 24:10
“And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.’”

King David committed a sin by taking a census of the people, rather than trusting in the arm of God as Israel’s defense. His sin was forgiven, but the consequences were grave.

This passage is a vivid illustration of temptation, failure, repentance and results. In the parallel passage in Chronicles we read,

1 Chronicles 21:1
” Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.”

The initial cause of David’s sin was giving into temptation. Instead of rejecting unbiblical thinking, he chose to entertain his thoughts, and before long found himself giving in. It is not uncommon for us to be bombarded with ungodly thoughts. We harbor bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness toward those we perceive have wronged us, and this often leads to justifying ungodly attitudes and actions. Many relationships have been destroyed because we entertained ungodly thoughts, which we should have used the shield of faith to destroy.

David’s thoughts soon led him to action and he took a census of Israel, rather than trusting the Lord. Almost immediately, he was bombarded with guilt and shame. Guilt can be positive or negative, depending upon how we react ito it. Often, guilt will lead to unhealthy actions like isolation, depression or substance abuse. Instead, David allowed his guilt to drive him to the one place it could be appeased; David sought the Lord. His prayer was simply confession. He did not attempt to justify his actions, but admitted his guilt. Years after this, the apostle John wrote

1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Because of the sufficiency of the cross, we can cry out to God, and all sin will be forgiven and intimacy with the Lord restored. That truth will never change, but there is a parallel truth that this passage illustrates. Although his sin was forgiven, there were still consequences for his actions. While living through these consequences, David learned to rely upon the mercy of God.

Perhaps you have failed in a big way and are living in the realm of the consequences. Your actions may have cost you a lot. Will you allow me to encourage you to trust in the mercy of God, and cling to Him, as He seeks to minister to you and those who you have wronged. You might not see immediate results, but a life of repentance will put you back on the road that ultimately leads to blessings. For David, it was this season in his life where he took the first step toward building the Temple, which in the long run, would serve as a place where many were drawn to God.

Pastor Jim

 

The Challenge 

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2 Samuel 23:8
“These are the names of the mighty men whom David had…”

David was a man mightily used by God. Although he started his journey walking alone into the valley to fight the giant, he did not remain alone. David’s faith was magnetic, and he was soon surrounded by men of great faith. This chapter tells the story of some of the men who surrounded the king. Among those listed are:

* Adino – He had killed eight hundred men at one time.

* Eleazar – He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day.

* Shammah – He stationed himself in the middle of a field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

* Three mighty men – broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem and brought it to David.

* Abishai – He lifted his spear against three hundred men.

* Benaiah – He killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day; and he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.

With heroic faith, these men stepped out, risking their own lives, for the furtherance of the Kingdom. Living like that, they had an impact upon their generation, and upon every generation that followed. Countless Christians have been encouraged in the work of the Lord, by the faith of David’s mighty men. They are an example of living recklessly for the Kingdom of God.

As I read their stories, two things happen within me. First, I am encouraged, second I am challenged. It is the challenge I would like to bring before you. Take a moment to examine your life. What are you doing for the Kingdom? When is the last time you took a risk, of any kind, in the service of Christ? Perhaps you need to recklessly approach your personal sanctification, using the Sword of the Spirit to cut out some things that do not belong. Perhaps it is time to examine the use of your time, and enlist yourself in service for the King. Whatever the case, when this life, which is like a vapor, comes to an end, we want to be on a list as one of the mighty men.

Pastor Jim

 

Good And Evil

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Psalm 52:1
“Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually.”

We live in a world of contrast. On the one hand, we see the fingerprint of God all around us, demonstrating His goodness. Earlier in the Psalms, David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm19:1). When we see the beauty of creation, the birth of a child, or the love of betrothal, we are struck by the goodness of God.

On the other hand, there is another force clearly at work in our world. David calls it “evil,” and he witnessed its effects all around him. This Psalm was written after Doeg had murdered dozens of men, out of his selfish ambition and lust for gain.

We, too, see evil all around us with the ability to access information from all of the world. We have all been stunned by thousands killed in floods, earthquakes and hurricanes. As horrible as these things are, they pale in comparison to the evil that men inflict upon other men. Wars, fought for nothing more than a selfish drive for power, have been responsible for the brutal death of millions, upon millions, of lives. We have all heard of the atrocities under Hitler and Stalin. Tragically, these are not just distant memories of the dark days of man. The events, in places like El Salvador, Liberia, and Rwanda, in recent decades, have been nothing short of evil.  Nor has evil stopped. We hear today of threats of terrorism, and even global war. Sadly, we do not need to look far to find evil. We have all been dumbfounded by reports of shootings at schools or job sites, where an expressionless gunman shoots innocent victims; leaving the victim’s families to grieve in shock and horror. We all know, and perhaps even are the victims of abuse. I have sat in my office with people who were molested by the very ones who should have loved them, and seen the far reaching and devastating effects of that evil. As a result, we are all left to wonder how these two truths can be reconciled. We ask the age old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

Allow me to have Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck answer this question for us: “It is a strange thing. Dozens of times I have been asked by patients or acquaintances: ‘Dr. Peck, why is there evil in the world?’ Yet no one has ever asked me in all these years: ‘Why is there good in the world?’ It is as if we automatically assume this is a naturally good world that has somehow been contaminated by evil. In terms of what we know of science, however, it is actually easier to explain evil. That things decay is quite explainable in accord with the natural law of physics. That life should evolve into more and more complex forms is not so easily understandable. That children generally lie and steal and cheat is routinely observable. The fact that sometimes they grow up to become truly honest adults is what seems the more remarkable. Laziness is more the rule than diligence. If we seriously think about it, it probably makes more sense to assume this is a naturally evil world that has somehow been mysteriously “contaminated” by goodness, rather than the other way around.”

The mystery of goodness is even greater than the mystery of evil. “An evil world contaminated with goodness.” The Bible explains this clearly. When Adam sinned, sin entered the world, and has affected everything. However, God, through Christ, has infused His goodness into this world. James went on to explain, that every good and perfect gift comes from God. The evil in this world goes against the nature of God, and is caused by sin. The good in this world is left by the fingerprint of God, who loves us, and desires to work in us, even to be a fortress when evil is on the rise. Will you cling to Him today?

“At the tree in the garden we passed from good to evil
At the tree on the hill we passed from evil to good.”

Pastor Jim

Psalm 52

  1. Read chapter 21 and 22 of 2Samuel, for background on the writing of this Psalm.
  2. What is the confidence and strength of the wicked man?  Where does he place his trust and what does he love?
  3. Yet what is the end of the wicked man?
  4. In contrast what is the strength, confidence, and trust of the righteous before God?