esteem

Psalm 132:4-5
“I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, Until I find a place for the Lord, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

This psalm is referring to a time when King David took a spiritual inventory of his life. His days of fleeing from Saul and living in caves were no more than a memory; he now dwelt within the palace. The Philistines, who had plagued the nation for so long, had been conquered, and Israel was at peace with the surrounding nations. As David began to muse over his life, he saw an area of inconsistency; while he dwelt in a palace, the ark of God still resided in a tent.

Immediately, David was filled with a desire to give God center stage in his life, and within the nation. The first step in this process, was to bring the Ark of the Covenant out of storage, and into the capital city, so all might see that God was at the center of the nation. David’s first attempt to bring the Ark back was a monstrous failure. He tried to do the things of God with the methods of man.

Later, after careful inquiry into the Word of God, David was able to safely bring the Ark to its resting place in Jerusalem. National revival broke out as a result of the King giving the Lord center stage. One day, as David was residing within the palace, he was struck by how God had blessed him; the forgotten son of Jesse, who was often ridiculed by his older brothers, was now king. As he reflected on the blessings of God, he was reminded that while the Ark resided in the city, it remained within a tent.

To David, the tent seemed a proper habitation for the Ark when the people were nomadic, but now that their borders had been secured, it was time to build a proper Temple. One that would reflect the way the nation honored their God, and would serve as a magnet to draw people to worship. This project would ultimately be completed by Solomon, after the death of David, but it was birthed in his heart, with a desire to always keep God first.

The application is simple. What place does God have in your life today? When is the last time you took spiritual inventory and sought to give more of your time, talents and treasures to the Lord? Today would be a great time to look back at all that God has done for you and elevate His place in your life.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Psalm 132

In verses2-5, David is troubled that the ark did not have its place. Do you ever feel restless, wondering; what’s Gods will for your life?
According to verse 9, describe the priests and the saints.
In verses 11-12, what will keep the descendants of David on the throne?
According to verse 17, who is the horn of David, and who is the psalmist referring to as “My Anointed”?

Proverbs 18:24
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Friendship is one of the most important parts of life. We were not designed to live in isolation or face all the struggles of life alone. We have some wonderful examples of friendship in Scripture. We are told that when Jonathan met David, he loved him as his own soul. He expressed this love by taking his armor and giving it to David (1 Samuel 18:4). As the son of the king, this action showed he believed David was chosen, by God, to reign in the land. From that time forward, Jonathan lived to encourage David to be the man God had called him to be. His actions illustrate Paul’s words to to the Philippians.

Philippians 2:3
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

Barnabas, in the New Testament, is also a great example of friendship. When Saul of Tarsus first met Christ, no other Christian would have anything to do with him. The church basically thought his conversion was an elaborate ploy to get close to Christians, in order to imprison or kill them. It was Barnabas who risked it all and befriended Paul. After meeting with him and seeing he had, in fact, given his life to Christ, Barnabas stood up for Paul to the other church leaders (Acts 9:26-27). Later, Paul was given opportunity to serve the Lord alongside Barnabas.

Both of these examples reveal the benefit of godly friendships. All of us long to have someone in our lives who would act like a Barnabas or a Jonathan. Solomon gives a practical tip as to how to develop and keep godly friendships. He writes,

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

If we desire friendship, we must be friendly. Instead of looking for someone who will come alongside and support us, we should be looking for those whom we can come alongside and support. One of the simplest ways to do this is at church. It is not uncommon for people to enter a church, sit by themselves, and leave without ever making contact with any other believers. After weeks and weeks of this, they may start to think the church is an unfriendly place, because no one has reached out and befriended them. While that may be true, it is equally true, they have not reached out to anyone else. One of the best ways to establish friendship, is to look for someone who is sitting alone and join them. Ask them if they want to grab a coffee or get a meal after church. I am not suggesting you use the church as a place to get a date, but as a place where you can establish godly friendships, which will help you walk with the Lord. instead of looking for someone to be the friend you need, look to be the friend someone else needs.

Pastor Jim