The challenges of a righteous man….(part 1)

Good day friends!

I will be doing a four part series on David the man after God’s

heart. David loved God with all of his heart but it wasn’t easy.

He went through a lot and his relationship with God was tested

immensely! I want to talk about some of the challenges he faced.

There is no doubt God had an amazing plan for David’s life but

we need to realise that the enemy didn’t sit back and let it be. he

fought and at times he seemed to be victorious BUT

God was with David and saved him from all of his trials! I hope

and pray this series is a blessing to you. Let’s get started….

 

“Then the Jebusites said to David, You shall not come in here.

But David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the City of David.

And David said, whosoever smites the Jebusites first shall be

chief and commander. Joab son of Zeruiah [David’s half sister]

went up first, and so he was made the chief.

1 Chronicles 11:5, 6

 

This was one of David’s worst decisions. This decision would

impact his life in a way he would never expect. Instead of

seeking the Lord like he always did he turned to his flesh!

He left the decision of who would be his chief and commander

to a test of physical strength! Now get me right, there are a

few things Joab did right but the bad things far outweigh the

good.

You might think I am over exaggerating but look at the

consequences of David’s decision:

 

Joab murders Abner against David’s wishes.

(Read 2 Samuel 3:21-30)

Okay fair enough, Abner had killed Joab’s brother Asahel but

Joab still went against David’s wishes.

 

Joab kills Absalom, David’s son (Read 2 Samuel 18:14, 15)

Yes, Absalom took over David’s kingdom and even sought

to kill him but after being instructed by David (2 Samuel 18:5)

to not kill Absalom, Joab still went ahead and killed him.

 

Not convinced Joab was the wrong choice? Let me share a

few more incidents that will convince you otherwise:

 

Joab kills Amasa (Read 2 Samuel 9:10)

 

Joab betrays David by supporting Adonjah rather than Solomon

the promised king. (1 Kings 1: 7)

 

To conclude read 2 Samuel 23:8-39

All of David’s mighty men are mentioned but Joab’s name

is not there.

 

Look at how one decision made in the flesh impacted David’s

life. David always sought the Lord in his decision making.

But this one decision made in the flesh cost him much.

We need to always seek the Lord when making decisions. And

please understand,

I am not talking about deciding between drinking coffee

or tea tonight. 🙂  That’s not the kind of decision making I am

talking about. I hope you get the gist of what I mean.

David made a mistake. He made a really important decision

without seeking God and he paid a hefty price for it.

May we always seek the Lord in everything we do.

As we seek the Lord for His direction and guidance in the

decisions we have to make know it pleases Him.

It shows Him our faith in Him.

So as I end the lesson is this,

 

Seek the Lord! Things go horribly wrong when God is taken

out of the decision making process. Seek the Lord in every decision

you make!

Bless you….

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

What it means to have a purpose!

Most Christians know God has a plan for their lives.

But when they  are told God has a plan for them, a purpose,

What does that mean? What does that mean for us??

To answer that question I will look at the life of Abraham

the Father of faith!

 

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your

people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

Genesis 12:1

• For Abraham, having a purpose meant having to leave

the familiar behind! He didn’t know where he was going but

He trusted God. He took everything he owned and moved!

Could that still apply today? Could God be calling us out of

our comfort zones to a place we have never heard of before,

to a place we have never been to before?

Is he calling us out of the familiar? Is it possible to experience

the new if you haven’t let go of the familiar, if you are in your

comfort zone??

 

 

“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham”!

“Here I am, “he replied.

Then God said, Take your son, your only son, whom you love-

Isaac-and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt

offering on a mountain I will show you.” Genesis 22:1-2

 

Because Abraham had a purpose God tested him!

He told him he was to sacrifice the one thing he loved more than

anything else – his son! God tested with him with something

he held dear to his heart, his son!

Could it be possible that is our story too? Does God want to make

sure He is first in our lives by testing us?? We say we love God and

He is the most important thing in our lives, but is that the truth???

Only He knows!

 

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your Shield,

your very great reward.

But Abram said, Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I

remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of

Damascus? And Abram said, You have given me no children;

So a servant in my household will be heir.

Then the word of the Lord came to him: This man will not be

Your heir, but a son who is your flesh and blood will be your heir.

He took him outside and said, Look up at the sky and count the

stars – if indeed you can count them. Then he said to him, so shall

your offspring be.

Abram believed the Lord, and He credited to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:1-6

 

Because Abram had a purpose he had to trust God! He had to think

bigger and grander! God’s purpose for our lives is huge but faith

in God is the key. God’s plan for your life will not make sense to

a carnal mind a natural mind! You need faith to see it and accept it!

We know without faith it is impossible to please God. He wants us

trust Him.

Something you need to look out for as you walk in God’s purpose

for your life:

 

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had

an Egyptian slave named Hagar, so she said to Abram, “The Lord

has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave;

perhaps I can build a family through her.” 

Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

Genesis 16:1-5

 

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see what really happened.

Sarai knew what God had promised her along with Abraham but

what really happened? In Genesis 15 it tells us Abraham believed

God and it was counted to him as righteousness but in chapter 16

we read something different. Sarai suggests to Abram that he

sleep with Hagar and he agrees!  Why would Abram agree to that?

He clearly heard from God!

Did he think God had abandoned him?

Had he lost so much hope that he resorted to trying to make things

happen in his own strength?

Was he tired of waiting on God?

Did he focus on his old aged body and Sarah’s deadened womb and

let his carnal mind take over?

We really don’t know but what we do know is he agreed to go

along with Sarah’s plan! They had lost hope in God and set out

to accomplish God’s plan in their own strength!

They were discouraged and dejected!

 

There are things God

will allow and take you through to strengthen you. Like I said before,

it is by faith and faith alone you will accomplish God’s purpose for

your life. Yes, you will need to step out and do things but you will

need faith! If Abraham the Father of Faith could lose hope in God

and rely on his own strength what does that mean for us? It means

we have to be humble and admit we can’t do this alone!

God wants you to walk in the purpose He has for you. Don’t be

afraid.

Trust Him to lead you because He knows the way! He made the way!

Everything He does for you is because He loves you! Your purpose is

amazing and glorious! Be bold and confident as you step into it!

Rolain

 

He knew all along…..

As I look back at my life I realize how God had a plan for me. There were times when it didn’t seem like it but He had a plan…….

– As a child going through abuse He had a plan for me
– Being told by my teachers I would amount to nothing, He had a plan
– When my family fell apart and got divorced He had a plan
– When I had to move in with my grand mother because of the divorce He had a plan
– On days when I constantly tore myself down (which was all the time) He had a plan for me
– When people laughed at me because I stammered He had a plan
– During times of hopelessness and despair over my future He had a plan

A lot has happened but God has been true. I couldn’t see Him at work through all that at the time but I see now how He kept me alive and safe. He preserved my destiny in spite of how messed up my life was. It’s amazing to think as I was going through all that, God had a plan already planned out for me. When I lost hope and belief in anything good God had something amazing in store for me. I didn’t even know Him for crying out loud but He had something in store for me, when I was in fear of being abused He had a plan for me, when my heart was broken because I thought I was a nobody God knew the plans He had set up for me……And that is what God does. I believe it is just the beginning and I look forward to more.
You might be going through trials and hardships that seem unbeatable but the fact is that God has a plan for you. Your life might be in pieces but know God has a plan for you. You might be abused at home but know God has a plan. You might be in the darkest of  nights in your life but know that God has a plan for you. He has so much in store for you. Don’t give up, don’t quit. He knows who you are and He knows what you are going through……He will never leave you. Don’t believe the lies. Trust in Him.

Rolain

What you didn’t know about God’s will……

Moses and Aaron went and gathered together [in Egypt] all the elders of the Israelites. 
Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 
And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the Israelites, and that He had looked [in compassion] upon their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.  Exodus 4:29-31

The people’s believed what Moses and Aaron had told them. God would deliver them! They bowed their heads and worshiped says the word. But they didn’t fully understand what that meant. I know this because in a few verses later we see them rejecting what God told them,

And the foremen met Moses and Aaron, who were standing in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh. 
And the foremen said to them, The Lord look upon you and judge, because you have made us a rotten stench to be detested by Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hand to slay us. 
Exodus 5:20, 21

The leaders were told about God’s will for them and they believed. They thought it was going to be plain sailing but they were wrong. God doesn’t work like that. Yes, He has a plan for us but it comes with trials and times of testing. The people failed to see that and it cost them dearly. God’s will for our lives is so amazing but to get there, we will need to go through stuff…..!
The “stuff” is to make us stronger. The “stuff” will strengthen our faith in God. Please understand what I am saying, God’s will is not all trials and testing and hardship. There are victories, times of peace, breakthrough, joy, laughter, favor and a whole lot more. We need that understanding about the two aspects of God’s will.

And I will bring you into the land concerning which I lifted up My hand and swore that I would give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage. I am the Lord [you have the pledge of My changeless omnipotence and faithfulness].
Moses told this to the Israelites, but they refused to listen to Moses because of their impatience and anguish of spirit and because of their cruel bondage. 
Exodus 6:8, 9

Can you believe that? They refused to listen to Moses and this was only the beginning. There was still the desert to come!
But there is something I would like to touch on that was in the scripture we just read. Impatience can steal what God has for you. The Israelites were impatient. They were not willing to wait or endure. They wanted God to come through now! Don’t get impatient. Learn to wait on the Lord. He knows what you need.  They thought it would be a bed of roses but it was so much more. Walking the road God has set out for you is not easy. It requires courage and trust. I am on this road right now. I am so tempted at times to just take the wheel but God is in control.  The will of God for your life is fulfilling but you need to understand there is another side to it. God doesn’t test us for the fun of it. He has a purpose for it, to bring us out stronger in faith, to bless us beyond our wildest dreams…..He is truly a good God!

Rolain

The Storm and the Word – Part Two.

I said in part one of this post that a storm is either coming your way or you in one now or one has just passed. Storms are a part of every persons life. So how do we deal with them? How are we to act in the midst of a storm which is another word for trials, crisis, challenges and problems? In the book of James 1:2 it said we are to consider it wholly joyful when we encounter storms.
So in this post I am going to show you what the book of Mark teaches about how we are to handle ourselves in the midst of the storms of life.
In Mark 4:37-41 we read an interesting story about Jesus and the disciples. It says:

And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled.
But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing?
And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness).
He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)?

There are a few things I would like to pick out from this passage.
The disciples were faced with two truths on the boat. The first truth was, the boat was sinking. Their lives were in real danger. The other truth was Jesus Christ who is the Son of God was on the boat. Which truth would they believe? The fact is this, one truth was more powerful than the other!
In our lives we face the same dilemna. We have storms that are life threating but we also have the Messiah! One of these truths is stronger than the other. We need to decide which truth to believe. Just in case you didn’t know, Jesus Christ is stronger than any other “truth” we will ever face. We just need to believe it. As we believe this truth all other “truths” will need to subject themselves to Him! (I am going to write a post on which truth to believe. It will probably be my next post)

The other thing I would like to pick out is this, we are given a vivid picture of the storm. It was a furious storm of HURRICANE proportions. I can see the disciples who are skilled fishermen doing all they can to keep the boat afloat. They have been at sea countless times. This is not new to them. But they get to a point where they give up. Their strength and experience has come to nought and that is why they go to Jesus!
Then there is Jesus who is sleeping!!! In the midst of this life threatening storm He is asleep in the stern of the boat!
That is a picture of how we are supposed to handle storms. We are supposed to be at peace during the storm. The first picture of the disciples relying on their experience and strength is NOT what we are supposed to be doing when the storms come. If we trust God we will rest and be at peace in the midst of the storms. We will be serene in the midst of the storm because we know He is with us.
This takes the grace of God. You cannot do it in your strength because you will fail.

As I end, I would like to encourage you to be like Jesus who was at peace during the storm. He was at peace because His faith was in His Father!
Storms will come but our faith in God will sustain us. It will keep us sane and stop us from losing it. Amen!

Rolain.P