Read 2 Samuel 7:18-29
Context: Continuation from yesterday
Text:
18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD ?
20 "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.
22 "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? [c] 24 You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.
25 "And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you.
27 "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer. 28 O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever." (NIV)
Footnotes:
c 2 Samuel 7:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 17:21; Hebrew wonders for your land and before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Showing posts with label Be a Blessing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Be a Blessing. Show all posts
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Feb 3: God's Promises to David
Read 2 Samuel 7:8-17
Context: David realized that he had a palace of cedar, but God was 'living' in a tent. He wanted to build God a 'real' temple, but God told him no. But God had blessings to give to David.
Text:
8 "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders [a] over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. " 'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me [b] ; your throne will be established forever.' "
17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation. (NIV)
Footnotes:
2 Samuel 7:11 Traditionally judges
2 Samuel 7:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts you
Taken from www.biblegateway.com
Context: David realized that he had a palace of cedar, but God was 'living' in a tent. He wanted to build God a 'real' temple, but God told him no. But God had blessings to give to David.
Text:
8 "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders [a] over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. " 'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me [b] ; your throne will be established forever.' "
17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation. (NIV)
Footnotes:
2 Samuel 7:11 Traditionally judges
2 Samuel 7:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts you
Taken from www.biblegateway.com
Friday, February 2, 2007
Feb 2 - Being a Blessing When It's Hard
Read: Psalm 6:32-38
Context: Continuation from yesterday
Text:
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (NIV)
www.biblegateway.com
God blesses us because He loves us and He wants to see us happy. He also expects us to pass on that love and blessing to others...sometimes in ways that we really don't want to. In fact, verses 37 and 38 ask us to bless others BEFORE we get our blessing. It's really a pretty cool cycle...God blesses us in many ways, we bless others, and He blesses us again!
There are lots of times when I don't feel like blessing the person who just cut me off in traffic or the salesperson who went out of her way to be crabby and slow. But then I remember that I often cut God off at the pass and I'm also pretty prone to being crabby and slow -- and He still blesses me. It makes it easier to stop my negative train of thought and hear God's whisper to pray for those people.
Your challenge today -- remember to pray for those who frustrate or anger you (even if you don't think about it for several hours!)
Context: Continuation from yesterday
Text:
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (NIV)
www.biblegateway.com
God blesses us because He loves us and He wants to see us happy. He also expects us to pass on that love and blessing to others...sometimes in ways that we really don't want to. In fact, verses 37 and 38 ask us to bless others BEFORE we get our blessing. It's really a pretty cool cycle...God blesses us in many ways, we bless others, and He blesses us again!
There are lots of times when I don't feel like blessing the person who just cut me off in traffic or the salesperson who went out of her way to be crabby and slow. But then I remember that I often cut God off at the pass and I'm also pretty prone to being crabby and slow -- and He still blesses me. It makes it easier to stop my negative train of thought and hear God's whisper to pray for those people.
Your challenge today -- remember to pray for those who frustrate or anger you (even if you don't think about it for several hours!)
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Feb 1 - You Are Blessed -- Be a Blessing
Read Luke 6:17-31
Context: Jesus has been on the mountainside praying to God all night. In the morning, he called his twelve disciples to him. Together they went down the mountain.
Text:
17He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, 18who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil[a] spirits were cured, 19and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
23"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. 24"But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.
Love for Enemies
27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you. (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Each of us has been blessed in many ways -- sometimes directly by God and many times through others whom God has blessed. It is easy to forget about the ease and wealth that we have when we live in a society that promotes materialism at all cost. Yet few of us would want to trade our lives for the lives of those living in remote areas of China, Africa, or Russia. In fact, most of us wouldn't trade our lives for the lives of those who are currently living in homeless shelters in the St. Louis area.
Christ's blessings and woes in this passage could be a little intimidating to us...by many standards we are all rich and well fed, we laugh often and many people (your own classmates in Sunday School sometimes) speak well of us. Have we received our reward? I think Christ meant that we can't live in a bubble of our own well being. We are challenged to share what we have and bless others, even our enemies, instead of being prideful and arrogant about what we have. The whole reason we have been blessed, as Abram was, is to be a blessing to those around us.
Who can you bless today?
Context: Jesus has been on the mountainside praying to God all night. In the morning, he called his twelve disciples to him. Together they went down the mountain.
Text:
17He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, 18who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil[a] spirits were cured, 19and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
23"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. 24"But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.
Love for Enemies
27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you. (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Each of us has been blessed in many ways -- sometimes directly by God and many times through others whom God has blessed. It is easy to forget about the ease and wealth that we have when we live in a society that promotes materialism at all cost. Yet few of us would want to trade our lives for the lives of those living in remote areas of China, Africa, or Russia. In fact, most of us wouldn't trade our lives for the lives of those who are currently living in homeless shelters in the St. Louis area.
Christ's blessings and woes in this passage could be a little intimidating to us...by many standards we are all rich and well fed, we laugh often and many people (your own classmates in Sunday School sometimes) speak well of us. Have we received our reward? I think Christ meant that we can't live in a bubble of our own well being. We are challenged to share what we have and bless others, even our enemies, instead of being prideful and arrogant about what we have. The whole reason we have been blessed, as Abram was, is to be a blessing to those around us.
Who can you bless today?
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Jan 31 - Abraham is a Blessing to Ishmael
Read Genesis 17:15-22
Context: When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him to confirm their covenant. He changed Abram's name to Abraham, and He told Abraham about the land his many descendants would receive. God told Abraham to circumcise all males in his household and all those to come.
Text:
15 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."
17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!"
19 Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. [a] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. (NIV)
Footnotes:
Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs .
taken from www.biblegateway.com
If you know the story of Ishmael, Abraham's first son by Sarai's maidservant Hagar, you know that he and his mother had a really rough time. Sarai had told Abraham to sleep with Hagar so that he could have a son, then when Hagar got pregnant Sarai abused her. Many years later, when Ishmael was about 17, Sarai insisted that Abraham send both Ishmael and Hagar away.
Regardless of what Sarai thought, though, Ishmael was still Abraham's firstborn. We don't see too many instances of father/son bonding, but I'm sure Abraham taught Ishmael many 'boy' things like fishing and skipping rocks. When God told Abraham he would have a son by Sarai that would be blessed of God, the first thing Abraham requests is that Ishmael be blessed to.
God is so good to us. He has His plan, but He also cares about our heart's desires. Think back to a time when God provided something just because you wanted it, not because it was a need. Thank Him for His blessing!
Context: When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him to confirm their covenant. He changed Abram's name to Abraham, and He told Abraham about the land his many descendants would receive. God told Abraham to circumcise all males in his household and all those to come.
Text:
15 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."
17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!"
19 Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. [a] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. (NIV)
Footnotes:
Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs .
taken from www.biblegateway.com
If you know the story of Ishmael, Abraham's first son by Sarai's maidservant Hagar, you know that he and his mother had a really rough time. Sarai had told Abraham to sleep with Hagar so that he could have a son, then when Hagar got pregnant Sarai abused her. Many years later, when Ishmael was about 17, Sarai insisted that Abraham send both Ishmael and Hagar away.
Regardless of what Sarai thought, though, Ishmael was still Abraham's firstborn. We don't see too many instances of father/son bonding, but I'm sure Abraham taught Ishmael many 'boy' things like fishing and skipping rocks. When God told Abraham he would have a son by Sarai that would be blessed of God, the first thing Abraham requests is that Ishmael be blessed to.
God is so good to us. He has His plan, but He also cares about our heart's desires. Think back to a time when God provided something just because you wanted it, not because it was a need. Thank Him for His blessing!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Jan 30 - Abram is a Blessing to Lot
Read Genesis 13:5-18
Context: After yesterday's text where God blessed Abram, Abram left as the Lord had told him and his nephew, Lot, went with him. Abram was 75. They traveled to Shechem, Bethel, and Egypt. After a time in Egypt they returned to the area around Bethel.
Text:
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.
14 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring [a] forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."
18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD. (NIV)
Footnotes:
Genesis 13:15 Or seed ; also in verse 16
taken from http://www.biblegateway.com/
It seems that Abram can't out-bless God! He does an amazingly selfless thing by allowing Lot to choose the land he wants; and of course Lot chose the area that was green and well watered, leaving Abram the scrubbier, desert-like area.
Yet God immediately told Abram that he would be given all the land he could see in every direction. He was reminded that his offspring would so numerous they couldn't be counted.
Abram continued to be a blessing to Lot over the next few years. Lot and his family were captured as prisoners of war, and Abram recovered all the goods and brought back Lot, his possessions, the women and the others who were captured with him. Several years later (maybe as many as 20), Abraham (with his new name) pleaded with God to save Sodom if only ten men were faithful, and God allowed Lot and his family to leave before the city was destroyed. He was a good uncle to have!
Context: After yesterday's text where God blessed Abram, Abram left as the Lord had told him and his nephew, Lot, went with him. Abram was 75. They traveled to Shechem, Bethel, and Egypt. After a time in Egypt they returned to the area around Bethel.
Text:
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.
14 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring [a] forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."
18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD. (NIV)
Footnotes:
Genesis 13:15 Or seed ; also in verse 16
taken from http://www.biblegateway.com/
It seems that Abram can't out-bless God! He does an amazingly selfless thing by allowing Lot to choose the land he wants; and of course Lot chose the area that was green and well watered, leaving Abram the scrubbier, desert-like area.
Yet God immediately told Abram that he would be given all the land he could see in every direction. He was reminded that his offspring would so numerous they couldn't be counted.
Abram continued to be a blessing to Lot over the next few years. Lot and his family were captured as prisoners of war, and Abram recovered all the goods and brought back Lot, his possessions, the women and the others who were captured with him. Several years later (maybe as many as 20), Abraham (with his new name) pleaded with God to save Sodom if only ten men were faithful, and God allowed Lot and his family to leave before the city was destroyed. He was a good uncle to have!
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